phd in medical virology

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Virology and Gene Therapy

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Virology and Gene Therapy Track

faculty-to-student ratio

Bench-to-bedside thesis topics spanning basic virology and translational virology

Guaranteed 5-year internal fellowship.

includes full tuition, stipend and benefits

As outbreaks of potentially deadly diseases like influenza, Ebola or West Nile Virus continue to make headlines, so does the need to study the pathogens that cause them. Virologists play a key role in biological science, working to dissect and understand the nature of viruses and translate that knowledge into clinical practice. Discoveries over the past few decades show great promise in areas such as vaccine development, gene therapy and immunotherapy.

The Virology and Gene Therapy Track within the Ph.D. Program at Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Science offers a highly productive, interactive research environment for you to develop as an independent investigator. As a student, you’ll learn from and work alongside faculty members who have primary interests in virology, viral vectors and gene therapy. These areas overlap with the fields of biochemistry, cell and molecular biology, genetics, and immunology.

Current areas of research include:

• Molecular biology of viruses
• Mechanisms of virus-host interactions
• Gene therapy
• Oncolytic virotherapy
• Cancer immunotherapy
• Vaccine development
• Tissue engineering using viruses
• Genetic engineering using viruses

Students receive a comprehensive education in the biomedical sciences through a set of core courses. Specialized tutorials and journal clubs provide advanced training in the broad areas of molecular virology, host-cell interactions, tumor immunology, gene therapy of metabolic diseases, cancer gene therapy and vector development.

Students are introduced to the laboratories participating in the program. You have the opportunity to visit these laboratories and select three in which you spend eight weeks participating in a research project. You'll select your thesis lab in the spring.

In conjunction with the laboratory rotations, you begin fulfilling the core curriculum requirements as well as the virology and gene therapy requirements. Most students complete the core courses by the end of their first year, in addition to taking the written qualifying exam.

As a second-year student, most of your time is spent in the lab developing preliminary data toward your thesis project. By December of the second year, you draft your thesis proposal and take the oral qualifying examination on your proposal.

Second-year students also take advanced tutorials in virology and gene therapy as well as related areas.

The third and subsequent years are devoted primarily to pursuing thesis research with some additional courses.

Together with a thesis adviser, you select faculty members to participate in your thesis advisory committee. Thesis committee meetings assess the trajectory and evaluate the progress of your thesis research project on a regular basis. Upon completion, you write a thesis and present your findings in seminar form. This is followed by a thesis defense.

The Virology and Gene Therapy Track is a one-of-a-kind program that spans basic research in viral vectors to downstream analysis of clinical trial samples. This track prepares you to gain a solid understanding of virology as well as preclinical and clinical product development. Students in this track have a unique opportunity to see firsthand how academia interfaces with clinical, biotechnical and industrial interests to bring the next therapeutics from concept to patient bedside.

Justin Maroun M.D.-Ph.D. student, Virology and Gene Therapy Track

Mayo Clinic offered me the unique opportunity to study the biology of viruses and how to genetically alter them to become gene therapy vectors for my graduate studies. Mayo is probably is the only institution in the country that offers a graduate program this specialized.

Jeffrey Rubin Ph.D. student, Virology and Gene Therapy Track

I chose the Virology and Gene Therapy Track based on my interest in molecular virology and infectious disease. Our faculty not only has expertise in molecular virology, but we have experts in the field of oncolytic virotherapy and gene therapy as well. We also have access to patient samples, collaborations across the institution, and phenomenal core facilities.

Crystal Mendoza Ph.D. student, Virology and Gene Therapy Track

I was a tech at Mayo before transitioning to graduate school. I witnessed firsthand the value of having research buildings located alongside clinic buildings. Collaboration exists not only across departments but also within the clinic. We have clinicians attend our lab meetings, and I have clinicians on my thesis committee to help guide my research into actual treatments.

