Ph.D in Medical Sciences-Systems Biology/Translational Biology Track

In the postgenomic era, two major trends have revolutionized medical research. First, systems biology has integrated the traditional medical disciplines of anatomy, biochemistry, physiology, pharmacology and pathology with mathematics, engineering and computer technology into a holistic science with the capacity to address complex problems in human biology and medicine. Second, remarkable advances in molecular and cell biology have exponentially increased the ability of medical researchers to move knowledge of gene and protein functions from the bench to the bedside, yielding the exciting new field of translational biology. The Systems/Translational Biology track in the Medical Sciences Graduate Program provides graduate students with the knowledge and tools to investigate human biology and disease at the leading edge of medical research. The track is built on 3 parallel course sequences: 1) human biology, beginning with the molecular basis of cell function, progressing to the structure and function of organ systems, and finishing with disease processes and the therapeutic strategies available to restrain or reverse the abnormality; 2) modern techniques used to probe normal and abnormal function at the molecular, cellular, tissue, organ and whole body levels of organization; and 3) mathematical tools, including statistics and bioinformatics, required to analyze, integrate and interpret data generated by traditional and high through put experimental approaches. This challenging graduate program prepares trainees to investigate a broad range of problems in modern medical research. Students with backgrounds in biological sciences, chemistry, engineering, mathematics, computer science and physics are encouraged to apply.

MD/Ph.D Program

The Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine offers a combined training program leading to both M.D. and Ph.D. degrees. The purpose of this program is to provide research training for highly motivated medical students planning careers in academic medicine. To accomplish this, our program integrates the studies and requirements for both the M.D. and Ph.D. degrees, providing students with many opportunities to relate their study of clinical medicine with basic biomedical science. Such training produces medical scientists with unique insights into human disease processes. Entry into the program is competitive and based on a selective process.