BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES GRADUATE PROGRAM

Faculty | Program
Graduate Courses | Professional Courses

Michael B. Stemerman, M.D., Dean and Program Director
Program Office, 1151 Batchelor Hall
  (800) 735-0717 or (909) 787-5621
  http://biomed.ucr.edu

Professors
John H. Ashe, Ph.D. Neurosciences (Cell Biology and Neuroscience/Psychology)
Craig V. Byus, Ph.D. Pharmacology (Biomedical Sciences and Biochemistry)
David A. Eastmond, Ph.D. Environmental Toxicology (Cell Biology and Neuroscience)
Andrew J. Grosovsky, Ph.D. Toxicology (Cell Biology and Neuroscience)
Helen L. Henry, Ph.D. Endocrinology (Biochemistry)
David A. Johnson, Ph.D. Pharmacology (Biomedical Sciences)
Richard A. Luben, Ph.D. Endocrinology (Biomedical Sciences/Biochemistry)
Anthony W. Norman, Ph.D. Endocrinology (Biomedical Sciences/Biochemistry)
Edward G. Platzer, Ph.D. Physiology (Biology/Nematology)
Paul M. Quinton, Ph.D. Physiology (Biomedical Sciences)
Neal L. Schiller, Ph.D. Microbiology/Immunology (Biomedical Sciences)
B. Glenn Stanley, Ph.D. Neurosciences (Cell Biology and Neuroscience/Psychology)
Michael B. Stemerman, M.D. Vascular Biology(Biomedical Sciences)
Daniel S. Straus, Ph.D. Human Genetics (Biomedical Sciences/Biology)
Ameae M. Walker, Ph.D. Microanatomy (Biomedical Sciences)
Associate Professors
Richard A. Cardullo, Ph.D. Cell Biology (Biology)
Margarita C. Currás-Collazo, Ph.D. Neurosciences (Cell Biology and Neuroscience)
Scott N. Currie, Ph.D. Neurosciences (Cell Biology and Neuroscience)
Christian Y. Lytle, Ph.D. Physiology (Biomedical Sciences)
Manuela M. Martins-Green, Ph.D. Cell Signaling (Cell Biology and Neuroscience)
John Y-J. Shyy, Ph.D. Pharmacology/Physiology (Biomedical Sciences)
Professor Emerita
Mary Ann Baker, Ph.D. Neurosciences
Assistant Professors
Bruce N. Cohen, Ph.D. Neurosciences (Biomedical Sciences)
Xuan Liu, M.D., Ph.D. (Biochemistry)
Valdimir Parpura, Ph.D. (Cell Biology and Neuroscience)

The multidisciplinary interdepartmental graduate program in Biomedical Sciences offers graduate instruction leading to a Ph.D. or combined M.D.-Ph.D.

The aim of the graduate program is to provide students with training that crosses traditional boundaries between scientific disciplines and allows them to address modern biomedical research questions. The objective is to train scientists who have a broad knowledge of basic medical sciences, a high degree of expertise in an area of specialization, and effective teaching skills for a medical school or university environment.

The need for scientists who understand the interrelationships of various areas of medical science is readily apparent. For example, it is clearly advantageous for a scientist studying diabetes to understand the disease in depth. This requires a fundamental understanding of endocrinology (hormone secretion and action), cell biology (cell types that produce insulin and upon which insulin acts), biochemistry (insulin-receptor interactions, biochemical pathways regulated by insulin), genetics (hereditary factors in the development of diabetes), immunology (autoimmune mechanisms in diabetes), and anatomy (microvascular pathology). There is a growing need for scientists who can communicate among disciplines so that very effective research collaborations can be developed.

Cell Biology/Physiology research areas include fluid and electrolyte pathophysiology in cystic fibrosis; molecular genetics of human cell response to environmental carcinogens; tumor suppressor genes in malignant melanoma; molecular basis of Down syndrome; factors controlling lymphocyte differentiation; mechanisms of action of cytotoxic lymphokines; physiological aspects of host-parasite interaction; and host defense mechanisms in infectious disease.

Endocrinology/Pharmacology research areas include regulation and actions of the vitamin D endocrine system; mechanism of action of insulin and insulin-like growth factors; prolactin as a growth factor in health and disease; hormonal and electric field regulation of bone development and growth; and mechanisms for carcinogenesis by tumor-promoting phorbolesters.

Neurosciences research areas include studies of the hypothalamic control of homeostatic and sexual function; plasticity in the adult mammalian nervous system; chemical and electrophysiological mechanisms of synaptic transmission; and structure-function studies of ion channels.

Applicants should have completed an undergraduate degree in one of the physical or biological sciences and must submit scores from the GRE General Test (verbal and quantitative). (GRE requirement not applicable to UCR Biomedical Sciences students applying for M.D.-Ph.D.) Courses required for admission include one year each of general chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, and calculus and at least two years of biological sciences. Preferred upper-division courses in biology include vertebrate or human anatomy and physiology, embryology, genetics, cell biology, microbiology, immunology, and neurosciences.

