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Program in Molecular and Cellular Biology

Graduate School
University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts

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Detailed Information

Program of Study

The Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB) Graduate Program at University of Massachusetts Amherst is an interdisciplinary Ph.D. program with areas of concentration in biological chemistry and molecular biophysics, molecular biology, and cell and developmental biology. Participating faculty members are drawn from eight University departments; from Amherst, Smith, and Mount Holyoke Colleges; and from the Baystate Medical Center in Springfield.

The biological chemistry and molecular biophysics concentration fuses the cultures of biology and chemistry, bringing the synthetic, mechanistic, and analytical powers of chemistry to bear on new areas of biology. Faculty members in this area are particularly strong in fields such as the mechanisms of signal transduction, protein folding, RNA structure and function, protein–nucleic acid interaction, structural biology, and bioorganic and bioinorganic chemistry. Students in this area are eligible for participation in the Chemistry-Biology Interface Training Program.

The molecular biology concentration emphasizes the molecular basis of gene expression and function in viruses, bacteria, fungi, plants, and animals. Interests of participating faculty members include gene organization and regulation, the molecular mechanisms of gene expression, microbial genetics and physiology, functional genomics, molecular genetics of plant development, and the molecular biology of disease, with a focus on the mechanisms of susceptibility and mutation in human disease.

The cell and developmental biology concentration focuses on the genetic control of single cells, as well as their assembly during development and disruption during disease. Faculty members in this area study the structure and function of basic cellular processes, such as cell division, protein trafficking, nuclear architecture, early development and reproduction, cell death and degeneration, and neural development. Model systems include Drosophila, zebrafish, Arabidopsis, and mouse. Students in this area have the opportunity to couple basic and biomedical approaches through a collaborative research program with the Baystate Medical Center.

All Ph.D. candidates rotate through two research laboratories in the first year and take core courses in biochemistry, molecular biology, and cell biology. A written qualifying exam, the first part of the comprehensive examination, is taken at the end of the first year. An oral defense of an original research proposal, completed before the end of the second year, constitutes the second part of the comprehensive examination. The program hosts a weekly seminar series attended by faculty members and students. After the first year, students participate in informal seminars and journal clubs and take appropriate advanced elective courses. There is also a final oral defense of the written dissertation. Completion of the requirements for the Ph.D. degree takes about five years.

Research Facilities

Major research capabilities include an imaging facility with confocal and electron microscopy, a DNA sequencing service, and facilities for high-field NMR, mass spectrometry, and X-ray diffraction. A variety of specialized equipment is available in the adjoining Departments of Physics, Computer Science, and Polymer Science and Engineering, as well as in the physical and life science departments at the other four institutions in the Five Colleges, Inc., consortium, which includes Amherst, Mount Holyoke, Hampshire, and Smith Colleges, in addition to the University of Massachusetts.

Financial Aid

Financial aid is available to all accepted Ph.D. candidates. Students are eligible for teaching and research assistantships that include tuition, curriculum fee, health insurance, dental coverage, and an annual stipend. Once a dissertation lab is selected, students are supported by research assistantships or fellowships. All students are required to serve as teaching assistants, generally during their first year. MCB students with a strong chemistry background are eligible to participate in the NIH-funded Chemistry-Biology Interface Training Program.

Cost of Study

In 2007–08, resident tuition and mandatory fees at the University of Massachusetts were $110 per credit and $3727.50, respectively. Nonresident tuition and mandatory fees were $414 per credit and $4620.50, respectively. Massachusetts residence requirements are usually met after one year’s residence and employment. All of the tuition and approximately 83 percent of the fees are waived for students supported by teaching and research assistantships.

Living and Housing Costs

Most students in the MCB program live off campus. Studio and efficiency apartments cost approximately $600 per month, while a two-bedroom apartment costs approximately $800 to $1200 per month. Graduate student housing is also available in Prince House, a graduate dormitory, at $2587 per semester.

Student Group

Amherst is the main graduate campus of the University of Massachusetts system, with 2,813 graduate students enrolled in fifty doctoral programs. In fall 2007, there were 77 doctoral candidates in the MCB program, of whom 52 percent were women, 48 percent were men, and 51 percent were international students. All received financial support. Most graduates of the program go on to postdoctoral appointments at leading universities and research institutions or to responsible positions in industry, both in the United States and abroad.