Christopher Driscoll Ph.D. student, Virology and Gene Therapy Track

Recent thesis topics

• “Use of Glucokinase Gene Delivery to Enhance Beta-Cell Proliferation and Function,” Brian Lu, Ph.D. (Mentor: Yasuhiro Ikeda, Ph.D.)
• “Sensing of HIV-1 by the Innate Immune System,” Swati Kumar, Ph.D. (Mentor: David Dingli, M.D., Ph.D.)
• “The Innate Immune System is a Major Determinant for Successful Oncolytic Measles Virotherapy," Cheyne B. Kurokawa, Ph.D. (Mentor: Evanthia Galanis, M.D.)
• "The Dual Role of Perforin in the Balance Between Protection and Pathology During CNS Viral Infection and Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB) Disruption," Robin C. Willenbring, Ph.D. (Mentor: Aaron Johnson, Ph.D.)
• “B-type Natriuretic Peptide: Biology and Therapeutic Applications," Sara J Holditch, Ph.D. (Mentor: Yasuhiro Ikeda, Ph.D.)
• “Evaluation of Viral Gene Expression and E3 Immunomodulatory Functions of Adenovirus Serotype 26 to Inform Vector Design for Cancer Therapy," Mallory A. M. Turner, Ph.D. (Mentor: Michael Barry, Ph.D.)
• "Characterizing and Advancing Oncolytic Measles Virus Therapy Against Lymphoma," Tanner S. Miest, M.D., Ph.D. (Mentor: Roberto Cattaneo, Ph.D.)
• "Engineering and Development of Single Cycle Adenovirus Vectors as Mucosal Vaccination Platforms," Catherine M. Crosby, Ph.D. (Mentor: Michael Barry, Ph.D.)

Your future

Many graduates of the Virology and Gene Therapy Track choose to pursue postdoctoral training regardless of whether they intend to pursue careers in academia or industry. Other students choose to enter advanced training programs like clinical microbiology and biochemical genetics programs.

After graduating from the program, you could also choose to pursue a career in education, scientific writing and editing, or become a scientific grant program officer. Several students from our laboratories have become tenured faculty and leaders in industry and in foundations.

Meet the director

Welcome to the Virology and Gene Therapy track at Mayo Clinic — a leading medical institution where you’ll receive training from some of the world’s brightest, most-distinguished scientists and physicians.

Our program works with other research and clinical programs at Mayo to facilitate rapid bench-to-bedside translation as well as easy access to clinical samples.

Our mission is to provide high-quality education you won’t find anywhere else.

Michael Barry, Ph.D. Virology and Gene Therapy Track Director Professor of Medicine Phone: 507-266-9090 Email: [email protected] See research interests

Browse a list of Virology and Gene Therapy Track faculty members

Virology and Gene Therapy track: Student research profiles

These are a few of our featured student research profiles in the Virology and Gene Therapy track. Students share their research journeys and future plans. See all student research in Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.

Shao-Chia Lu: Advancing the use of viruses to treat cancer

One of my research projects focused on developing an oncolytic virus that's engineered to stimulate a durable anti-tumor immune response by enabling the body to mount its own response to the cancer cells.

Claudia Manriquez Roman: Advancing understanding of CAR-T cell therapy for cancer

My research focused on the development and optimization of a cellular treatment for cancer and autoimmune diseases, specifically the immunotherapy known as CAR-T cell therapy. 

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Virology is an area of study within the Division of Medical Sciences, an administrative unit based at Harvard Medical School that coordinates biomedical PhD activities at the Longwood Medical Area. Students who study in Virology receive a PhD in medical sciences. Prospective students apply through Harvard Griffin GSAS; in the online application, select “Division of Medical Sciences” as your program choice and select "Virology" in the area of study menu.

Virology is one of the programs in the Harvard Integrated Life Sciences that facilitates collaboration and cross-disciplinary research. Visit HILS for additional  application instructions .

This program is one of the few virology graduate programs in the country, and its small size provides the benefits of a smaller program, offering nearly a one-to-one ratio of students to faculty.

You will take advantage of a well-developed curriculum that focuses on analyzing, reading, and discussing papers to generate, present, and discuss research proposals. Most importantly, you will learn how to think as a scientist. You will have the opportunity to participate in state-of-the-art research involving molecular biology, cell biology of viruses, structural analysis, cryo-EM, and genomic analysis of cells and viruses.

