Cellular Biophysics Program

Interdepartmental Program

The following list reflects the 2006/2007 faculty.

Director M. Carter Cornwall

Faculty

Christopher W. Akey Professor of Physiology and Biophysics. PhD, Cornell University

Karen N. Allen Associate Professor of Physiology and Biophysics. BS, Tufts University; PhD, Brandeis University

David Atkinson Acting Chairman, Department of Physiology and Biophysics; Professor of Physiology and Biophysics; Research Professor of Biochemistry; Research Professor of Medicine, School of Medicine. BSc, City University, London (England); PhD, Council for Academic Awards (England)

Rama Bansil Professor of Physics; Assistant Professor of Physiology, College of Arts and Sciences. BSc, MSc, University of Delhi (India); PhD, University of Rochester

Bernard Chasan Professor of Physics, College of Arts and Sciences. AB, Columbia University; PhD, Cornell University

M. Carter Cornwall Professor of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine. BS, PhD, University of Utah

J. F. Garcia-Diaz Associate Professor of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine. MS, Indiana State University; DSc, Universidad de Malaga (Spain)

Hwai-Chen Guo Associate Professor of Physiology and Biophysics. BS, National Taiwan University (Taiwan); PhD, Cornell University

James A. Hamilton Professor of Physiology and Biophysics; Associate Research Professor of Biochemistry and Medicine, School of Medicine. BS, Juniata College; PhD, Indiana University

James F. Head Professor of Physiology and Biophysics. BS, University of Manchester (England); PhD, University of Birmingham (England)

William J. Lehman Professor of Physiology and Biophysics. BS, State University of New York; PhD, Princeton University

Simon Levy Associate Professor of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine. BS, Ecole d’Ingénieurs de Genève (Switzerland); MS, Université Scientifique et Medicale de Grenoble (France); PhD, Boston University

C. James McKnight Associate Professor of Physiology and Biophysics. BS, Washington College; MA, University of Delaware; PhD, University of Texas, Southwestern

Enrico Nasi Professor of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine. BA, Universidad de Los Andes (Colombia); MA, PhD, Bryn Mawr College

Kenneth J. Rothschild Professor of Physics, College of Arts and Sciences; Associate Professor of Physiology, School of Medicine. BS, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Barbara A. Seaton Professor of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine. BS, City University of New York, Brooklyn College; PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

G. Graham Shipley Professor of Physiology, Biophysics, and Biochemistry, School of Medicine. BSc, PhD, University of Nottingham (England)

Donald M. Small Professor of Physiology and Biophysics; Professor of Medicine and Biochemistry, School of Medicine. BA, Occidental College; MA, University of Oxford (England); MD, University of California, Los Angeles

H. E. Stanley University Professor; Professor of Physics and Physiology, College of Arts and Sciences; Director, Center for Polymer Studies. BA, Wesleyan University; PhD, Harvard University

Charles Willis Professor of Physics, College of Arts and Sciences. AB, PhD, Syracuse University

Vassilis Zannis Associate Research Professor of Medicine and Biochemistry, School of Medicine. BS, University of Athens (Greece); PhD, University of California, Berkeley

R. Andrew Zoeller Associate Professor of Physiology and Biophysics; Assistant Research Professor of Medicine, School of Medicine. BS, University of Maine; PhD, Texas A & M University

Emeriti

Alvin Essig Research Professor of Medicine, School of Medicine; Professor Emeritus of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine. SB, Harvard College; MD, Ohio State University

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The Graduate Program

The Department of Physics at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and the Department of Physiology and Biophysics of the Boston University School of Medicine offer a joint program in cellular biophysics. The program is designed for students with a strong background in physics or biophysics who are interested in conducting biophysical research in cellular physiology. Some of the areas of research include the application of physical techniques to the study of biomolecular structure, biopolymers, cooperative phenomena in living systems, membrane biophysics, ionic transport, nonequilibrium thermodynamics, visual transduction, and muscle contraction.

The program consists of two stages. In Stage I, the student completes at least four graduate-level courses in the physical sciences. A graduate degree at the master’s level or higher in physics, chemical physics, biophysics, or the equivalent can satisfy the Stage I requirements. In Stage II, the student receives comprehensive training and conducts research in the area of cellular physiology and biophysics. Students work under the supervision of the core cellular biophysics faculty or other members of the faculty of either the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences or the School of Medicine whose research programs fit the broad outline of the Cellular Biophysics program and whose supervision of dissertation research by students enrolled in the program is approved by the Cellular Biophysics Program Committee.

