Overview
Wayne State's Partnership with Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute Advances Cancer Research and Education
Students in the Graduate School in Cancer Biology can train with world-renowned faculty at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute of Wayne State University. The academic partnership between the two has significantly expanded the number of cancer research faculty and programs at both institutions. Integrating the Karmanos faculty into the Graduate School facilitates school-wide initiatives in multidisciplinary research and supports their joint mission of excellence in cancer research, education, and clinical care.
Graduate students participate in a clinical rotation at the Karmanos facility where they spend time shadowing the clinical work of oncologists, and receive firsthand views of laboratory research being put to work. The experience of meeting actual cancer patients and their families offers invaluable motivation for students to continue their academic pursuits and carry those experiences throughout their careers.
Doctoral Program Teaches Students Fundamental Principles and Leads to In-Depth Knowledge
The basic scientific challenge at Wayne State's graduate program in cancer biology is to determine the underlying biological basis for malignancy. The clinical challenge of cancer biologists is to apply this basic research to improving the treatment of cancer in humans.
To meet these challenges, the program employs an approach that transcends traditional academic department structures to provide interdisciplinary knowledge and training in multiple areas of study. Graduates gain a broad understanding of the fundamental principles underlying the diverse field of cancer biology, and then develop in-depth knowledge in their chosen specialization.
Primary elements of the program include active participation in research seminars, original research, and training in the research techniques that underpin future advances in cancer biology.
Students Independently Select Research Projects and Academic Mentors
Many research opportunities are provided by the graduate program in cancer biology at Wayne State, including experimental therapeutics, breast cancer, metastasis, cancer immunology, molecular biology of cancer, and carcinogenesis, in addition to selected topics within the standard departments of pharmacology, biochemistry, immunology, and medicine.
Graduate students participate in three laboratory rotations during the first year, and then select a research project and academic mentor to advise them with preparing their dissertation prospectus. Some students enter the program with a specific research area in mind, but others can investigate research projects in detail before committing to one specialization.
Faculty seminars give students the chance to become familiar with ongoing research in the program. With more than 40 faculty members participating in the program, students have the freedom to explore research training across many disciplines before deciding on one area to focus their studies on.
Wayne State University Committed to Mission of Improving the Overall Health of the Community
As the only medical school in Detroit, Wayne State University has strong ties to the community. The school has a stated mission to improve the overall health of the community, and faculty members strive to make major contributions to research in engineering, science and medicine, arts and humanities, and social science.
With the help of a grant from the National Institutes of Health, the school established the Center for Urban and African-American Health to find new ways to correct health disparities by identifying preventions and therapies for chronic diseases that plague African-Americans, such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.
Each year WSU faculty physicians, along with the Detroit Medical Center, provide millions of dollars in uncompensated medical care to area residents who are under-insured or uninsured.
World-Class Medical Setting Impacts Graduate Experience
Students in the graduate program in cancer biology at Wayne State find that their academic pursuits are greatly impacted by the fact that the school is surrounded by Detroit Medical Center hospitals, which are renowned for their world-class programs in oncology, organ transplant, neurosciences, cardiology, stroke treatment, rehabilitation, pediatrics, orthopaedics, and women's services. The university's adjoining medical and cultural complexes are important factors for students pursuing graduate studies at Wayne State; the internal components of faculty, students, laboratories, and support play a major role in the quality of the graduate experience.
Athletics, Culture, and Entertainment Provide Balance for Rigorous Academic Pursuits
The main campus of Wayne State University is recognized for the beauty of its unique architecture and its location in Detroit's University Cultural Center, a neighborhood that includes libraries, museums, and other cultural institutions.
Wayne State's athletic campus includes fields and courts for football, soccer, jogging, basketball, racquetball, tennis, squash, and volleyball, along with a weight training/exercise room and swimming facilities.
The university has 17 men's and women's athletic teams including baseball, basketball, softball, tennis, fencing, and golf. The university competes in NCAA Division I and Division II, and men's and women's fencing and women's hockey competitions are in Division I.