Examples of student projects include structure and mechanism actions of antiviral antibodies including SARS-CoV2, cellular genes that promote and inhibit viral infection, and mechanisms of viral oncogenesis.

Graduates have gone on to faculty positions at prestigious institutions such as MIT, Brandeis University, Duke University, and Yale University. Others have begun careers at leading companies like Moderna, Gilead, Pfizer, and Sanofi Pasteur.

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Graduate Program

Virology Ph.D. degree will give students the opportunity to participate in state-of-the-art research involving molecular biology, cell biology of viruses, structural analysis, cryo-EM, and genomic analysis of cells and viruses.

Immunology, Microbiology and Virology PhD Program

The application for fall 2024 is now open.

The Immunology, Microbiology, and Virology (IMV) Program is designed for students interested in obtaining a Ph.D. in Microbiology & Immunology. 

We offer in-depth coursework and diverse research opportunities that focus on immunology, microbiology and virology.

The flexibility of our training program allows students to train in a number of exciting  research areas  including: cancer, autoimmune disease, respiratory pathogens and often allows students to develop highly effective interdisciplinary collaborations, resulting in cutting edge thesis projects.

Housed in the  Department of Microbiology and Immunology , the Immunology, Microbiology, and Virology PhD Program (IMV) houses a diverse group of faculty with expertise in bacteriology, virology, fungi, and immunology. Students interested in pursuing a doctoral degree in these disciplines should  apply  to the program.

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What Sets Us Apart

Learn more about the core courses, electives, and lab rotations that will be part of the IMV curriculum.

We support and guide trainees in several areas of research. Browse the current research our faculty and trainees are doing by research area.

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Our students most commonly reference the personal relationships and valuable mentoring they receive as one of the top reasons why they recommend URMC.

Discover Microbiology & Immunology at URMC

Latest News

October 16, 2024 Future COVID Boosters Could Be Nasal: URMC Researchers Lead Study on Next-Gen Vaccines

October 3, 2024 Antibodies in mom’s breast milk are protecting babies

September 11, 2024 Research: How the Immune System Fails as Cancer Arises

Upcoming Events

MBI Seminar Series: Defective Virus Genomes: Unraveling Their Roles in Viral Evolution and Therapeutic Potential

John Yin, PhD Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor, Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering

  Mon, Oct 28 @ 12:00 PM   MC | Upper Auditorium (3-7619)

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What Our Students and Alumni Say...

"The mentorship and the exceptional research experiences I had in the IMV program prepared me for my academic career. The program really does a great job of addressing many of the skills you will need to be successful once you complete your training. Aspects of the program that have been invaluable to my career were: the opportunity to present my work to an audience regularly, the exceptional classes (that I still rely on to teach my own coursework!), the responsibility of developing and completing a research project of the highest caliber and the support of the faculty in providing expert insight into my work and its potential. As a student I was held at a very high standard. I would not have been able to set up my own lab (at Rollins), make the right decisions regarding my research and the management of my lab if it weren’t for my training at UR."

Brendaliz Santiago-Narvaez, PhD

Dr. Santiago-Narvaez is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. She teaches courses for the Biology and Biochemistry/ Molecular Biology Majors and also has her own independent research lab.

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Degree Programs

The Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases focuses on the biological, immunological, epidemiological, and ecological aspects of viral, bacterial, and protozoan diseases of animals and humans and the vectors that transmit some of these infectious agents. Research in the department emphasizes basic pathogenic mechanisms that may lead to better diagnostic tools, the development of vaccines and other interventions for prevention and control of infection and disease, and the identification of new targets for antiviral and antiparasitic drugs. Research in the department is described extensively on our “About the department” page and individual faculty pages.

The department provides a unique multidisciplinary training environment for PhD students. Students dive deeply into a specific aspect of immunology and infectious disease in their own thesis research while gaining broad exposure through interactions with our close community in the department and across the School. In a typical week, a student whose research focuses on the genetics of TB drug resistance might also attend a departmental work-in-progress talk from a student working on immune responses to HIV and a departmental seminar from an outside leader reporting progress on a TB control program from a specific country. Many students also have the opportunity to travel within the US and globally as part of collaborative research projects.