Admission

Applicants for admission should have completed an undergraduate major in physics or biophysics and have had one year each of general chemistry, organic chemistry, and biology, in addition to physics and mathematics courses. Students may also enter the program after completing an MA in physics. Applicants with undergraduate majors other than physics may be required to complete prerequisite courses in physics. Other undergraduate prerequisites for the program are listed under course requirements.

Course Requirements

Sixteen graduate-level courses are required. At least one graduate-level course (4 credits) must be completed in each of the following areas, as defined in the Stage I curriculum: electromagnetism, statistical physics, physical chemistry, and quantum mechanics (molecular orbital theory). Additional courses must be selected in biophysics, cellular physiology, and biochemistry.

Students entering with a master’s degree are accepted into a post-master’s PhD program with a minimum course requirement of eight graduate-level courses.

Curriculum

The curriculum consists of distribution requirements in both the physical and biological sciences. Prerequisite undergraduate requirements for the courses taken below must be met as specified in this bulletin.

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Physical Sciences (Stage I)

Graduate-level courses in four areas of physical sciences must be selected. Allowed courses in each of the specified areas are listed below (alternative appropriate courses in the categories below can be substituted with the approval of the Cellular Biophysics Program Committee). See prerequisites in this bulletin for additional information.

Courses marked with an asterisk can be taken by students with insufficient background in physics or cell physiology, in order to satisfy distribution requirements, with the permission of the Cellular Biophysics Program Committee, but such students will not be given graduate credit. Sixteen graduate-level courses (500 level or higher) must be completed.

Electromagnetism

CAS PY 521, 522 Electromagnetic Theory, 4 cr each

Statistical Physics

Quantum Physics and Molecular Orbital Theory

Physical Chemistry

Biological Sciences (Stage II)

A minimum of one course must be taken in each of the following areas:

Cellular Physiology

Prerequisites for required courses marked with an asterisk may be satisfied by equivalent courses with consent of instructor.

CAS BI 552 Molecular Biology I, 4 cr
GRS BI 645 Neurobiology, 4 cr
GMS PH 542 Human Physiology A, 4 cr
GMS PH 543 Human Physiology B, 4 cr
GMS PH 745, 746 Special Topics in Physiology, variable cr
*GMS PH 843 Cellular Physiology I (required), 4 cr
GMS PH 844 Cell Physiology II

Biophysics

Prerequisites for required courses marked with an asterisk may be satisfied by equivalent courses with consent of instructor.

GRS BI 650 Biophysics, 4 cr
GRS BI 704 Biological Macromolecules, 4 cr
GRS BI 711 Biological Transport Mechanisms, 4 cr
*GRS PY 771 Concepts in Biophysics (required), 4 cr
GMS BY 794 Lipid Functions
GMS BY 871, 872 Biophysics Seminar
*GMS BY 771 Biophysics of Macromolecular Assemblies (required), 4 cr
GMS BY 772 NMR in Biology, 2 cr

Biochemistry

At least one course required.

GRS CH 621, 622 Biochemistry I, II, 4 cr each
GMS BI 789 Physical Biochemistry
GMS BI 555, 556 Biochemistry A, B, 4 cr each
GMS BI 751 Biochemistry and Morphology of the Cell, 8 cr

Directed Study or Research

Instructor and hours arranged. Variable cr.

GRS PY 901, 902 Research in Physics
MED ME 941, 942 Research in Physiology
MED ME 945, 946 Research in Biophysics Institute

Language Requirement

The candidate must complete a written language examination in French, German, or Russian. In special cases, the candidate may be allowed to substitute another language for which a significant body of scientific literature exists.

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Examination and Research

All candidates must pass a comprehensive examination as early as possible and in no case later than the end of the third year.

The student must select a PhD research topic and an advisor as soon as possible. A brief description of the project and the name of the research advisor is submitted to the Cellular Biophysics Program Committee (CBPC), which appoints, in consultation with the advisor, a three-member examining committee. The student is examined on specific details of the research project, including the background, proposed rationale, techniques, significance, and possible problems.

Dissertation research is conducted under the guidance of a research advisor. In some cases, interdisciplinary research under the guidance of more than one advisor may be carried out with permission of the CBPC.

Dissertation

Candidates must demonstrate their abilities for independent study in dissertations representing original research and creative scholarship.

Final Oral Examination

Students must present themselves for final oral examinations in which they must defend their dissertations as worthy contributions to knowledge in their fields and demonstrate mastery of their fields of specialization as they relate to the dissertations.

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31 October 2007
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