First Year
Students interested in Cell, Molecular and Developmental Biology complete their first year as students in the Integrated Studies Program, a combined admissions and first year academic pathway that serves as a single portal of entry for four graduate programs: Cell, Molecular and Developmental Biology; Cellular and Molecular Physiology; Neuroscience; and Biochemistry.
The first year curriculum is described in detail at in the Sackler Catalog under Integrated Studies Program: Core Curriculum. The key elements include:
- Graduate Biochemistry
- Molecular Cell Biology I & II
- Biochemistry of Gene Expression & Signal Transduction
- ISP Journal Club
- Applied Ethics for Scientists
- Graduate Seminar
- Four 10-week Laboratory Rotations
Students select their thesis adviser at the end of the first year. This determines which program they will enter in their second year. Those students who choose a mentor from the CMDB faculty join the CMDB program and follow its curriculum.
Second Year & Beyond
In the second year, all CMDB students take Developmental Biology. This is a primary literature and discussion-based course that introduces students to key experimental paradigms and concepts in developmental biology as applied to human disease.
CMDB students also complete one elective course. Among the more commonly chosen electives are Cancer Genetics, Pathobiology of Human Disease, Bioinformatics and Genomics in Biomedical Research, Immunology, Neuroscience, and Statistics. Each student’s individual curriculum can be chosen according to their interests in consultation with their thesis adviser and/or thesis committee.
All CMDB students also participate in three years of CMDB Journal Club.