PhD students in our department join through PhD programs in the “Harvard Integrated Life Sciences” (HILS) consortium. We’ve included the most common programs below. You can see a full list of HILS programs here .

Ph.D. Programs

Ph.d. program in biological sciences in public health.

For more information about the PhD program visit the Division of Biological Sciences

PhD Program in Biological and Biomedical Sciences

For more information about the PhD program visit the The Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS) Program

Ph.D. Program in Immunology

Immunology and molecular biology of parasitic and other infections This area of interest introduces students to recent advances in the biology of parasitic and infectious diseases and provides background for conducting research on these diseases. The program emphasizes molecular biology, immunology, cell biology, and the epidemiology of parasites.

Infectious disease epidemiology and tropical public health This area of interest provides a solid understanding of epidemiology, ecology, and control of infectious diseases in developing countries. It emphasizes control and prevention measures and the biological basis of diseases caused by pathogens that range from viruses to parasites.

For more information about the PhD program visit the Ph.D. Program in Immunology

Ph.D. Program in Virology

For more information about the PhD program visit the Ph.D. Program in Virology

Vector Biology, Ecology, and Control

This area of interest focuses on the manner in which blood-feeding arthropods interact with their various vertebrate hosts and with the human pathogens that they transmit. These interests combine biological experimentation, epidemiological analysis, and population studies.

Students become familiar with the various arthropods that are associated with human disease and learn the ways environmental change may result in ill health. Students conduct studies on mechanisms of transmission of vectorborne pathogens, both in the laboratory and in the field, and devise novel intervention strategies.

MD-PhD programs

Our PhD students are also eligible to join supplemental concentrations that provide close communities with additional opportunities for scientific training, career and professional development, mentorship, and friendships. We’ve included a few popular programs below. You can see a full list here .

• Harvard Graduate Program in Bacteriology
• Harvard Infectious Diseases Consortium
• Harvard Therapeutics Graduate Program
• Leder Human Biology and Translational Medicine Program
• HSPH Interdisciplinary Concentrations (e.g. Infectious Disease Epidemiology)
• University-wide Secondary Fields (e.g. Science, Technology, and Society)

We encourage applicants from all backgrounds and identities. To learn more about application resources, fee waivers, affinity groups, and other supports for Harvard PhD students, please visit this page .

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Cell and Molecular Biology: Microbiology, Virology, and Parasitology, PhD

Related programs.

• Cell and Molecular Biology: Cancer Biology, PhD
• Cell and Molecular Biology: Cell Biology, Physiology, and Metabolism, PhD
• Cell and Molecular Biology: Developmental, Stem Cell, and Regenerative Biology, PhD
• Cell and Molecular Biology: Gene Therapy and Vaccines, PhD
• Cell and Molecular Biology: Genetics and Epigenetics, PhD

Cell and Molecular Biology

The Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group (CAMB) is an interdisciplinary graduate program, providing rigorous training in modern cell and molecular biology, preparing students for leadership careers in biomedical research. Within this integrated program are six discipline areas:  Cancer Biology ;  Cell Biology, Physiology, and Metabolism ;  Developmental, Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology ;  Gene Therapy and Vaccines ;  Genetics and Epigenetics ; and  Microbiology, Virology and Parasitology . Program faculty include more than 300 scientists representing 35 departments from the Perelman School of Medicine, the Schools of Arts and Sciences, Dental Medicine, and Veterinary Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, the Wistar Institute and Fox Chase Cancer Center. The research efforts of these scientists are diverse in their focus, experimental system, methodology, and represent the leading edge of basic and translational biomedical science.

Students from colleges and universities around the nation and the world are enrolled in the program, selecting one discipline area based on their scientific interests, yet have access to the full breadth of curricular and research opportunities provided by this large and diverse program. Our students participate in core courses in cell and molecular biology, specialized coursework in one or more discipline areas, and original hypothesis-driven thesis research. Upon completion of the PhD, they pursue successful research careers at top academic institutions, in the biotech and pharmaceutical industries, and in other biomedicine-related career paths.

