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Detailed Information

Programs of Study

As one of the nation’s 125 academic medical universities, SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York, educates students in biomedical research (master’s and Ph.D.), medicine, nursing, and health professions. The Ph.D. program, including research, course work, and successful defense of a dissertation, is intended to be completed in four or five years.

At SUNY Upstate’s College of Graduate Studies, Ph.D. students thrive as they participate in medically relevant research on a campus that is proud of its mentoring and multidisciplinary approach. This begins in the first year as students experience three in-depth laboratory rotations of their choice and an interdisciplinary core curriculum.

After their lab rotations, Ph.D. students select their thesis mentor and ultimate area of study. In addition to a very favorable student-faculty ratio, students have daily or near-daily interaction with their principal investigator. Students also make independent contributions to research projects, and the majority of students publish their work as “first author” during their program. Ph.D. degrees are offered by the Departments of Cell and Developmental Biology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Microbiology and Immunology, Neuroscience and Physiology, and Pharmacology.

Four research pillars account for 75 percent of the campus’ funded activity and emphasize some of the most intriguing areas for biomedical study–cancer; infectious diseases; diabetes, metabolic disorders, and cardiovascular disease; and disorders of the nervous system. As part of a major medical center, the graduate students have an opportunity to pursue basic research with immediate clinical relevance.

Students are trained at the Ph.D. and master’s levels for research and teaching careers in the biotechnology industry, at biomedical research institutes, in government, and at academic medical centers, colleges and universities.

Research Facilities

SUNY Upstate’s growth on the research side is highlighted by a $72 million expansion of its Institute for Human Performance, a high-tech facility housing shared laboratories and core facilities used in basic and clinical research.

SUNY Upstate has world-class facilities for faculty members and students. Main core facilities on campus include the Bioluminescence Imaging Core, Center for Bioresearch Imaging, Center for SCID-hu Mouse Models of Viral Diseases and Cancer, Computer Modeling Resources Facility, DNA Core Facility, Flow Cytometry Core Facility, Proteomics Core Facility, Research Imaging: MRI and MicroCT Facility, and SUNY Microarray Core Facility (SUNYMAC), as well as equipment and instrumentation for biophysical analysis, electron microscopy, systematic genetic analysis, and X-ray crystallography. SUNY Upstate also maintains a coalition with nearby Cornell University, the University of Rochester Medical Center, and Buffalo’s Roswell Park Cancer Institute, which is dedicated to sharing cutting-edge research facilities. There are also full research support services on campus, including laboratory-animal facilities, network access to the SeqWeb suite of software, a computer-age medical library containing more than 183,000 volumes, electronics and machine shops, and photographic and computer services.

Financial Aid

All accepted Ph.D. students are fully supported throughout their education by full tuition waivers and a stipend ($21,514 per year). Support comes from graduate assistantships, departmental assistantships, and NIH and NSF grants.

Cost of Study

Stipends and full tuition waivers are available for all students accepted into the Ph.D. program. (There is no teaching requirement.) Student fees, which include a health service fee, are $552 for the 2008–09 academic year. Tuition and fees for master’s students for the 2008–09 academic year are $7452 for in-state students and $11,472 for out-of-state students.

Living and Housing Costs

On-campus housing is available in Clark Tower, a ten-story apartment building with attractive, fully furnished standard rooms, studio apartments, and two-bedroom suites. Costs ranged from $4127 (double occupancy) to $8618 (married/family accommodations) for 2007–08. Clark Tower also has study rooms, computer rooms, private and shared kitchens, lounges, a recreation room, laundry, and storage. Clark Tower is next door to the Campus Activities Building, which houses athletic facilities, a bookstore, and snack bar.

Many students rent nearby houses or apartments and bicycle or walk to campus. Syracuse has a low cost of living and abundant affordable housing.

Student Group

There are 127 graduate students in the biomedical sciences (58 percent women; 100 percent full-time) and approximately 600 medical students, 200 nursing students, and 200 students in the health professions enrolled at Upstate Medical University. Twenty-five percent of the graduate students come from Canada, Europe, and Asia. Syracuse University and the SUNY College of Environmental Science are located within a quarter mile of the University, resulting in a population of approximately 23,000 students in the immediate area.

