Prospective Students

We train students studying for the PhD degree for an exciting new phase of biological research - the application of molecular, cellular, genetic and biochemical techniques to the investigation of how cells, tissues, and organs function in health and disease

The Biomedical Sciences ( BMS) Graduate Program has eight major thematic areas that you can explore from links on this page. You will see that we have a diverse faculty committed to both graduate education and basic and translational research. Most of the individual thematic areas offer their own journal clubs, research retreats, and course electives to enrich the core curriculum of the BMS Program. Our curriculum is unique and fashioned to give graduate students fluency not only in molecular and cellular biology but also in the principles of tissue and organ architecture, development, and function. In all cases, this is done in the context of the underlying basic biology, but wherever possible this perspective is illuminated by examples from human diseases that result from derangements of this biology. Formal coursework provides a foundation in Genetics, Molecular Biology, and Cell Biology. In addition, a two-quarter course covers Tissue and Organ Biology, including an introduction to tissue architecture in a laboratory setting that allows students to become familiar with normal and disease states in both experimental animal models and humans. This curriculum is designed to give students the knowledge base they need to pursue biomedical science research. For students interested in a deeper clinical research experience, we take advantage of our close ties to the UCSF Medical School to offer courses in a translational research track that provides opportunities for elective coursework on specific clinical diseases and can provide instruction in the methods of clinical investigation.