Student Outcomes

Twelve Ph.D. degrees were awarded in 2007. Graduates have gone on to postdoctoral research at institutions such as Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard, MIT, National Cancer Institute, Stanford, and Yale as well as universities in the United Kingdom, Korea, Taiwan, and the Netherlands. Others have chosen to take positions in industry, including Burroughs-Wellcome, Johnson & Johnson, and Eli Lilly.

Location

Amherst lies in the Connecticut River valley in western Massachusetts. Northampton, noted for its cultural diversity, is nearby, and Boston and New York City are easily reached by car, bus, or train. The Pioneer Valley is well-known for the variety and quality of its music, theater, art, and outdoor recreational activities.

The University and The Program

The Amherst campus is the flagship campus of the University of Massachusetts system, with numerous award-winning faculty members and a rich array of academic and extracurricular programs. It is ranked by the NRC in the top 50 research-doctoral institutions both for its reputational rating and for the number of citations and awards its programs receive. The Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, inaugurated in 1983 to integrate faculty members, academic activities, and research efforts of a number of well-established departmental programs is among the highly rated group of programs.

Applying

Applications are due on December 1. A late application is accepted if places remain at the time of its receipt. Applicants should have had one year of physics with lab and mathematics through calculus, or applicants should be prepared to take the requisite courses after entering the program. Prior laboratory or research experience is highly desirable. Prospective students should visit the Web site at http://www.bio.umass.edu/mcb for further information. Applications may be obtained and submitted online at http://www.umass.edu/gradschool.

