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Graduate Biomedical Sciences Programs at

The University of Alabama at Birmingham

Graduate Biomedical Sciences @ UABoverview

UAB Graduate Biomedical Sciences Training Structure:

Multiple interdisciplinary 1st year “feeder/umbrella" programs recruit and admit students

Student affiliates with interdisciplinary feeder program upon accepting program admission offer

Completes program core and elective course requirements in first year

Performs lab rotations with program faculty and identifies advisor in first year

Student then joins PhD program of JHS department in which advisor holds primary or secondary appointment (only JHS departments in SOM are currently credentialed by state to award PhD degrees)

Completes departmental program degree requirements (see dept PhD handbooks)

Receives departmental degree

Graduate Biomedical Sciences @ UAB overview

Graduate Biomedical Sciences @ UAB

Interdisciplinary Feeder Programs: Admissions and 1st year curriculum

Cell and Molecular Biology (CMB) (30*)• Primary JHS departments** – Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics, Cell Biology,

Microbiology, Neurobiology

Integrative Biomedical Sciences (IBS) (20)• Primary JHS departments – Pathology, Pharmacology, Physiology,

Environmental Health Sciences

Neuroscience (7) Interdisciplinary Genetics (5)• Faculty of 17 departments Faculty of 13 departments

Biochemistry/Molecular Genetics (4)• Primary JHS department – BMG 1o & 2o appt

MD/PhD (8) Nutrition Sciences (SOM&SHP) (3)• Faculty of 13 departments Faculty of 5 departments

* Number of students affiliated with program ** Individual faculty members may participate in more than one feeder program



Departmental Programs: Advanced training/PhD granting

Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics(40*)

Cell Biology (81)

Genetics (10)

Microbiology (75)

Neurobiology (38)

Pathology (42)

Pharmacology & Toxicology (35)

Physiology (33)* Approximate number of students affiliated with program or department



Graduate Student Enrollment and Demographics 440 total PhD students

52% male, 48% female

65% US (25 states), 35% international (10 countries)

Average time to degree 5.5 - 6yr, ~4 publications/graduate

Represent 63% of total UAB research trainee workforce

First year class 2006-07 870 applications (41% US, 59% international) 75 entering students (83% US, 17% international; 19% US minority) Mean GRE V+Q, 1222; mean GPA, 3.6

Graduate Faculty ~220 total graduate faculty in biomedical sciences (62% JHS 1o appt, 38%

clinical/other 1o appt) Faculty may participate in more than one graduate program Ranked #18 nationally for NIH funding (School of Medicine)

Graduate Biomedical Sciences @ UAB graduate program structure


First Year Curriculum (via interdisciplinary feeder programs)Core courses Two parallel core curricula sponsored by CMB and IBS programs, each

shared with additional feeder programs

Elective courses Parallel sets of elective course modules, sponsored by individual feeder

programs

Lab rotations and advisor selection Sessions of faculty research presentations sponsored by each feeder

program at beginning 1st year Programs oversee selection of 3 program-specific 10-week lab rotations,

each followed by graded poster sessions Advisor selection from program faculty typically in May of first year

Continuing years (via departmental programs) Department-specific advanced graduate curricula, qualifying exams and

thesis defense overseen by departmental director and committees (see dept PhD handbooks)

* faculty may participate in multiple feeder programs as teaching faculty and rotation advisors



Typical Interdisciplinary Feeder Program Structure

Steering Committee Participating Department Chairs, departmental Graduate Program Directors,

Feeder Program Director Responsible for policies, budget, program faculty selection/review

Curriculum, Recruitment & Admissions Committees Program Graduate Faculty

Must have 1o or 2o appointment in PhD degree-granting JHS department

Must provide • CV with grant support & previous trainees, if any• 1o & 2o department affiliation• Letter from 1o department chair guaranteeing student support if your

funding lapses Must also apply to Graduate School for UAB Graduate Faculty status; see

http://www.uab.edu/graduate/gradfac/index.htm .



Typical Interdisciplinary Feeder Program Structure

Maintaining Program Faculty Status

Reviewed every 3 years and may be placed on inactive status

Renewable based on Continued extramural grant support Active participation in multiple program activities

• Teaching in feeder or advanced departmental courses• Serving on student thesis committees• Judging talks & posters• Interviewing applicants• Hosting rotation students• Mentoring of current graduate student (s)

Publications Continued 1o or 2o appointment in PhD granting department



Graduate Student Funding Costs and Sources

Annual Student Costs, 2006

Stipend $23,000

Tuition/Fees $7,951

Health Ins $1,220

$32,171 + research & travel support

First Year Students

Feeder Program provides support (partially funded by 1st year Graduate Fellowships @ $24,541 allocated by Graduate School; remaining cost paid by 1o department of advisor)

