Molecular Medicine

Degrees Offered

PhD, PhD/MD, PhD/DDS

PhD Program Description

Molecular Medicine combines traditional areas of biomedical study – including cancer biology, molecular genetics, genomics and bioinformatics, molecular and cell biology, pathology, toxicology, pharmacology, and physiology – into a unique interdisciplinary research and graduate training program. Specifically designed to develop scientists for the postgenomic era, students gain knowledge, research skills, and familiarity with the state-of-the-art biomedical tools andmethodologies needed to solve important and timely questions in biomedical science. The program is organized into four tracks: Molecular and Cell Physiology; Cancer Biology; Genome Biology; Toxicology and Pharmacology. The more than 170 faculty in the Molecular Medicine graduate program are internationally recognized for their research in genomics and computational biology, cancer, vascular and renal cell biology, evolutionary genomics and genetics, membrane biology, muscle biology, neuroscience and neurotoxicology, molecular and environmental toxicology, pharmacology, reproduction, and cardiovascular disease.

PhD Program Admissions

In addition to meeting the Graduate School’s minimum admission requirements, applicants should have a bachelor’s degree with training in an appropriate major field. The program is particularly interested in applicants with strong undergraduate training in the biological sciences, chemistry, biochemistry, mathematics, and general physics, as well as research experience in the biomedical sciences. Successful applicants have strong letters of recommendation, Graduation Record Examinations scores above the 50th percentile, and high cumulative grade-point averages. Additionally, all international students must meet the Graduate School’s requirements for scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language or the International English Language Testing System exam. Applications should be received no later than Jan. 10 for fall admission. Applications received by Dec. 1 are reviewed for early decision. Admission to the program is highly competitive and acceptances are made as qualified candidates are identified. Students accepted into the PhD program receive graduate fellowships or assistantships that consist of an annual stipend, tuition remission, and health insurance.

PhD Degree Requirements

In the fall of the first year, students participate in an innovative core course: Mechanisms in Biomedical Sciences: From Genes to Disease (GPLS 601). Students then complete track- specific coursework and three laboratory rotations, tailored to meet each student’s research interests and career goals. A professional development skills course is offered in the second year to address areas such as public speaking and presentations, critical evaluation of scientific data, grant writing, and development of teaching skills. During the second year of study, students prepare for a qualifying examination in which they are tested on their fundamental understanding of topics in molecular medicine and their ability to design a coherent series of experiments addressing an original research question, usually related to the student’s research interests. The qualifying exam consists of a written grant proposal and an oral defense. After successful completion of the exam, students advance to candidacy for the PhD degree. As a PhD candidate, the student’s primary focus is their dissertation research, with participation in advanced elective courses as recommended by the mentor and research track leader and continued attendance and participation in journal clubs and seminars.

Molecular Medicine Track Descriptions

Study and Research Focus Areas — Molecular and Cell Physiology

1. Molecular and Cell Physiology: Research in this track seeks to uncover the mechanisms and develop novel therapies for human diseases, including Alzheimer’s, cancer, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, infertility, osteoporosis, muscular dystrophy, and brain injury. Faculty interests focus on systems integration of cells and tissues in physiological and pathophysiological states. The diversity of research interests and the availability of sophisticated imaging, electrophysiology, molecular, genomic, and structural analyses allow students to gain expertise in cutting-edge techniques. The track is highly integrative, and collaborations occur with other basic science and clinical faculty at the University of Maryland, many of whom are associated with organized research centers, as well as with other institutions across the United States and around the world. The goal of the Molecular and Cell Physiology track is to provide an outstanding intellectual and physical environment that is tailored to each student’s professional goals.

• Cardiac and vascular biology
• Cellular imaging
• Developmental biology
• Metabolism and endocrinology
• Mucosal biology
• Stem cell biology
• Protein and vesicle trafficking
• Cytoskeleton
• Protein structure and interactions
• Membrane biology
• Infectious disease
• Functional genomics
• Receptor biology
• Reproductive biology
• Signal transduction mechanisms
• Gene regulation
• Synaptic transmission
• Epithelial biology
• Radiation biology
• Integrative physiology
• Muscle biology
• Physiological genomics
• Ion channels and electrophysiology
• Molecular imaging

Study and Research Focus Areas — Cancer Biology

2. Cancer Biology: Cancer is a complex group of diseases that cause more than 600,000 deaths in the United States each year. Our understanding of cancer has reached new heights with the discovery of fundamental aspects of cell and molecular biology combined with significant advances in our understanding of the process of tumorigenesis. The identification of oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes, pathways of DNA damage and repair, growth and cell cycle regulatory factors, and cellular responses to tissue hypoxia have provided exciting new insights into the development and progression of cancer. Technological advancements in genomics, proteomics, and tissue arrays have refined cancer diagnoses and led to the development of successful cancer therapies that target specific molecules driving tumor growth and metastasis. The Cancer Biology graduate track offers an exciting and stimulating academic environment to pursue interdisciplinary cancer research. The primary objective of the Cancer Biology track is to provide students with a strong educational experience combined with modern research training that will enable them to make significant contributions to our understanding of this complex disease. The University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, a National Cancer Institute-designated center, and its core facilities, researchers, and physicians provide a state-of-the-art environment for conducting basic and clinical cancer research.

