life science phd

Life Sciences

Harvard Griffin GSAS provides exceptional opportunities for study across the depth and breadth of the life sciences through the Harvard Integrated Life Sciences alliance.

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Follow Harvard Integrated Life Sciences (HILS) on Twitter . 

Whether you are interested in conducting research on virus structures at the atomic level or on environmental impact in large ecosystems, you will find a good fit for your academic goals through the Harvard Integrated Life Sciences (HILS).

The HILS alliance is composed of 13 PhD programs of study across three Harvard faculties—Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, and Harvard Medical School. Being a HILS student provides academic and research flexibility, including options to take courses, do laboratory rotations, and even choose a dissertation advisor from across the HILS PhD programs, subject to specific program requirements and lab availability. However you customize your training, HILS is with you every step of the way.

• Biological and Biomedical Sciences
• Biological Sciences in Public Health
• Biomedical Informatics
• Chemical Biology
• Chemistry and Chemical Biology
• Molecular and Cellular Biology
• Neuroscience
• Organismic and Evolutionary Biology
• Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology
• Systems, Synthetic, and Quantitative Biology​

To learn more about HILS programs, faculty, and students, please read the HILS Connections brochure .

Enhancing Your Research Experience before Applying

We are looking for creative people from a variety of backgrounds who are passionate about the life sciences. Most incoming PhD students in HILS programs have enjoyed a previous research experience. Harvard Griffin GSAS and Harvard University offer a range of exciting and challenging summer research and internship programs designed to help current undergraduates boost crucial research skills.

Harvard Integrated Life Sciences

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Life Sciences

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) at Harvard University provides exceptional opportunities for study across the depth and breadth of the life sciences through the Harvard Integrated Life Sciences (HILS) federation. The HILS federation comprises 14 Ph.D. programs of study across four Harvard faculties—Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard Medical School, and Harvard School of Dental Medicine. HILS offers flexibility, including options to take courses, do laboratory rotations, and even choose a dissertation advisor from across the HILS federation, subject to specific program requirements and lab availability.

Best universities for life sciences degrees in the US 2024

Explore the top universities in the us for life sciences using data from the times higher education world university rankings 2024.

Top 10 universities in the US for life science degrees 2024

Scroll down for the full list of best universities in the US for life science degrees

The life sciences cover a wide range of subjects including biology, zoology, agriculture and many others. 

Get free support to study in the United States

Due the multiple skills that students learn on a life sciences degree, graduates will be able to use their degree to enter a range of industries and jobs. 

If you’re interested in a life sciences degree that offers flexibility and breadth, the US could be a good fit. You can choose to study across a range of courses in the life sciences and then home in on your interests in the third and fourth years.

Most veterinary medicine courses in the US are offered at the postgraduate level, and you will be expected to have completed an undergraduate degree already.

Famous US scientists include biologist Lynn Margulis, who transformed our understanding of evolution through her work on symbiosis, and Barbara McClintock, who was awarded a Nobel Prize in 1983 for her discovery of genetic transposition. 

These are the best universities in the US for a life sciences degree.

Best universities in the world for life sciences degrees Best universities for life science degrees in Australia Best universities for life sciences degrees in Canada Best universities for life sciences degrees in the UK

5.  Princeton University  

Princeton University  follows a liberal arts curriculum, with students opting to study either a bachelor of arts or a bachelor of science. Students can choose to study across a range of these subjects and declare their major in their first or second year.

Undergraduate programmes within the life sciences discipline available at Princeton include molecular biology, ecology and evolutionary biology and environmental studies.

At a postgraduate level students can choose to undertake research in a range of subjects including molecular biology and cellular biochemistry. 

Princeton University  is also one of the world’s foremost research universities with connections to more than 40 Nobel laureates, 17 winners of the National Medal of Science and five recipients of the National Humanities Medal.

4. Yale University

Yale University was founded in 1701 and is the third oldest university in the United States.

Yale University in Connecticut is a member of the prestigiously known  Ivy League 

Students have the option to study a range of courses covering liberal arts and science. Once you have completed your first year, you can then declare your major for your second year. This provides students with the ability to try an array of subjects before they find the perfect fit.

Postgraduate students have the ability to join the school of the environment or the graduate school of arts and science.

3.  Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Founded in 1861, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is an independent, co-educational, private research university based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. 

Among its 89 Nobel winners is current MIT professor H. Robert Horvitz, known for his research analysing the role of genes in animal development, and how this could be useful in tackling human disease.

At MIT you can choose between eight interdisciplinary undergraduate life science programmes, including chemistry and biology, molecular biology, and humanities and science. Within these programmes you can take an array of classes in the life sciences, covering everything from human physiology to experimental biology and biostatistics. 

There are also many options for a minor, and a range of graduate programmes specialising in the life sciences.

Scientific discoveries and technological advances accredited to MIT also include the first chemical synthesis of penicillin and the development of radar.

What can you do with an agriculture degree? What can you do with a biology degree? What can you do with a sports science degree? What can you do with a veterinary science degree?

2.  Stanford University

Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, Stanford University was founded in 1885, and has one of the largest college campuses in the US, with 18 interdisciplinary research institutes and seven schools on a single site.

Stanford’s curriculum offers considerable flexibility through its liberal arts approach.

All undergraduate students are required to take classes in writing, ways of thinking and a foreign language, alongside a major or joint major.

Within this structure, you can take courses across a range of life sciences disciplines, including kinesiology, marine biology, human biology, physiology, ecology and many more. Undergraduate students pursuing a biology major are encouraged to undertake research, either by working in a research lab on campus or taking part in the Biology Summer Undergraduate Research Programme.

The coterminal master’s programme is designed for undergraduates who want to participate in graduate-level programmes and refine their research skills. 

Stanford University is also home to many leading research institutes in the life sciences, including Bio-X, a pioneering interdisciplinary biosciences research centre, the Baxter Laboratory in Stem Cell Biology, and the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment.  

1.  Harvard University

Founded in 1636, Harvard University is the oldest university in the US and a member of the prestigious Ivy League.

At undergraduate level, the university offers a four-year liberal arts and sciences programme. You can study a range of courses and only need to declare your major or concentration in your second year.

Concentrations in the life sciences include biomedical engineering, human developmental and regenerative biology, human evolutionary biology, integrative biology and molecular and cellular biology among others. 

The university also offers a master of science in a number of areas, including biostatistics, immunology and biophysics. The Harvard Integrated Life Sciences programme covers 14 different PhD programmes, which offers students the flexibility to conduct research in the areas they are most interested in. 

Harvard University has one of the largest endowments of any university in the world and is well known for its generous financial aid programme.  

Top universities in the US for the life sciences 2024

Click each institution to view its  World University Rankings 2024  profile

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This is the preliminary (or launch) version of the 2024-2025 VCU Bulletin. Courses that expose students to cutting-edge content and transformative learning may be added and notification of additional program approvals may be received prior to finalization. General education program content is also subject to change. The final edition and full PDF version will include these updates and will be available in August prior to the beginning of the fall semester.

Program mission

The Ph.D. in Integrative Life Sciences is designed for students who want to conduct research that is integrative across multiple disciplines and that takes a systems approach to emerging research questions across the many fields that comprise the life sciences. Students may opt to work with research faculty members from any department, center or institute across VCU campuses. The program provides the opportunity to conduct interdisciplinary research at multiple scales of study from the molecular to ecosystem levels.

Program goals

• Interdisciplinary knowledge and skills:  The core curriculum of the ILS program will effectively assist students in gaining understanding of modern systems biology along with training in the interdisciplinary skills and knowledge increasingly required for doing effective research in the life sciences. It will also foster progressive development of a mastery of the current state of the research in students’ areas of interest as they seek to identify key focus areas for their integrative research.
• Research skills:  The mentored research component of the program, building on the core curriculum and interdisciplinary elective course work, will foster development of an ability to synthesize this learning and identify key focus areas for integrative research. It will support students as they learn how to design, implement and interpret interdisciplinary experimental approaches that will best address their research questions.
• Communication skills:  Students in the program will develop skills in both written and oral communication of life science knowledge, experimental design, results and interpretation to a variety of potential audiences.

