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Detailed Information

Program of Study

The Ph.D. program in molecular medicine encompasses the fields of molecular and cellular oncology, neuroscience, and pharmacology and physiology. The program was developed in recognition of the overlapping nature of these three fields and the growing emphasis on interdisciplinary approaches that span the boundaries of the conventional disciplines. Admission is through the interdepartmental Institute for Biomedical Sciences (IBS). In the first year, students learn about common themes in biomedical sciences: nucleic acids, transcription, translation, proteins, cell biology, signal transduction, and others. In the second semester, the molecular medicine core course focuses on the physiological basis of disease, leading students to select a specific concentration by the end of their first year. Specific research strengths are in molecular and cellular oncology (signaling pathways and functional genomics and proteomics, anticancer drugs and stem cells, SNP, and gene array); neuroscience (site-directed mutagenesis and structure/function of proteins, behavioral and cognitive response associated to neuropathology); cardiovascular physiology (neural control of cardiac function, normal and pathophysiological signaling in cardiac muscle cells); and pharmacology (mechanism of drug action, normal and pathological signaling responses of cells and organs upon pharmacological drug actions).

The program leading to a Ph.D. degree is designed to permit flexibility. After completing the first-year core curriculum, students select one of the three possible concentrations (molecular and cellular oncology, neuroscience, or pharmacology and physiology). Then, in consultation with the concentration advisers, each student designs a plan of study for the doctoral program that meets his or her individual interests and goals. During the first year, students also have laboratory rotations that provide opportunities to work in several research laboratories before they choose a dissertation research adviser. A research advisory committee is then formed to evaluate the student’s technical and intellectual development. The committee consists of the student’s research adviser and at least 2 other faculty members who can best evaluate the research. The student prepares and presents a semiannual research progress report that is reviewed by the committee. Students are actively involved in a weekly seminar series that gives participants added opportunities for experience in oral presentations. Each student’s academic and research performance is reviewed by the entire program faculty. Toward the end of the second year, students take a comprehensive examination covering didactic material as well as evaluation of laboratory data and knowledge on current scientific literature. After successful completion of this qualifying examination and completion of 48 credit hours of course work, students advance to candidacy. During the following year they prepare and defend a formal dissertation proposal. Upon completion of 72 credit hours and the dissertation, the student has a final examination, which consists of an oral defense of the dissertation research. For updated information about the programs, prospective students should visit the program’s Web site (http://www.gwumc.edu/ibs/).

Research Facilities

The program has recognized the need for highly trained scientists and comprises integrated faculty members and scientists from The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, the National Institutes of Health, including the National Cancer Institute, and Children’s National Medical Center. Therefore, the program encourages interdisciplinary research endeavors among basic science faculty members and clinical faculty members from multiple University departments both in the Medical Center and on the main campus.

Financial Aid

Institute Fellowships are available on a competitive basis. They carry a $25,000-per-year stipend and 24-credit-hour tuition for the first year (support during the second year is dependent on a satisfactory record during the first year). Subsequently, students are supported by extramural fellowships, scholarships, or research grants to the laboratory in which they are doing their thesis research project. Student tuition and fees are provided in full.

The George Washington University offers one Presidential Merit Fellowship in the Biomedical Sciences that is available on a competitive basis. It carries a $25,000-per-year stipend and 24-credit-hour tuition for two years.

Cost of Study

Tuition for the 2009–10 academic year is $1118 per credit hour, and the cost of student association fees is $1.50 per credit hour.

Living and Housing Costs

University housing is not generally available to graduate students. Information on off-campus housing is available through the Office of Campus Life, which hosts several apartment-hunting weekends during the summer. The cost of living in the Washington area is comparable to that of other major metropolitan areas.

Student Group

The Institute for Biomedical Sciences admits 10–15 students per year.

Location

The University benefits from the abundant cultural, historical, and educational offerings of metropolitan Washington, D.C. The University is close to the National Institutes of Health, the National Library of Medicine, the Smithsonian Institution, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Environmental Protection Agency.