The Faculty and Their Research

Dominique R. Alfandari, Ph.D., Paris VI (Curie). ADAM metalloprotease function during embryonic development.
Juan Anguita, Ph.D., Leon (Spain). Proinflammatory signals in response to infection.
Kathleen F. Arcaro, Ph.D., Rutgers. Environmental toxicants and the disruption of endocrine function.
Richard B. Arenas (Baystate), M.D., University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey–Robert Wood Johnson Medical School/Rutgers. APC gene replacement in colorectal cancer.
Sarah J. Bacon (Mount Holyoke College), Ph.D., Chicago. Reproductive biology: maternal-fetal histocompatibility.
Cynthia L. Baldwin, Ph.D., Cornell. Cellular immunity: intracellular microbes and ?/d T cells.
Michael J. Barresi (Smith College), Ph.D., Wesleyan. How glial cells help wire the nervous system in the embryonic zebrafish brain.
Tobias I. Baskin, Ph.D., Stanford. Regulation of plant morphogenesis during growth and development.
Magdalena Bezanilla, Ph.D., Johns Hopkins. Molecular mechanisms behind plant cell growth.
David Bickar (Smith College), Ph.D., Duke. Systems for electron transport and oxygen utilization.
Anthony C. Bishop (Amherst College), Ph.D., Princeton. Bioorganic chemistry and chemical biology.
Eric L. Bittman, Ph.D., Berkeley. Neural basis of circadian rhythms, reproductive cycles, and seasonal breeding.
Samuel J. Black, Ph.D., Edinburgh (Scotland). Molecular basis of innate immunity against parasitic protozoa.
Jeffrey L. Blanchard, Ph.D., Georgia. Microbial cellular and community networks; systems biology; bioinformatics.
Jeffrey D. Blaustein, Ph.D., Massachusetts. Neuroendocrine regulation of behavior.
John P. Burand, Ph.D., Washington State. Molecular biology of insect baculoviruses.
Ana L. Caicedo, Ph.D., Washington (St. Louis). Plant molecular evolution and evolutionary genomics.
Maura C. Cannon, Ph.D., University College (Ireland). Polyhydroxyalkanoic acids in bacteria and plants; plant embryogenesis.
Daniel L. Chase, Ph.D., New Hampshire. Cellular and molecular mechanisms of neurotransmitter signaling.
Alice Y. Cheung, Ph.D., Yale. Molecular and biochemical studies on sexual plant reproduction.
J. Marshall Clark, Ph.D., Michigan State. Molecular action of pesticides and cellular basis for resistance.
Elizabeth A. Connor, Ph.D., Vermont. Development and regeneration of the neuromuscular junction.
Susan L. Cumberledge, Ph.D., California, Santa Barbara. Signal transduction in development and tumorigenesis.
Geert J. De Vries, Ph.D., Amsterdam. Cellular basis of hormone effects on brain function and behavior.
Sean M. Decatur (Mount Holyoke College), Ph.D., Stanford. Biochemistry of nitrosylhemes and vibrational studies of helical peptides.
Gerald B. Downes, Ph.D., Washington (St. Louis). Development and function of spinal cord networks.
Rachel D. Fink (Mount Holyoke College), Ph.D., Duke. Cell migration and rearrangement at gastrulation.
Rafael A. Fissore, Ph.D., Buenos Aires. Mammalian gametogenesis and cell signaling.
Neil S. Forbes, Ph.D., Berkeley. Engineering tumor-targeted therapies.
Nancy G. Forger, Ph.D., Berkeley. Development of neural sex differences; hormones and neutrophic factors.
Scott C. Garman, Ph.D., Harvard. Structural biology of glycoproteins in human disease.
Lila M. Gierasch, Ph.D., Harvard. Biophysical approaches to protein folding and localization.
Richard A. Goldsby (Amherst College), Ph.D., Berkeley. Idiotype/anti-idiotype network interactions.
David J. Gross, Ph.D., Illinois. Signal transduction in individual cells.
Adam C. Hall (Smith College), Ph.D., Imperial College (London). Acute effects of volatile anesthetics using electrophysiological techniques.
David E. Hansen (Amherst College), Ph.D., Harvard. Antibody catalysis; rational drug design.
Jeanne A. Hardy, Ph.D., Berkeley. Design of allosteric pathways in caspases and phosphatases; X-ray crystallography.
Daniel N. Hebert, Ph.D., Massachusetts Medical Center. Protein folding, quality control, and degradation of membrane glycoproteins.
Alejandro P. Heuck, Ph.D., Buenos Aires. Pore-forming toxins and translocation of virulence factors in bacterial pathogenesis.
James F. Holden, Ph.D., Washington. Physiology and ecology of hyperthermophilic archaea; geomicrobiology of geothermal environments.
Abbie M. Jensen, Ph.D., Wisconsin–Madison. Developmental neurobiology.
D. Joseph Jerry, Ph.D., Penn State. Tumor suppressor genes and the cellular basis for susceptibility to breast cancer.
Igor A. Kaltashov, Ph.D., Moscow. Bioanalytical applications of mass spectrometry.
Rolf O. Karlstrom, Ph.D., Utah. Developmental neurobiology; axon guidance and forebrain patterning.
Young-Cheul Kim, Ph.D., Tennessee. Nutrient regulation of adipocyte differentiation and metabolism in obesity and diabetes; phytochemicals and gene expression.
Michele M. Klingbeil, Ph.D., Toledo. Parasitology; replication and repair of mitochondrial DNA (kinetoplast DNA network) in African trypanosomes.
Michael J. Knapp, Ph.D., Berkeley. Enzymology of biological O2 sensing.