Student learning outcomes

• Oral communication skills:  The candidate will demonstrate the achievement of an appropriate level of oral communication skills with respect to the content, organization, logical flow, presentation and appropriate use of language incorporating the use of visual aids, as measured by rubric.
• Written communication skills:  The candidate will demonstrate the achievement of an appropriate level of written communication skill with respect to grammar, syntax, spelling and use of vocabulary to effectively present information including the use of figures, tables and citations, as measured by rubric.
• Experimental design:  The candidate will demonstrate the achievement of an appropriate level of competence in the ability to appraise, modify, and/or create and implement experimental protocols and to design and develop experiments, as measured by rubric.
• Problem-solving skills:  The candidate will demonstrate an appropriate level of skill in the identification and selection of meaningful problems to be addressed in bioscience research, including the ability to defend said identifications and to design and develop appropriate methods to solve said problems, as measured by rubric.
• Integrated knowledge:  The candidate will demonstrate an appropriate level of knowledge of the life sciences and a more detailed understanding of the disciplines most pertinent to their own interdisciplinary research areas, including an appropriate familiarity with the research literature and the ability to evaluate and critique publications, as measured by rubric.

VCU Graduate Bulletin, VCU Graduate School and general academic policies and regulations for all graduate students in all graduate programs

The VCU Graduate Bulletin website documents the official admission and academic rules and regulations that govern graduate education for all graduate programs at the university. These policies are established by the graduate faculty of the university through their elected representatives to the University Graduate Council.

It is the responsibility of all graduate students, both on- and off-campus, to be familiar with the VCU Graduate Bulletin as well as the  Graduate School website  and academic regulations in individual school and department publications and on program websites. However, in all cases, the official policies and procedures of the University Graduate Council, as published on the VCU Graduate Bulletin and Graduate School websites, take precedence over individual program policies and guidelines.

Visit the academic regulations section for   additional information on academic regulations for graduate students.

Degree candidacy requirements

A graduate student admitted to a program or concentration requiring a final research project, work of art, thesis or dissertation, must qualify for continuing master’s or doctoral status according to the degree candidacy requirements of the student’s graduate program. Admission to degree candidacy, if applicable, is a formal statement by the graduate student’s faculty regarding the student’s academic achievements and the student’s readiness to proceed to the final research phase of the degree program.

Graduate students and program directors should refer to the following degree candidacy policy as published in the VCU Graduate Bulletin for complete information and instructions.

Visit the academic regulations section for   additional information on degree candidacy requirements.

Graduation requirements

As graduate students approach the end of their academic programs and the final semester of matriculation, they must make formal application to graduate. No degrees will be conferred until the application to graduate has been finalized.

Graduate students and program directors should refer to the following graduation requirements as published in the Graduate Bulletin for a complete list of instructions and a graduation checklist.

Visit the academic regulations section for   additional information on graduation requirements.

Apply online today.

Admission requirements

Note:  All application components must be received by Jan. 10 to be competitive.

In addition to the  general admission requirements of the VCU Graduate School , the Ph.D. in Integrative Life Sciences program requires graduation from an accredited college or university or its equivalent with a degree that is preparative for graduate-level study in the life sciences. Applicants should have a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. The GRE is not required. For international applicants, satisfactory scores from a standardized test, such as the TOEFL (a minimum score of 100) or IELTS (minimum band scores of 7.0), must be submitted along with external evaluation of undergraduate transcripts from nondomestic educational institutions ( see Graduate Admissions website  for further details).

Letters of recommendation from three present or former professors, advisers or mentors qualified to evaluate the applicant’s ability to engage in graduate research in the life sciences are required, as is a written statement from the applicant describing the applicant's research interests, motivation, research experience, education and goals for pursuing graduate study in this particular program, preferred research adviser(s), official transcripts from all past postsecondary educational institutions, official GRE scores, and current curriculum vita or resume. Applicants are  strongly  encouraged to contact potential research advisers prior to submitting application materials and to identify potential research advisers in their personal statements. Individuals who have identified a research adviser will be given preference for admittance and funding.

Degree requirements

In addition to general  VCU Graduate School graduation requirements , students are required to complete course work in core and elective courses and to conduct significant research. All work toward the degree must be completed within eight years of the first enrollment.

• Credit-hour requirements:  Students in the program are required to earn a minimum of 64 graduate-level credit hours. At least one-half of the graduate credit hours presented for graduation must be at the 600 level or higher.
• Grade requirement:  Degree applicants must achieve an overall GPA of 3.0 (B) with a grade of C in no more than one course. The GPA for graduation is based on all graduate courses attempted after acceptance into the program.
• Transfer/waiver credit:  Graduate-level VCU course work taken as a nondegree-seeking student or in a previous graduate matriculation for which a degree was never awarded may be evaluated to determine whether it can be used to fulfill degree requirements of this program in accordance with the  VCU Graduate School transfer policy . Course work completed toward a previous degree can also be considered as a waiver of program core or elective course work requirements. In these cases, the requirement(s) are waived, and other course work or research credits can be used to make up credits needed toward the degree. A minimum grade of B is required for credit hours transferred or waived.
• Research adviser and committee:  Students should select a research adviser prior to matriculation, but no later than the end of the first semester. The research adviser may be chosen from among the many graduate faculty members from any VCU research unit. This research adviser is approved by the program director in accordance with the Graduate School bylaws. Students are required to form a research advisory committee that is headed by the research adviser (as chair) and that consists of a minimum of four other members of the VCU graduate faculty. Individuals who are not graduate faculty members (i.e., individuals from another institution or industry) must apply to the dean of the Graduate School for temporary affiliate graduate faculty appointment. The significant areas of the student’s research focus should be represented by the members of the research advisory committee. At least two members of the committee should have primary appointments in departments other than that of the research adviser, with one of those members being integrally associated with the student’s research to foster the interdisciplinary intent of this degree program.  Students should form their committees no later than the end of the second semester of study. This committee must be approved by the program director.
• Written and oral examinations:  Before admission to degree candidacy for the Ph.D. degree, students must successfully complete a comprehensive examination and a research proposal examination. The student’s research advisory committee will administer both exams. Students should take the comprehensive exam upon completion of all required didactic course work, usually no later than the end of the fourth semester of study. It may be written or oral (or both) and will focus on material covered in core and selected elective courses as well as fundamental knowledge relevant to the student’s research field. Upon successful completion of the comprehensive examination, and submission and acceptance of a written research proposal, students will take an oral examination that includes a defense of the proposed research project and other subject areas deemed appropriate by the committee. Students may retake the comprehensive and research proposal examinations only once each. Written evaluations of the examinations will be completed by research advisory committee members. These valuations are provided to the chair of the research advisory committee and to the program director for discussion with the student and for program assessment.
• Dissertation research:  The dissertation research project should represent a significant contribution to the body of knowledge in its field and should be deemed suitable for publication in refereed journals. The emphasis of the research conducted by students in this program should be on interdisciplinary research, incorporating two or more disciplines. Research projects may take advantage of the many research opportunities across the life sciences on both campuses. Students shall prepare a written dissertation describing the completed research using the format approved by the Graduate School. An oral defense of the dissertation, under the direction of the research advisory committee and open to the public, also is required. Written evaluations of the dissertation and the oral defense of the dissertation will be completed by research advisory committee members. These evaluations are provided to the chair of the research advisory committee and to the program director for discussion with the student and for program assessment. Upon successful completion of all degree requirements, students will graduate with the Ph.D. in Integrative Life Sciences.

