Graduate Division of Biomedical Sciences - Albert Einstein College of Medicine - Overview
National Leader in Biomedical Research
The Albert Einstein College of Medicine (Einstein) is one of the nation's premier institutions for medical education, biomedical research, and clinical investigation. Einstein, located in New York City, offers graduate biomedical degrees through its Sue Golding Graduate Division. In 2011 the institution received more than $200 million in federal funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Graduate Studies in the Biomedical Sciences
The Graduate Division of Biomedical Sciences is the research arm of Einstein and administers PhD degrees through an interdisciplinary program.
The Graduate Division at Einstein offers a PhD and MD/PhD (MSTP) program. Einstein's Graduate Division also has one of the nation's first and most prestigious Medical Science Training Programs (MSTP).
The programs in the Graduate Division are collectively known as the Einstein Graduate Programs in the Biomedical Sciences.
Interdisciplinary PhD Curriculum
Einstein's Graduate Division was one of the first biomedical graduate programs in the country to offer an integrated PhD curriculum.
PhD degrees are granted through one of the 11 basic science departments that comprise the Graduate Division. However, students apply directly to the PhD program, not to a specific science department or laboratory.
In the 1st year graduate students do 3 laboratory rotations in any others of the more than 200 labs in the Graduate Division. This allows the graduate student to explore various fields of study before choosing the lab for thesis work. .
PhD Concentration in Clinical Investigation
The PhD and MD/PhD in Clinical Investigation is a new program for students who want to become clinical/translation investigators. The program's curriculum provides the overview, content, and research methods to conduct clinical research.
The fields of study in this program include patient-oriented research, epidemiology and behavioral studies, and health services/health outcomes research.
Consistent NIH-Funded Research
Almost 80 percent of the Einstein campus is devoted to research. The Einstein biomedical research community comprises 250 research groups supported by more than $200 million dollars in NIH research grant support in which students can perform their PhD thesis research.
The MSTP at Einstein has been continuously funded by the NIH since 1964.
Einstein has consistently ranked in the top 10 (out of 123 institutions) in NIH funding obtained per principal investigator.
Shared and Core Research Facilities Drive Innovation
A mix of shared research facilities and core research centers are operated by experienced personnel to provide students with access to a wide array of techniques and services that require expensive instrumentation, specialized facilities, and high degrees of expertise.
Students can rapidly incorporate new technologies and experimental approaches that may not be available in traditional lab settings.
Einstein Centers of Excellence
Focused research and best practice patient care are continuously examined and refined at 6 Einstein Centers of Excellence and 2 Einstein Programs of Distinction.
They include Children's Evaluation and Rehabilitation, the Center for Epigenomics, the Biophotonics Center, the Magnetic Resonance Research Center, the Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, the Cardiovascular Research Institute, Brain Disorders and Neural Regeneration, and Gerontology.
NIH/HHS Designated Centers
Einstein students also can benefit from leading edge research occurring at 11 National Institutes of Health/Health and Human Services (NIH/HHS) designated research centers on campus.
These centers support research programs in cancer, ethnic and racial health disparities, AIDS, diabetes, liver, reproduction and infertility, clinical and translational research, and Hispanic health.
The centers reflect the innovative, multidisciplinary research that has always been a hallmark of Einstein's collaborative approach to biomedical science.
Faculty Research Accomplishments and Notable Alumni
Einstein is home to more than 200 basic science laboratories and an alumni network of more than 1,200 of the nation's foremost, biomedical scientists and physician scientists. They are bringing the program's outstanding research training and spirit of collegial collaboration into the world's leading research centers.
Einstein scientists and physicians have been at the forefront of biomedical innovation. Notable discoveries include identifying a key missing neurotransmitter in the brain of Alzheimer's patients, identifying the mechanism of action of Taxol, gene therapy techniques to treat high cholesterol, discovery of mechanisms in the immune system, and methods to avoid organ transplant rejection.
Student Activities
There are more than 50 student clubs organized around a variety of activities, national educational organizations, religious organizations, and ethnic affiliations. Among them is the Einstein Community Health Outreach (ECHO), the state's first student-coordinated free clinic.
Student Life in the Bronx
The neighborhood surrounding the Albert Einstein College of Medicine is a safe and cozy corner of New York City made up of private homes and convenient shops for walking. Also close to the college are the restaurants and marinas of City Island, an authentic fishing community in the Bronx, as well as the world-renowned Wildlife Conservation Park (better known as the Bronx Zoo) and the New York Botanical Garden. Orchard Beach is minutes away, for a cool dip in the summer, and neighbors Pelham Bay Park, one of the area's premier spots for hiking, swimming, horseback riding, golfing, bicycling, and bird watching. A few miles to the north are the outskirts of Westchester County, rich with its nature preserves, forests and, yes, farms
All students are guaranteed subsidized student housing in the housing complex directly across the street from the college.