Joseph G. Kunkel, Ph.D., Case Western Reserve. Genetic and biochemical analysis of metamorphosis.
Wei-Lih Lee, Ph.D., Johns Hopkins. Mechanism of dynein-mediated nuclear migration and spindle positioning.
Susan B. Leschine, Ph.D., Pittsburgh. Microbial physiology, ecology, and molecular phylogeny.
John M. Lopes, Ph.D., South Carolina. Regulation of gene expression in yeast.
Jesse Mager, Ph.D., North Carolina. Epigenetic reprogramming during preimplantation development; maternal factors regulating development after fertilization.
Michael J. Maroney, Ph.D., Washington (Seattle). Bioinorganic chemistry of metalloproteins.
Craig T. Martin, Ph.D., Caltech. Enzymology of protein-DNA interactions.
Lynne McLandsborough, Ph.D., Minnesota. Involvement of bacterial surface molecules in attachment to food and food-processing surfaces.
Jerrold S. Meyer, Ph.D., Brown. Endocrine and pharmacological regulation of brain development.
Murugappan Muthukumar, Ph.D., Chicago. Pattern recognition by macromolecules.
John R. Nambu, Ph.D., Stanford. Nervous system development.
Leonard C. Norkin, Ph.D., Columbia. Polyomaviral persistent infections.
Jennifer Normanly, Ph.D., Caltech. Auxin biosynthesis and signal transduction in Arabidopsis thaliana.
Barbara A. Osborne, Ph.D., Stanford. Evolution of immunoglobulin gene families.
Yeonhwa Park, Ph.D., Wisconsin–Madison. Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) research and biologically active compounds from natural or dietary sources.
Om Parkash, Ph.D., Durham (England). Plant molecular genetics.
Sandra L. Petersen, Ph.D., Oregon State. Transsynaptic regulation of LHRH biosynthesis and release by ovarian hormones.
Randall W. Phillis, Ph.D., Indiana. Genetics and biology of transposable elements in Drosophila.
Dominic L. Poccia (Amherst College), Ph.D., Harvard. Structure and activity of male germ line nuclei.
Pablo Pomposiello, Ph.D., Michigan. Global gene regulation response to oxidative damage.
Omar A. Quintero, Ph.D., Duke. Actin-based motors and cytoskeleton.
David I. Ratner (Amherst College), Ph.D., Harvard. Differentiation expression in Dictyostelium.
Stephen M. Rich, Ph.D., California, Irvine. Molecular genetics, genomics, and population biology of animal infectious diseases.
Margaret A. Riley, Ph.D., Harvard. Microbial molecular evolution and ecology.
Jennifer L. Ross, Ph.D., California, Santa Barbara. Biological physics of microtubules.
Vincent M. Rotello, Ph.D., Yale. Synthetic models of biomolecular activity.
Steven J. Sandler, Ph.D., Berkeley. Molecular mechanisms of DNA replication and homologous recombination.
Danny J. Schnell, Ph.D., California, Davis. Protein import into chloroplasts.
Lawrence M. Schwartz, Ph.D., Washington (Seattle). Molecular mechanisms controlling developmentally programmed cell death.
Stylianos P. Scordilis (Smith College), Ph.D., SUNY at Albany. Biochemistry and development of contractile proteins.
Dennis G. Searcy, Ph.D., UCLA. Cellular evolution and physiology.
Rong Shao (Baystate), Ph.D., Philadelphia College of Pharmacy. Molecular mechanisms in breast cancer development.
Kalidas Shetty, Ph.D., Idaho. Role of antioxidant metabolites/enzymes and genes during plant cellular differentiation.
J. Enrique Silva (Baystate), M.D., Chile. Thyroid hormone physiology; thermogenesis; temperature homeostasis.
Sallie W. Smith Schneider, Ph.D., Massachusetts Amherst. Signaling during mammary gland development and carcinogenesis.
Janice C. Telfer, Ph.D., Harvard. Role of RUNX family transcription factors in immune system development.
Karsten Theis, Ph.D., Berlin. DNA repair and molecular motors.
Lynmarie K. Thompson, Ph.D., MIT. Biophysical studies of membrane proteins: mechanisms of receptors and ion channels.
Kimberly D. Tremblay, Ph.D., Pennsylvania. Specification of cell identity during organogenesis; precursor cell populations and transcriptional cell-fate regulation.
Pablo E. Visconti, Ph.D., Buenos Aires. Signal transduction pathways during sperm capacitation.
Patricia Wadsworth, Ph.D., Dartmouth. Dynamics of mitotic and interphase microtubules.
Elsbeth L. Walker, Ph.D., Rockefeller. Plant genetics and epigenetics.
Robert M. Weis, Ph.D., Stanford. Physical chemistry of membranes and mechanisms of signal transduction.
Christine A. White-Ziegler (Smith College), Ph.D., Utah. Environmental regulation of gene expression in Escherichia coli.
Steven A. Williams (Smith College), Ph.D., California, Davis. Genome structure in filarial parasites.
Patrick L. Williamson (Amherst College), Ph.D., Harvard. Plasma membrane organization in eukaryotes.
Craig T. Woodard (Mount Holyoke College), Ph.D., Yale. Steroid hormonal regulation of development in Drosophila.
Christopher L. F. Woodcock, Ph.D., London. Structure-function relationships in the eukaryotic nucleus.
Hen-ming Wu, Ph.D., Yale. Molecular biology of plant development.
Robert A. Zimmermann, Ph.D., MIT. Structure and function of ribosomes.
R. Thomas Zoeller, Ph.D., Oregon State. Molecular mechanisms of signal integration in neuroendocrine systems.