Curriculum requirements

A minimum total of 64 graduate credit hours is required and is distributed as follows:

Does not count toward three credit-hour restriction for Preparing Future Faculty courses

Depending on the student’s area of research

Students are expected to enter the program proficient in statistics at the introductory level, as exemplified by STAT 543  or  BIOS 543 . Students not at this level, as evidenced by prior course work, will be required to take STAT 543  or  BIOS 543 or an equivalent course. 

Based on research interest and approved by research advisory committee

Only three credits of Preparing Future Faculty (GRAD) courses will be accepted toward the nine credit hours of electives (exclusive of OVPR responsible conduct of research).

The minimum number of graduate credit hours required for this degree is 64.

Students who complete the requirements for this degree will receive a Doctor of Philosophy in Integrative Life Sciences.

Contact Stephen Fong, Ph.D. Professor and graduate program director [email protected] (804) 827-7038

Additional contact Amie Knapp Executive administrative assistant [email protected] (804) 827-1865

Program website:   clse.vcu.edu

Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, Virginia 23284 Phone: (804) 828-0100 [email protected]

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• Graduate Degrees

UCLA Life Sciences has partnered with other campus units to offer the following Ph.D. programs:

Graduate programs in bioscience (jointly administered with ucla david geffen school of medicine).

Graduate Programs in Bioscience  is jointly administered by UCLA Life Sciences and UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine. PhD training is offered in the following “home areas”:  

• Biochemistry, Biophysics & Structural Biology
• Bioinformatics
• Cell & Developmental Biology
• Gene Regulation
• Genetics & Genomics
• Immunity, Microbes & Molecular Pathogenesis
• Molecular, Cellular & Integrative Physiology
• Molecular Pharmacology
• Neuroscience
• Physics & Biology in Medicine

Ph.D. Programs (jointly administered with other units)

• Biochemistry and Molecular Biology   (Jointly Administered with UCLA Physical Sciences)
• Biomathematics    (Jointly Administered with UCLA Physical Sciences)
• Bioengineering    (Jointly Administered with UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering)
• Molecular Toxicology   (Jointly Administered with UCLA Jonathan and Karin Fielding School of Public Health)
• Oral Biology   (Jointly Administered with UCLA School of Dentistry)

Ph.D. Programs (administered solely by UCLA Life Sciences)

• Ecology & Evolutionary Biology

MD / Ph.D. Programs (jointly administered with UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine)

• Medical Scientist Training Program
• UCLA STAR Program

Master’s Degree Programs within Life Sciences

• Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
• Integrative Biology and Physiology

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• UCLA-Charles R. Drew University partnership receives $11M grant to address inequities in HIV care and prevention
• UCLA-led study assesses effects of climate change and habitat loss on East African bird populations
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Driskill Graduate Program in Life Sciences

Degree requirements.

Learn more about the program by visiting the Driskill Graduate Program Website

See related Interdisciplinary Clusters and Certificates

Degree Types: PhD

The Walter S. and Lucienne Driskill Graduate Training Program in Life Sciences  (DGP) combines graduate study in biochemistry and structural biology, cancer biology, cell biology, developmental biology,, genetics and genomics, immunology, microbiology, neurobiology, pharmacology, systems biology, and biomedical informatics into a single program. More than 140 faculty members are available as dissertation research advisors, and their interests cover a wide range of research in contemporary biomedical and life sciences.

The DGP provides each student the flexibility needed to design a personal course of study, pursue individual research interests, and choose an appropriate thesis advisor. The wide range of research opportunities within the DGP serves students well - both those who enter graduate school committed to a specific research field and those who begin with many potential interests. Flexibility and ease in pursuing diverse interests are the hallmarks of graduate training in the DGP.

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Visit PhD Program Statistics for statistics such as program admissions, enrollment, student demographics and more.

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Contact Pamela Carpentier Assistant Director 312-503-1880

The following requirements are in addition to, or further elaborate upon, those requirements outlined in  The Graduate School Policy Guide .

The DGP is a PhD training program; however, there are situations when pursuit of the PhD cannot be completed and therefore an option for a terminal master's degree is provided. This degree option is not used for recruiting or admission purposes. A student seeking this degree, in addition to having successfully completed all required courses and having passed the Qualifying Exam, must have:

• completed the thesis proposal process successfully;
• held at least one annual thesis committee meeting after the thesis proposal;
• completed sufficient research towards their PhD to write a master's thesis. 

PhD students in good academic standing who wish to obtain a terminal master's degree will petition the DGP Program Committee and the Director of the DGP explaining why they cannot complete the PhD program. The Program Committee would consider both the nature of the circumstances as well as the quality of the research in determining whether the student should be allowed to write a thesis and obtain the master's degree. Permission to pursue the degree will only be granted to those students whose body of research could reasonably result in a thesis. Students who are granted permission will submit a master's degree thesis to a committee comprised of members of their original PhD thesis committee and an ex officio member from the Program Committee. An oral defense will also be required. The committee will determine whether the written document and oral defense are sufficient to warrant the degree. There is no publication requirement.

Total Units Required: 9

Other PhD Degree Requirements

• Examinations:  qualifying examinations during second year of study
• Research/Projects:  laboratory research based on dissertation research proposal
• Thesis prospectus:  written thesis proposal and presentation to thesis committee in fall of third year
• PhD Dissertation:  written dissertation; annual presentation of research-in-progress to Thesis Committee
• Final Evaluations:  dissertation defense consisting of written dissertation and oral defense of dissertation to Thesis Committee, final public seminar describing research accomplishments
• Publication:  of a portion of thesis work in a peer-reviewed journal
• Teaching:  one quarter as a teaching assistant
• Other:  three laboratory rotations in first year, intended to assist student in selecting dissertation research advisors; regular participation in seminars and journal clubs; teaching assignment one quarter in third year

Last Updated: September 12, 2023

Integrated Life Sciences

University of Georgia

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Integrated Life Sciences (ILS) at the University of Georgia provides:

• PhD training in emerging and interdisciplinary areas
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At UGA, you choose.  Integrated Life Sciences (ILS) allows first-year graduate students to explore the research areas of nearly 250  faculty and 16 participating  PhD graduate programs. Entering students perform three laboratory rotations and take a streamlined and innovative curriculum in the Fall semester that is designed to facilitate the transition to graduate education and research.  Students then choose a thesis advisor, graduate program, and begin thesis research.  A hallmark of this competitive graduate program is its emphasis on existing and emerging  interdisciplinary research areas .

The Fall 2024 Application Cycle Is Closed

The application deadline is December 1st (see How-To-Apply  ). The GRE is not a required component of the application. Please note: ILS is NOT able to provide application fee waivers.

ILS has a strong record of recruiting extremely well-qualified students in terms of research experience, letters of recommendation, academic credentials, and potential for success at graduate study. ILS especially welcomes applications from students with diverse backgrounds as we wish to complement the UGA Graduate School’s overall  strategic plan  to increase campus diversity at the graduate level.

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Emory University Laney Graduate School Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences

Home » GDBBS Terms » Life Sciences PhD & Graduate Programs

Life Sciences PhD & Graduate Programs

Researching Life Sciences PhD Graduate Programs ?

Recent NIH rankings show that Emory is 19th in the nation for NIH grants. In 2005 Emory had a total of over $351 million in sponsored research funding. Emory University is one of the major biological research and medical referral centers in the Southeast. The state-of-the-art instrumentation that is needed to study virtually any aspect of modern biology and medicine is found on the Emory campus.

Excellent research facilities are available, including the Biomolecular Computing Resource Facility , Transgenic Mouse Facility , Microchemical Facility , and the Vaccine Research Center . Additional facilities for high-resolution structural biology, proteomics, microscopy, DNA Array Analysis, and the production of monoclonal antibodies are also housed on the Emory campus.

