Molecular & Cell Biology
The Department of Molecular & Cell Biology was established in July 1998 to decipher the genetic, molecular, and biochemical causes of oral health disorders and their possible relationships with other systemic dysfunctions. The National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research’s recent strategic plan for biomedical research emphasizes the importance of interfacing basic science research with oral medicine.
The department’s faculty members have significant national and international reputations for their studies of:
- Biogenesis of nonpathogenic and pathogenic yeast cell wall
- Mechanisms of mRNA editing and processing
- Regulation of mitochondrial gene expression
- Glycobiology of protozoan parasites
- Stress-activated signal transduction pathways
- Role of proteases in pancreatitis
- Mechanisms of epithelial stem cell self-renewal
- Genetics of craniofacial development disorders
The department is housed in Boston University’s Evans Building. The Department of Molecular & Cell Biology is an integral part of Boston University Medical Center, which is located in the historic South End of Boston.
Students and postdoctoral fellows of the department have easy access not only to the vibrant scientific community of Boston University Medical Center, including many lectures and seminars in the different departments of the Medical Center, but also to the outstanding scientific community in the Boston-Cambridge area. Greater Boston is one of the preeminent metropolitan centers in the United States, and offers many scientific, cultural, and recreational opportunities.
