Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Anatomy and Physiology

The Department of Health Sciences at Boston University is committed to providing its graduate students with an exceptional educational experience. Our graduate students benefit from working with our outstanding faculty mentors who are leaders in their fields. In addition, they have access to an impressive array of facilities and people available on the wider BU campus, as well as the rich intellectual opportunities available through Boston’s many academic and research institutions.
Our faculty, many of whom hold joint appointments in Boston University School of Medicine, approach their research questions from multiple levels – from molecules to cells to circuits to behavior. Research tools range from transgenic mice to sophisticated neuroanatomical injections to visualize individual neurons to DNA microarrays to MRIs.

Research areas in the department include:

cellular and molecular physiology
cytoskeletal biology
protein-protein interactions
mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases and preterm labor
cardiovascular disease
regulation of skeletal muscle gene expression by alterations in physical activity patterns
effects of aging on muscle physiology and function
cardiovascular and stress responses to environmental challenges
cognition and neural information processing
organization of the frontal cortex
the interaction of cognitive and emotional processes in the nervous system

The PhD degree in Applied Anatomy and Physiology is designed to prepare professionals to assume roles in:

university settings to teach and conduct research in physiology and neuroscience
cardiopulmonary research laboratories
pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries
basic research
a variety of clinical or educational settings for which the graduate has prior qualifications or for which qualifications are gained during the program.