Detailed Information
Program of Study
The Biomedical Research Training Program (BRTP) is a first-year graduate program that offers students the opportunity to explore a variety of research laboratories and academic programs before deciding on a Ph.D.-granting department. Students rotate through any of the more than 130 research laboratories affiliated with the five basic science departments (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Genetics, Cell Biology and Anatomy; Pathology and Microbiology; Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience; and Cellular and Integrative Physiology) and the Cancer Research Graduate Program. This includes nearly all of the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) research laboratories, since most research faculty members in other departments and institutes at UNMC have adjunct appointments in a basic science department.
During the first year, students take a strong, integrated curriculum that forms the foundation for any of the Ph.D.-granting graduate programs. The core curriculum consists of four courses: macromolecular structure and function, molecular cell biology, the cell and gene regulation, and cell signaling. The curriculum, along with research rotations in four laboratories, provides the first-year student with a multidisciplinary foundation that is important for success in modern biomedical research. Before the end of the first year, students select a Ph.D.-granting department and their thesis research mentor.
After the first year, students complete the curriculum of the selected department. Additional course requirements depend upon the interests and goals of the student and are defined on an individual basis by the student’s Supervisory Committee. A comprehensive examination is required for admission to Ph.D. candidacy. After the second year, students spend most of their time performing the Ph.D. thesis research project. The Ph.D. is awarded upon the successful completion of the thesis research dissertation.
Research Facilities
UNMC is located on an 80-acre campus in the center of Omaha, Nebraska. UNMC’s research laboratories are housed in twelve buildings, with more than 1 million square feet of laboratory space. The Durham Research Center, a state-of-the-art, 500,000-square-foot facility of modern research laboratory space, was recently completed. UNMC has twenty research core facilities that provide state-of-the-art research equipment and expertise, such as the Molecular Biology Core Facility (DNA synthesis/sequencing), Protein Structure Core Facility (protein sequencing, peptide analysis, and amino acid analysis), mass spectrometry (chemical identification), Flow Cytometry and Cell Sorting Facility, Confocal Microscopy Facility, Monoclonal Antibody Facility (both monoclonal and polyclonal antibody production), and new facilities for Biacore real-time kinetic analysis, gene knockouts, and DNA microarray technology. In addition, the various departments, institutes, and investigators have a full complement of the current equipment used in modern biological and biomedical research.
Financial Aid
All students are supported throughout their first year ($21,000 for the 2008–09 academic year). Students are supported in subsequent years by a variety of fellowships, assistantships, and grants.
Cost of Study
Tuition is waived for BRTP students.
Living and Housing Costs
UNMC has on-campus housing, and there are a variety of apartment complexes found within walking distance of the campus. Within a short driving distance there are a wide variety of housing options available in a range of prices; the average cost of monthly rent is $350 to $550. The BRTP office is available to assist with housing information.
Student Group
There are more than 3,000 students at UNMC receiving health sciences–related training (such as M.D., pharmacy, nursing, and allied health). As of fall 2006, 217 students were pursuing the Ph.D. in the various research laboratories; more than 50 percent were women.
Student Outcomes
Former students who have received their Ph.D. degrees at UNMC currently hold academic positions at a variety of universities and have positions at a variety of biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies.
Location
The Omaha metropolitan area has approximately 850,000 citizens. Omaha has been rated as one of the top ten U.S. cities for quality of living due to low living expenses and excellent educational, recreational, and cultural opportunities (Omaha Symphony, Opera Omaha, and the College Baseball World Series). Omaha is also known for its variety and quality of restaurants and live music venues.
The Medical Center
The University of Nebraska Medical Center is the health sciences training university for the state of Nebraska. The Medical Center consists of the School of Allied Health and the Colleges of Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, and Pharmacy. The 80-acre UNMC campus is located in the center of Omaha, within a 5-minute drive of downtown Omaha and the historic Old Market (restaurant and entertainment) district.
Applying
Admission to the program requires a bachelor’s degree from an accredited undergraduate institution, with a minimum 3.0 GPA. Students should have successfully completed undergraduate courses in biology, calculus, physics, and chemistry, including organic chemistry. The Graduate Record Examinations, transcripts, and three letters of recommendation are also required. International applicants are encouraged to apply to one of the five basic science departments and to indicate their interest in participating in the BRTP.
Faculty Research
- The Biomedical Research Training Program includes more than 130 UNMC research laboratories. The general research interests of BRTP faculty members include those indicated by the department designations Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Genetics, Cell Biology and Anatomy; Pathology and Microbiology; Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience; and Cellular and Integrative Physiology, as well as the Cancer Research Graduate Program. More specifically, faculty research interests target one or more of the following eight focus areas.