• Breast and prostate cancer
• Leukemia and lymphoma
• Cytokine and growth factor biology
• Hormonal control of tumor growth
• Molecular and structural biology
• Mechanisms of signal transduction
• Tumor immunology and immunotherapy
• DNA replication, damage, and repair
• Carcinogenesis
• Cancer genetics
• Viral and cellular oncogenes
• Tumor suppressor genes
• Genome instability and genetic mutations
• Apoptotic cell death
• Tumor invasion and metastasis
• Proteases and tumor biology
• Cytoskeleton and cell motility
• Angiogenesis and blood vessel formation
• Cancer drug resistance
• Cancer stem cells
• Diagnostic and prognostic markers
• Experimental therapeutics

Study and Research Focus Areas — Genome Biology

3. Genome Biology: Recent advances in next-generation DNA sequencing and bioinformatics are transforming the biomedical sciences. These technologies are being used to sequence and analyze genomes at unprecedented rates, and we are rapidly approaching an era in which human genome sequences will be used routinely to diagnose diseases and predict the future health of individuals. The Genome Biology track offers doctoral and postdoctoral training in this rapidly evolving area. This track is part of a Universitywide graduate program, with participating faculty drawn from diverse departments, centers, and institutes at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. The track is affiliated with the Institute for Genome Sciences (IGS), which has established an exceptional environment for conducting genomics and computational biology studies on campus. The IGS has made significant investments in genome sequencing platforms (Sanger, 454, Illumina HiSeq, and PacBioRS) and an extensive computational grid. Students can gain hands-on experience with these tools and learn how to apply these platforms to biological questions. Affiliated faculty study a range of research topics with an emphasis on exploring questions related to human health and disease. Researchers use model systems such as mouse, zebra fish, fruit fly, worm, mustard plant, and microorganisms that are instrumental in understanding the mechanistic bases of diseases and fundamental processes in biology. The up-to-date curriculum incorporates many cutting-edge tools of genetics, genomics, bioinformatics, and systems biology. Dissertation research projects may employ technologies such as genetic knockouts, high-throughput DNA sequencing, and postgenomic approaches to address problems central to molecular medicine. Thesis topics include microbial pathogenesis and the human microbiome, tumor genetics, diseases of hematopoiesis and the cardiovascular system, muscular dystrophies, skeletal diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, DNA replication and cell division, DNA repair and mutation, and gene regulation and development, which are of fundamental biological importance. The approaches used in genome biology laboratories are broad in terms of systems, organisms, and technologies employed. The genome biology track leads to outstanding PhD-level training and employment opportunities in leading academic, government, and industrial settings.

• Cancer genomics: Tumor genome and transcriptome sequencing; genome mutagenesis, instability, and repair; tumor suppressors and oncogenes; gene networks; signaling pathways; genomics-based drug discovery and treatment.
• Human genomics: Human genome and transcriptome sequencing; genetic variation; GWAS studies; predictive health and personalized medicine.
• Microbial genomics: The human microbiome in health and disease; pathogenic microorganisms (including yeast and bacteria); host/pathogen interactions; archaea; extremophiles; viruses and phages; bioterrorism.
• Model organism genomics: Studies conducted in yeast, flies, worms, and mice exploiting the outstanding genomics resources that have been developed for these organisms (genome sequences, gene annotations, gene knockout collections, plasmid collections, etc.).
• Evolutionary and comparative genomics: Sequence comparisons across species to study gene, protein, and genome evolution.
• Genetics, molecular biology, biochemistry: Basic molecular processes surrounding gene and genome function, such as RNA transcription, gene regulation, DNA damage and repair, DNA folding/packaging, and chromosome function.

Study and Research Focus Areas — Applied Pharmacology and Toxicology

4. Applied Pharmacology and Toxicology: The Applied Pharmacology and Toxicology track offers a unique interdisciplinary graduate education, which provides training in the following areas: neuropharmacology, oncopharmacology, drug development, statistics, and molecular and mechanistic toxicology.

Applied pharmacology leverages cutting-edge pharmacological tools to gain a deeper understanding of receptors and their cognate endogenous or exogenous effectors in the context of biological systems. Within the context of disease states this research is directly geared toward drug development.  Research largely focuses on elucidating disease mechanisms in brain and all other systems in cancerous states with the ultimate goal of developing novel therapeutic strategies.

Research in molecular and mechanistic toxicology focuses on mechanisms of cellular responses to drugs, environmental chemicals, and radiation in mammalian systems. Research in toxicology and environmental health focuses on health effects of ambient air particulate matter in urban and rural areas, toxicology of marine and estuary waters, and the role of genetic polymorphisms in individual susceptibility to adverse health effects of environmental and occupational chemicals.

•             Neuropharmacology

•             Oncopharmacology

•             Apoptosis

•             Clinical chemistry and pharmacology

•             Splicing and post-transcriptional control

•             Brain development and behavior

•             Modulation of neuronal plasticity

•             Pharmacology of ion channels

•             Glial cell function and endocrine disruptors

•             Neurotoxicology

•             Cancer toxicology

•             Developmental toxicology

•             Molecular mechanisms of cell injury

•             Environmental toxicology

•             Oxidative stress and signaling

•             Aquatic toxicology