Biochemistry, Structural & Molecular Biology

Biochemistry, structural biology, and molecular biology are key disciplines that touch virtually every facet of modern biomedical research. The BSMB program trains students in these disciplines to become independent thinkers and advanced experimentalists, providing them with the theoretical and practical knowledge to pursue careers in academia, the pharmaceutical industry, and government research centers.  Coursework is an important component of the training (see curriculum section). However, the major focus of the training program is project-based and experiential (see research section). BSMB trainees study fundamental mechanisms of life as well as many different clinically-related problems relevant to cancer, cardiovascular disease, neurodegeneration, and infectious diseases. The administrative home of the BSMB program is in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BMB), ranked #11 nationally in NIH funding. Although administered through the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, the program is interdepartmental and BSMB faculty align with multiple basic and clinical departments within the University, reflecting the collaborative nature of the training. In addition to state-of-the-art scientific equipment in individual research laboratories, numerous specialized resources are available to BSMB trainees, including genomic and multiplex sequencing, microarray analysis, flow cytometry and cell sorting, confocal, TiRF and super-resolution microscopy, X-ray crystallography, cryo-electron microscopy and macromolecular characterization. The scientific community is emphasized through research seminars, colloquia, and interdepartmental interaction. Trainees graduating from this program will have the comprehensive scientific foundation and technical expertise to pursue careers in multiple areas of biomedical research.

Most coursework is taken in the first year of the program. Research rotations run concurrently with the classroom experiences. Trainees will have completed much of the BSMB curriculum and identified thesis mentors by the end of the first academic year. 

Meet our faculty and administrative team.

See what we're doing in the fields of Molecular & Cellular Pharmacology, Chemical & Structural Biology and Molecular Biology & Gene Regulation.