www.bumc.bu.edu/gpmm

The Graduate Program in Molecular Medicine at Boston University is an interdepartmental program based in the Department of Medicine. The curriculum consists of a year of basic science courses offered through the Division of Graduate Medical Sciences followed by a second year of electives and an innovative Molecular Medicine Core Curriculum. This Core Curriculum includes the following courses: Genetics and Epidemiology of Disease, Cancer Biology, Immunity and Infection, Molecular Basis of Organ System Diseases, Molecules to Molecular Therapeutics: The Translation of Molecular Observations to Clinical Implementation, and a new course, introduced this fall: Biological Core Technologies. During the first year and intervening summer, students rotate in different laboratories within the Department of Medicine or affiliated laboratories and choose a laboratory where they will conduct their research leading to a dissertation. In the winter following the first semester, students take the Tier 1 Qualifying Examination, which is a review of a scientific paper in an examination format. Following completion of all coursework, students write and orally defend their Tier 2 Qualifying Examination, which is a mock research grant on the topic of thesis research.

Students are expected to participate in Journal Club, seminars, ARCs, the annual Evans Medicine Research Days and the Henry I. Russek Student Achievement Day.

The Graduate Program in Molecular Medicine avails itself of the Evans Center for Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research. The purpose of this center is to promote growth and discovery in emerging interdisciplinary biomedical research and educational areas by providing faculty affiliated with the Department of Medicine and with various schools, departments and centers at Boston University a dynamic, interdisciplinary organizational structure, which allows investigators with different areas of expertise to collectively address mechanisms of disease, and to facilitate new training opportunities.

Students can matriculate into the Graduate Program in Molecular Medicine after completing a bachelor’s degree or Master’s program or through the combined MD/PhD program at Boston University School of Medicine. In addition, MDs who desire to pursue rigorous scientific training in preparation for a career in academic medicine and research are encouraged to apply. Students admitted to the program are offered full tuition support and an annual stipend.

The Department of Medicine occupies modern research laboratories on the Boston University Medical Center campus in the Center for Advanced Biomedical Research and the Evans Biomedical Research Center. These buildings provide state-of-the-art research space in an open, spacious environment that is fully supported by research core facilities for computing, animals and transgenic mice, sequencing, microarrays, and others.

Boston University’s Medical Campus (BUMC), encompassing Boston University School of Medicine, Boston Medical Center, BU School of Public Health and BU’s Goldman School of Dental Medicine, is located in the city’s historic South End, approximately one mile south of downtown. The South End is a vibrant and renewed urban community. With three medical schools and many major universities, Boston has a rich and interactive biomedical community and is the center of the biotechnology industry. Boston is a cosmopolitan city with a rich academic and intellectual environment and panoply of cultural, recreational, and sports activities.

Boston University is a private institution founded in 1839. It is among the top twenty institutions in the country in NIH-derived research support. The faculty of the Evans Department of Medicine of the Boston University School of Medicine conducts research programs in basic biomedical sciences, translational medicine, and clinical outcomes and epidemiology.

Applications to the Graduate Program in Molecular Medicine are submitted through the Boston University School of Medicine Division of Graduate Medical Sciences. Applicants should forward an undergraduate transcript, a medical school transcript (post-MD candidates only), and GRE, MCAT, or TOEFL scores, if applicable. Candidates being considered for the program are asked to interview on campus with relevant faculty. Admission to the program is based upon objective evidence of academic excellence, research background and interest, and interviews.

Course of Study

Candidates for a PhD in Molecular Medicine will have varied scientific and medical backgrounds. To meet the stated goals of the GPMM and provide intensive scientific training and research experience culminating in a PhD, as well as equip its graduates to carry out independent research, the course of study will be individualized for each candidate depending upon his/her background. This course will be developed by each candidate and his/her Program Advisor in the GPMM. The program of study must be approved by the Student Performance Committee.

The PhD program is divided into three parts: Part I, Basic Science Curriculum; Part II, Molecular Medicine Curriculum; and Part III, Dissertation Research. After successful completion of Parts I and II and prior to initiating dissertation research, each candidate will be expected to complete the Tier 2 Qualifying Examination.