Correspondence and Information

University of Massachusetts
For additional information, students should contact:
Director
MCB Graduate Program
435 Morrill I North
Amherst, Massachusetts 01003
Telephone: 413-545-3246
Fax: 413-545-1812
Email: mcb@mcb.umass.edu

University of Massachusetts
To submit application materials by mail:
Graduate Admissions Office
530 Goodell
Amherst, Massachusetts 01003
Telephone: 413-545-0721

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Enter Username Enter Password: Forgot Username/Password? New User? Register Now!	Jump To: Graduate Search > Institution > College/School > Department/Program My Saved Schools \| Print Program in Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate School University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts Admissions Student Body Financial Aid Programs and Degrees Photos Faculty Contact Info Detailed Information Others also viewed: Boston University, Program in Cell and Molecular Biology Boston University, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry Program (MCBB) Brown University, Program in Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry View full list Detailed Information Program of Study The Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB) Graduate Program at University of Massachusetts Amherst is an interdisciplinary Ph.D. program with areas of concentration in biological chemistry and molecular biophysics, molecular biology, and cell and developmental biology. Participating faculty members are drawn from eight University departments; from Amherst, Smith, and Mount Holyoke Colleges; and from the Baystate Medical Center in Springfield. The biological chemistry and molecular biophysics concentration fuses the cultures of biology and chemistry, bringing the synthetic, mechanistic, and analytical powers of chemistry to bear on new areas of biology. Faculty members in this area are particularly strong in fields such as the mechanisms of signal transduction, protein folding, RNA structure and function, protein–nucleic acid interaction, structural biology, and bioorganic and bioinorganic chemistry. Students in this area are eligible for participation in the Chemistry-Biology Interface Training Program. The molecular biology concentration emphasizes the molecular basis of gene expression and function in viruses, bacteria, fungi, plants, and animals. Interests of participating faculty members include gene organization and regulation, the molecular mechanisms of gene expression, microbial genetics and physiology, functional genomics, molecular genetics of plant development, and the molecular biology of disease, with a focus on the mechanisms of susceptibility and mutation in human disease. The cell and developmental biology concentration focuses on the genetic control of single cells, as well as their assembly during development and disruption during disease. Faculty members in this area study the structure and function of basic cellular processes, such as cell division, protein trafficking, nuclear architecture, early development and reproduction, cell death and degeneration, and neural development. Model systems include Drosophila, zebrafish, Arabidopsis, and mouse. Students in this area have the opportunity to couple basic and biomedical approaches through a collaborative research program with the Baystate Medical Center. All Ph.D. candidates rotate through two research laboratories in the first year and take core courses in biochemistry, molecular biology, and cell biology. A written qualifying exam, the first part of the comprehensive examination, is taken at the end of the first year. An oral defense of an original research proposal, completed before the end of the second year, constitutes the second part of the comprehensive examination. The program hosts a weekly seminar series attended by faculty members and students. After the first year, students participate in informal seminars and journal clubs and take appropriate advanced elective courses. There is also a final oral defense of the written dissertation. Completion of the requirements for the Ph.D. degree takes about five years. Research Facilities Major research capabilities include an imaging facility with confocal and electron microscopy, a DNA sequencing service, and facilities for high-field NMR, mass spectrometry, and X-ray diffraction. A variety of specialized equipment is available in the adjoining Departments of Physics, Computer Science, and Polymer Science and Engineering, as well as in the physical and life science departments at the other four institutions in the Five Colleges, Inc., consortium, which includes Amherst, Mount Holyoke, Hampshire, and Smith Colleges, in addition to the University of Massachusetts. Financial Aid Financial