Graduate Programs

The Department of Physiology is dedicated to biomedical graduate education. We train students with diverse backgrounds who are interested in the principles of molecular, cellular, and organ physiology. Physiology faculty are at the forefront of their fields and receive over $19,000,000 in research funding. State-of-the-art facilities, resources, and equipment are available for graduate training and scientific discovery.

The intellectual and collegial environment of the department is ideal for student education. Seminars, journal clubs, lab meetings, chalk talks, and informal departmental gatherings provide students with opportunities to participate in research discussions and to establish the collaborations necessary for interdisciplinary training.

All Physiology graduate students are administered through the office of Biomedical Graduate Studies. Most students belong to one of the following three graduate groups:

Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics

The central focus of the Graduate Group in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics is the relationship between form and function.  The goal of the program is to provide students with a foundation in the physical and quantitative methods necessary to explore the molecular basis of biological events. Physiology faculty mentor students and sponsor courses through this graduate program.

Cell and Molecular Biology

The Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group is a broad-based program, designed to provide superior graduate education in modern cell and molecular biology and thereby to prepare outstanding students for leadership careers in biomedical research. Physiology faculty play a leading role in the organization and development of CAMB graduate courses and sponsor students through the Cell Biology and Physiology program.

Neuroscience

The Neuroscience Graduate Group, which draws faculty from many departments, affords opportunities for in-depth study of neuroscience within a broad range of sub-disciplines: cell and molecular, systems, developmental, behavioral, structural, computational, cognitive, chemical/pharmacological. Physiology faculty teach in the core curriculum courses and serve as supervisors for dissertation research in Cell and Molecular Neuroscience.