The University

The George Washington University, chartered by Congress in 1821, is private and nonsectarian. It holds regional accreditation from the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and has received professional recognition for specific programs. Diversified offerings at all levels of the University associate it with the people and activities of many organizations that are exclusive to the Washington area. The campus, located four blocks west of the White House, is a mixture of large modern buildings, traditional town houses, and other classroom and dormitory buildings, a reflection of the varied character of the surrounding area. Within the campus are located all the major facilities of the University, including the University hospital and medical school complex. A safe, clean, and modern Metro rail system connects the Medical Center with urban Washington, D.C., and suburban Virginia and Maryland, including the NIH.

Applying

Ph.D. graduate students are admitted to the Institute for Biomedical Sciences after a review of their qualifications and an interview. The Admissions Committee seeks students with broad interests and enthusiasm for further in-depth study in the biomedical sciences. It is important that applicants have course work that prepares them for a rigorous core curriculum in modern molecular and cellular biology. Normally, a minimum of a B average is required (3.0 on a 4.0 scale). All applicants must submit GRE General Test scores, three letters of recommendation, transcripts from all institutions attended, and a statement of purpose. International applicants should note that a minimum TOEFL score of 600 on the paper-based test (250 on the computer-based test or 100 on the Internet-based test) is required. Applications are accepted for the fall semester only. The deadline for application materials is December 15.