Emory University is unique among research institutions in that both the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Cancer Society are adjacent to campus. This gives students a unique opportunity to work with CDC and ACS researchers who are affiliated with one of our Programs.

Research Leadership

Gilead Sciences and Royalty Pharma have announced an agreement with Emory University to purchase the royalty interests for Emtricitabine, a leading anti-HIV/AIDS compound. The companies will make a one-time cash payment of $525 million to Emory University. Dr. Dennis Liotta , one of the three researchers credited with discovering Emtricitabine, is a Division faculty member in the Molecular and Systems Pharmacology Program. This is believed to be the largest single sale of intellectual property in the history of American higher education ( Emory Press Release ).

Dr. Kenneth Bernstein received the 2005 Novartis Award from the American Heart Association and Dr. David Harrison received the 2004 Novartis Award.  It is an extraordinary accomplishment for Emory faculty to have received this award for two years in a row, and it is an honor that has never been duplicated by any other academic center.

Life Sciences PhD Graduate Programs

Research Funding

From 1996 to 2000 Emory's School of Medicine achieved the fastest rate of growth in terms of National Institutes of Health (NIH) research funding (19% per year) of any school in the nation. Emory has risen in rank from 31st in the country to 19th (fiscal year 2005) among schools that receive NIH research dollars.  Emory has continued its rapid growth in research funding for a total of over $346 million in sponsored research funding for 2005.  Of the specific departments for which NIH provides data, several Division departments rank very highly:  Microbiology/Immunology ranks 7th in the nation, Neurology ranks 11th, Pharmacology ranks 11th, Physiology ranks 23rd, Genetics ranks 22nd and Cell Biology ranks 25th.

The Division has nearly 400 students in various stages of graduate training.  Last year our students were primary or co-authors on more than 200 research papers or abstracts.  In addition to providing students with the skills essential for their growth as research scientists, the Division faculty also provide support and guidance in their roles as mentors.  Consequently, our graduate students are very satisfied with their graduate programs.  The National Association of Graduate-Professional Students (NAGPS) conducted a national survey of graduate students to assess their satisfaction with their Programs, and four of the Division Programs were ranked (a minimum of ten responses was required to be ranked).

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PhD in Life Sciences

Research in life sciences is multidisciplinary. It is crucial to train new generations of researchers to meet future challenges in this field.

At UNIL, PhD students have the opportunity to conduct a personal and original research project in one of the groups of the Faculty of Biology and Medicine and work at the interface of bioscience, medicine and human sciences.

The study program , which is complementary to the research work, is designed to adapt to the needs of the students. In this way, students are introduced to the many aspects of research, opening the doors for their future careers in academic, industrial or other public institutions.

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PHD, Integrated Life Sciences

ILS is the interdisciplinary gateway program for 14 Ph.D. Life Science Programs. ILS oversees recruiting and the Fall semester curricular that is focused on highly immersive rotation experiences and strong training in professional development.

Degree Type: Doctoral

Degree Program Code: PHD_ILSC

Degree Program Summary:

The University of Georgia Interdisciplinary Life Sciences (ILS) Program offers graduate students pursuing a doctoral degree opportunities to explore different areas of life sciences research before selecting a home department and research focus. A hallmark of this competitive UGA graduate program is its emphasis on interdisciplinary research by faculty and students.

ILS allows students to explore the breadth and depth of research in the life sciences without concern for departmental barriers. During their first year ILS graduate students engage in a core curriculum with opportunities to rotate through the labs of three faculty in any of our affiliated departments. By the end of the fall semester, ILS students are expected to select a sponsoring faculty advisor / lab. ILS graduate students are then admitted to the graduate program of the primary home department of the faculty advisor and will be required to meet all the doctoral degree requirements in that department. The ILS is not a degree granting program, rather it is designed to broaden research opportunities for students who wish to explore the breadth and depth of research in the life sciences.

Locations Offered:

Athens (Main Campus)

College / School:

Franklin College of Arts & Sciences

346 Brooks Hall Athens, GA 30602

706-542-8776

Department:

Integrated Life Sciences

Graduate Coordinator(s):

Maria Cassera

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Souls of SOLS, May: Highlighting Graduate Student Stories

Left: Gissel Marquez Alcaraz, third-year PhD student studying evolutionary biology. Right: Brit Burgard, second-year master's student studying plant biology and conservation, digging in front of Picketpost Mountain.

Risa Aria Schnebly May 10, 2024

Note: This story is part of an ongoing series profiling graduate students in the School of Life Sciences. See April's featured students here . 

Gissel Marquez Alcaraz – Evolutionary Biology 

What do cancer, cacti, and kombucha have in common?  

For Gissel Marquez Alcaraz, a third year PhD candidate in the Evolutionary Biology program, they’re all model systems for studying evolution. 

Marquez Alcaraz has been interested in studying cancer since she was an undergraduate. She read Athena Aktipis, a psychologist at ASU, speaking about adaptive therapy during an interview. Rather than attempting to eradicate cancer cells, adaptive therapy seeks to control tumors to keep them from spreading, which could prolong the lives of people who have cancer.  

“It was this idea of possibly controlling cancer and allowing people to live with it. That’s what initially led me to reach out to [Aktipis],” Marquez Alcaraz explains. “And [Aktipis] told me, ‘I actually don't have a cancer lab right now. But I have space in my kombucha lab. If you do the kombucha work now, maybe you can do the cancer work later.’” 

So, throughout her bachelor’s, Marquez Alcaraz worked for and eventually ran the kombucha project in the Cooperation lab, studying how yeast and bacteria in kombucha cooperate and compete, as well as how the system evolves in response to disturbances. When she started her PhD, she finally got the chance to start researching cancer, too. 

After joining the Cancer and Evolution lab, Marquez Alcaraz followed her curiosities. She began investigating cancer in saguaro cacti, which, when infected, start branching out in alien-looking crests and folds. 

“I see (cancer in cacti) as more of a metaphor. If I can tell people a cactus has cancer, and it lived for 200 years, and it was probably one of the most iconic things in the hiking trail for years and years, maybe people can be inspired by that.” 

But Marquez Alcaraz mostly focuses on developing treatments for humans. She both looks at whether certain types of probiotics can help improve cancer treatment outcomes and tests adaptive therapy techniques in mice models, all with the hope of improving the lives of people who have cancer. She also co-directs the ACE scholars' program, which employs over 60 undergraduate researchers who are all studying cancer, too. 

“Cancer treatment is so harsh. I see it, I work with it, and I hate it. If we can provide people with something less strenuous on the body, like a probiotic, and that can help their cancer treatment, that’s awesome. And with adaptive therapy, prolonging people’s lives would be an incredible achievement. I want to get cancer to a point where people can live with it rather than having it be a death sentence at its later stages.” 

Brit Burgard – Plant Biology and Conservation 

Anyone who lives in the western US has probably heard of wildfires near where they live, if they haven’t encountered them directly. One hit particularly close to home for Brit Burgard, a second-year master’s student in the Plant Biology and Conservation program. In 2021, she was living in Superior, Arizona, when the Telegraph Fire hit, which burned over 180,000 acres –– about the area of Austin, Texas.  

Burgard was working at the Boyce Thompson Arboretum then and was part of the effort to help protect the garden against the fire. Afterwards, when she began her master’s at ASU, she wondered what the wildfire’s effects on the desert were. 

“Wildfire is increasing in the Sonoran Desert as a result of climate change and invasive species,” Burgard explains. “That increase was something I wanted to look at because the Sonoran Desert isn't considered fire adapted. But we don't necessarily know a lot about how fire affects individual species, and we can clearly see that some of the larger sort of keystone species are affected negatively.” 