Location

Syracuse is New York’s fourth-largest city and is located in the scenic center of the state. A naturally beautiful setting, the area offers excellent hiking, biking, boating, and skiing. Nearby are the Finger Lakes region, the Adirondack and the Catskill Mountains, and Lake Ontario. Syracuse’s cultural activities include a professional theater, symphony orchestra and opera company, noted author lecture series, chamber music groups, and several top-notch music festivals (classical, blues, and jazz) as well as art and history museums. The area also offers many excellent school districts. Syracuse University’s top-level collegiate sporting events are a major recreational activity. Syracuse is easily reached by air, rail, and car.

The University

SUNY Upstate is the only academic medical center in the central New York region and is part of the dynamic “University Hill” community. In addition to the College of Graduate Studies, SUNY Upstate Medical University includes three other colleges–Medicine, Nursing, and Health Professions–its own University Hospital, and a regional campus in Binghamton, New York. The University is growing with new leadership, degree programs, and further plans for expansion. SUNY Upstate Medical University is close to downtown Syracuse and is adjacent to (but not affiliated with) the campus of Syracuse University. SUNY Upstate’s Campus Activities Building houses a swimming pool, sauna, gymnasium, squash courts, handball/paddleball court, weight-lifting area with a Universal Gym and a full Nautilus room, billiards, table tennis, television room, bookstore, snack bar, and lounge. Conference rooms are also available for student use.

Applying

The College of Graduate Studies at SUNY Upstate does not have an application deadline; however, the Admissions Committee begins reviewing applications in December and continues until all positions are filled, which can be as early as early April. The State University of New York requires a $40 application fee. Minimum requirements are a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent and course work that includes biology, mathematics (preferably through calculus), physics, and chemistry (organic and inorganic). GRE General Test scores are required, and scores from the Subject Test in chemistry or biology are recommended. International applicants must provide clear evidence of English proficiency (including speaking) by taking the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