- Cancer Biology: Despite a century of unprecedented progress in the understanding and treatment of human diseases, cancer remains one of the most complex and challenging problems of medical science–complex because its secrets are intricately embedded within the fundamental processes of life; challenging because it demands insight and creativity from the scientists who seek to understand its mysteries. At UNMC, there are thirty-nine research laboratories focused upon cancer research. Many of the faculty members are associated with the Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases. Areas of particular strength include focus groups working on the cancers of prostate, breast, pancreas, and blood.
- Cardiovascular Biology: The research interests of the 21 faculty members in the cardiovascular biology area can be categorized into four general, but overlapping, themes: cardiovascular development, cell transport and signaling, microvascular function, and neurohumoral control. Ongoing studies in each area examine clinically relevant issues at all levels of biological activity, from the molecular and cellular to the coordinated integration of separate organ systems. They include gene expression during cardiac development; viral pathogenesis of the myocardium; regulation of cell receptors, ion channels, and second-messenger systems; control of microcirculatory vessels; pathophysiological alterations in capillary permeability; and the reflex and humoral control of cardiovascular, pulmonary, and renal function.
- Cell Signaling: In the past several years, the area of cell signaling has very rapidly expanded into being a major field in its own right. Recent results indicate that there are a very large number of proteins whose function is to modulate various aspects of cell signaling and thereby regulate cell function. These range from the literally hundreds of cell-surface receptors that mediate cell-to-cell signals to a wide array of second-messenger and to transducer/adapter proteins that convert activated receptors into an intracellular biochemical/electrical signal. Understanding cell signaling is critical to the research activities of the 34 UNMC faculty members and has implications for all of the other focus areas. At UNMC, cell signaling plays a central role in research related to cell proliferations in development and cancer, neuronal cell signaling, cardiovascular cell function, immune cell regulation, and gene regulation. These studies use a wide variety of techniques, from molecular biology and gene knockouts to electrophysiology.
- Developmental Biology: One of the greatest challenges facing biomedical research is to fully understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms of the process of development. The application of the powerful tools of genetics, combined with the techniques of modern cellular and molecular biology, has led to an explosion of interest in the study of development. A major emphasis of the cell and developmental biology area at UNMC is on the genes that control developmental events and interactions between developmentally important genes and their environment. Both transgenic and knockout mouse technologies are routinely used. Physiological systems studied at UNMC include the hematopoietic and immune systems, the skeletal system, the cardiovascular system, and the nervous system.
- Genetics: Molecular genetics at UNMC is strongly represented by 32 faculty members from multiple departments, including several faculty members in the Center for Human Molecular Genetics. Major areas of research interest are the genetics of human disorders and cancer, the genetic control of embryonic development, and gene-environment interactions. Genetic engineering (transgenic and knockout technologies) and functional genomics (DNA microarray) strategies are being used to address gene function and regulation. Positional cloning and linkage studies complement the efforts to understand genetic predisposition and susceptibility for developmental disorders and common diseases.
- Immunology: UNMC researchers (approximately 30) focus on a variety of immunology topics: autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, oncology, hematology, infectious diseases, and immunorelated neurologic dysfunction. Research on the mechanism(s) of stem cell mobilization and immunologic reconstitution following transplantation is a major focus. The use of cytokines for adjuvant activity in vaccines and the use of viruses as vectors for vaccines and cytokines are research interests as well. Researchers are examining neural immunologic interactions in neurodegenerative diseases. Other research interests include T-cell receptor activation, the effects of alcohol on host defense mechanisms, the assembly of tumor-specific antigens, the psychoneural endocrine regulation of the immune system, and acute-phase proteins and their role in inflammatory processes.
- Molecular Biology: Molecular biological approaches are used by the majority of UNMC research faculty members. These techniques allow analysis of protein structure and function; determination of how and which genes are turned on and off during many physiologic, developmental, pathologic, and oncogenic processes; and understanding of the day-to-day workings of living cells. Some laboratories use these approaches to elucidate the molecular mechanisms that control gene expression and cellular responses to external signals and stimuli. State-of-the-art facilities are available for DNA microinjection, DNA microarrays, growth of mouse embryonic stem cells, and the preparation, propagation, and maintenance of transgenic mice.
- Neuroscience: At UNMC, neuroscience researchers (thirty research laboratories) are interested in three major areas of neuroscience: (1) Brain development and stem cells. Several faculty members at UNMC currently use transgenic techniques to uncover fundamental mechanisms of brain development and embryology. (2) How neurons communicate: UNMC investigators use a variety of electrophysiological, imaging, and biochemical techniques to examine how various signaling agents (neurotransmitters, hormones, growth factors) modulate synaptic transmission. (3) How neurodegenerative diseases are protected and damaged by the immune system, the focus of the Center for Neurovirology and Neurodegenerative Diseases.
Correspondence and Information
University of Nebraska Medical Center
BRTP Coordinator
Biomedical Research Training Program
985825 Nebraska Medical Center
Omaha, Nebraska 68198-5825
Telephone:
402-559-3362
800-517-3362 (toll-free)
Fax:
402-559-3363
Email:
brtp@unmc.edu