To begin understanding how the Sonoran Desert reacts to wildfire, Burgard conducted a flora, or catalog of species, along the perimeter of the area burned by the Telegraph fire within the desert. So far, she’s found that some species, like brittlebush and globe mallow, can return well after a fire, as fire releases some nutrients into the soil. But other species, like saguaro, might not be able to bounce back so easily. 

With that in mind, Burgard has also spent much of her master’s conducting research att he Boyce Thompson Arboretum on saguaro restoration. She monitors how young saguaros grow when planted at different ages and with differing access to water to inform researchers who will try to replant saguaros in the future.  

“It was very fun to do that. When I worked at BTA, I actually seeded the saguaro (that I used for the project. So it was great to come back to them.” 

That work, which she does outside of her master’s thesis, has largely been funded by the Benson award, which is awarded to graduate students who want to do conservation research at the arboretum. Burgard has won the award twice.  

“I’m extremely honored to have received that award. It was really awesome because it allowed me to focus on my work.” 

By studying both the after effects of wildfire and looking into strategies to help the desert rebound, Burgard’s work should help other researchers better protect the Arizona wilderness in the face a of a changing climate. 

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"The goal of my research is to integrate knowledge from forensic anthropology, bioarchaeology, and geoarchaeology in order to develop a minimally invasive method for victim identification. In the Department of Archaeology at Simon Fraser University, there is a unique opportunity to pursue this research, which exists at the intersections of the expertises of Dr. Hugo Cardoso, Dr. Dongya Yang, and Dr. Francesco Berna."

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Archaeology doctoral student in the Faculty of Environment

Tell us a little about yourself, including what inspires you to learn and continue in your chosen field.

As the child of a refugee father and immigrant mother, my journey has been built upon the life created for me by my parents amidst the reality of a community fractured by warfare. Unfortunately, my community is only one of many who have been forced to endure horrors that have fractured connections and caused pain that will continue to be felt for generations. Carrying the legacy of my Vietnamese heritage into my research, I recognize the importance of victim identification in humanitarian efforts and am dedicated to developing methods to support communities in these efforts. This dedication began during my undergraduate studies and led me to graduate with an Honours Bachelor of Science degree in Forensic Anthropology from the University of Toronto. Following my undergraduate studies, I seeked to conduct research into novel methods for victim identification that could expand upon the currently available options. This led me to Simon Fraser University, where I began in the MA program before transitioning into the PhD program in the Department of Archaeology. In my doctoral studies, my focus is on developing innovative and minimally invasive methods for victim identification by recovering DNA from grave soils.

Why did you choose to come to SFU?

The goal of my research is to integrate knowledge from forensic anthropology, bioarchaeology, and geoarchaeology in order to develop a minimally invasive method for victim identification. In the Department of Archaeology at Simon Fraser University, there is a unique opportunity to pursue this research, which exists at the intersections of the expertises of Dr. Hugo Cardoso, Dr. Dongya Yang, and Dr. Francesco Berna. With the privilege of their mentorship, I can pursue genuinely interdisciplinary research that is built upon strong foundations in human osteology, ancient DNA, and geoarchaeology, respectively. Furthermore, through access to the state-of-the-art facilities in the Centre for Forensic Research, FROST lab, Ancient DNA lab, and Geoarchaeology lab, along with opportunities to contribute to the research programs of my supervisors, I will develop essential laboratory skills and enhance my breadth of experience working in forensic, bioarchaeological, and archaeological contexts. The unique opportunities and support provided to me at SFU create the ideal environment for my research to grow.

How would you describe your research or your program to a family member?

In forensic cases or humanitarian conflicts (e.g., human rights violations) where victims are buried without grave markers, identifying who is buried in a specific grave requires the expertise of forensic scientists. Although DNA is a fundamental tool for identification, DNA analysis typically involves destruction of biological samples during DNA extraction, which can retraumatize family members and may be considered ethically or culturally disrespectful for some communities. To address these concerns, the goal of my research is to innovate an approach that uses DNA recovered from grave soils instead of directly from human remains to identify victims. My aim is to develop an innovative identification method that does not require disturbing or causing harm to human remains, while still being capable of identification. This culturally respectful method can be used in diverse contexts in Canada and worldwide to support communities who are concerned about disturbing graves and are seeking alternative approaches to identify victims.

What three (3) keywords would you use to describe your research?

Victim identification, DNA, and forensic science

How have your courses, RA-ships, TA-ships, or non-academic school experiences contributed to your academic and/or professional development?

Throughout my academic journey, I have grown immensely from my diverse experiences with TAships across multiple departments, exploration of various courses to build my knowledge, and involvement with different organizations in varying leadership roles. With these experiences, I have had the opportunity to learn how to broaden my perspective, engage with diverse individuals or groups, build my practical skills, and strengthen my theoretical knowledge. All these experiences have led to the development of fundamental skills—such as leadership, collaboration, and communication skills—that will transform how I engage with my research and journey beyond this program.

Have you been the recipient of any major or donor-funded awards? If so, please tell us which ones and a little about how the awards have impacted your studies and/or research

During my time as an MA student at SFU, I received the Special Graduate Entrance Scholarship (SGES), SSHRC CGSM, Simons Foundation Award, IODE Seamon Morley Scott Memorial Graduate Scholarship, and Dean’s 10th Anniversary Graduate Award. As a PhD student, I have received the Simons Foundation Doctoral Entrance Fellowship, Dean’s 10th Anniversary Graduate Award, British Columbia Graduate Scholarship (BCGS), SSHRC Vanier, and Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Scholarship. I am extremely honoured and grateful to be the recipient of these awards. With the generosity of the donors, organizations, and government, I am provided not only with financial support, but also with multitudes of opportunities. These awards continue to allow me to dedicate myself fully to my research, thoroughly explore my research goals, as well as collaborate and share my work with diverse scholars and individuals around the world.

If you could dedicate your research to anyone (past, present and/or future), who would that be and why?

I would wholeheartedly dedicate my research to my community and, in particular, my parents. The legacy of my community and my parents’ sacrifices have led me onto the path that I am on today. Their experiences and the reverberations of post-conflict Vietnam have completely shaped my perspective and inspired me to pursue this research. My personal experiences carrying the generational impacts within our community have built my strong connection and dedication to supporting communities during humanitarian conflicts. I hope that, in some way, I can contribute to rebuilding these connections within communities by supporting victim identification efforts.

Contact Cathy: [email protected]

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AHS professor wins Physician Innovator Award

Emily Parenti-Lopez

Friday, June 7, 2024

Andrew Boyd , BHIS associate professor, was named the 2024 winner of the American Medical Informatics Association’s Clinical Informatics Physician Innovator Award.

The award has been presented to outstanding physicians annually since 2021 at the association’s Clinical Informatics Conference .

Informatics is the science of using biomedical data to improve human health, aid in the delivery of healthcare services and increase knowledge for scientific inquiry.

“We live in an age where massive amounts of medical information is available,” said Kal Pasupathy , BHIS department head and professor.

Dr. Boyd is a well-recognized physician-scientist who has in-depth clinical knowledge, years of experience and know-how to simplify various forms of data into a computable form. The American Medical Informatics Association is a leader in transforming healthcare through informatics. It is very fitting that he is recognized by this community for his innovative efforts and years of contribution. We are proud of Dr. Boyd.

Boyd’s recent work has focused on equity in health data and informatics. He co-directs UIC’s Institute for Equitable Health Data Science Research , which was created in February 2024 to analyze and eliminate potential biases in health data before they are embedded into artificial intelligence algorithms. This effort will create biomedical science and technology solutions while prioritizing health equity for diverse populations in Chicago and beyond.

Graduate Program In Life Sciences (GPILS)

The Graduate Program in Life Sciences (GPILS) offers cutting-edge translational research training in basic, biomedical, clinical, and population sciences. We offer seven PhD granting graduate programs and three MS-level programs.

