Detailed Information
Programs of Study
Cancer affects people of all ages and remains the second-leading cause of death in the United States. It is estimated that cancer kills more than one-half million people in the U.S. each year and an additional 1 million are diagnosed. The World Health Organization projects that cancer deaths will continue to rise worldwide and estimates 9 million people will die of cancer in 2015 and 11.4 million in 2030. Clearly, there is an urgent need to improve the management of human malignancies.
Cancer research at SUNY Upstate Medical University is conducted by faculty and students at its College of Graduate Studies as well as through its own University Hospital and clinics. In addition to basic science investigations into such diverse areas as the mechanisms of tumor cell invasion, immunotherapy, oncogenes and tumor suppressors, viruses, and genetic inheritance, SUNY Upstate physicians and scientists participate in national cancer trials run by the Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB), the Pediatric Oncology Group (POG), and the Gynecological Oncology Group (GOG).
Current projects include:
* A program in cancer biology and therapeutics in the Department of Pharmacology.
* Investigations relevant to viral oncology/immunology in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology.
* Investigations relevant to neuro-oncology in the Departments of Neurosurgery and Neurosciences.
* Orthopedic oncology research in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery.
Currently, two graduate courses with focus on cancer are being offered by the Department of Pharmacology. Additional team-taught courses and seminar series designed to foster scholarship and collaboration are planned.
The SUNY Upstate cancer research model fosters research excellence by creating a single goal-driven unit that transcends departmental boundaries.
Research Facilities
SUNY Upstate’s growth on the research side is highlighted by a $72-million expansion of its Institute for Human Performance, a high-tech facility for shared laboratories and core facilities used in basic and clinical research.
SUNY Upstate has world-class facilities for students. Core facilities on campus include the Bioluminescence Imaging Core, Center for Bioresearch Imaging, Center for SCID-hu Mouse Models of Viral Diseases and Cancer, Computer Modeling Resources Facility, DNA Core Facility, Flow Cytometry Core Facility, Proteomic Core Facility, Research Imaging: MRI and MicroCT Facility, and SUNY Microarray Core Facility (SUNYMAC), as well as equipment and instrumentation for biophysical analysis, electron microscopy, systematic genetic analysis, and X-ray crystallography. SUNY Upstate maintains a coalition with nearby Cornell University, the University of Rochester Medical Center, and Buffalo’s Roswell Park Cancer Institute, dedicated to sharing cutting-edge research facilities. Full research support services on campus include laboratory-animal facilities, network access to SeqWeb software, a computer-age medical library containing more than 183,000 volumes, electronics and machine shops, and photographic and computer services.
Financial Aid
All accepted Ph.D. students are fully supported throughout their education by full tuition waivers and a stipend ($21,514 per year). Support comes from graduate assistantships, departmental assistantships, and NIH, NSF, and other grants. There are no mandated TA duties; students are not required to teach for the stipend (although students can pursue teaching opportunities, if they wish.)
Cost of Study
Stipends and full tuition waivers are available for all students accepted into the Ph.D. program. (There is no teaching requirement.) Student fees, which include a health service fee, are $552 for the 2008–09 academic year. Tuition and fees for master’s students for the 2008–09 academic year are $7452 for in-state students and $11,472 for out-of-state students.
Living and Housing Costs
On-campus housing is available in Clark Tower, with attractive, fully furnished standard rooms, studio apartments, and two-bedroom suites. Costs ranged from $4127 (standard room, double occupancy) to $8618 (married/family accommodations, one-bedroom apartment) for the academic year 2007–08. Many graduate students rent houses or apartments within a mile of the campus and bicycle or walk to and from campus. The cost of living in Syracuse is lower than the national average, and there is abundant, affordable local housing.
Student Group
Among SUNY Upstate’s four colleges, there are 127 graduate students in the biomedical sciences (58 percent women; 100 percent full-time) and approximately 600 medical students, 200 nursing students, and 200 students in the health professions enrolled at Upstate Medical University. Twenty-five percent of the graduate students come from Canada, Europe, and Asia. Syracuse University and the SUNY College of Environmental Science are located within a quarter mile of the University, resulting in a population of approximately 23,000 students in the immediate area.