The Faculty and Their Research

• Jeffrey Amack, Ph.D., Assistant Professor. Genetics and cell biology of organ morphogenesis during embryonic development.
• David C. Amberg, Ph.D., Associate Professor. Regulation of actin dynamics and analysis of genomic influences on actin function.
• Charles Antzelevitch, Ph.D. Pharmacology.
• Robert B. Barlow, Ph.D., Adjunct Professor. Neural basis of visual behavior; computational models of neural coding; circadian and metabolic modulation of human visual sensitivity.
• Edward A. Berry, Ph.D., Assistant Professor. Structure and function of membrane protein complexes from energy-transducing biological electron transfer chains.
• Scott D. Blystone, Ph.D., Associate Professor. Actin cytoskeletal dynamics in the leukocyte inflammatory phenotype.
• Blair Calancie, Ph.D., Professor. CNS plasticity after trauma; intraoperative electrophysiology.
• Peter Calvert, Ph.D., Assistant Professor. Molecular mechanisms of protein transport and localization in retinal neurons; mechanisms of retinal degenerative diseases.
• David Cameron, Ph.D., Assistant Professor. Regeneration and development of the retina.
• Gregory Canute, M.D., Associate Professor. Genetics and gene therapy of brain tumors.
• Xin Jie Chen, Ph.D., Associate Professor. Mitochondrial biogenesis and inheritance; aging and aging-related degenerative diseases.
• Gino Cingolani, Ph.D., Assistant Professor. X-ray crystallography of large viral DNA-pumping enzymes and structural cell biology of nucleocytoplasmic transport.
• Richard L. Cross, Ph.D., Professor and Chair. The mechanism of mitochondrial oxidation phosphorylation; biological rotary motors.
• Michael H. Cynamon, M.D., Professor. Anti-tuberculosis activity of pyrazinamide.
• Timothy A. Damron, M.D., Professor. Radioprotectant strategies for protecting the pediatric growth plate.
• Joseph Domachowske, M.D., Adjunct Associate Professor. Pneumovirus pathogenesis.
• Dipak Dube, Ph.D., Professor. Molecular mechanism of cardiac myofibrillogenesis in vertebrates.
• Russell G. Durkovic, Ph.D., Professor. Examination of processes underlying recovery from spinal cord injury in the salamander.
• Timothy Endy, M.D., M.P.H., Associate Professor. Understanding the epidemiology and pathogenesis of viral hemorrhagic and encephalitic arboviruses and host-vector interactions.
• Gerold Feuer, Ph.D., Associate Professor. HTLV pathogenesis and Tax function; humanized SCID mouse models of hematopoiesis; lentivirus vectors; KSHV/HHV-8 infection and pathogenesis; SCID-hu immune responses against HIV envelope.
• Jeffrey C. Freedman, Ph.D., Associate Professor. Membrane physiology in normal and sickle human red blood cells; optical indicators of membrane potential and intracellular calcium; membrane biophysics.
• Eileen A. Friedman, Ph.D., Adjunct Professor. Role of the serine/theonine kinase Mirk/dyrk1B in cancers of the pancreas, ovary, and colon.
• Jerrie Gavalchin, Ph.D., Professor. Regulation of pathogenic antibody production in autoimmune glomerulonephritis; cell-surface receptors for retroviruses.
• Stephen J. Glatt, Ph.D., Assistant Professor. Psychiatric epidemiology and genetics.
• Steven Goodman, Ph.D., Professor and Dean. Proteomic assessment of sickle cell severity.
• Sandra M. Hayes, Ph.D., Assistant Professor. Determining the roles of gamma/delta TCR structure and signaling potential in gamma/delta T-cell development and function.
• Charles J. Hodge, M.D., Professor. Mechanisms of cortical plasticity and cortical reorganization after injury.
• James W. Holsapple, M.D., Associate Professor. Study of visual association cortex.
• George G. Holz, Ph.D., Professor. Molecular pharmacology and physiology of pancreatic beta cells; drug development for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus.
• Huaiyu Hu, Ph.D., Assistant Professor. Molecular studies of brain malformations.
• Ying Huang, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor. Oncogenic signaling in cellular transformation and apoptosis; tumor suppressor genes.
• Charles B. C. Hwang, Ph.D., Professor. DNA replication of herpes viruses.
• Burk Jubelt, M.D., Professor. CNS acute and chronic polio- and entero-virus infections.
• Patricia M. Kane, Ph.D., Professor. Mechanisms and regulation of cellular pH control; V-type ATPases.
• Wendy Kates, Ph.D., Associate Professor. Anatomic and functional imaging investigations of neurodevelopment in individuals with genetic or psychiatric disorders.
• Grant Kelley, M.D., Associate Professor. Elucidating the regulation of PLC-epsilon and its role in glucose signaling and endothelial cell function in diabetes.
• Dilip Kittur, M.D., Professor. Xenotransplantation; endothelial cell dysfunction; use of herbal products in transplant biology.
• Barry Knox, Ph.D., Professor. Visual transduction; gene expression; membrane proteins.
• Mira Krendel, Ph.D., Assistant Professor. Physiological functions of myosin motors and their roles in diabetic kidney disease and cancer.
• Andrzej Krol, Ph.D., Associate Professor. Molecular and dynamic imaging; image registration and fusion; tomographic reconstruction; ultrafast laser-based x-ray source; brain deformation quantification between mutant and normal mouse.
• James Listman, M.D., Assistant Professor. Cytomegalovirus and transplantation.
• Stewart N. Loh, Ph.D., Professor. Mechanism and kinetics of protein folding; structure and function of the p53 tumor suppressor; design of proteins with new or enhanced functions; protein-based molecular switches.