Our graduate programs cover the entire range of biomedical research and life sciences including the basics of protein structure and molecular biology, integrative systems physiology, virology, vaccine development, behavior, cognition, population-based genetics, and the impact of the environment on human health.

PhD Granting Programs

Biochemistry and molecular biology.

Research areas include structural biology (crystallography and NMR spectroscopy), gene expression and regulation, cardiac muscle biology, DNA repair and cancer cell biology,  fluorescence spectroscopy, and viral DNA packaging.

Epidemiology and Human Genetics

Students admitted to the program choose one of three different research tracks:  Epidemiology ,  Molecular Epidemiology,  or  Human Genetics .

Research areas in the   Human Genetics   track include complex disease genetics, biochemical genetics, gene mapping and function, infectious disease genetics, psychiatric genetics, pharmacogenetics, DNA instability, and cancer cytogenetics.

Research areas in the   Epidemiology   and   Molecular Epidemiology   tracks include vaccine evaluation, hospital epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance, issues in long-term care, disability in older adults, complementary and alternative therapies, global health and health disparities, veterinary epidemiology, injury epidemiology, cancer epidemiology, and genetic epidemiology of cardiovascular and other diseases.

Gerontology

The program provides an interdisciplinary and integrative perspective on the process of human aging and the experiences of growing old. The approach acknowledges the complex, dynamic, and bi-directional relationships among individuals and the historical, political, economic, environmental, psychological, social, cultural, and biological contexts in which aging occurs.

Molecular Medicine

Students admitted to the program choose one of three different research tracks: Cancer Biology , Genome Biology , or Molecular and Cellular Physiology and Pharmacology .

Research areas in the Cancer Biology track include the identification of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes, pathways of DNA damage and repair, cell cycle regulation, growth regulatory factors and cytokines, technological advancements in genomics, proteomics, and tissue arrays, and the development of successful cancer chemotherapies and immunotherapies based on the knowledge of specific molecular targets.

Research areas in the Genome Biology track include cancer genomics, human genomics, microbial genomics, model organism genomics, evolutionary and comparative genomics, and molecular processes surrounding gene and genome function.

Research areas in the Molecular and Cellular Physiology and Pharmacology track include brain development and behavior, cardiac biology, ion channels, GI and mucosal biology, gene regulation, synaptic transmission, molecular modeling, muscle biology, intercellular calcium signaling, membrane biology, and many other fundamental physiological processes at the cell and molecular level.

Molecular Microbiology and Immunology

Research areas include microbial pathogenesis, immune cell function, inflammation, receptor signaling, prokaryotic and eukaryotic gene regulation, genetic manipulation of cell functions, tumor immunology and immunotherapy, vaccine development, functional genomics, gene delivery, and derivation of transgenic animals.

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Research areas include addiction, synaptic and neural circuit form and function, neurodevelopment, neuroendocrinology, pain, schizophrenia, depression, neurodegeneration, stroke recovery, TBI, and cognition.

Physical Rehabilitation Science

Research areas include neuromotor control, rehabilitation, musculoskeletal performance, rehabilitation epidemiology, and rehabilitation engineering and robotics.

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Cellular and molecular biomedical science.

This program is designed to develop scientists for the post-genomic era by combining traditional areas of biomedical study, including molecular and cell biology, neuroscience, pharmacology, physiology, cancer biology, and genomics into a unique interdisciplinary graduate training program.

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This track is only for internal applicants. Please reach out   Jonathan Shinnick   for more information.

Epidemiology and Clinical Research (Clinical Research Track)

This track is designed specifically to meet the needs of the clinician or clinician-in-training by providing a combination of coursework and research experiences needed for a successful career in clinical investigation. Students may select from multiple concentration areas: epidemiologic research, patient-oriented research, outcomes/health services research, human genetics, and research ethics.

Human Genetics and Genomic Medicine

This program is designed for students contemplating careers in human genetics, especially as it relates to health and disease. This track includes coursework, seminars, and supervised research culminating in a thesis. The MS in Human Genetics and Genomic Medicine follows a similar curriculum as the PhD Track in Human Genetics but with the second year devoted largely towards a master's thesis.

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Meet kanwal mahmood hameed.

Kanwal was recognized with the 2023 Graduate Translational Research Award for her discovery of exploiting serine metabolism for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia.

Kanwal is a fifth-year Molecular Medicine student in Dr. Ashkan Emadi's lab and plans to work in the biopharmaceutical industry when she graduates, hopefully later this year.

Learn more about Kanwal's achievements in The Elm.

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Unlucky shark vomits up hedgehog-like animal, shocks scientists

By Laura Baisas

Posted on Jun 6, 2024 10:36 AM EDT

3 minute read

A group of Australian scientists studying marine life off the coast of Queensland caught quite a surprise–a tiger shar k that had vomited a spiky hedgehog-like animal called an echidna . Former James Cook University PhD student Nicolas Lubitz and his team saw the chance regurgitation during a tagging trip in May 2022 and the discovery is believed to be a world-first. The team assumes that the shark got the echidna as it swam in the shallows off the island or even between islands.

“We were quite shocked at what we saw. We really didn’t know what was going on,” Lubitz said in a statement . “When it spat it out, I looked at it and remarked ‘What the hell is that?’. Someone said to take a picture, so I scrambled to get my phone. I managed to only get one picture, but you can see the outline of the echidna in the water.”

The dead echidna was still whole when the tiger shark vomited it back up, with its spines and legs still intact. This suggests that it was a recent snack for the roughly 9 foot-long shark. 

“It was a decent-sized tiger shark but it wasn’t massive. It’s very rare that they throw up their food but sometimes when they get stressed they can,” Lubitz said. “In this case, I think the echidna must have just felt a bit funny in its throat.”

[Related: Why you want to barf when you see something gross .]

Many animals can vomit after ingesting something that they shouldn’t. Whale barf aka ambergris has even been used in perfumes, medicines, and spices during commercial whaling’s heyday. Rodents , frogs , and horses are some notable exceptions to the vomit rule. Instead, rodents will typically eat non-nutritional substances, like clay and dirt, to help dilute the toxins instead of expelling them from their bodies. Frogs may even eject their whole stomachs instead when they inject something toxic.

Tiger sharks are known for voracious appetites and are some of the ocean’s most avid scavengers . According to Lubitz, They’ve been documented swallowing sea birds , tires, license plates, and television screens. The tiger shark was unharmed during this strange encounter and was also fitted with an acoustic tracker before the team released it back into the water. 

In a separate find, a different tiger shark that the team had previously tagged, threw up what appeared to be half a dugong.

“It threw up a big piece of blubber and then a full vertebral column. I think it was a dugong calf it had a go at,” said Lubitz.

[Related: Turkey vultures have the ultimate self-defense technique: projectile vomiting .]

The scientists were part of the Queensland Integrated Marine Observing System Acoustic Telemetry Array Project . Researchers tagged a variety of marine life including snapper, mullet, shovelnose rays, and several species of sharks with acoustic and satellite trackers. They also placed acoustic receivers along Queensland’s coast between 2020 and 2023 to gather data on marine life living there. To date, the project has tagged 812 animals with 10-year trackers from the Gold Coast north to the Torres Strait. Complete data downloads from the array will be available at the end of the year. 

“There’s always been acoustic receivers along the Queensland coastline but they were sort of disconnected and weren’t picking up a lot of big movements,” said Lubitz. “With the Queensland Array, we’ve filled a lot of gaps and through that work we’ve picked up movements of species like shovelnose rays traveling from Townsville to the Sunshine Coast, which people never thought were migratory at all. They’re a critically endangered species and we’ve caught and tagged some that are almost three meters [9.8 feet] long.”

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A scientist, a leftist and a former Mexico City mayor. Who is Claudia Sheinbaum?

Who is Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico’s future first female president?