Part I: Basic Science Courses:

A typical curriculum for first year students consists of 20 credits (10 per semester), made up of formal course work and credits derived from research and attendance at DOM seminars and Journal Club. The first year basic science curriculum consists of courses in Biochemistry (4 credits) and Molecular Biology (4credits) plus electives (10 credits) appropriate for the student’s research interest (Cell Biology, Genetics & Genomics, and Biostatistics are strongly recommended).

Part II: Molecular Medicine Core Curriculum:

The Core Curriculum consists of two semesters covering topics on the scientific basis and research methodology of the molecular basis of disease. These courses are taught as advanced graduate seminars. They are required of all GPMM students in the second year and are open to other students in the Division of Graduate Medical Sciences.

Four courses are offered that address major fields in the molecular basis of human disease: MM701, MM703, MM705 and MM707 (descriptions below). Each course meets one day a week for two hours. GPMM students are required to take MM707 and two of the other three courses and are encouraged to take all four. Also required are courses MM710 and MM730. Each course will have its own outside reading.

Fall Semester

• GMS MM 701 Genetics & Epidemiology of Human Disease 2 credits
• GMS MM 703, Cancer Biology and Genetics 2 credits
• GMS MM 707, Organ System Diseases
• GMS MM 730 Biological Core Technologies

Required

Spring Semester

• GMS MM705 Immunity and Infection
• GMS MM 710 Molecules to Molecular Therapeutics: The Translation of Molecular Observations to Clinical Implementation

Carmela R. Abraham, PhD, (Biochemistry) Mechanisms of normal brain aging and the etiology of Alzheimer’s disease

Kenneth H. Albrecht, PhD, (Molecular Medicine-Genetics) Mammalian gonadal sex determination

Deborah Anderson, PhD, (General OB/GYN) Mechanisms of cell-associated HIV transmission and fundamental features of local immune defense functions at genital mucosal surfaces that affect HIV-1 pathogenesis and transmission

Clinton T. Baldwin, PhD (Pediatrics)

Shalender Bhasin, MBBS (Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Nutrition)

Victoria Bolotina, PhD, (Molecular Medicine) Ion channels and mechanisms of calcium signaling

Steven C. Borkan, MD, (Nephrology) Cellular mechanisms of ischemic acute kidney injury (AKI)

Jerome S. Brody, MD, (Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care) Clinical and basic studies of lung cancer using gene expression profiling

Wellington V. Cardoso, MD, PhD, (Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care) Mechanisms that regulate the development of the respiratory system in the mammalian embryo and repair in the adult lung

David M. Center, MD, (Translational Research) Nuclear factors associated with control of the CD4+ T cell cycle; functions of pro-Interleukin-16 and its dysregulation in T cell leukemias; effects of Interleukin 16 stimulation of CD4+ T cells

David Chui, MD, (Hematology and Medical Oncology)

Herbert T. Cohen, MD, (Nephrology; Director, Molecular Medicine Training Program) Molecular basis of renal cancer, renal cystic disease, and renal development

Richard A. Cohen, MD, (Cardiovascular Medicine) The biology and pathophysiology of nitric oxide (NO) in the setting of vascular disease

Wilson Colucci, MD, (Cardiovascular Medicine) Mechanisms that mediate myocardial remodeling and failure

Barbara E. Corkey, PhD, (Molecular Medicine) Modulation of hormone and adipokine exocytosis, electrical activity, metabolism, and gene expression in obesity

Catherine Costello, PhD, (Biochemistry) Proteins, glycans and lipids

William W. Cruikshank, PhD, (Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care) Characterization, process of synthesis and secretion, and clinical relevance to inflammation of the CD4+ T-cell-specific cytokine interleukin 16 (IL-16)

Shoumita Dasgupta, PhD (Genetics Program; Chairperson, Molecular Medicine Qualifying Exam Committee)

Gerald V. Denis, PhD, (Hematology and Medical Oncology) Effect of the novel transcriptional co-activator, Brd2 in hematological malignancies and obesity

Maria Isabel Dominguez, PhD, (Hematology and Medical Oncology) Wnt signaling in embryonic development and cancer

Thomas A. Einhorn, MD, (General Orthopaedic Surgery) Effect of pro-inflammatory cytokines, pharmaceuticals, and angiogenic agents on bone and cartilage repair and regeneration

