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Program Information

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Detailed Information

Program of Study

The graduate program in cell biology and biophysics at the University of Missouri–Kansas City (UMKC) leads to the Ph.D. degree. The program functions within the interdisciplinary Ph.D. framework of the University and is associated with the M.S. program in cell and molecular biology. The graduate program is designed to prepare students for research-oriented careers in academia, government, or the private sector. An original independent research project under the supervision of a faculty adviser is the core of these programs.

Programs of study provide a background of course work tailored to the interests of each student. Opportunity for research experience begins immediately as a component of the first-year curriculum, with each student being assigned short research projects. By the end of the first academic year, the student is also expected to have acquired a general understanding of the basis of molecular and cellular biology. At that time, the student selects a faculty research adviser and makes further course selections. To qualify for doctoral degree candidacy, students take a written comprehensive examination and prepare and defend an original research proposal. The culmination of the graduate degree programs is the preparation and oral defense of a research dissertation, typically five years after entry into the program.

The areas of research interest of participating faculty members are included in the Faculty and Their Research section. Extensive possibilities for collaboration exist with the School’s program in molecular biology and biochemistry and with regional research associates. Opportunities for postdoctoral research are abundant.

Research Facilities

Research facilities for cell, molecular and structural biology, and biochemistry are primarily located in the Biological Sciences and Chemistry buildings. Modern research is conducted in laboratories assigned to individual faculty members and in specialized central facilities. Sophisticated instrumentation in these facilities includes automated DNA and protein synthesizers and sequencers, mass spectrometers, macromolecular X-ray, low-intensity electron microscope and 600-MHz NMR imaging facilities, molecular graphics equipment, and Fourier-transform infrared and EPR spectrometers. Raman and UV-resonance Raman spectrometers, differential scanning and titration microcalorimeters, analytical ultracentrifuge, HPLCs, amino acid and carbohydrate analyzers, low-intensity fluorescence imaging and confocal microscopes, and a large assortment of scanning spectrophotometers, ELISA readers, gel scanners, centrifuges, and related instrumentation associated with modern biochemical research are available. Students also enjoy the use of Linda Hall Library, one of the country’s premier private science libraries; central animal facilities; and a fully integrated computer network with on-site and off-site access to national and international databases and the Internet.

Financial Aid

All fully admitted U.S. citizen and resident doctoral students receive financial support as teaching or research assistants. Support is provided for up to five years for students who are progressing satisfactorily. For the 2009–10 year, stipends were $22,000. Other forms of financial aid may be available through the Student Financial Aid Office. The metropolitan area offers many career and educational opportunities for spouses and other family members.

Cost of Study

In 2009–10, in-state tuition was about $6000 per year, while out-of-state fees were approximately $14,500 per year. Full-time doctoral students, as a general rule, receive basic tuition support.

Living and Housing Costs

A wide variety of off-campus housing is available in every price range. The overall cost of living in Kansas City is low compared with metropolitan areas in other parts of the country.

Student Group

The cell biology and biophysics graduate program has a very active graduate student organization. UMKC has approximately 10,000 students, of whom about half are graduate and professional students. The School of Biological Sciences currently has about 80 graduate students and 15 postdoctoral fellows as well as more than 200 undergraduate majors. Eight to 12 new doctoral students are admitted each year.

Student Outcomes

The majority of doctoral graduates transfer to nationally known research institutions, typically as postdoctoral associates, or undertake advanced professional training. A short transitional postdoctoral research period within the School is not uncommon.

Location

Kansas City, “The Heart of America,” is the center of a metropolitan area with a population of more than 1 million. The University is adjacent to the elegant Country Club Plaza, the city’s entertainment and shopping center. Major-league sports, historical and art museums, and many musical, theatrical, and cultural events as well as an extensive parks system provide entertainment throughout the year. A relaxed, Midwestern lifestyle is also an advantage of the setting, which, with its many fountains, boulevards, unusually clean air, and more days of sunshine than in most large U.S. cities, provides an enjoyable quality of life.

The University and The School

UMKC is part of the four-campus University of Missouri System, and it is the only comprehensive research university in western Missouri. It has a strong life science mission. The School of Biological Sciences was established in 1985 to develop strong research and graduate programs in the modern life sciences. The School has been cited by the Board of Curators of the University of Missouri System as an area of eminence for its programs in molecular biology and biochemistry and in cell biology and biophysics. Program improvement funds have facilitated the hiring of many research-oriented faculty members and the creation of excellent research facilities. An innovative interdisciplinary doctoral program has also been initiated, creating a stimulating environment that offers outstanding research opportunities to graduate students.

