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Program in Biomedical Sciences


The Rockefeller University, New York, New York



Detailed Information

Programs of Study


Graduate education leading to the Ph.D. is offered to outstanding students regarded as potential leaders in their scientific fields. The University’s research covers a wide range of biomedical and related sciences, including biochemistry, structural biology, biophysics, and chemistry; molecular, cell, and developmental biology; medical sciences and human genetics; immunology and microbiology; neurosciences; and bioinformatics, biophysics, and computational neuroscience, as summarized by the faculty list in this description. Students work closely with a faculty of active scientists and are encouraged to learn through a combination of course work, tutorial guidance, and apprenticeship in research laboratories. Graduate Fellows spend the first two years engaged in a flexible combination of courses geared toward academic qualification while conducting research in laboratories pertaining to their area of scientific interest. They choose a laboratory for thesis research by the end of the first year and devote their remaining time to pursuit of significant experimental or theoretical research, culminating in a dissertation and thesis defense. Students can spend full time in research; there are no teaching or other service obligations.

The faculties of the Rockefeller University, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, the Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences of Cornell University, and Sloan-Kettering Institute collaborate in offering a combined M.D./Ph.D. program in the biomedical sciences to about 90 students. This program, conducted on the adjacent campuses of these three institutions in New York City, normally requires six or seven years of study and leads to an M.D. degree conferred by Cornell University and a Ph.D. degree conferred by either the Rockefeller University or the Weill Graduate School of Cornell University, depending upon the organizational affiliation of the student’s adviser.

Research Facilities


The University and its affiliate Howard Hughes Medical Institute maintain a full range of laboratories and services for the research activities of the professional staff and students. Facilities include clinical and animal research centers on campus, a library, computing services, a field research center in Dutchess County, the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center (ADARC), as well as new centers for human genetics, studies in physics and biology, biochemistry and structural biology, immunology and immune diseases, sensory neuroscience, and Alzheimer’s disease research.

Financial Aid


Each student accepted into the Ph.D. program receives a stipend ($31,600 in 2009–10) that is adequate to meet all living expenses. Students also receive an annual budget of $2500 that can be used for travel, books and journals, computer purchases, and lab supplies.

Cost of Study


Full remission of all tuition and fees is provided by the University for all accepted students.

Living and Housing Costs


On-campus housing is available for all students at subsidized rates. The stipend is designed to cover the cost of food, housing, and other basic living expenses. Students may elect to live off campus, but rents in the vicinity are very high.

Student Group


There are 207 graduate students, of whom 172 are enrolled in the Ph.D. program and 35 in the Ph.D. phase of the combined M.D./Ph.D. program. It is the policy of the Rockefeller University to support equality of educational opportunity. No individual is denied admission to the University or otherwise discriminated against with respect to any program of the University because of creed, color, national or ethnic origin, race, sex, or disability.

Student Outcomes


Graduates of the Rockefeller University have excelled in their professions. Two graduates have been awarded the Nobel Prize, and 25 graduates are members of the National Academy of Sciences. Most Ph.D. graduates move to postdoctoral positions at academic and research centers and subsequently have careers in academics, biotechnology, and the pharmaceutical industry. A few have pursued careers in medicine, law, and business. Almost all M.D./Ph.D. graduates first complete residencies in medical specialties, and most become medical scientists at major academic and medical research centers.

Location


The University is situated between 62nd and 68th streets in Manhattan, overlooking the East River. Despite its central metropolitan location, the 15-acre campus has a distinctive nonurban character, featuring gardens, picnic areas, fountains, and a tennis court. In addition to administrative and residential buildings, there are seven large laboratory buildings and a forty-bed hospital that serves as a clinical research center. Immediate neighbors are the New York Hospital, the Weill Medical College of Cornell University, Memorial Hospital, and the Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research. The wide range of institutions in New York City affords unlimited opportunities in research specialties, library facilities, and cultural resources.

The University


The Rockefeller University is dedicated to benefiting humankind through scientific research and its application. Founded in 1901 by John D. Rockefeller as the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research, it rapidly became a source of major scientific innovation in treating and preventing human disease. Since 1954, the institute has extended its function by offering graduate work at the doctoral level to a select group of qualified students.

Laboratories, rather than departments, are the fundamental units of the University. The absence of departmental barriers between laboratories encourages interdisciplinary, problem-oriented approaches to research and facilitates intellectual interaction and collaboration. The collegial atmosphere fosters independence and initiative in students. In addition to the 207 doctoral students, there are 350 postdoctoral associates and fellows and a faculty of 70 full, associate, and assistant professors on campus who head laboratories.

Applying


Applications for the M.D./Ph.D. program must be completed by October 15; those for the Ph.D. program must be completed by December 7. Applicants are required to submit a personal statement describing research experience and goals as well as reasons for pursuing graduate study at the Rockefeller University. Also required are official transcripts and at least three letters of recommendation. Official GRE General Test scores are required and Subject Test scores are highly recommended for admission to the Ph.D. program. MCAT scores are required for the M.D./Ph.D. program. Further information about each program and details on application procedures may be obtained from the programs’ respective Web sites. This information is also available on the University Web site, from which application forms and instructions can be downloaded.