Douglas V. Faller, MD, PhD, (Hematology and Medical Oncology) The basic molecular and cellular biology of virus- and oncogene-transformed cells and tumors

Lindsay A. Farrer, PhD, (Medicine—Genetics Program) The genetic basis of complex diseases using genetic mapping methods for locating modifiers of gene expression

Alan Fine, MD, (Pulmonary) Lung progenitor cells and the design of therapies for a variety of lung diseases, including asthma, pulmonary hypertension, and interstitial pulmonary fibrosis

Jane E. Freedman, MD, (Cardiovascular Medicine) Molecular regulation of pathways contributing to thrombosis and vascular disease

Susan K. Fried, PhD, (Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Nutrition)

Lisa Ganley-Leal, PhD, (Infectious Disease) Defining immune correlates of protection in human schistosomiasis

Caroline Attardo Genco, PhD, (Infectious Disease) Microbial pathogenesis, vaccine development, host- parasite interactions, and bacterial gene regulation

Louis C. Gerstenfeld, PhD, (General Orthopaedic Surgery) Bone repair after trauma or surgical treatment; how genetic variations effect fracture healing

Frank C. Gibson III, PhD, (Infectious Disease) Mechanisms underlying microbial pathogenesis and host-pathogen interactions

Jianlin Gong, MD, (Molecular Medicine – Obesity) Development of dendritic cell (DC)-based tumor vaccines

Diddahally R. Govindaraju, PhD, (Neurology)

Robert C. Green, MD, MPH, (Neurology) Preclinical detection, treatment and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease

James A. Hamilton, PhD, (Physiology and Biophysics) Novel physical approaches to study obesity, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease

Andrew J. Henderson, PhD, (Infectious Disease) Cellular signals and the regulation of HIV transcription and replication

Victoria Herrera, MD, (Molecular Medicine—Obesity) Molecular and genetic basis of hypertension and associated diseases

Michael F. Holick, MD, PhD, (Endocrinology, Diabetes and Nutrition) Vitamin D as a chemopreventive agent in prostate, colorectal, and other cancers

Robin Ingalls, MD, (Infectious Disease) The innate immune system and pathogen recognition

Mark Klempner, MD, (Infectious Disease) The molecular biology and pathogenesis of Lyme disease

Darrell Kotton, MD, (Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care) Embryonic stem cells and lung differentiation

Robert A. Lafyatis, MD, (Rheumatology) The pathogenesis of scleroderma

Adam Lerner, MD, (Hematology and Medical Oncology) Lymphoid malignancies and the role of focal-adhesion-associated proteins in breast cancer anti-estrogen resistance

Jining Lu, PhD, (Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care) micro RNAs in lung development and diseases

Weining Lu, MD, (Nephrology) Kidney development and the molecular basis of congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT)

Zhijun Luo, MD, PhD, (Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Nutrition) Protein phosphorylation as a regulator of cell metabolism and growth

Joseph P. Mizgerd, ScD, (Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care) Innate immunity and the pathogenesis of acute lower respiratory tract infections

Anthony J. Molina, PhD, (Molecular Medicine—Obesity) The role of mitochondrial dynamics in beta cell function and the development of diabetes and obesity

Monty Montano, PhD, (Infectious Disease) Host-pathogen genomics, muscle stem cell biology, and aging

Gustavo Mostoslavsky, MD, PhD, (Gastroenterology) Stem cell biology and gene therapy

John R. Murphy, PhD, (Molecular Medicine) Structure of the diphtheria toxin repressor; diphtheria toxin catalytic domain and entry into the eukaryotic cell cytosol; structure- function of IL7

Richard H. Myers, PhD, (Neurology) Application of genetic research methods for the investigation of adult onset diseases with complex etiology (Parkinson’s disease, coronary heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, etc.)