The Faculty and Their Research

• The George Washington University
• Joao Ascensao, Professor; M.D., Lisbon, 1972. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation; immunotherapy posttransplant; biology of human natural killer cells.
• Patricia E. Berg, Associate Professor; Ph.D., IIT, 1973. Role of BP1 and other homeobox genes in the progression of breast and prostate cancer.
• Bernard Bouscarel, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Toulouse III, 1985; D.Sc., Paris XI (South), 1995. Role of signal transduction in hepatocellular and colon diseases and cancer.
• Susan Ceryak, Associate Research Professor; Ph.D., George Washington, 1994. Signaling pathways involved in cell-cycle regulation and dysregulation in cancer.
• Vincent A. Chiappinelli, Ralph E. Loewy Professor and Chair of Pharmacology; Ph.D., Connecticut, 1977. Patch-clamp electrophysiology; functional and pharmacological studies of nicotinic receptors and presynaptic nerve terminals.
• Anne Chiaramello, Associate Professor; Ph.D., California, San Diego, 1990. Roles of the basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors during vertebrate neurogenesis; gene expression networks that control neuronal differentiation.
• Edward C. DeFabo, Research Professor; Ph.D., George Washington, 1974. UV light carcinogenesis and cellular immunity.
• Louis A. DePalma, Professor; M.D., Naples (Italy), 1982. Neonatal immunobiology; oncology pathology.
• Stephen Dopkins, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Columbia, 1988. Neuropsychology; memory.
• Sidney W. Fu, Assistant Research Professor; Ph.D., Peking Union Medical, 1994; M.D., Xi’an Medical (China), 1989. Gene expression and regulation in mammalian cells and transgenic models; human genome structure and cancer genetics; bioinformatics.
• Allan L. Goldstein, Professor; Ph.D., Rutgers, 1964. Chemical and biological properties of the thymosins; neuroimmunology; immunodeficiency diseases; cancer; AIDS; aging.
• Tim G. Hales, Professor; Ph.D., Dundee (Scotland), 1990. Molecular neuropharmacology and functional genomics; electrophysiology and imaging to study ion channel/receptor function.
• Robert G. Hawley, Professor; Ph.D., Toronto, 1984. Hematopoietic stem cell–based therapies; molecular mechanisms in normal and leukemic hematopoiesis.
• Valerie Hu, Professor; Ph.D., Caltech, 1978. Protein biochemistry and Alzheimer’s.
• Fatah Kashanchi, Professor; Ph.D., Kansas, 1991. Molecular pathogenesis of AIDS and ATL; cell-cycle associated events related to host-cell and human retroviruses, including HIV-1 and HTLV-1; genomics, microarray, and proteomics of infected and uninfected cells.
• Katherine A. Kennedy, Professor; Ph.D., Iowa, 1977. Role of biotransformation in drug activity and toxicity; role of microenvironments in tumor-cell sensitivity to anticancer agents; molecular actions of antitumor drugs.
• Janette M. Krum, Associate Professor; Ph.D., George Washington, 1987. Blood and brain development; astroglial-neuronal metabolic interactions; neuronal transplantation.
• Ajit Kumar, Professor; Ph.D., Chicago, 1968. Viral carcinogenesis and gene transactivation.
• Patricia S. Latham, Associate Professor; M.D., USC, 1972. Gene regulation and cytokine response of tumoricidal monocytes.
• Norman H. Lee, Professor; Ph.D., Maryland, 1990. mRNA regulation and global patterns of gene expression with DNA microarrays.
• Craig Linebaugh, Professor; Ph.D., Temple, 1976. Aphasia and other neurologic disorders of speech and language in adults.
• H. George Mandel, Professor; Ph.D., Yale, 1949. Cancer drug metabolism chemotherapy; molecular carcinogenesis.
• Tim McCaffrey, Professor; Ph.D., Purdue, 1985. Cardiovascular and stem cell genomics.
• David Mendelowitz, Professor; Ph.D., Washington (Seattle), 1989. Neuropharmacology of cardiorespiratory pathways in the brain stem; modulation by anesthetics and nicotinic receptors.
• Sally A. Moody, Professor; Ph.D., Florida, 1981. Molecular and cellular determination of neuronal phenotypes; neural stem cell gene regulation.
• Frances P. Noonan, Professor; Ph.D., Queensland (Australia), 1977. UV radiation carcinogenesis and cellular immunity.
• Travis O’Brien, Associate Research Professor; Ph.D., Cincinnati, 2000. Chromium toxicity; carcinogenesis.
• Jan M. Orenstein, Professor; M.D., 1971, Ph.D., 1969, SUNY Downstate Medical Center. Ultrastructural clinicopathological correlation of malignancies; pathology of HIV disease.
• Randall K. Packer, Professor; Ph.D., Penn State, 1971. Electrolyte and acid-base balance; kidney function.
• Steven R. Patierno, Professor; Ph.D., Texas, 1985. Molecular and cellular oncology; DNA damage and repair; cell death and survival signaling; invasion, angiogenesis and metastasis; molecular therapeutics.
• David C. Perry, Professor; Ph.D. California, San Francisco, 1981. Nicotinic-receptor subtypes; localization and regulation of neurotransmitter receptors.
• Kenna D. Peusner, Professor; Ph.D., Harvard, 1974. Role of synaptic transmission in the development of central vestibular neural circuit.