Location
Syracuse is New York’s fourth-largest city and is located in the center of the state. A naturally beautiful setting, the area offers excellent hiking, biking, boating, and skiing. Syracuse’s cultural activities include a professional theater, symphony, opera, several top-notch music festivals (classical, blues, and jazz), and museums. Nearby Syracuse University’s sporting events are a major recreational activity. Syracuse is easily reached by air, rail, and car.
The University
SUNY Upstate is the only academic medical center in the Central New York region and is part of the dynamic University Hill community. In addition to the College of Graduate Studies, SUNY Upstate Medical University includes three other colleges–Medicine, Nursing, and Health Professions–its own University Hospital, and a clinical campus in Binghamton, New York. The University is growing, with new leadership, degree programs, and further plans for expansion. SUNY Upstate Medical University is close to downtown Syracuse and is adjacent to (but not affiliated with) the campus of Syracuse University. Students mention the friendly atmosphere and supportive faculty members who treat them as colleagues.
Applying
The College of Graduate Studies at SUNY Upstate does not have an application deadline; however, application review begins in December and continues until all positions are filled, which can be as early as April. SUNY requires a $40 application fee. Minimum requirements are a bachelor’s degree or equivalent and course work that includes biology, mathematics (preferably calculus), physics, and chemistry (organic and inorganic). GRE General Test scores are required, and scores from the Subject Test in chemistry or biology are recommended. International applicants must provide evidence of English proficiency (including speaking) by taking the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
The Faculty and Their Research
- Gregory Canute, M.D., Associate Professor. Genetics and gene therapy of brain tumors.
- Timothy A. Damron, M.D., Professor. Radioprotectant strategies for protecting the pediatric growth plate.
- Gerold Feuer, Ph.D., Associate Professor. HTLV pathogenesis and Tax function; humanized SCID mouse models of hematopoiesis; lentivirus vectors; KSHV/HHV-8 infection and pathogenesis; SCID-hu immune responses against HIV envelope.
- Eileen A. Friedman, Ph.D., Adjunct Professor. Role of the serine/theonine kinase Mirk/dyrk1B in cancers of the pancreas, ovary, and colon.
- Ying Huang, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor. Oncogenic signaling in cellular transformation and apoptosis; tumor suppressor genes.
- Andrzej Krol, Ph.D., Associate Professor. Molecular and dynamic imaging; image registration and fusion; tomographic reconstruction; ultrafast laser-based X-ray source; brain deformation quantification between mutant and normal mouse.
- Kenneth Mann, Ph.D., Professor. Mechanical and biological factors in total joint replacement.
- Russell Matthews, Ph.D., Assistant Professor. Role of glycoproteins in oncogenesis and brain development.
- Michael Miller, Ph.D., Professor and Chair. Factors that regulate the proliferation, migration, and survival/death of neurons in the developing brain; models of fetal alcohol syndrome, autism, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
- M. Golam Mohi, Ph.D., Assistant Professor. Molecular mechanism of leukemia; effect of oncogenic mutations in pathogenesis of leukemia, using mouse model.
- Dawn Post, Ph.D., Assistant Professor. Cancer treatment, using oncolytic viruses and gene therapy.
- Michael F. Princiotta, Ph.D., Assistant Professor. Antigen processing and presentation; cytotoxic T-lymphocyte response to viral and bacterial infections.
- Rosemary Rochford, Ph.D., Professor and Chair. Etiology of viral-associated malignancies; gammaherpesvirus pathogenesis.
- M. Saeed Sheikh, M.D., Ph.D., Professor. Apoptotic signal transduction and cancer biology.
- Edward J. Shillitoe, B.D.S., Ph.D., Professor. Gene therapy for cancer.
- Steven M. Taffet, Ph.D., Professor. Regulation of intercellular communication in the heart; gene expression during macrophage activation.
- Stephan Wilkens, Ph.D., Associate Professor. Structure and mechanism of membrane-bound transport proteins.
Correspondence and Information
State University of New York Upstate Medical University
College of Graduate Studies
750 East Adams Street
Syracuse, New York 13210
Telephone:
315-464-4538
Fax:
315-464-4544
Email:
biosci@upstate.edu