Continuing Students

Support Sources

R01 or other faculty advisor research support (70% tuition returned to funding source)

NRSA (T32) and other training grants (23 grants; 75 predoc, 59 postdoc slots, FY06)

NRSA (F30/F31) and other fellowships (17 awards, FY06)

Diversity Fellowships (UAB CMFSDP, R01 minority supplement awards)

Graduate Biomedical Sciences @ UABgraduate initiatives


Other Training Opportunities

New PhD Training Pathways PhD - MBA Program (“MBA for Scientists”, School of Business) HHMI Med into Grad Fellowships (translational research, 1 of 13 awards nationally;

includes training at Southern Research Institute in drug discovery) http://peir.path.uab.edu/medintograd/cat_index_29.shtml

Summer Research Programs for Undergraduates Feeder program-affiliated (IBS, IGGP programs) Departmental (Physiology, Neurobiology, Pathology) Special Populations (McNair, Bridges) Medical Student Summer Research Program (NIH T35)

UAB Undergraduate Science & Technology Honors Program Students participate in advanced programs & research, receive UAB Graduate School

admission with advanced credit and 2 years’ funding upon program completion

Office of Postdoctoral Education Advertises open postdoc positions, oversees funding levels, benefits, policies, career

development activities, etc

Graduate Biomedical Sciences @ UABgraduate initiatives


Graduate Initiatives & ResourcesSchool of Medicine

Research Strategic Plan 2006: Graduate Education and Clinical Research Training Office of Graduate Biomedical Sciences (GBS), Shelby 120 Interdepartmental interdisciplinary PhD programs under development

(Interdisciplinary Genetics, Neuroscience, Clinical & Translational Science) Training grant & fellowship support service Increased graduate positions commensurate with new faculty recruitment Increased level of institutional stipend support

Graduate School Recently recruited Graduate School Dean (Bryan Noe, PhD) New graduate recruitment funding and marketing initiatives New stipend support New fellowship incentive awards Online Graduate School application and electronic dissertation processes Graduate School-sponsored Professional Development Programs Graduate Student & Postdoc Research Symposia

Graduate Biomedical Sciences @ UABgraduate resources


Graduate and Other Training Resources

School of Medicine Graduate Programs in the Biomedical Sciences http://138.26.45.18/bmg/portal/portal.html Medical Student Summer Research Program http://www.uab.edu/uasom/wcimg/t35application.doc Training Grants & Fellowships http://www.uab.edu/uasom/research/background_fedtraininggrants.htm

Graduate School http://main.uab.edu/show.asp?durki=1183 Graduate School Office 934-8227 Dean, Bryan Noe, PhD, 975-8852 [email protected] Associate Dean, Life Sciences, Susan Rich, PhD, 996-4835, [email protected] Graduate Programs http://main.uab.edu/show.asp?durki=24831 Graduate Faculty Application, 934-0656 http://www.uab.edu/graduate/gradfac/index.htm Minority Fellowship Programs, Wanda Jordan, 935-2495, [email protected]

http://www.uab.edu/graduate/apply/acrobat/minority-schol.pdf

Summer Undergraduate Research Programs http://main.uab.edu/show.asp?durki=30027

Office of Postdoctoral Education 975-7020, http://www.postdocs.uab.edu/

UAB Science & Technology Honors Program 996-5701 http://main.uab.edu/show.asp?durki=81656

Graduate Biomedical Sciences @ UABgraduate resources


Graduate Biomedical Sciences Resources

Entry Programs Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics

http://138.26.45.18/bmg-phd/mainpage-frame.html Cellular and Molecular Biology http://www.cmb.uab.edu/ Interdisciplinary Genetics http://138.26.45.17/education/graduate/IGGP/index.htm Integrative Biomedical Sciences, including Toxicology

http://peir.path.uab.edu/ibiosci/cat_index_29.shtml Neuroscience http://www.neuroscience.uab.edu/ Medical Scientist Training Program (MD/PhD) http://www.uasom.uab.edu/mdphd/

Departmental PhD Programs Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics

http://138.26.45.18/bmg-phd/mainpage-frame.html Cell Biology http://main.uab.edu/show.asp?durki=7785 Interdisciplinary Genetics http://138.26.45.17/education/graduate/IGGP/index.htm Microbiology http://www.microbio.uab.edu/apply.html Neurobiology http://www.neurobiology.uab.edu/Grad-Program/index.htm Pathology http://peir.path.uab.edu/pathgrad/ Pharmacology & Toxicology http://main.uab.edu/show.asp?durki=10278 Cellular & Molecular Physiology http://www.physiology.uab.edu/

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Documents

uab graduate program

total graduate faculty

program faculty status

program core

graduate student enrollment

program admission

departments faculty

graduate student funding