Laboratory Heads and Their Research


  • C. David Allis, Ph.D. (Histone Modifications and Chromatin Biology). Enzymology and function of covalent histone modifications; histone code and epigenetic regulation.
  • Cori Bargmann, Ph.D. (Neuroscience). Genetic analysis of olfactory behavior and neural development.
  • Günter Blobel, M.D., Ph.D. (Cell Biology). Protein translocation across membranes; macromolecular traffic into and out of the nucleus.
  • Sean Brady, Ph.D. (Genetically Encoded Small Molecules). Structure and function of genetically encoded small molecules.
  • Jan L. Breslow, M.D. (Biochemical Genetics and Metabolism). Identifying the genes that control atherosclerosis susceptibility.
  • Jean-Laurent Casanova, M.D., Ph.D. (Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases). Genetics of human predisposition to pediatric infectious diseases, particularly mycobacterial diseases.
  • Brian T. Chait, D.Phil. (Mass Spectrometry and Gaseous Ion Chemistry). Protein mass spectrometry.
  • Nam-Hai Chua, Ph.D. (Plant Molecular Biology). Gene regulation and signal transduction in plants.
  • Joel Cohen, Ph.D., Dr.P.H. (Populations). Population dynamics; ecology; epidemiology.
  • Barry Coller, M.D. (Clinical Hematology). Biochemistry of platelet disorders; study of heritable coagulopathies.
  • Frederick P. Cross, Ph.D. (Molecular Genetics). Cell-cycle control in budding yeast.
  • George A. M. Cross, Ph.D. (Molecular Parasitology). Regulation of gene and surface glycoprotein expression in trypanosomes.
  • James E. Darnell Jr., M.D. (Molecular Cell Biology). Signal transduction and gene control in mammalian differentiation.
  • Robert B. Darnell, M.D., Ph.D. (Molecular Neuro-Oncology). Neuro-oncology and autoimmunity; molecular neurobiology.
  • Seth Darst, Ph.D. (Molecular Biophysics). Protein crystallography and electron microscopy of macromolecular assemblies.
  • Titia de Lange, Ph.D. (Cell Biology and Genetics). Chromosome function in vertebrates.
  • Mitchell J. Feigenbaum, Ph.D. (Mathematical Physics).
  • Vincent A. Fischetti, Ph.D. (Bacterial Pathogenesis). Pathogenesis of streptococcal diseases and mucosal vaccine development.
  • Jeffrey M. Friedman, M.D., Ph.D. (Molecular Genetics). Genes controlling food intake and body weight; mouse genetics.
  • Winrich Freiwald, Ph.D. (Neural Systems). Neural processes that form object representations, as well as those that allow attention to make those representations available for cognition.
  • Elaine Fuchs, Ph.D. (Mammalian Cell Biology and Development). Molecular mechanisms underlying the coordination of proliferation, transcription, and cell adhesion in tissue morphogenesis and in cancer.
  • Hinonori Funabiki, Ph.D. (Chromosome and Cell Biology). Mechanisms controlling accurate chromosome segregation during the cell division cycle.
  • David C. Gadsby, Ph.D. (Cardiac and Membrane Physiology). Mechanism and function of ion pumps and channels.
  • Charles D. Gilbert, M.D., Ph.D. (Neurobiology). Visual spatial integration and cortical dynamics.
  • Konstantin A. Goulianos, Ph.D. (Experimental High-Energy Physics).
  • Paul Greengard, Ph.D. (Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience). Role of phosphoproteins in signal transduction in the developing and adult nervous system.
  • Howard C. Hang, Ph.D. (Chemical Biology and Microbial Pathogenesis). Chemical tools for studying posttranslational modifications in living cells.
  • Mary E. Hatten, Ph.D. (Developmental Neurobiology). Control of CNS neuronal specification and migration during vertebrate brain development.
  • Nathaniel Heintz, Ph.D. (Molecular Biology). Cell-cycle regulation; molecular neurobiology; mammalian neurogenetics.
  • Ali Hemmati-Brivanlou, Ph.D. (Molecular Embryology). Molecular embryology of vertebrates.
  • David D. Ho, M.D. (Dynamics of HIV/SIV Replication). Kinetics of CD4 lymphocyte turnover; determinants of disease progression; therapy of HIV infection.
  • A. James Hudspeth, M.D., Ph.D. (Sensory Neuroscience). Transduction and synaptic signaling by hair cells of the inner ear.
  • Tarun Kapoor, Ph.D. (Chemistry and Cell Biology). Small-molecule probes of cellular processes.
  • Bruce W. Knight Jr. (Biophysics). Neurophysiology and applied mathematics.
  • M. Magda Konarska, Ph.D. (Molecular Biology and Biochemistry). Splicing of mRNA precursors and replication of hepatitis delta virus.
  • Mary Jeanne Kreek, M.D. (Neuroscience). Neurobiology and molecular genetics of addictive diseases; endogenous opioid system.