aid is available to all accepted Ph.D. candidates. Students are eligible for teaching and research assistantships that include tuition, curriculum fee, health insurance, dental coverage, and an annual stipend. Once a dissertation lab is selected, students are supported by research assistantships or fellowships. All students are required to serve as teaching assistants, generally during their first year. MCB students with a strong chemistry background are eligible to participate in the NIH-funded Chemistry-Biology Interface Training Program. Cost of Study In 2007–08, resident tuition and mandatory fees at the University of Massachusetts were $110 per credit and $3727.50, respectively. Nonresident tuition and mandatory fees were $414 per credit and $4620.50, respectively. Massachusetts residence requirements are usually met after one year’s residence and employment. All of the tuition and approximately 83 percent of the fees are waived for students supported by teaching and research assistantships. Living and Housing Costs Most students in the MCB program live off campus. Studio and efficiency apartments cost approximately $600 per month, while a two-bedroom apartment costs approximately $800 to $1200 per month. Graduate student housing is also available in Prince House, a graduate dormitory, at $2587 per semester. Student Group Amherst is the main graduate campus of the University of Massachusetts system, with 2,813 graduate students enrolled in fifty doctoral programs. In fall 2007, there were 77 doctoral candidates in the MCB program, of whom 52 percent were women, 48 percent were men, and 51 percent were international students. All received financial support. Most graduates of the program go on to postdoctoral appointments at leading universities and research institutions or to responsible positions in industry, both in the United States and abroad. Student Outcomes Twelve Ph.D. degrees were awarded in 2007. Graduates have gone on to postdoctoral research at institutions such as Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard, MIT, National Cancer Institute, Stanford, and Yale as well as universities in the United Kingdom, Korea, Taiwan, and the Netherlands. Others have chosen to take positions in industry, including Burroughs-Wellcome, Johnson & Johnson, and Eli Lilly. Location Amherst lies in the Connecticut River valley in western Massachusetts. Northampton, noted for its cultural diversity, is nearby, and Boston and New York City are easily reached by car, bus, or train. The Pioneer Valley is well-known for the variety and quality of its music, theater, art, and outdoor recreational activities. The University and The Program The Amherst campus is the flagship campus of the University of Massachusetts system, with numerous award-winning faculty members and a rich array of academic and extracurricular programs. It is ranked by the NRC in the top 50 research-doctoral institutions both for its reputational rating and for the number of citations and awards its programs receive. The Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, inaugurated in 1983 to integrate faculty members, academic activities, and research efforts of a number of well-established departmental programs is among the highly rated group of programs. Applying Applications are due on December 1. A late application is accepted if places remain at the time of its receipt. Applicants should have had one year of physics with lab and mathematics through calculus, or applicants should be prepared to take the requisite courses after entering the program. Prior laboratory or research experience is highly desirable. Prospective students should visit the Web site at http://www.bio.umass.edu/mcb for further information. Applications may be obtained and submitted online at http://www.umass.edu/gradschool. The Faculty and Their Research Dominique R. Alfandari, Ph.D., Paris VI (Curie). ADAM metalloprotease function during embryonic development. Juan Anguita, Ph.D., Leon (Spain). Proinflammatory signals in response to infection. Kathleen F. Arcaro, Ph.D., Rutgers. Environmental toxicants and the disruption of endocrine function. Richard B. Arenas (Baystate), M.D., University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey–Robert Wood Johnson Medical School/Rutgers. APC gene replacement in colorectal cancer. Sarah J. Bacon (Mount Holyoke College), Ph.D., Chicago. Reproductive biology: maternal-fetal histocompatibility. Cynthia L. Baldwin, Ph.D., Cornell. Cellular immunity: intracellular microbes and ?