Caryn L. Navarro, PhD, (Medicine—Genetics Program) Molecular motor activity in cell division, organelle positioning, intracellular transport, vesicle sorting, and intracellular pathogen targeting

Barbara S. Nikolajczyk, PhD, (Microbiology) Inflammation in type 2 diabetes and other inflammatory diseases; molecular mechanisms of disease pathogenesis; regulation of IL-1 beta production

Gwynneth Offner, PhD, (Gastroenterology) Mucin glycoproteins in epithelial protection and repair

Susan P. Perrine-Faller, MD (Pediatrics)

Paul F. Pilch, PhD (Biochemistry; Associate Director, Molecular Medicine Training Program) Insulin receptor signaling in obesity

Vasan Ramachandran, MBBS, MD, (Preventive Medicine & Epidemiology)

Maria I. Ramirez, PhD, (Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care) Differentiation of lung epithelial cells during mammalian development

Katya Ravid, DSc., PhD, (Biochemistry and Medicine) Genetic and signaling factors that control lineage commitment and the regulation of the cell cycle

Ian R. Rifkin, MBBCh, PhD, (Nephrology) Mechanisms responsible for the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus and lupus-associated atherosclerosis

Jennifer Rosen, MD, (Surgery)

Carol L Rosenberg, MD, (Hematology and Medical Oncology; Director of Admissions, Molecular Medicine Training Program) The molecular and genetic alterations important early in human breast carcinogenesis

Thomas L. Rothstein, MD, PhD (Hematology and Medical Oncology)

Sayon Roy, PhD, (Endocrinology, Diabetes and Nutrition) The pathogenesis of diabetic microangiopathy and vascular complications in diabetic retinopathy and diabetic nephropathy

Neil B. Ruderman, MD, PhD, (Endocrinology, Diabetes and Nutrition) The effects of insulin, exercise and fuels on cellular metabolism, signal transduction, and gene expression

Joshua D. Safer, MD, (Endocrinology, Diabetes and Nutrition) Thyroid hormones and wound healing

David J. Salant, MD, (Nephrology) The immune basis of glomerular disease

Jennifer J. Schlezinger, PhD, (Environmental Health) Environmental chemicals as mediators of cell death

Faina Schwartz, PhD, (Molecular Medicine – Genetics Program) Molecular genetics of complex disorders such as hypertension

John H Schwartz, MD, (Nephrology) Transport in renal epithelial cells and ischemic renal disease

David C. Seldin, MD, PhD, (Hematology and Medical Oncology) Lymphoproliferative diseases and other malignancies; mechanisms of disease in the plasma cell disorder “systemic amyloidosis”

Jacqueline Sharon, PhD, (Pathology and Laboratory Medicine) Generation and characterization of polyclonal antibody libraries for the treatment and diagnosis of cancer and infectious diseases

Richard Sherva, PhD (Molecular Medicine—Genetics Program)

Orian S. Shirihai, MD, PhD (Molecular Medicine—Obesity)

Satish K. Singh, MD (Gastroenterology)

Paul Skolnik, MD, (Infectious Disease) Immunologic effects of anti-HIV therapies

Martin H. Steinberg, MD, (Hematology and Medical Oncology) Genetic polymorphisms and sickle cell anemia

Sam Thiagalingam, PhD, (Molecular Medicine—Genetics Program) Cancer genomics and multi-modular molecular network (MMMN) cancer progression models

Gregory Viglianti, PhD, (Microbiology) Molecular biology of HIV-1; the role of virus-host cell interactions in pathogenesis

Kenneth Walsh, PhD, (Cardiovascular Medicine) Signaling- and transcriptional-regulatory mechanisms that control both normal and pathological tissue growth in the cardiovascular system

H. Christian Weber, MD, (Gastroenterology) Bombesin receptors in human cancer and obesity

Lee M. Wetzler, MD, (Infectious Disease) Vaccine development; microbial immunity and pathogenesis; effect of bacterial products on eukaryotic cells

M. Michael Wolfe, MD, (Gastroenterology) The physiological and pathological significance of gastrointestinal regulatory peptides in cancer and lipid homeostasis

Benjamin L. Wolozin, MD, PhD, (Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics) Pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases

Zhi-Xiong Xiao, PhD, (Biochemistry) Regulation of p53 and Rb in cancer

Mohammad H. Zaman, PhD, (Biomedical Engineering) Using cell biology, mechanics, systems biology, and medicine to develop models for tumor invasion and metastasis

Mengwei Zang, MD, PhD, (Vascular Biology Unit) Energy homeostasis in diabetes and cardiovascular disease

Vassilis Zannis, PhD, (Molecular Medicine) Apolipoproteins in cardiovascular and Alzheimer’s disease

Yujun Zhang (Pulmonary Center)