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Detailed Information

Program of Study

The genetics and developmental biology graduate program provides students with fundamental interdisciplinary training in modern molecular genetics and developmental biology, emphasizing cellular and molecular aspects as well as tissue interactions. The program is intended for students pursuing a Ph.D. degree and prepares students to compete for job opportunities in traditional medical and dental school departments as well as a productive research career in either academia or industry. Combined M.D./Ph.D. and D.M.D/Ph.D. programs are also available. Students are encouraged to obtain in-depth training through research and courses in biochemistry, molecular biology, cell biology, developmental biology, and genetics. Faculty members are from several basic science and clinical departments and study a wide range of organisms including yeast, worms, fruit flies, mice, and humans. Areas of research include the biology of human embryonic stem cells, mapping and cloning of genes responsible for human disease, RNA processing (including RNA editing, alternative splicing, antisense regulation, and RNA interference), the molecular mechanisms of aging, signal transduction pathways, microbial pathogenesis, developmental neurobiology, cell differentiation, musculoskeletal development, morphogenesis and pattern formation, reproductive biology, and endocrinology.

Research Facilities

The Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology is the academic home of the genetics and developmental biology graduate program. The Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology occupies three floors of the state-of-the-art Academic Research Building, which opened in 1999, as well as laboratory space in adjacent buildings. The department houses equipment and facilities for mouse transgenics, ES cell manipulation, DNA microarrays, nucleic acid sequencing, fluorescence microscopy, and digital imaging. Students also have ready access to first-rate flow cytometry and confocal microscopy facilities. Other institutional resources include a computer center and a library containing approximately 200,000 volumes and subscribing to more than 1,400 current periodicals. Students of the program therefore have a world-class opportunity for research and training in cutting-edge areas of genetics and developmental biology.

Financial Aid

Support for doctoral students engaged in full-time degree programs at the Health Center is provided on a competitive basis. Graduate research assistantships for 2009–10 provide a stipend of $27,000 per year, which includes a waiver of tuition/University fees for the fall and spring semesters and a student health insurance plan. While financial aid is offered competitively, the Health Center makes every possible effort to address the financial needs of all students during their period of training.

Cost of Study

For 2009–10, tuition is $4455 per semester ($8910 per year) for full-time students who are Connecticut residents and $11,565 per semester ($23,130 per year) for full-time out-of-state residents. General University fees are added to the cost of tuition for students who do not receive a tuition waiver. These costs are usually met by traineeships or research assistantships for doctoral students.

Living and Housing Costs

There is a wide range of affordable housing options in the greater Hartford area within easy commuting distance of the campus, including an extensive complex that is adjacent to the Health Center. Costs range from $600 to $900 per month for a one-bedroom unit; 2 or more students sharing an apartment usually pay less. University housing is not available at the Health Center.

Student Group

At UCHC, there are about 500 students in the Schools of Medicine and Dental Medicine, 150 Ph.D. students, and 50 postdoctoral fellows. There are no restrictions on the admission of out-of-state graduate students.

Location

The Health Center is located in the historic town of Farmington, Connecticut. Set in the beautiful New England countryside on a hill overlooking the Farmington Valley, it is close to ski areas, hiking trails, and facilities for boating, fishing, and swimming. Connecticut’s capital city of Hartford, 7 miles east of Farmington, is the center of an urban region of approximately 800,000 people. The beaches of the Long Island Sound are about 50 minutes away to the south, and the beautiful Berkshires are a short drive to the northwest. New York City and Boston can be reached within 2½ hours by car. Hartford is the home of the acclaimed Hartford Stage Company, TheatreWorks, the Hartford Symphony and Chamber orchestras, two ballet companies, an opera company, the Wadsworth Athenaeum (the oldest public art museum in the nation), the Mark Twain house, the Hartford Civic Center, and many other interesting cultural and recreational facilities. The area is also home to several branches of the University of Connecticut, Trinity College, and the University of Hartford, which includes the Hartt School of Music. Bradley International Airport (about 30 minutes from campus) serves the Hartford/Springfield area with frequent airline connections to major cities in this country and abroad. Frequent bus and rail service is also available from Hartford.

The Health Center

The 200-acre Health Center campus at Farmington houses a division of the University of Connecticut Graduate School, as well as the School of Medicine and Dental Medicine. The campus also includes the John Dempsey Hospital, associated clinics, and extensive medical research facilities, all in a centralized facility with more than 1 million square feet of floor space. The Health Center’s newest research addition, the Academic Research Building, was opened in 1999. This impressive eleven-story structure provides 170,000 square feet of state-of-the-art laboratory space. The faculty at the center includes more than 260 full-time members. The institution has a strong commitment to graduate study within an environment that promotes social and intellectual interaction among the various educational programs. Graduate students are represented on various administrative committees concerned with curricular affairs, and the Graduate Student Organization (GSO) represents graduate students’ needs and concerns to the faculty and administration, in addition to fostering social contact among graduate students in the Health Center.

Applying

Applications for admission should be submitted on standard forms obtained from the Graduate Admissions Office at the UConn Health Center or the Web site. The application should be filed together with transcripts, three letters of recommendation, a personal statement, and recent results from the General Test of the Graduate Record Examinations. International students must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) to satisfy Graduate School requirements. The deadline for completed applications and receipt of all supplemental materials is December 15. In accordance with the laws of the state of Connecticut and of the United States, the University of Connecticut Health Center does not discriminate against any person in its educational and employment activities on the grounds of race, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, or physical disability.