• Michael J. Lyon, Ph.D., Associate Professor. Age-related changes in the laryngeal muscles and vocal folds.
• Kenneth Mann, Ph.D., Professor. Mechanical and biological factors in total joint replacement.
• Paul Massa, Ph.D., Professor. Genetic regulation of glial cell differentiation.
• Russell Matthews, Ph.D., Assistant Professor. Role of glycoproteins in oncogenesis and brain development.
• James S. McCasland, Ph.D., Professor. Cortical plasticity; development of somatotopic representations in cortex.
• Michael M. Meguid, M.D., Adjunct Professor. Neurophysiological regulation of food intake.
• Frank Middleton, Ph.D., Assistant Professor. Molecular basis of cortical–basal ganglia and cortical-cerebellar circuit and dysfunction in neurological and psychiatric disease.
• Michael Miller, Ph.D., Professor and Chair. Factors that regulate the proliferation, migration, and survival/death of neurons in the developing brain; models of fetal alcohol syndrome, autism, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.
• David R. Mitchell, Ph.D., Professor. Regulation of ciliary dynein activity and assembly; role of the central pair complex in ciliary motility regulation.
• Jennifer Moffat, Ph.D., Associate Professor. Varicella zoster pathogenesis.
• M. Golam Mohi, Ph.D., Assistant Professor. Molecular mechanism of leukemia; effect of oncogenic mutations in pathogenesis of leukemia, using mouse model.
• Sandra Mooney, Ph.D., Assistant Professor. Cell death and survival in the developing brain; mechanisms of ethanol toxicity; models of fetal alcohol syndrome and autism.
• Brad Motter, Ph.D., Research Associate Professor. Visual neurophysiology; visual attention; visual search behavior.
• Eric Olson, Ph.D., Assistant Professor. Cellular and molecular mechanisms of cerebral cortex development.
• Andras Perl, M.D., Ph.D., Adjunct Professor. Genes and viruses predisposing to autoimmunity; genetics; apoptosis; endogenous retroviruses; transaldolase.
• Arkadii Pertsov, Ph.D., Professor. Biophysical mechanisms of cardiac arrhythmias; fluorescence imaging.
• Thomas J. Poole, Ph.D., Associate Professor. Vascular development and the alignment of growing nerves and blood vessels in quail and zebrafish embryos.
• Dawn Post, Ph.D., Assistant Professor. Cancer treatment, using oncolytic viruses and gene therapy.
• Michael F. Princiotta, Ph.D., Assistant Professor. Antigen processing and presentation; cytotoxic T-lymphocyte response to viral and bacterial infections.
• Rosemary Rochford, Ph.D., Professor and Chair. Etiology of viral-associated malignancies; gammaherpesvirus pathogenesis.
• Jean M. Sanger, Ph.D., Professor. Analysis of the assembly of the actin/myosin cytoskeleton in muscle and nonmuscle cells.
• Joseph W. Sanger, Ph.D., Professor and Chair. Cellular analysis of the formation of myofibrils, stress fibers, and cleavage furrows in living cells.
• Steven J. Scheinman, M.D., Professor. Molecular genetics of kidney stones.
• Mark E. Schmitt, Ph.D., Associate Professor. Ribonucleoprotein assembly and biogenesis; mitochondrial RNA import; mRNA degradation; cell-cycle control.
• M. Saeed Sheikh, M.D., Ph.D., Professor. Apoptotic signal transduction and cancer biology.
• Edward J. Shillitoe, B.D.S., Ph.D., Professor. Gene therapy for cancer.
• Allen E. Silverstone, Ph.D., Professor. How dioxins and estrogens and estrogenic compounds affect the immune system.
• Vladimir Sirotkin, Ph.D., Assistant Professor. Mechanisms of the actin cytoskeleton assembly and role of myosin-1 during endocytosis in fission yeast.
• Joseph A. Spadaro, Ph.D., Professor. Electromagnetic and mechanical regulation of bone physiology; skeletal growth and bone density.
• Dennis J. Stelzner, Ph.D., Professor. CNS regeneration; spinal cord injury research; neural plasticity.
• Nikolaus M. Szeverenyi, Ph.D., Professor. Magnetic resonance imaging; image analysis.
• Steven M. Taffet, Ph.D., Professor. Regulation of intercellular communication in the heart; gene expression during macrophage activation.
• Daniel Ts’o, Ph.D., Associate Professor. Neuronal mechanisms of visual perception, studied through physiological, anatomical, and functional imaging techniques.
• Christopher E. Turner, Ph.D., Professor. Regulation of cell migration by focal adhesion adapter proteins and their role in cancer cell metastasis.
• Mary Lou Vallano, Ph.D., Professor. Neuronal survival and development.
• Richard D. Veenstra, Ph.D., Professor. Regulation of connexin-specific gap junctions; gap-junction channel biophysics.
• Brent Vogt, Ph.D., Professor. Structure, functions, and pathologies of cingulate cortex.
• Stephan Wilkens, Ph.D., Associate Professor. Structure and mechanism of membrane-bound transport proteins.
• Richard J. H. Wojcikiewicz, Ph.D., Professor. Intracellular signaling via InsP3 receptors and the ubiquitin/proteasome pathway.
• Steven Youngentob, Ph.D., Professor. Olfactory neural plasticity in adults; olfactory signal transduction; in utero ethanol experience and olfactory system plasticity; peripheral and central mechanisms of odorant quality coding.
• Michael Zuber, Ph.D., Assistant Professor. Molecular basis of retinal stem cell formation; regulating retinal stem/progenitor cell proliferation; using retinal stem/progenitor cells to heal the injured or degenerating retina.

Correspondence and Information

State University of New York Upstate Medical University
Office of Graduate Studies
750 East Adams Street
Syracuse, New York 13210
Telephone: 315-464-4538
Fax: 315-464-4544
Email: gradstud@upstate.edu