For more information:  http://www.med.upenn.edu/camb/

Microbiology, Virology, and Parasitology

The Program in Microbiology, Virology, and Parasitology provides students an opportunity to undertake concentrated study in the molecular and cellular biology of viral and bacterial pathogenesis and parasitology. Program faculty conduct research in a broad range of disciplines, including Bacteriology, Emerging Infectious Diseases, Immune Response, Microbial Genomics and Evolution, Parasitology, Tumor Virology, Virology, and Host Microbiome. Viruses, parasites, prions, and bacteria are a major cause of human morbidity and mortality. Disease resulting from HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis are becoming more prevalent. The threat of emerging infectious diseases, such as Zika and West Nile viruses, and bioterrorism also calls for increased research in the area of microbiology. Students study human pathogens, as well as their interplay with host resident microbial populations, learning much about normal cell biology, molecular biology, and immunology, as well as developing strategies for the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases.

For more information: https://www.med.upenn.edu/camb/mvp.shtml

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Microbiology and Molecular Genetics Program at Emory University

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About the Program

Emory University's Graduate Program in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics trains students to use microorganisms as models for investigating fundamental problems in genetics.

  This interdisciplinary program offers training in a variety of areas, from microbiology and molecular biology to cell biology and genetics. The curriculum emphasizes the application of modern approaches to fundamental problems in microbial genetics and molecular biology.

Throughout this program, students will have the chance to engage in rigorous training in state-of-the-art laboratory procedures and participate in courses on bacterial genetics and physiology, microbial development, molecular biology of viruses and bacterial pathogens—as well as mechanisms of pathogenesis against bacteria and viral diseases.

The program is intended for students interested in medicine and will prepare them for careers working with pharmaceutical companies or other medical-related organizations.

Bacteriology

Offers research opportunities that  provides a multidisciplinary environment for studies in bacteriology with a central focus on molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis and antibiotic resistance. Specific areas of research include  bioinformatic approaches to bacterial virulence,  regulation of gene expression, mechanisms of intracellular survival, and much more.

Offers research opportunities that explore the  various areas of virology, with particular strengths in research on HIV, influenza, and the large DNA viruses. Covers a broad range of basic research topics such as virus entry, replication and assembly, aspects of virus-host relationships such as mechanisms of pathogenesis and immune responses of the host, and more translational areas of focus involving drug design and vaccine development.

Parasitology

Offers research opportunities that  focus on malaria host-pathogen interactions, with the aim of better understanding how malaria infection takes hold and causes disease. Research topics include mechanisms of parasite invasion and residence in host cells, antigenic variation, immune mechanisms of parasite control, immunopathogenesis of malaria infection and the impact of co-infections on malaria.

MMG graduates are highly sought after by employers in various industries, including pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology firms, and government agencies. They work as researchers, laboratory managers, and technical specialists in the industry and pursue independent research careers at universities or medical schools.

Life at Emory & Atlanta

Life at Emory University is one of the most exciting and intellectually stimulating experiences you could ask for.

A diverse, inclusive community welcomes students and faculty from all over the world. You'll find plenty of opportunities to get involved in campus life—and many resources available that will help you thrive as an Emory student.

The university has consistently ranked among the top 20 institutions nationally for NIH research support and was named one of the "New Ivies" by Newsweek—a tribute to both its academic excellence, as well as dedication to teaching.

Our faculty members are some of the most distinguished scholars in their fields and work closely with undergraduate students on research projects, independent study courses, or senior thesis projects.

Located just 6 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta, Emory's 704-acre campus is in a beautifully wooded area that offers students a peaceful environment to study but also provides easy access to Atlanta's bustling cultural scene.

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PhD Programs

Biomedical informatics, neuroscience (pin), biological & biomedical sciences, speech & hearing bioscience & technology, immunology  .

The AIM PhD track prepares the next generation of leaders at the intersection of artificial intelligence and medicine. The program’s mission is to train exceptional computational students, harnessing large-scale biomedical data and cutting-edge AI methods, to create new technologies and clinically impactful research that transform medicine around the world, increasing both the quality and equity of health outcomes.