• John W. Philbeck, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., California, Santa Barbara, 1997. Human visual space perception and navigation; cognitive neuroscience.
• Marcos Rojkind, Research Professor; Ph.D., Mexico Polytechnic, 1970; M.D., National (Mexico), 1962. Extracellular matrix in health and disease; molecular mechanisms involved in liver fibrosis; cell-matrix interactions, with special emphasis in laminin-binding proteins of hepatocytes and hepatomas.
• Jeffrey M. Rosenstein, Professor; Ph.D., Penn State, 1976. Mechanisms of vascular and barrier changes in experimental brain tumors; role of astrocytes and neural stem cells in brain injury.
• Lawrence A. Rothblat, Professor; Ph.D., Connecticut, 1968. Psychobiology of learning and memory; recovery of function of CNS.
• Narine Sarvazyan, Associate Professor; Ph.D., National Academy of Sciences (Armenia), 1991. Cellular origins of arrhythmias; stem cell therapy for cardiac repair.
• Arnold M. Schwartz, Professor; Ph.D., MIT, 1973; M.D., Miami (Florida), 1978. Immunohistochemical and molecular markers of tumor origin and type; molecular diagnosis.
• Robert S. Siegel, Associate Professor; M.D., George Washington, 1977. Development of tumor markers; breast cancer screening and diagnosis; growth factors and receptor blockers in breast cancer therapy.
• Eva M. Sorenson, Research Associate Professor; Ph.D., St. Louis, 1990. Localization of nicotinic receptors in neuronal circuitry; nicotinic receptor regulation of neuronal activity.
• Mary Ann Stepp, Professor; Ph.D., Boston University, 1986. Cell-cell and cell-substrate interaction; integrins; wound healing; re-epithelialization; corneal epithelial stem cells.
• Yan A. Su, Associate Professor; M.D., Lanzhou Medical (China), 1982; Ph.D., Michigan, 1992. Genomics of tumor suppressor genes, tumorigenesis, and human cancer.
• Linda L. Werling, Professor and Director, IBS; Ph.D., Duke, 1983. Signaling in regulation of transmitter release; PCP and nicotine in brain function; neurochemistry of schizophrenia.
• Children’s National Medical Center
• Anamaris M. Colberg-Poley, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Penn State, 1980. Role of viral genes in pathogenesis; effects of viral proteins on cellular physiology.
• Vittorio Gallo, Professor; Ph.D., Rome (Italy), 1979. Glial cell development; transcriptional regulation of neural gene expression during development.
• Yetrib Hathout, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Burgundy (France), 1992. Proteomics and mass spectrometry applications to study the pathophysiology of human diseases (cancer and regenerative diseases).
• Tarik Haydar, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Maryland, 1997. Cell and molecular analysis of neural stem cell proliferation and differentiation in the embryonic cerebral cortex with an emphasis on multiphoton imaging.
• Eric P. Hoffman, Professor; M.D., Johns Hopkins, 1987. Molecular basis of inherited muscle and CNS disease, utilizing DNA gene chip technology.
• Stephan Ladisch, Professor; M.D., Pennsylvania, 1973. Ganglioside shedding by tumor cells and role in abrogating tumor immunity.
• Tobey McDonald, Associate Professor; M.D., Cornell, 1991. Regulation of tumor metastasis and angiogenesis by receptor tyrosine kinase signaling in childhood brain tumors.
• Brian Rood, Assistant Professor; M.D., Jefferson Medical, 1995. Genetics and treatment of CNS tumors.
• Mary C. Rose, Associate Research Professor; Ph.D., Case Western Reserve, 1970. Mucin glycoproteins in airway diseases and cystic fibrosis; regulation of MUC5 gene.
• Irene Zohn, Assistant Professor; North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1998. Ph.D. Identification of novel genes required for early morphogenic events such as gastrulation and neural tube closure.
• National Institutes of Health
• James F. Battey, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Stanford, 1980. Structure, function, and regulation of G-protein coupled receptors.
• Gordon Hager, Professor; Ph.D., Washington (Seattle), 1970. Nuclear receptors, chromatin, and transcription; organization of the mammalian nucleus; subcellular trafficking.
• Bai Lu, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Cornell, 1990. Neurotrophic regulation of synapse development and plasticity.
• Glenn T. Merlino, Professor; Ph.D., Michigan, 1980. Growth factors and cell transformation.
• Stephen O’Brien, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Cornell, 1971. Population and evolutionary genetics.

Correspondence and Information

The George Washington University
For program information:
Graduate Program in Molecular Medicine
Ross Hall, Room 605
2300 Eye Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20037
Telephone: 202-994-2179
Fax: 202-994-0967
Email: gwibs@gwu.edu


The George Washington University
For application forms:
Phillips Hall, Room 107
Columbian College of Arts and Sciences
Washington, D.C. 20052
Telephone: 202-994-6210
Fax: 202-994-6213
Email: askccas@gwu.edu