  • James G. Krueger, M.D., Ph.D. (Investigative Dermatology). Cutaneous pathobiology.
  • Stanislas Leibler, Ph.D. (Physics and Mathematical Biology). Analysis of biological networks.
  • Albert J. Libchaber, Ph.D. (Experimental Condensed-Matter Physics).
  • Roderick MacKinnon, M.D. (Molecular Neurobiology and Biophysics). Structure and function of ion channels and associated regulatory proteins.
  • Marcelo Magnasco, Ph.D. (Mathematical Physics). Stochastic processes in biology systems.
  • Bruce S. McEwen, Ph.D. (Neuroendocrinology). Hormonal regulation of neural plasticity.
  • Tom W. Muir, Ph.D. (Synthetic Protein Chemistry). Combinatorial protein chemistry.
  • Fernando Nottebohm, Ph.D. (Animal Behavior). Animal communication; mechanisms of learning, memory duration, and brain repair.
  • Michel C. Nussenzweig, M.D., Ph.D. (Molecular Immunology). Molecular basis of B-cell development.
  • Michael O’Donnell, Ph.D. (DNA Replication). Underlying principles of DNA replication in the human and E. coli systems.
  • Jürg Ott, Ph.D. (Statistical Genetics). Developing, implementing, and applying statistical methods of human genetic mapping.
  • F. Nina Papavasiliou, Ph.D. (Molecular Immunology). Molecular mechanisms of lymphocyte diversity.
  • Donald W. Pfaff, Ph.D. (Neurobiology and Behavior). Gene expression in brain; hormone action; brain control of behavior.
  • Jeffrey V. Ravetch, M.D., Ph.D. (Molecular Genetics and Immunology). Genetics of the humoral immune response; genetic variation in malaria parasite.
  • George N. Reeke Jr., Ph.D. (Biological Modeling). Theoretical models of brain functions; protein structure.
  • Charles Rice, Ph.D. (Virology). Molecular genetics of animal RNA viruses (alphaviruses and flaviviruses, in particular hepatitis C virus); replication and pathogenesis.
  • Robert G. Roeder, Ph.D. (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology). Transcriptional regulatory mechanisms in animal cells.
  • Michael P. Rout, Ph.D. (Structural Cell Biology). Nucleocytoplasmic transport; nuclear pore complex structure, function, and assembly.
  • Thomas P. Sakmar, M.D. (Molecular Biology and Biochemistry). Biochemistry and molecular biology of transmembrane signal transduction and visual phototransduction.
  • Shai Shaham, Ph.D. (Cancer Biology). Programmed cell death in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans.
  • Eric Siggia, Ph.D. (Theoretical Condensed-Matter Physics). Statistical physics and dynamical systems to cellular biophysics and bioinformatics.
  • Sanford M. Simon, Ph.D. (Cellular Biophysics). Protein biogenesis, membrane protein assembly, tumorigenesis, and drug resistance.
  • Agata Smogorzewska, M.D., Ph.D. (Genome Maintenance). Elucidating pathways that prevent cancer development by using Fanconi anemia as a backdrop for understanding aging and cancer.
  • C. Erec Stebbins, Ph.D. (Structural Microbiology). Structural studies of bacterial virulence factors and their host cell targets.
  • Ralph M. Steinman, M.D. (Cellular Physiology and Immunology). Antigen presenting cell function for initiating immune responses in health and disease, especially HIV-1 infection.
  • Hermann Steller, Ph.D. Molecular biology of apoptosis and cancer biology.
  • Sidney Strickland, Ph.D. (Neurobiology and Genetics). Genetics of neuronal function and dysfunction; genetics of early development.
  • Alexander Tarakhovsky, M.D., Ph.D. (Immunology). Mechanisms of the dynamic tuning of antigen receptor-mediated signaling in lymphocytes.
  • Sohail Tavazoie, M.D., Ph.D. (Systems Cancer Biology). Using a systems biological approach to identify and characterize key molecular regulators of metastasis.
  • Alexander Tomasz, Ph.D. (Microbiology). Mechanisms of antibiotic resistance and virulence in bacteria.
  • Thomas Tuschl, Ph.D. (Chemistry). Regulation of gene expression by double-stranded RNA in humans.
  • Leslie Vosshall, Ph.D. (Sensory Neuroscience). Molecular genetics of olfaction in Drosophila melanogaster.
  • Michael W. Young, Ph.D. (Genetics). Genes controlling behavior and development in Drosophila; molecular control of circadian rhythms.

Correspondence and Information


The Rockefeller University
For the Ph.D. program:
Office of Graduate Studies
1230 York Avenue
New York, New York 10065
Telephone: 212-327-8086
Email: phd@rockefeller.edu


For the M.D./Ph.D. program:
Tri-Institutional M.D./Ph.D. Program
Weill Cornell/Rockefeller/Sloan-Kettering
1300 York Avenue, Room C-103
New York, New York 10065
Telephone: 212-746-6023
888-U2-MD-PHD (toll-free)
Email: mdphd@mail.med.cornell.edu