The BIG PhD track trains the next generation of leaders in the field of bioinformatics and genomics. Our mission is to provide BIG graduate students with the tools to conduct original research and the ability to develop novel approaches and new technologies to address fundamental biological questions, many of which will facilitate translation solutions to challenging problems in biomedicine and health. (68 Students | 78 Faculty)

The BBS graduate research training is interdisciplinary, with a concentration in one or more of the following areas: biochemistry and proteomics, cell and molecular biology, computational biology, developmental biology, genetics and genomics, human biology and disease, microbial biology and pathogenesis, molecular neurosciences, physiology, pharmacology, regenerative biology and structural biology. The methods and experimental approaches used to address questions within these areas range from the techniques of molecular biology, protein chemistry, cell biology and biophysics to those of molecular and developmental genetics.

Our goal is to educate scientists in investigative and academic medicine, preparing them to contribute to immunological research with a full awareness of the potential impact of immunology. Our program combines an education in basic biology, a sophisticated training in immunology, and exposure to the immunological and non-immunological problems of disease. (70 Students | 142 Faculty)

Researchers at Harvard University are working on all these biomedical problems. They conduct basic research defining new molecular structures of viruses and virus-encoded enzymes, new mechanisms within cells for molecular and organelle trafficking and function, and new mechanisms that control cell growth. Harvard researchers are among the world leaders in the design and testing of AIDS, genital herpes, and smallpox vaccines. The Harvard Program in Virology provides extraordinary opportunities to conduct graduate study for the Ph.D. degree in these exciting areas of biomedical science. (61 Students | 49 Faculty)

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PhD/MPhil Medical Virology / Overview

Year of entry: 2025

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We require applicants to hold, or be about to obtain, an Upper Second class Honours degree, or the equivalent qualification gained outside the UK, in a related subject area for entry to a PhD programme. A Lower Second class Honours degree may be considered if applicants also hold a Master's degree with a Merit classification.

Full entry requirements

Apply online

Before applying you must:

• Choose a programme or find a project you want to apply for and check you’re eligible.
• Speak to the listed supervisor about your suitability for their project or programme.
• Understand how your project is funded and, if it is self-funded, consider how you plan on funding it.
• Read our ‘How to apply’ page to find out more and ensure you include all required supporting documents at the time of submission.

Visit our Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health Postgraduate Research page to find out more.

Programme options

Programme overview.

• Undertake research in a field you’re passionate about and join a project addressing leading challenges in the area while working with some of Europe's leading researchers and academics.
• Choose to research at a university ranked and 6th in the UK (QS World University Rankings, 2025) and 2nd in the world for social and environmental impact (THE Impact Rankings, 2024), where 93% of research activity is ‘world leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ (Research Impact Framework, 2021)
• Access some of the best research facilities in the world at the University, through our industry partners, and at hospitals around Greater Manchester.
• Benefit from dedicated support throughout your PhD journey, from pre-application to graduation and everything in between, through our Doctoral Academy
• Undergo training in transferable skills critical to developing early-stage researchers and professionals through the Doctoral Academy's training programme and progress into a career in research, academia or industry.

Visit our Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health Postgraduate Research page to find out about upcoming open days and events.

For entry in the academic year beginning September 2025, the tuition fees are as follows:

• PhD (full-time) UK students (per annum): Standard £TBC, Low £11,500, Medium £17,500, High £23,500 International, including EU, students (per annum): Standard £27,000, Low £29,500, Medium £35,000, High £41,500
• PhD (part-time) UK students (per annum): Standard £TBC, Low £5,750, Medium £8,625, High £11,750 International, including EU, students (per annum): Standard £13,500, Low £14,750, Medium £17,500, High £20,755

Further information for EU students can be found on our dedicated EU page.

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About the PhD in Molecular Microbiology and Immunology Program

Through a departmental core curriculum as well as research area-specific courses, laboratory rotations, qualifying examinations, mentored research, and professional development, all MMI PhD students are prepared to engage in cutting edge research and scholarship that advances knowledge. MMI PhD students hone their scholarship, research and professional skills. Course and laboratory work can address problems in microbial pathogenesis, immunology, disease transmission, and diseases related to malaria, mosquito and arboviral biology.