Ruling party presidential candidate Claudia Sheinbaum greets supporters after the National Electoral Institute announced she held an irreversible lead in the election in Mexico City, early Monday, June 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

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Presidential candidate Claudia Sheinbaum arrives at her closing campaign rally at the Zocalo in Mexico City, Wednesday, May 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

A supporter of presidential candidate Claudia Sheinbaum takes a selfie with a campaign poster during Sheinbaum’s closing campaign rally at the Zocalo in Mexico City, Wednesday, May 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

Ruling party presidential candidate Claudia Sheinbaum leaves the polling station where she voted during general elections in Mexico City, Sunday, June 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

Ruling party presidential candidate Claudia Sheinbaum shows her ID as she leaves a polling station where she voted during general elections in Mexico City, Sunday, June 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Claudia Sheinbaum, who will be Mexico’s first woman leader in the nation’s more than 200 years of independence, captured the presidency by promising continuity.

The 61-year-old former Mexico City mayor and lifelong leftist ran a disciplined campaign capitalizing on her predecessor’s popularity before emerging victorious in Sunday’s vote, according to an official quick count. But with her victory now in hand, Mexicans will look to see how Sheinbaum, a very different personality from mentor and current President Andrés Manuel López Obrador , will assert herself.

While she hewed close to López Obrador politically and shares many of his ideas about the government’s role in addressing inequality, she is viewed as less combative and more data driven.

Sheinbaum’s background is in science. She has a Ph.D. in energy engineering. Her brother is a physicist. In a 2023 interview with The Associated Press, Sheinbaum said, “I believe in science.”

Observers say that grounding showed itself in Sheinbaum’s actions as mayor during the COVID-19 pandemic, when her city of some 9 million people took a different approach from what López Obrador espoused at the national level.

While the federal government was downplaying the importance of coronavirus testing, Mexico City expanded its testing regimen. Sheinbaum set limits on businesses’ hours and capacity when the virus was rapidly spreading, even though López Obrador wanted to avoid any measures that would hurt the economy. And she publicly wore protective masks and urged social distancing while the president was still lunging into crowds.

Over 50 countries go to the polls in 2024

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Mexico’s persistently high levels of violence will be one of her most immediate challenges after she takes office Oct. 1. On the campaign trail she said little more than that she would expand the quasi-military National Guard created by López Obrador and continue his strategy of targeting social ills that make so many young Mexicans easy targets for cartel recruitment.

“Let it be clear, it doesn’t mean an iron fist, wars or authoritarianism,” Sheinbaum said of her approach to tackling criminal gangs, during her final campaign event. “We will promote a strategy of addressing the causes and continue moving toward zero impunity.”

Sheinbaum has praised López Obrador profusely and said little that the president hasn’t said himself. She blamed neoliberal economic policies for condemning millions to poverty, promised a strong welfare state and praised Mexico’s large state-owned oil company, Pemex, while also promising to emphasize clean energy.

“For me, being from the left has to do with that, with guaranteeing the minimum rights to all residents,” Sheinbaum told the AP last year.

In contrast to López Obrador, who seemed to relish his highly public battles with other branches of the government and also the news media, Sheinbaum is expected by many observers to be less combative or at least more selective in picking her fights.

“It appears she’s going to go in a different direction,” said Ivonne Acuña Murillo, a political scientist at Iberoamerican University. “I don’t know how much.”

Sheinbaum will also be the first person from a Jewish background to lead the overwhelmingly Catholic country.

Follow the AP’s coverage of global elections at: https://apnews.com/hub/global-elections/

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UTA program helps students achieve medical school dreams

Tuesday, Jun 04, 2024 • Katherine Egan Bennett :

Getting into graduate school to become a doctor or a dentist is difficult. By some estimates, only about 37 to 42 percent of students who apply to medical or dental school are accepted.

To help pre-medical and pre-dental students achieve their dreams, UT Arlington created a program called the Health Professions Advisory Committee (HPAC) . The odds of graduate school admission for students participating in HPAC is significantly higher than average, with an estimated 85 percent succeeding.

This is just one of several UT Arlington initiatives helping  alleviate the shortages of health care professionals in Texas , particularly in rural areas .

“Our numbers vary slightly every year, but it’s so exciting to see so many of our students achieving their dream of going to medical or dental school,” said Sandy Hobart, health professions advisor and HPAC chair. The program is run through UTA’s College of Science, which includes the departments of Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics — the core subjects pre-medical and pre-dental students must take before applying to graduate school.

To participate in HPAC, students must be either an alumnus or a current UTA student with a minimum grade point average of 3.25. The program also works with attending UTA as postbaccalaureates to take additional courses required for graduate school in the health professions.

Those interested must submit information on why they want to become a doctor or a dentist, explain their relevant experiences and submit letters of recommendation. A designated group of faculty and staff across UTA then completes a holistic evaluation of each student to see if they’re prepared to apply to medical or dental school in the upcoming cycle. Not all students who apply are ultimately accepted; however, there is no limit to the number of students who can participate each year.

“HPAC is one great way for students to stand out in the medical school application process,” said Nina Nguyen, a third-year medical student at UT Health San Antonio’s Long School of Medicine. Nguyen graduated from Bowie High School in Arlington before earning a degree in biochemistry from UTA.

All students who submit an HPAC application receive feedback and mentoring from Hobart throughout the medical and dental school application process. As part of this supportive approach, accepted students also receive an interview and letter of recommendation for their graduate school applications from the HPAC committee.

“Often times, medical school applicants have similar grades, MCAT scores, interests and volunteering experiences,” Nguyen said. “HPAC provides one additional letter that applicants can use to allow them to stand out against the crowd. Since the HPAC letter is an accumulative recommendation from multiple faculty and staff, it carries significant weight. Personally, I think my HPAC letter helped reinforce what was already on my application.”

“Many of our students are first-generation college students and need guidance on how to achieve their goal of becoming a physician or a dentist,” said Laura Mydlarz, associate dean of the College of Science and a distinguished professor of biology. She works closely with many of the students taking biology coursework as part of their graduate school prerequisites.

“Seeing my students not only reach their goals, but also grow as people and feel confident pursuing these goals is one of the most fulfilling parts of my career,” said Hobart (’07 BS, Biology, Chemistry). “Some members from our earlier cohorts of students are now practicing doctors and dentists. I’m excited to see all the good they do to improve the lives of others in our communities.”

The UTA College of Science, a Carnegie R1 research institution, is preparing the next generation of leaders in science through innovative education and hands-on research and offers programs in Biology, Chemistry & Biochemistry, Data Science, Earth & Environmental Sciences, Health Professions, Mathematics, Physics and Psychology. To support educational and research efforts visit the  giving page , or if you're a prospective student interested in beginning your #MaverickScience journey visit our  future students page .

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Real Estate | San Jose tech and biotech incubator hub gains…

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Real estate | el camino real reopened after officials determine suspicious package is not a threat, real estate, subscriber only, real estate | san jose tech and biotech incubator hub gains traction and tenants, tenants start to fill up space at new incubator complex.

BioCube is attracting biotech, life science and tech companies to its new incubator hub in north San Jose. Business is brisk enough that the executives behind the complex plan to build out the second phase of the site.

“We are creating workplaces so companies can start at BioCube and then growth in place right here,” Gonzalez said in an interview with this news organization. “This is a complete ecosystem for startups that are growing.”

The company operates BioCube San Jose North at 2680 Zanker Road, an office and research building with multiple lab spaces that totals 70,000 square feet.

The first phase of the building totals 35,000 square feet and is about 35% leased to an array of companies.

The companies that are occupants in both the northern and southern BioCube incubator hubs are typically early-stage biotech, pharmaceutical and biopharma companies, as well as clean tech, greentech and battery technology firms.