/d T cells. Michael J. Barresi (Smith College), Ph.D., Wesleyan. How glial cells help wire the nervous system in the embryonic zebrafish brain. Tobias I. Baskin, Ph.D., Stanford. Regulation of plant morphogenesis during growth and development. Magdalena Bezanilla, Ph.D., Johns Hopkins. Molecular mechanisms behind plant cell growth. David Bickar (Smith College), Ph.D., Duke. Systems for electron transport and oxygen utilization. Anthony C. Bishop (Amherst College), Ph.D., Princeton. Bioorganic chemistry and chemical biology. Eric L. Bittman, Ph.D., Berkeley. Neural basis of circadian rhythms, reproductive cycles, and seasonal breeding. Samuel J. Black, Ph.D., Edinburgh (Scotland). Molecular basis of innate immunity against parasitic protozoa. Jeffrey L. Blanchard, Ph.D., Georgia. Microbial cellular and community networks; systems biology; bioinformatics. Jeffrey D. Blaustein, Ph.D., Massachusetts. Neuroendocrine regulation of behavior. John P. Burand, Ph.D., Washington State. Molecular biology of insect baculoviruses. Ana L. Caicedo, Ph.D., Washington (St. Louis). Plant molecular evolution and evolutionary genomics. Maura C. Cannon, Ph.D., University College (Ireland). Polyhydroxyalkanoic acids in bacteria and plants; plant embryogenesis. Daniel L. Chase, Ph.D., New Hampshire. Cellular and molecular mechanisms of neurotransmitter signaling. Alice Y. Cheung, Ph.D., Yale. Molecular and biochemical studies on sexual plant reproduction. J. Marshall Clark, Ph.D., Michigan State. Molecular action of pesticides and cellular basis for resistance. Elizabeth A. Connor, Ph.D., Vermont. Development and regeneration of the neuromuscular junction. Susan L. Cumberledge, Ph.D., California, Santa Barbara. Signal transduction in development and tumorigenesis. Geert J. De Vries, Ph.D., Amsterdam. Cellular basis of hormone effects on brain function and behavior. Sean M. Decatur (Mount Holyoke College), Ph.D., Stanford. Biochemistry of nitrosylhemes and vibrational studies of helical peptides. Gerald B. Downes, Ph.D., Washington (St. Louis). Development and function of spinal cord networks. Rachel D. Fink (Mount Holyoke College), Ph.D., Duke. Cell migration and rearrangement at gastrulation. Rafael A. Fissore, Ph.D., Buenos Aires. Mammalian gametogenesis and cell signaling. Neil S. Forbes, Ph.D., Berkeley. Engineering tumor-targeted therapies. Nancy G. Forger, Ph.D., Berkeley. Development of neural sex differences; hormones and neutrophic factors. Scott C. Garman, Ph.D., Harvard. Structural biology of glycoproteins in human disease. Lila M. Gierasch, Ph.D., Harvard. Biophysical approaches to protein folding and localization. Richard A. Goldsby (Amherst College), Ph.D., Berkeley. Idiotype/anti-idiotype network interactions. David J. Gross, Ph.D., Illinois. Signal transduction in individual cells. Adam C. Hall (Smith College), Ph.D., Imperial College (London). Acute effects of volatile anesthetics using electrophysiological techniques. David E. Hansen (Amherst College), Ph.D., Harvard. Antibody catalysis; rational drug design. Jeanne A. Hardy, Ph.D., Berkeley. Design of allosteric pathways in caspases and phosphatases; X-ray crystallography. Daniel N. Hebert, Ph.D., Massachusetts Medical Center. Protein folding, quality control, and degradation of membrane glycoproteins. Alejandro P. Heuck, Ph.D., Buenos Aires. Pore-forming toxins and translocation of virulence factors in bacterial pathogenesis. James F. Holden, Ph.D., Washington. Physiology and ecology of hyperthermophilic archaea; geomicrobiology of geothermal environments. Abbie M. Jensen, Ph.D., Wisconsin–Madison. Developmental neurobiology. D. Joseph Jerry, Ph.D., Penn State. Tumor suppressor genes and the cellular basis for susceptibility to breast cancer. Igor A. Kaltashov, Ph.D., Moscow. Bioanalytical applications of mass spectrometry. Rolf O. Karlstrom, Ph.D., Utah. Developmental neurobiology; axon guidance and forebrain patterning. Young-Cheul Kim, Ph.D., Tennessee. Nutrient regulation of adipocyte differentiation and metabolism in obesity and diabetes; phytochemicals and gene expression. Michele M. Klingbeil, Ph.D., Toledo. Parasitology; replication and repair of mitochondrial DNA (kinetoplast DNA network) in African trypanosomes. Michael J. Knapp, Ph.D., Berkeley. Enzymology of biological O2 sensing. Joseph G. Kunkel, Ph.D., Case Western Reserve. Genetic and biochemical analysis of metamorphosis. Wei-Lih Lee, Ph.D., Johns Hopkins. Mechanism of dynein-mediated nuclear migration and spindle positioning. Susan B. Leschine, Ph.D., Pittsburgh. Microbial physiology, ecology, and molecular phylogeny. John M. Lopes, Ph.D., South Carolina. Regulation of gene expression in yeast. Jesse Mager, Ph.D., North Carolina. Epigenetic reprogramming during preimplantation development; maternal factors regulating development after fertilization. Michael J. Maroney, Ph.D., Washington (Seattle). Bioinorganic chemistry of metalloproteins. Craig T. Martin, Ph.D., Caltech. Enzymology of protein-DNA interactions. Lynne McLandsborough, Ph.D., Minnesota. Involvement of bacterial surface molecules in attachment to food and food-processing surfaces. Jerrold S. Meyer, Ph.D., Brown. Endocrine and pharmacological regulation of brain development. Murugappan Muthukumar, Ph.D., Chicago. Pattern recognition by macromolecules. John R. Nambu, Ph.D., Stanford. Nervous system development. Leonard C. Norkin, Ph.D., Columbia. Polyomaviral persistent infections. Jennifer Normanly, Ph.D., Caltech. Auxin biosynthesis and signal transduction in Arabidopsis thaliana. Barbara A. Osborne, Ph.D., Stanford. Evolution of immunoglobulin gene families. Yeonhwa Park, Ph.D., Wisconsin–Madison. Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) research and biologically active compounds from natural or dietary sources. Om Parkash, Ph.D., Durham (England). Plant molecular genetics. Sandra L. Petersen, Ph.D., Oregon State. Transsynaptic regulation of LHRH biosynthesis and release by ovarian hormones. Randall W. Phillis, Ph.D., Indiana. Genetics and biology of transposable elements in Drosophila. Dominic L. Poccia (Amherst College), Ph.D., Harvard. Structure and activity of male germ line nuclei. Pablo Pomposiello, Ph.D., Michigan. Global gene regulation response to oxidative damage. Omar A. Quintero, Ph.D., Duke. Actin-based motors and cytoskeleton. David I. Ratner (Amherst College), Ph.D., Harvard. Differentiation expression in Dictyostelium. Stephen M. Rich, Ph.D., California, Irvine. Molecular genetics, genomics, and population biology of animal infectious diseases. Margaret A. Riley, Ph.D., Harvard. Microbial molecular evolution and ecology. Jennifer L. Ross, Ph.D., California, Santa Barbara. Biological physics of microtubules. Vincent M. Rotello, Ph.D., Yale. Synthetic models of biomolecular activity. Steven J. Sandler, Ph.D., Berkeley. Molecular mechanisms of DNA replication and homologous recombination. Danny J. Schnell, Ph.D., California, Davis. Protein import into chloroplasts. Lawrence M. Schwartz, Ph.D., Washington (Seattle). Molecular mechanisms controlling developmentally programmed cell death. Stylianos P. Scordilis (Smith College), Ph.D., SUNY at Albany. Biochemistry and development of contractile proteins. Dennis G. Searcy, Ph.D., UCLA. Cellular evolution and physiology. Rong Shao (Baystate), Ph.D., Philadelphia College of Pharmacy. Molecular mechanisms in breast cancer development. Kalidas Shetty, Ph.D., Idaho. Role of antioxidant metabolites/enzymes and genes during plant cellular differentiation. J. Enrique Silva (Baystate), M.D., Chile. Thyroid hormone physiology; thermogenesis; temperature homeostasis. Sallie W. Smith Schneider, Ph.D., Massachusetts Amherst. Signaling during mammary gland development and carcinogenesis. Janice C. Telfer, Ph.D., Harvard. Role of RUNX family transcription factors in immune system development. Karsten Theis, Ph.D., Berlin. DNA repair and molecular motors. Lynmarie K. Thompson, Ph.D., MIT. Biophysical studies of membrane proteins: mechanisms of receptors and ion channels. Kimberly D. Tremblay, Ph.D., Pennsylvania. Specification of cell identity during organogenesis; precursor cell populations and transcriptional cell-fate regulation. Pablo E. Visconti, Ph.D., Buenos Aires. Signal transduction pathways during sperm capacitation. Patricia Wadsworth, Ph.D., Dartmouth. Dynamics of mitotic and interphase microtubules. Elsbeth L. Walker, Ph.D., Rockefeller. Plant genetics and epigenetics. Robert M. Weis, Ph.D., Stanford. Physical chemistry of membranes and mechanisms of signal transduction. Christine A. White-Ziegler (Smith College), Ph.D., Utah. Environmental regulation of gene expression in Escherichia coli. Steven A. Williams (Smith College), Ph.D., California, Davis. Genome structure in filarial parasites. Patrick L. Williamson (Amherst College), Ph.D., Harvard. Plasma membrane organization in eukaryotes. Craig T. Woodard (Mount Holyoke College), Ph.D., Yale. Steroid hormonal regulation of development in Drosophila. Christopher L. F. Woodcock, Ph.D., London. Structure-function relationships in the eukaryotic nucleus. Hen-ming Wu, Ph.D., Yale. Molecular biology of plant development. Robert A. Zimmermann, Ph.D., MIT. Structure and function of ribosomes. R. Thomas Zoeller, Ph.D., Oregon State. Molecular mechanisms of signal integration in neuroendocrine systems. Correspondence and Information University of Massachusetts For additional information, students should contact: Director MCB Graduate Program 435 Morrill I North Amherst, Massachusetts 01003 Telephone: 413-545-3246 Fax: 413-545-1812 Email: mcb@mcb.umass.edu University of Massachusetts To submit application materials by mail: Graduate Admissions Office 530 Goodell Amherst, Massachusetts 01003 Telephone: 413-545-0721
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