BGS Timeline
1984 – A proposal for a “Director of Biomedical Graduate Affairs” was approved by the Provost and the Board of Deans for Biomedical Graduate Education, and a search for the Director was initiated. The Director would have a dual reporting line to the Provost and the Dean of the School of Medicine.
1985 – Dr. Saul Winegrad, Professor of Physiology, was appointed as BGS Director. BGS consisted of 321 faculty members in the four health schools plus SAS, SEAS, and affiliated institutes and hospitals. Approximately 350 students were enrolled throughout 13 graduate groups: Anatomy and Structural Biology, Biochemistry, Biophysics, Comparative Medical Sciences, Genetics, Immunology, Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Neuroscience, Parasitology, Pathology, Pharmacology, and Physiology.
1985 – The graduate groups in Genetics, Molecular Biology, and Microbiology merged into a single integrated group, Molecular Biology.
1987 – The Cell Biology graduate group was formed.
1989 - The Anatomy and Structural Biology graduate group was phased out. Most of its members had joined the relatively new graduate groups in Neuroscience and Cell Biology.
1993 - Fully-funded fellowships for all students accepted to BGS were established, which freed the graduate groups and associated departments from having to provide funding for students in the first two years of training.
1995 – Dr. Glen Gaulton, Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, became the second (non-interim) Director of BGS.
1995 - The graduate groups in Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Physiology, and Pathology agreed to merge into a single, integrated group, Cell and Molecular Biology (CAMB). CAMB consisted of six focused programs: Cell Growth and Cancer, Cellular Physiology, Development, Gene Therapy, Genetics, and Virology and Microbiology.
1995 - The graduate group in Epidemiology and Biostatistics was formed.
1997 – The graduate group in Biochemistry merged with the Structural Biology and Molecular Biophysics graduate group into the graduate group in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics.
1997 – The Ernest E. Just Biomedical Society was created by students to provide academic and social support to students traditionally underrepresented in the biomedical sciences.
1998 – Dr. Michael Selzer, Professor of Neurology, was appointed as the third Director of BGS.
2000 – A BGS core curriculum was created and later adopted by most BGS graduate groups. The first two core-designated courses were BIOM600 (Cell Biology and Biochemistry), and BIOM555 (Control of Gene Expression).
2000 - An annual BGS-wide Bioethics training requirement was implemented for all BGS students. It was later expanded as training in the Responsible Conduct of Research, to include small group sessions and lab-based training. In 2019, a BGS-wide Scientific Rigor and Reproducibility training requirement was added.
2001 – The graduate group in Genomics and Computational Biology was created.
2002 – Dr. Susan Ross, Professor of Microbiology, was appointed as the fourth Director of BGS.
2002 – The Biomedical Graduate Student Association was created by students to advocate for enhancements to biomedical graduate education and organize activities for all BGS students. In subsequent years, several additional student organizations were created by BGS students.
2006 – The Graduate Training in Medical Sciences Certificate Program, an elective program for BGS students interested in medicine and pathobiology, was established and funded by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Subsequent certificate options were established for BGS students in the areas of Public Health (2006), Environmental Health Sciences (2011), and Community-Engaged STEM (2023).
2012 – The Office of Research and Diversity Training was established in the Perelman School of Medicine with the mandate to build upon existing programs for the recruitment and retention of diversity trainees, including pathway programs for undergraduates and post baccalaureates that had been administered within BGS. Since 2021, the office has been led by Dr. Donita Brady, Presidential Associate Professor of Cancer Biology. The office is now called the Office of Research Trainee Affairs and includes the Trainee Advancement Alliance and other resources for trainee support.
2013 – Dr. Michael Nusbaum, Professor of Neuroscience, was appointed as the fifth Director of BGS.
2014 – BGS implemented Individual Development Plans for all students, to improve mentoring and encourage students to explore career options throughout their PhD training years. In subsequent years, expectations for mentors and mentees were laid out, leading in 2023 to the BGS Mentorship Compact, which is signed by mentor and student.
2015 – A Biostatistics core course requirement was added for all BGS students. Shortly after, a Bioinformatics course was offered to BGS students conducting wet lab research; it attracted large numbers of students across BGS and became a core course in 2024.
2015 – A new position of Director for Training Support and Career Development was created in BGS, and Dr. David Manning, Professor of Pharmacology, was appointed as its first Director. Following Dr. Manning’s retirement in 2019, Dr. Stephen DiNardo, Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology, took over the role.
2017 – Dr. Kelly Jordan-Sciutto, Professor in the School of Dental Medicine, was appointed as the sixth Director of BGS.
2021 – The BGS Career Paths Mentorship Program was started by a BGS student, Laura Ohl, with the goal of linking current students with alumni to receive mentoring in preparation for a variety of careers. The program has continued under a succession of student leaders.
2023 – Dr. Kurt Engleka of the Cell and Developmental Biology department was appointed BGS Curriculum Director to oversee curriculum development and provide support for course directors.
2024 – The graduate group in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics was renamed as Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Chemical Biology.
2025 – Dr. Kelly Jordan-Sciutto was appointed Penn’s Vice Provost for Graduate Education. Dr. Daniel Kessler, who served as CAMB chair for 13 years, was named BGS Interim Director while a search for a new permanent director was initiated.