The PhD in Biomedical Science at UConn Health Offers a Concentration in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry
Students interested in understanding the molecular mechanisms that underlie human disease will find a home in the Molecular Biology and Biochemistry (MBB) Graduate Program. From cancer to host-pathogen interactions, our students study the proteins and pathways involved with an eye toward improving disease diagnosis, prevention, and treatment.
MBB students are affiliated with the Department of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, which provides a rigorous, yet supportive community of faculty, students and staff to guide them through the PhD degree process.
The primary goal of the MBB Graduate Program is to train students for the broad range of careers available in biomedical science. Whether the graduate pursues a career in academic research, biomedical industry, teaching, government or any of the other careers now available to PhDs in biomedical science, we have attempted to prepare them with a solid base of knowledge, critical thinking skills and the confidence in their abilities to be successful. Graduates are expected to have demonstrated a high degree of competence in research, as judged by publications in first-rank journals. They will have developed essential skills in identifying important research problems, planning appropriate experimental approaches, and effectively communicating their research results and their significance both orally and in written form. The success of our students in these areas is exemplified by the number of first-author publications in quality scientific journals and awards received both internally at UConn Health and from national and international conferences and societies.
Categories of faculty research:
- Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
- Structural Biology and Biophysics
- Computational and Modeling
- Cellular Pathways
- Cancer Biology
Molecular Biology and Biochemistry Offers a Stimulating Environment and Complete Physical Research Facilities
UConn Health offers an excellent education in a stimulating, cutting edge research environment. The Molecular Biology and Biochemistry Program offers complete physical research facilities. There is research equipment, as well as expertise, for all areas of genetic, biochemical, molecular, cellular, and biophysical investigation. The department houses the UConn Health NMR Structural Biology Facility, which includes a 400-MHz NMR spectrometer and cryoprobe-equipped 500- and 600-MHz NMR spectrometers, as well as a circular dichroism spectropolarimeter, isothermal titration calorimeter, and multi-angle laser light scattering facilities. An 800-MHz NMR spectrometer and X-ray crystallography facilities are planned. The department also houses the UConn Health Structural Biology Computational Facility, which includes a bank of Mac and Linux desktop computers connected to ultrafast servers with the latest structural biology software. Facilities are also available for electron and confocal laser scanning microscopy, low-light-level imaging microscopy (in the state-of-the-art Center for Cell Analysis and Modeling), protein purification and sequencing, cell culture, monoclonal antibody production, DNA oligonucleotide and peptide synthesis and sequencing, and gene silencing using RNAI.
Financial Aid at UConn Health
Support for doctoral students engaged in full-time degree programs at UConn Health is provided on a competitive basis. Graduate research assistantships for 2016-17 provide a stipend of $29,000 per year, a waiver of tuition/university fees for the fall and spring semesters and a student health insurance plan.
More information on the admissions process is available.
UConn Health Campus Offers Impressive Facilities and Provides Opportunities for Student Involvement
The 200-acre UConn Health campus at Farmington houses a division of the University of Connecticut Graduate School, as well as the Schools of Medicine and Dental Medicine. The campus also includes the John Dempsey Hospital, associated clinics, and extensive medical research facilities, all in a centralized facility with more than 1 million square feet of floor space. The Academic Research Building, built in 1999, is an impressive eleven-story structure providing 170,000 square feet of laboratory space and renovations are underway in the main Laboratory building, converting existing lab space into state-of-the-art open lab areas. In addition, the Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine opened its 189,000-square-foot facility on the UConn Health campus in fall 2014. There are more than 260 full-time members at UConn Health.
The institution has a strong commitment to graduate study within an environment that promotes social and intellectual interaction among the various educational programs. Graduate students are represented on various administrative committees concerned with curricular affairs, and the Graduate Student Organization (GSO) represents graduate students' needs and concerns to the faculty and administration, in addition to fostering social contact among graduate students at UConn Health.
UConn Health Enjoys a Beautiful Setting and Is Convenient to Numerous Opportunities
Set in the beautiful New England countryside on a hill overlooking the Farmington Valley, it is close to ski areas, hiking trails, and facilities for boating, fishing, and swimming. Connecticut's capital city of Hartford, seven miles east of Farmington, is the center of an urban region of approximately 800,000 people. The beaches of the Long Island Sound are about 50 minutes away to the south, and the beautiful Berkshires are a short drive to the northwest. New York City and Boston can be reached within 2 1/2 hours by car.
Hartford is the home of the acclaimed Hartford Stage Company, TheatreWorks, the Hartford Symphony and Chamber orchestras, two ballet companies, an opera company, the Wadsworth Athenaeum (the oldest public art museum in the nation), the Mark Twain house, the Hartford Civic Center, and many other interesting cultural and recreational facilities. The area is also home to several branches of the University of Connecticut, Trinity College, and the University of Hartford, which includes the Hartt School of Music.
Bradley International Airport (about 30 minutes from campus) serves the Hartford/Springfield area with frequent airline connections to major cities in the U.S. and abroad. Frequent bus and rail service is also available from Hartford.
The Hartford Area Offers a Wide Range of Affordable Housing Options
There is a wide range of affordable housing options in the greater Hartford area within easy commuting distance of the campus, including an extensive complex that is adjacent to UConn Health. Students interested in the program should note that university housing is not available at UConn Health.
