Genetics and Developmental Biology Graduate Program
Program Description
Program of Study
The Genetics and Developmental Biology program provides
qualified students with fundamental interdisciplinary training
in modern molecular genetics and developmental biology,
emphasizing cellular and molecular aspects as well as tissue
interactions. Areas of research include the mapping and cloning
of human genes responsible for disease, RNA processing
(including RNA editing, alternative splicing, antisense
regulation, and RNA interference), the molecular mechanisms of
aging, signal transduction pathways, microbial pathogenesis,
developmental neurobiology, cell differentiation,
musculoskeletal development, morphogenesis and pattern
formation, reproductive biology and endocrinology. Faculty
members are from several basic science and clinical departments
and study a wide range of organisms including yeast, worms,
fruit flies, mice, and humans. Students are encouraged to obtain
in-depth training in molecular genetics and developmental
biology. The program prepares students to compete for job
opportunities in traditional medical and dental school
departments as well as a productive research career in either
academia or industry.
Major Advisor and the Advisory (Thesis) Committee
Upon entering the Biomedical Sciences program, student's will
be assigned an advisory committee to assist in the selection of
suitable courses and rotation laboratories. At the end of the
first year of study, students will select a major advisor who
will be responsible for both the course work and research
components of the student's doctoral program. The major advisor
will work with the student to formulate an advisory committee.
This committee will be composed of at least two other members of
the Genetics and Developmental Biology graduate program.
Together with the major advisor, the committee will monitor the
student's progress, organize a plan of study (i.e., select
courses to be taken) and serve in a general advisory capacity.
The committee, with the major advisor, will construct and
administer the preliminary (general) examination. After
completion of the preliminary examination, the advisory
committee will serve as a Ph.D. thesis advisory committee. This
committee may be expanded to up to five members. The additional
advisor may be a member of the graduate faculty of either
another program here at the Health Center or another university
who is considered to be an expert in the area of the student's
dissertation research.
Course of Study
With the guidance of the major advisor and the advisory
committee, the student will develop an individualized course of
study. This course of study must be submitted as a formal plan
of study. This plan of study must be submitted and approved by
the Graduate School before the end of the second year of
graduate study. This plan consists of a list and sequence of
courses that the student will need to complete as part of
his/her Ph.D. program. The Ph.D. course work will consist of 44
credit hours beyond the BS degree or 24 hours beyond the MS
degree. Detailed information regarding the plan of study as well
as the numerous ways to fulfill the language requirement are
outlined in the Graduate School Student Handbook. In general the
student will take formal course work during the first two years.
Note that a student is required to register for the Genetics and
Developmental Biology Journal Club every semester with a one
semester exemption for a student writing his/her dissertation. A
generalized plan for the first year is outlined below:
Year 1: Fall Semester
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- MEDS 350 - Biochemistry I, 4 credits
- MEDS 365 - Genetics I, 3 credits
- MEDS 310 - Responsible Conduct in Research, 1 credit
- MEDS 323 - Genetics and Developmental Biology Journal Club, 1 credit
- MEDS 496 - Lab Rotation, 1 credit
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Year 1: Spring Semester
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- MEDS 380 - Cell Biology I, 4 credits
- MEDS 497 - Introduction to Developmental Biology, 2 credits
- MEDS 323 - Genetics and Developmental Biology Journal Club, 1 credit
- MEDS 496 - Lab Rotation, 1 credit
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Note: Lab Rotation (MEDS 496) may also be taken during the
summer prior to the fall semester and/or after the spring
semester. |
During the second year, the student's plan of study should
include course work which can be selected from graduate-level
courses that are offered at the Health Center. To remain
eligible for continued assistantship support, second year
students must complete at least 8 credits of regularly-graded
courses/year. A generalized course of study for the second year
is presented below.
Year 2: Fall Semester
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- MEDS 369 - Advanced Genetics, 3 credits*
- MEDS 322 - Special Topics in Genetics and Developmental Biology,
3 credits*
- MEDS 495 - Independent study, 2 credits
- MEDS 323 - Genetics and Developmental Biology Journal Club, 1
credit
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Year 2: Spring Semester
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- MEDS 376 - Developmental Neurobiology, 3 credits*
- MEDS 322 - Special Topics in Genetics and Developmental Biology,
3 credits*
- MEDS 325 - Practical Applications of Sequence Analysis, 2 credits*
- MEDS 323 - Genetics and Developmental Biology Journal Club, 1
credit
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*Electives may be taken from any of the course offerings. The
following is a list of some of the recommended elective courses:
- MEDS 369 - Advanced Genetics, 3 credits
- MEDS 376 - Developmental Neurobiology, 3 credits
- MEDS 322+ - Special Topics in Genetics and Developmental
Biology, 3 credits
- MEDS 325 - Practical Applications of Sequence Analysis, 2
credits
- MEDS 351 - Biochemistry II, 3 credits
- MEDS 329 - Core Immunology, 2 credits
- MEDS 467 - Biostatistics, 3 credits
+To insure that the Genetics and Developmental Biology
students are exposed to the most up-to-date information, a
series of Special Topics Courses in Genetics and Developmental
Biology (MEDS 322) have been developed. These courses are
offered in the Fall and Spring semesters and meet for 3
hours/week for 7 weeks. Two special topics courses are offered
successively each semester. A list of some of the topics covered
in MEDS 322 recently is below:
- Human Genetics
- Developmental Drosophila Genetics
- Cell and Tissue Interaction
- Fertilization and Early Development
- Signal Transduction in Development
- Hormones in Development
- The Regulation of Gene Expression in the Nervous System
- Genomic Imprinting
The major focus of the third, fourth and if necessary the
fifth year of graduate study will be on the completion of the
thesis.