Students can choose to complete the traditional MMI PhD program or the MMI PhD program concentration in Rigorous, Reproducible, and Responsible Research Investigation in Immunology & Microbiology (R 3 IM). The concentration in Rigorous, Reproducible, and Responsible Research Investigation in Immunology & Microbiology (R 3 IM) conveys a broad background in immunology and infectious diseases research, with a special emphasis on critical thinking, logic, ethics, and written and oral skills to help graduates become communicators of complex scientific concepts and agents of change in their workplaces and communities.

What Can You Do With a Graduate Degree In Molecular Microbiology And Immunology?

Visit the  Graduate Employment Outcomes Dashboard to learn about Bloomberg School graduates' employment status, sector, and salaries.

Sample Careers

• Postdoctoral Fellow, Research Associate
• Science Communicator or Writer
• Scientist (academia, industry)
• Specialist in Science Regulatory Affairs
• Faculty, Professor
• Science Advocate (nonprofit agencies)
• Public Health Service (NIH, CDC, FDA)
• Science Policy Fellow

Curriculum for the PhD in Molecular Microbiology and Immunology

Browse an overview of the requirements for this PhD program in the JHU  Academic Catalogue  and explore all course offerings in the Bloomberg School  Course Directory .

Current students can view the MMI student handbook on the MMI portal site.

Topic Areas

MMI faculty are recognized experts in a wide variety of infectious diseases research areas, allowing our PhD students to study the biology of disease based on their research interests and career goals. Our PhD students gain a comprehensive understanding of infectious diseases that provides a foundation to launch careers that directly tackle critical public health challenges.  

Topic Areas include: 

• Bacterial pathogenesis
• Cell biology 
• Fungal pathogenesis 
• Malaria 
• Medical entomology/Disease ecology
• Parasite pathogenesis 
• Rigor, Reproducibility, and Responsibility in Scientific Practice
• Tick-borne diseases
• Vaccine development 
• Vector biology
• Viral pathogenesis

Admissions Requirements

For general admissions requirements, please visit the How to Apply page.

Standardized Test Scores

Standardized test scores (GRE) are  optional  for this program. The admissions committee will make no assumptions if a standardized test score is omitted from an application, but will require evidence of quantitative/analytical ability through other application components such as academic transcripts and/or supplemental questions.  Applications will be reviewed holistically based on all application components.

Vivien Thomas PhD Scholars

The  Vivien Thomas Scholars Initiative (VTSI)  is an endowed fellowship program at Johns Hopkins for PhD students in STEM fields. It provides full tuition, stipend, and benefits while also providing targeted mentoring, networking, community, and professional development opportunities. Students who have attended a historically Black college and university (HBCU) or other minority serving institution (MSI) for undergraduate study are eligible to apply. To be considered for the VTSI, you will need to submit a SOPHAS application, VTSI supplementary materials, and all supporting documents (letters, transcripts, and test scores) by December 1, 2024. VTSI applicants are eligible for an  application fee waiver , but the fee waiver must be requested by November 15, 2024 and prior to submission of the SOPHAS application.

Per the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the JHU PhD Union, the minimum guaranteed 2025-2026 academic year stipend is $50,000 for all PhD students with a 4% increase the following year. Tuition, fees, and medical benefits are provided, including health insurance premiums for PhD student’s children and spouses of international students, depending on visa type. The minimum stipend and tuition coverage is guaranteed for at least the first four years of a BSPH PhD program; specific amounts and the number of years supported, as well as work expectations related to that stipend will vary across departments and funding source. Please refer to the  CBA to review specific benefits, compensation, and other terms

Need-Based Relocation Grants Students who  are admitted to PhD programs at JHU starting in Fall 2023 or beyond can apply to receive a need-based grant to offset the costs of relocating to be able to attend JHU.   These grants provide funding to a portion of incoming students who, without this money, may otherwise not be able to afford to relocate to JHU for their PhD program. This is not a merit-based grant. Applications will be evaluated solely based on financial need.  View more information about the need-based relocation grants for PhD students .

Questions about the program? We're happy to help. Ashley Choi  Senior Academic Coordinator Alex Kim  Senior Academic Program Coordinator  [email protected]

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PhD students in our department join through PhD programs in the “Harvard Integrated Life Sciences” (HILS) consortium. We’ve included the most common programs below. You can see a full list of HILS programs here .