The labs are paired with office suites, flexible meeting spaces, advanced kinds of break rooms, and modern outdoor areas.

BioCube San Jose North was designed to be flexible enough to accommodate companies that need small spaces to conduct cutting-edge research, along with spaces to handle the same companies, or other firms, that are larger and in a growth spurt.

“Recently, we have seen a lot more activity” from companies seeking to occupy spaces in BioCube San Jose North, said Peter Conte, a national director for life sciences with Transwestern, a commercial real estate firm. Conte added, “We’re getting a lot more traction.”

BioCube is preparing the unoccupied 35,000-square-foot portion of the building to enable startups that might eventually seek expansion space.

“Our activity is going better than the general office market,” Conte said.

The BioCube developers know the Bay Area office market is taking on water as it navigates through a storm surge of empty spaces, slumping building values, a wave of foreclosures and feeble rents.

“We are all experiencing the same economic downturn,” Gonzalez said. “We are not immune from it.”

Gonzalez hopes that the BioCube hub in north San Jose can experience the same level of success that the BioCube San Jose South site at 941 Optical Court has experienced.

That south San Jose incubator, which totals 67,000 square feet, is about 95% leased.

“BioCube has already incubated more than 100 and currently serves a diverse portfolio of companies advancing research and development in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical devices, biomedical technologies, genomics, cleantech, and food tech,” according to information released by BioCube.

“We can accommodate up to 70 companies here,” Gonzalez says of the BioCube San Jose North site.

BioCube eschews the conventional leasing arrangements that stretch from five to 10 years, or even longer. Instead, the company offers month-to-month leases with 90 days’ notice that a tenant will exit the space.

This is the flexibility that is needed in a post-coronavirus world characterized by an uneven and incomplete return to the office, in the view of Gonzalez.

“Companies at BioCube can all grow in place,” Gonzalez says of the BioCube San Jose North incubator. “We can accommodate up to 70 companies here.”

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New incubator to fuel life science innovation in Stanford Research Park

A recently vacated building in Stanford Research Park will be the future home of a new life science incubator and lab suites. Located near campus, this incubator will serve as an anchor for a preeminent life science district.

September 17, 2019 - By Amy Adams

The 92,000 square foot building at 3160 Porter Dr will be developed into a life science incubator and small lab suites. Vantage Point Photography Inc.

To bolster the long-term vision of a thriving bioscience community near its campus, Stanford University is working to shape part of Stanford Research Park into a leading life science district focused on fast-growing sectors such as bioengineering, gene therapies, diagnostics, medical technology and devices, surgical robotics and digital health. As a key component of this effort, Stanford is collaborating with Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. to convert an existing 92,000-square-foot facility at 3160 Porter Drive into a life science incubator — Alexandria LaunchLabs® at Stanford Research Park — and small lab suites.  

When the building was recently vacated, Stanford saw an opportunity to create a flexible and vibrant space that would enhance the connections between the existing life science ecosystem of medical facilities, researchers and companies in the surrounding area, while also encouraging progress toward an even more diverse life science community. The university held a competition for firms that specialize in this work and chose Alexandria, an experienced developer and operator of successful life science communities near academic campuses.

“Stanford has a legacy of translating life science research discoveries into cures, but the opportunities in this field are greater than ever before. We want to take advantage of this current momentum and further accelerate solutions,” said Stanford President Marc Tessier-Lavigne , PhD. “This new incubator will support entrepreneurs in the development of new therapies and cures for critical diseases and create a community for life sciences entrepreneurship and innovation. We were delighted to enlist Alexandria, which has a strong history of not only building lab space but stimulating discovery and collaboration through their unique approach to creating life science ecosystems.”

The university envisions the incubator as the anchor of an 85-acre life science district, within the existing Stanford Research Park, that will become a new center of gravity for life science innovation in the Bay Area — a community for scientists and entrepreneurs who desire to collaborate, discover and invent pioneering medicines, therapies, devices and technologies to help humankind.

Accelerating therapies

Positioned roughly a mile from campus and in close proximity to Stanford’s adult and children’s hospitals, the VA hospital, and Stanford University School of Medicine, as well as Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Varian Medical Systems, Kodiak Sciences, the Canary Foundation and other biotech firms, Alexandria LaunchLabs at Stanford Research Park will catalyze emerging life science research. It also aligns with the goals of the Innovative Medicines Accelerator — an initiative that arose out of Stanford’s long-range planning process, which aims to help basic and applied researchers from across the schools of Medicine, Engineering and Humanities & Sciences translate their research discoveries into new therapies and diagnostics.

“This space will be key to our shared vision of ensuring Stanford discoveries continue to benefit the world,” said Sanjiv Sam Gambhir , MD, PhD, Virginia and D.K. Ludwig Professor of Cancer Research and chair of the Department of Radiology. “Together with the Innovative Medicines Accelerator, the hope is the incubator can do even more to initiate commercialization of novel therapies for the greater good of humanity.”

Having an expanded life science-focused community close to campus will also complement existing efforts within the School of Medicine to translate basic science discoveries into new therapies.

“The breadth and depth of innovative research emerging from Stanford Medicine is astonishing,” said Lloyd Minor , MD, dean of the Stanford School of Medicine. “The incubator will provide our researchers with resources and access to experts to streamline and speed the translation of groundbreaking discoveries. Additionally, its close proximity to Stanford’s School of Medicine, two world-class hospitals, and the VA will help to realize the promise of bench-to-bedside research.”

As new technologies, devices, treatments and therapies move from ideas to labs to applications in the real world, it is important to have spaces that can adapt to support this development — and early-stage life science solutions have diverse needs. Such flexible spaces can be challenging to find in the Bay Area and companies often end up renting space that is longer-term than what they require. Spots close to the Stanford campus, and the venture capital groups nearby, are especially rare.

“Biotech entrepreneurs often need to commit to multiyear leases, large footprints and expensive lab build-outs when they aren’t even sure they have a viable product yet,” said Jennifer Cochran , PhD, Shriram chair of bioengineering at Stanford. “This flexibility and proximity to campus will greatly benefit Stanford faculty and other entrepreneurs, and provide them with a supportive community and shared resources to facilitate their new ventures.”

Bridging academia and industry

Since its origin in the 1950s, Stanford Research Park has drawn pioneering researchers and industry leaders, in part, due to the potential for collaboration with the university nearby. The 700-acre research park is home to about 150 diverse companies focused on scientific discovery, technological innovation and commercialization of groundbreaking research. It also includes existing biotechnology companies and School of Medicine lab space focused on precision medicine.

Under this new agreement, Stanford has sold a 51-year ground lease for 3160 Porter Drive to Alexandria. Building upon the success of Alexandria’s unique space offerings for life science companies near academic campuses, the company will bring its Alexandria LaunchLabs platform to Stanford Research Park to create an environment that stimulates discovery. Alexandria LaunchLabs at Stanford Research Park will provide flexible, move-in-ready lab and office space, as well as strategic programming and access to seed capital. The facility will also offer lab suites for maturing companies.

“As a University-affiliated research park, we recognize we have a unique mission — to bridge academia and industry in an effort to launch solutions that will have an enduring positive impact in our community and world,” said Tiffany Griego, managing director of asset management for Stanford Research Park. “Stanford Research Park and Palo Alto have always been at the forefront of new technological and scientific discoveries and inventions.  With a renewed focus on drawing life science entrepreneurs to Stanford Research Park, we will support them in their pursuits to deliver therapies and solutions to the public health challenges of the 21st century.”

Griego said Alexandria LaunchLabs at Stanford Research Park is expected to open in spring of 2021.

About Stanford Medicine

Stanford Medicine is an integrated academic health system comprising the Stanford School of Medicine and adult and pediatric health care delivery systems. Together, they harness the full potential of biomedicine through collaborative research, education and clinical care for patients. For more information, please visit med.stanford.edu .

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