Laboratory Rotations/Independent
Studies
Students are encouraged to set up their lab rotations as soon
as possible. Students will perform rotations in three different
laboratories during the first year. Ideally, the first rotation
will occur during the first summer. During each rotation, the
student will spend one full time semester, or summer, in a
laboratory learning research procedures. These rotations are
designed to allow the student to get a detailed exposure to the
research interest of different laboratories before selecting a
major advisor under whom the student will do his/her
dissertation research.
Summary of the Course of Study
As outline above, there are three ways to earn the 44 credits
required for a Ph.D.: regular courses, journal clubs and lab
rotations/independent studies. It is suggested that the 44
credit hours be distributed in the following manner. Regular
course work should comprise 21 credit hours with 15 of these
credits taken in the first year. Special topics courses may
account for 9 credit hours and at least 8 credit hours be from
the Genetics and Developmental Biology journal clubs. Additional
credit hours should be taken as lab rotations/independent study.
Fifteen credits must be of Graduate Research, typically GRAD
495.
Preliminary (General) Exam
In general, the student will take most all of the formal
course work during the first two years of study. However, the
students are encouraged to take their preliminary examination
after their third semester of course work. All students are
expected to take the preliminary examination by the end of the
second academic year. Passing this exam is important in that it
formally admits the student to doctoral candidacy. The purpose
of this examination is for the student to demonstrate his/her
readiness to pursue independent research leading to the Ph.D.
degree. The format of the preliminary examination includes both
written and oral components as required by regulations of the
Graduate School. The written component takes the form of a NIH-style
grant proposal based on the subject of the student's thesis
research. To initiate the examination process, the student will
meet with their advisory committee to approve a set of specific
aims that will be the basis for the grant proposal. The student
will be given 4 weeks from the date of this meeting to complete
the written proposal, at which time they will hand it out to no
fewer than five faculty members, including all of the member of
the advisory committee, who will participate in the oral
examination of the student. Typically 1 week after completing
the written component, the student will take an oral examination
administered by the five faculty members who reviewed the
written proposal. The oral examination will mainly focus on the
content of the grant proposal, but the student is expected to be
prepared to answer questions on any aspect of Genetics and
Developmental Biology which flow out of the grant/questions.
This allows the examiners to explore the ability of the
candidate to relate basic science knowledge and principles to
problem solving and scientific thinking. Both the written and
oral exams will be graded on a pass-fail basis. The final
decision on the candidates performance will be made by the
advisory committee, unless the advisory committee have voted to
include the two additional examiners in the decision-making
process. In the event that the advisory committee determines
that the student's performance is unsatisfactory, the committee
shall either recommend dismissal or prescribe the specific
course of action that the student must satisfactorily complete
to remedy the unsatisfactory performance. The amount of time
available for completion must be specified at this time.
Thesis Prospectus
An outline of the student's proposed research project must be
completed within 12 months of passing the preliminary exam. This
prospectus must be filed on specific forms obtained at the
Graduate School Office.
Oral Defense/Final Exam and the Dissertation
The final exam will be an oral exam that will deal mainly
with the subject matter of the student's dissertation. Details
regarding the preparation of a dissertation can be found in the
Graduate School
Student Handbook.
Summary of Major Events
First Year
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- Course work, approximately 20 hours
- Laboratory rotations
- Genetics and Developmental Biology Journal Club
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Second Year
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- Selection of major/thesis advisor
- Additional course work per plan of study; language
requirement satisfied
- Plan of study submitted after 12 credits are completed
- Genetics and Developmental Biology Journal Club
- Preliminary (General) Exam
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Third Year
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- Initiation/continuation of thesis research
- Genetics and Developmental Biology Journal Club
- Preparation of dissertation prospectus
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Fourth and Fifth Year(s)
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- Thesis research completed; thesis written and approved
- Genetics and Developmental Biology Journal Club
- Oral/Final Exam
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