Overview
Kansas City, Kansas, Is Home to University of Kansas' Esteemed Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences
Located in the bustling Kansas City, Missouri, metropolitan area, Kansas City, Kansas, is home to the University of Kansas' acclaimed Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences (IGPBS). A leading medical research institution, the University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC) is an unparalleled environment for graduate students to pursue their Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. degrees on the cutting edge of biomedical sciences research. While developing definitive research skills, graduate students earn a doctoral degree in one of several biomedical research areas, including neuroscience; protein structure and function; pharmacology; toxicology; and viral, microbial, molecular, cellular, developmental, reproductive, immunological, renal, and physiological biology.
When it's time to take a break from graduate studies and research, students at the University of Kansas' IGPBS discover unlimited ways to kick back and have fun throughout the Kansas City metropolitan area, whether its professional sports, museums, concerts, live theater, or an afternoon jog in a city park. The University of Kansas Medical Center is situated on the Kansas/Missouri state border, so graduate students can take a quick and easy bus ride to the many attractions and activities of Kansas City, Kansas, and its adjacent sister city, Kansas City, Missouri. Popular college hangouts include the trendy Westport neighborhood, which is filled with bars and clubs and great eateries that serve up Kansas City's famous barbecue. Music lovers flock to the historic 18th and Vine Jazz District where restaurants, shops, and live music clubs keep the action going on every block.
Interdisciplinary Program in Biomedical Sciences Draws Faculty Members and Research Facilities from Eight Programs
As an interdisciplinary Ph.D. program, IGPBS draws from the doctoral programs, faculty members, research programs, and research facilities of eight specialty programs of the University of Kansas Medical School that include anatomy and cell biology; biochemistry and molecular biology; microbiology, molecular genetics, and immunology; pathology and laboratory medicine; molecular and integrative physiology; pharmacology, toxicology, and therapeutics; the Neuroscience Graduate Program, and the Training Program in Environmental Toxicology.
A recognized leader in the discovery of new knowledge and the development of pioneering programs in research, education, and patient care, the University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC) is the headquarters for IGPBS. KUMC's main functions include research, education, patient care, and community service. Graduate students have the opportunity to work on nationally and internationally recognized faculty research programs designed to advance the health sciences.
The experienced IGPBS research faculty members guide and train graduate students in core research facilities equipped with cutting-edge technology, such as transgenic mouse laboratories, electron microscopy, magnetoencephalography, and DNA microarray technology. IGPBS research projects focus on basic and applied investigations of life processes, the normal functions of the human body and mechanisms of disease processes, and model health-care programs for the prevention of disease and the maintenance of health and quality of life.
In addition to on-campus research facilities, doctoral graduate students and postdoctoral research associates also work on cutting-edge research with distinguished researchers at the nearby Stowers Institute for Medical Research. More than 500 people, including University of Kansas graduate students, work on independent research programs in the institute's state-of-the-art research facilities.
University of Kansas' Biomedical Sciences Doctoral Program Immerses Students in Pioneering Biomedical Research Programs
Between the many leading-edge research programs at KUMC's laboratories and the independent research programs at nearby Stowers Institute for Medical Research, graduate students entering the University of Kansas' renowned Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences have an unparalleled selection of biomedical research topics on which to sharpen their investigative and analytical skills.
The IGPBS program provides the first-year biomedical sciences core curriculum. The course of study is highly integrated and state-of-the-art. Beginning with the fundamental principles essential for understanding the biomedical sciences, students study the practical aspects of biomedical research, including laboratory safety, human study research procedures, the appropriate use of animals in research, bioethics, and biographics.
During the first year, IGPBS faculty members present their research programs to students via a series of research seminars that allow the students to evaluate the biomedical research programs that appeal to them most. Students then select three research laboratories for their first-year rotations. As they rotate from one research program to the next, students get acquainted with potential research advisers while they learn cutting-edge laboratory techniques. By the end of the first year, students have the experience to select their Ph.D. specialty from the eight KUMC science programs associated with the graduate program, as well as a research adviser and laboratory for their own doctoral research project. Highly qualified graduate students who have been accepted as M.D. candidates at KUMC may also pursue their Ph.D. degree via the IGPBS program.
