Welcome Prospective Students

The Graduate Program in Cell and Regulatory Biology (CRB) is an interdisciplinary Ph.D. training program that integrates molecular and systems approaches to biomedical science.  Our program is divided into three tracks, Cell Biology, Pharmacology, and Physiology, and provides opportunities for broad training in a variety of areas including, cellular signaling, real-time molecular imaging, pharmacoinformatics, molecular modeling, proteomics, high throughput screening, electrophysiology, and systems biology.  Particular focus is on signal transduction, understanding how signals or drugs transmit information across a cell or in a whole animal. The CRB tracks help students focus their course work and their overall scientific development.  Because of the interdisciplinary nature of modern research, a student in any laboratory (both within and outside of CRB) can join the program and be affiliated with any one of the academic tracks.

The CRB program is part of the University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS) and is located in the Texas Medical Center, which is the world’s largest center for biomedical research.  Tuition, health benefits, and stipends are provided for all full-time CRB students.

PROGRAM ACTIVITIES

The program offers courses, formal seminars, journal clubs, research discussion groups, and various mixers to foster education and the exchange of ideas.  Each spring, CRB students, postdoctoral fellows, and faculty attend an annual wooded retreat in the Texas Hill Country where students and fellows give research presentations and enjoy a relaxed social setting with colleagues.  Collectively these activities prepare students for a successful career in the biomedical sciences.

COURSE WORK

The courses offered though the Cell and Regulatory Biology Program help students fulfill GSBS requirements for quantitative, molecular, cellular, and systems areas of biomedical science.  The Cell Biology, Pharmacology, and Physiology tracks recommend one or two additional courses to further develop these specialties for their careers and to aid the student in conducting their Ph.D. research.
A detailed list of courses can be found at the Curriculum section of this web site.

TUTORIAL RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

Students enroll in three 10-week laboratory tutorials during the first year. Tutorials provide students with
laboratory experience and exposure to scientific questions and techniques utilized by various faculty members to aid them in choosing a laboratory for their Ph.D. work.  Details of faculty research interests can be found at the Program Faculty section of this web site. Students entering with advanced degrees or substantial research experience may have a tutorial waived by GSBS.

PROGRAM FACULTY

A majority of our program faculty are members of the Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology or other departments at the University of Texas Medical School.  Additional program members are located at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and the Institute for Molecular Medicine.  The close proximity of these institutions within the Texas Medical Center makes interactions and collaborations just a short walk away.

COMMUNICATION AND PRESENTATION SKILLS

Written, oral, and digital communication skills are critical for success in today's highly competitive research
environment. The program offers a formal course in research presentations (Seminar in Regulatory Biology) in addition to journal clubs, discussion groups, and the Signal Transduction Group. Each student makes at least one formal scientific presentation each year before an audience of students and faculty to gain feedback from colleagues and to develop their presentation skills.  In addition, we encourage our students to write an abstract of their work for the lay audience to learn to communicate their work to people of all backgrounds.

Ph.D. CANDIDACY EXAM

After the second year GSBS students develop a formal research proposal as part of their candidacy
exam.  The successful oral defense of this proposal and completion of a written exam to test breadth of knowledge qualifies the student for Ph.D. candidacy. Click here to view details of the CRB exam requirements.

INDEPENDENT AND ORIGINAL RESEARCH

The final preparation of the student will involve completion of an independent and original dissertation
research project. Upon completion of the above requirements, the student is awarded the Doctor of Philosophy degree in the Biomedical Sciences with specialization in the student's area of research concentration.