Doctoral Degree

The aim of the graduate program in Biomedical Sciences is to train Ph.D. scientists in a specific area of research specialization who also have enough general knowledge in the basic medical sciences to apply their research expertise to unraveling the basis of disease. This approach includes understanding not only pathogenic manifestations of disease but also the normal physiologic state. To accomplish this, the student completes a core and elective curriculum, the latter tailored to the student's research interests. BCH 110A-BCH 110B (General Biochemistry), and BCH 110C or BIOL 107A are considered prerequisites to the core curriculum. Students who perform well on a biochemistry placement examination at the time of matriculation are not required to enroll in BCH 110A-BCH 110B-BCH 110C.

Core requirements include:

  1. BMSC 202
  2. Three special topics courses (selected from BMSC 222, BCH 230, BIOL 281, or NRSC 289/BCH 289/BIOL 289/BMSC 289/CHEM 289/ENTM 289/PSYC 289)
  3. BMSC 252 (enrollment required each quarter)
  4. BMSC 254 (enrollment required each quarter and presentation of at least one seminar per year)
  5. BMSC 302 (two-quarter requirement, not required of M.D.-Ph.D. students)

Elective requirements require completion of any four courses from the following list:

BMSC 120, BMSC 200A and BMSC 200B (counts as two), BMSC 201, BMSC 205, BMSC 210A and BMSC 210B (counts as two), BMSC 220, BMSC 224, BMSC 225A and BMSC 225B (counts as one), BMSC 230A, BMSC 230B, BMSC 230C, BCH 210, BCH 211, BCH 212, BIOL 115, BIOL 200A and BIOL 200B (counts as two), BIOL 202, ENTX 211, NRSC 200A-NRSC 200B-NRSC 200C/PSYC 200A-PSYC 200B-PSYC 200C (counts as three), NRSC 201, NRSC 211

Under normal circumstances, each student should complete course work requirements some time during the second year of studies.

At the end of the student's first full year of residence, the advisory committee for each student evaluates the progress of the student and recommends to the faculty whether the student should continue in the program. In addition, prior to advancement to candidacy and at the beginning of each academic year, the student presents a written summary of the research progress and plans to the advisory committee. Continuation in the program depends on the advisory committee's positive evaluation of the student's research progress.

Qualifying Examination Prior to advancement to candidacy, students must complete both parts of a qualifying examination. Part I consists of the preparation of a research proposal, to be written in the form of a grant proposal, including literature review, description of methods and experimental plans for the dissertation. This proposal should outline the research progress of the student to date and delineate the planned dissertation research aims and objectives. Part I is usually completed in the spring quarter of year 2 and no later than the fall quarter of year 3 of a student's graduate training. Part II consists of an oral comprehensive examination administered by a committee of five faculty members, at least one of whom is from outside the program. The student's research advisor does not serve on the oral qualifying committee. The oral comprehensive examination includes examination of the student's knowledge and understanding of material covered in the core courses and that covered in the student's area of specialization. Part II must be completed no later than the end of year 3 of the student's graduate training. After successful completion of the qualifying exam and advancement to candidacy, the student completes the research project, submits a written dissertation, and defends the dissertation in a final oral examination.

Normative Time to Degree 15 quarters

M.D.-Ph.D. Combined Degree

The combined degree is offered to students admitted to the medical school phase of the Biomedical Sciences Program and to exceptional students from other four-year LCME-accredited medical schools. For students in the Biomedical Sciences Program, this track allows them to complete a B.S., M.D., and Ph.D. degree in 10 years. Normally, a student completes the first two years of medical school, and then spends approximately three years in the Ph.D. part of the program before completing the M.D. degree. However, the track is also offered to students who have completed the M.D. degree. UCR Biomedical Sciences students may apply for admission concurrently with their applications to the medical school phase or any time after acceptance to the medical phase. For these students only, the MCAT is accepted in lieu of the GRE.

Students from other medical schools should apply in the fall of their sophomore or senior year. Applications from sophomores must be accompanied by official permission for an appropriate leave of absence. The GRE requirement is the same as for regular Ph.D. students.

Master's Degree

The Biomedical Sciences Graduate Group offers a master's degree program. No students are admitted directly into the program for work toward the master's degree. However, a Plan I (Thesis) or Plan II (Comprehensive Examination) M.S. degree is available in special circumstances when work leading to the Ph.D. degree cannot be completed. The student's advisory committee decides whether the master's degree is an appropriate alternative to the Ph.D. degree. This decision may be made at the end of the student's first year of residence or at other times in the student's career, particularly at the time of the qualifying examination.

Course Descriptions

All Biomedical Sciences courses are listed and described under Biomedical Sciences.

Further information regarding graduate studies in Biomedical Sciences may be obtained from the Division of Biomedical Sciences.