The Faculty and Their Research

• Alexander Amerik, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Genetics and Developmental Biology. Deubiquitinating enzymes and ubiquitin homeostasis in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
• Andrew Arnold, M.D., Professor of Medicine and Murray-Heilig Chair in Molecular Medicine. Molecular genetic underpinnings of tumors of the endocrine glands; role of the cyclin D1 oncogene.
• Gordon Carmichael, Ph.D., Professor of Genetics and Developmental Biology. Regulation of gene expression in eukaryotes.
• Kevin Claffey, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Cell Biology. Angiogenesis in cancer progression and metastasis; vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression; hypoxia-mediated gene regulation.
• Stephen Clark, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Medicine. Characterization of mutations affecting connective tissues; molecular genetic mapping; generation and analysis of transgenic mice.
• Asis Das, Ph.D., Professor of Microbiology. Basic genetic and biomechanical mechanisms that govern the elongation-termination and decision in transcription.
• Caroline N. Dealy, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Anatomy. Roles of various growth factors and signaling molecules, particularly IGF-I and insulin, in the regulation of chick limb development.
• Paul Epstein, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Pharmacology. Receptor signal transduction, second messengers, and protein phosphorylation in control of cell growth and regulation; purification and regulation of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases; role of calmodulin in mediating Ca2+-dependent cell processes.
• Guo-Hua Fong, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Cell Biology. Developmental biology of the vascular system, VEGF-A receptor signal transduction, embryonic stem cells, and gene knock-out in mice.
• Brenton R. Graveley, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Genetics and Developmental Biology. Regulation of alternative splicing in the mammalian nervous system and mechanisms of alternative splicing.
• Arthur Günzl, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Center for Microbial Pathogenesis. Transcription and antigenic variation in the mammalian parasite Trypanosoma brucei.
• Marc Hansen, Ph.D., Professor of Medicine. Molecular genetics of osteosarcoma and related bone diseases.
• Timothy Hla, Ph.D., Professor of Cell Biology. Molecular mechanisms of angiogenesis; G-protein–coupled receptor signaling; cyclooxygenase (Cox-2) and cancer; lipid mediators.
• Laurinda Jaffe, Ph.D., Professor of Cell Biology. Physiology of fertilization.
• Robert A. Kosher, Ph.D., Professor of Anatomy. Limb development; role of extracellular matrix, cytoskeleton, and cyclic nucleotides in chondrogenesis; molecular regulation of gene activity during cartilage differentiation.
• Barbara Kream, Ph.D., Professor of Medicine. Hormonal regulation of collagen gene expression in bone.
• Marc Lalande, Ph.D., Professor of Genetics and Developmental Biology. Genomic imprinting; Angelman syndrome; mechanism of tissue-specific silencing of the Angelman ubiquitin ligase in mouse and human.
• James Li, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Genetics and Developmental Biology. Identifying the molecular mechanisms underlying formation of the mammalian cerebellum.
• Alexander Lichtler, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Pediatrics. Regulation of collagen gene transcription; retrovirus vectors; role of homeobox genes in limb development.
• Bruce Mayer, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Genetics and Developmental Biology. Biologically relevant Nck-interacting proteins.
• Mina Mina, D.M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor of Pediatric Dentistry. Characterization of genetic and epigenetic influences involved in pattern formation and skeletogenesis of the chick mandible and mouse tooth germ.
• William Mohler, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Genetics and Developmental Biology. Molecular and cellular mechanisms of cell fusion.
• D. Kent Morest, M.D., Professor of Neuroscience. Role of cell and tissue interactions in the migration and differentiation of neurons; structure and function of neurons during development and synapse formation.
• Achilles Pappano, Ph.D., Professor of Pharmacology. Development of electrical properties of the heart; maturation of cardiac autonomic receptors; neurogenesis in the embryonic heart.
• John Peluso, Ph.D., Professor of Cell Biology. Control of ovarian follicle growth steroidogenesis in vitro; proto-oncogene expression and ovarian follicular growth.
• Justin D. Radolf, M.D., Professor of Medicine and Genetics and Developmental Biology. Molecular pathogenesis and immunobiology of spirochetal infections.
• Blanka Rogina, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Genetics and Developmental Biology. Molecular mechanism underlying aging process in Drosophila melanogaster.
• Edward F. Rossomando, D.D.S., Ph.D., Professor of BioStructure and Function. Control of gene expression in tumor and nontumor cell lines in response to stimulation by monokines; coding, transmission, and processing of environmental signals in normal and abnormal development.
• David Rowe, M.D., Professor of Pediatrics. Hormonal regulation of Type I collagen in mature and developing bone; heritable disorders of bone formation.
• Mansoor Sarfarazi, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Surgery. Positional mapping and mutation analysis of human genetic disorders; primary open angle glaucoma; primary congenital glaucoma; synpolydactyly; dyslexia; mitral valve prolapse and ascending aortic aneurysm.
• Marvin Tanzer, M.D., Professor of BioStructure and Function. Role of the extracellular matrix in developing systems; regulation of the expression of collagens, proteoglycans, laminin, and fibronectin.
• Petros Tsipouras, M.D., Professor of Pediatrics. Heritable disorders of connective tissue, nosology, and genetics; genetic linkage studies; molecular mechanisms of mutations in human collagen genes.
• William B. Upholt, Ph.D., Professor of BioStructure and Function. Regulation of gene expression during embryonic development; procollagen gene expression and regulation in limb chondrogenesis and skeletogenesis; pattern formation; homeobox genes.
• Bruce White, Ph.D., Professor of Physiology. Control of prolactin gene expression at pretranslational level in GH3 cells; control of aromatase gene expression in ovarian and testicular tissues.
• Ren-He Xu, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Genetics and Developmental Biology. Biology of human embryonic stem cells.

Correspondence and Information

University of Connecticut Health Center
Dr. William Mohler
Program Director
Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology
Farmington, Connecticut 06030-3301
Telephone: 860-679-1833
Email: wmohler@neuron.uchc.edu