Applying

The deadline for applications from U.S. applicants is July 1, but applications received before March 1 have priority for financial support. The deadline for international applications is February 15. A bachelor’s degree in biology, chemistry, physics, or a related discipline with a minimum 3.0 grade point average is required for full admission. The General Test of the Graduate Record Examinations is also required. The TOEFL is required for international applicants whose native language is not English.

The Faculty and Their Research

• Professors
• Lawrence A. Dreyfus, Ph.D., Kansas. Molecular biology; bacterial toxin structure-function.
• Henry M. Miziorko, Ph.D., Pennsylvania. Study of enzyme catalysis and regulation using chemical, biophysical, and molecular biology approaches; lipid biosynthesis; enzymes in inherited disease.
• Anthony J. Persechini, Ph.D., Carnegie Mellon. Calcium-calmodulin signaling pathways; intracellular interactions.
• G. Sullivan Read, Ph.D., Penn State. RNA turnover control; gene regulation; herpes virus.
• Ann Smith, Ph.D., London. Receptor-mediated endocytosis; protein-receptor interactions; intercellular heme transport.
• Associate Professors
• Karen J. Bame, Ph.D., UCLA. Metabolism of heparan sulfate proteoglycans.
• Leonard L. Dobens Jr., Ph.D., Dartmouth. Pattern formation; cell-cell signaling.
• Michael B. Ferrari, Ph.D., Texas at Austin. Regulation of skeletal muscle development.
• Brian Geisbrecht, Ph.D., Johns Hopkins. Structure and function studies of bacterial virulence factors; X-ray crystallography.
• Edward P. Gogol, Ph.D., Yale. Structure of macromolecular assemblies; cryoelectron microscopy.
• Saul M. Honigberg, Ph.D., Yale. Signal transduction; cell-cycle control and cell differentiation.
• Chi-ming Huang, Ph.D., UCLA. Evolution neurobiology of the cerebellum.
• Stephen J. King, Ph.D., Colorado at Boulder. Protein interactions during intracellular motility.
• John H. Laity, Ph.D., Cornell. Molecular recognition; NMR spectroscopy; protein biophysical chemistry.
• Thomas M. Menees, Ph.D., Yale. Replication of retroviral elements and transposons; yeast molecular genetics.
• Michael O’Connor, Ph.D., Ireland. Structure and function of the bacterial ribosome, ribosomal subunits, and the translational reading frame.
• Lynda S. Plamann, Ph.D., Iowa. Cell-cell communication during fruiting body formation and sporulation in the soil bacterium Myxococcus xanthus.
• Michael D. Plamann, Ph.D., Iowa. Microtubule-associated motors; organelle movement; growth polarity; cytoskeleton.
• Jeffrey L. Price, Ph.D., Johns Hopkins. Drosophila genes involved in chronobiology and circadian rhythms.
• Garth Resch, Ph.D., Missouri–Columbia. Neurophysiology and behavior patterns of alcoholism.
• Jakob H. Waterborg, Ph.D., Nijmegen (Netherlands). Plant histones; chromatin conformation and gene expression.
• Gerald J. Wyckoff, Ph.D., Chicago. Bioinformatics and study of molecular evolution through large-scale comparative genomics in sexual selection.
• Marilyn D. Yoder, Ph.D., California, Riverside. X-ray crystallography; protein structure.
• Xiao-Qiang Yu, Ph.D., Kansas State. Insect molecular biology and biochemistry of immune responses, pattern recognition proteins, and protein-protein–protein-ligand interactions.
• Assistant Professors
• Samuel Bouyain, D.Phil., Oxford. Structure and function of the protein tyrosine phosphatase family of cell surface receptors; X-ray crystallography.
• Julia Chekanova, Ph.D. Moscow State. Relationships between mRNA quality control, processing, and export in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
• Erika Geisbrecht, Ph.D., Johns Hopkins. Myoblast fusion in Drosophila embryogenesis.
• Alexander Idnurm, Ph.D., Melbourne. Molecular pathogenesis of fungal parasites.
• Regional Associates
• Mark Fisher, Ph.D., Illinois. Chaperonin-assisted protein folding and oligomer assembly.

Correspondence and Information

University of Missouri–Kansas City
Graduate Advisor
School of Biological Sciences
Kansas City, Missouri 64110-2499
Telephone: 816-235-2352
Fax: 816-235-5158
Email: sbs-grad@umkc.edu