Our phd students are also eligible to join secondary concentrations that provide close communities with additional opportunities for scientific training, career and professional development, mentorship, and friendships. we’ve included a few popular programs below. you can see a full list here ., we encourage applicants from all backgrounds and identities. to learn more about application resources, fee waivers, affinity groups, and other supports for harvard phd students, please visit this page ..

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National Academy of Medicine Elects 100 New Members

Oct 21, 2024 | News

The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) today announced the election of 90 regular members and 10 international members during its annual meeting. Election to the Academy is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service.

“This class of new members represents the most exceptional researchers and leaders in health and medicine, who have made significant breakthroughs, led the response to major public health challenges, and advanced health equity,” said NAM President Victor J. Dzau. “Their expertise will be necessary to supporting NAM’s work to address the pressing health and scientific challenges we face today. It is my privilege to welcome these esteemed individuals to the National Academy of Medicine.”

New members are elected by current members through a process that recognizes individuals who have made major contributions to the advancement of the medical sciences, health care, and public health. A diversity of talent among NAM’s membership is assured by its Articles of Organization, which stipulate that at least one-quarter of the membership is selected from fields outside the health professions — for example, from such fields as law, engineering, social sciences, and the humanities. The newly elected members bring NAM’s total membership to more than 2,400, which includes nearly 200 international members.

Established originally as the Institute of Medicine in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Medicine addresses critical issues in health, science, medicine, and related policy and inspires positive actions across sectors. NAM works alongside the National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Engineering to provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation and conduct other activities to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine also encourage education and research, recognize outstanding contributions to knowledge, and increase public understanding of STEMM. With their election, NAM members make a commitment to volunteer their service in National Academies activities.

Newly elected regular members of the National Academy of Medicine and their election citations are:

Toyin Ajayi, MD, MPhil, chief executive officer, Cityblock Health, Brooklyn, N.Y. For being an internationally renowned pioneer in primary care focused on improving outcomes for low-income and marginalized populations with complex health/social needs. She is CEO and co-founder of Cityblock Health, a mature and leading national model for primary care transformation and care integration for underserved populations.

Zoltan Pierre Arany, MD, PhD, Samuel Bellet Professor of Cardiology, department of medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. For elucidating the causes of peripartum cardiomyopathy, a leading cause of maternal death after pregnancy, and for his world leadership in quantitative metabolic studies to address mechanisms of cardiovascular diseases, including heart failure and insulin resistance.

Paola Arlotta, PhD, Golub Family Professor, department of stem cell and regenerative biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. For pioneering work on the development and application of powerful stem cell-based models of the human brain, brain organoids, and for her foundational contributions to understanding processes of human brain formation and human neurological disease.

Carlos L. Arteaga, MD, professor and associate dean, oncology programs, and director, Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas. For discovering the role of TGFbeta in breast cancer progression, and of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) and PI3K mutations and FGFR1 amplification in drug resistance in breast cancer, laying the foundation for innovative neoadjuvant trials and approval of PI3K inhibitors. He was the first Hispanic American president of the American Association for Cancer Research.

Tracy L. Bale, PhD, Anschutz Foundation Endowed Chair in Women’s Integrated Mental and Physical Health; professor, department of psychiatry; director, InterGenerational Stress and Health and of department of psychiatry sex differences research, University of Colorado, Aurora. For groundbreaking identification of novel biological mechanisms by which stress across the lifespan increases neuropsychiatric disease risk, pioneering work translating cellular processes into biomarkers in human disease, including the biological effects at the germ cell level involved in offspring neurodevelopment, and for her transformative engagement and inclusion of vulnerable populations.

Jonathan F. Bean, MD, MPH, professor, department of physical medicine and rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School; and director, New England Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston. For transformative work in applying multidisciplinary, precision medicine principles to rehabilitation that has reconceptualized health care systems and practice for geriatric/veteran populations to embrace personalized, data-driven approaches to healthy aging to achieve unprecedented caregiver support and reductions in falls, enabling them to maintain independence, productivity, and well-being in their communities.

Nina Bhardwaj, MD, PhD, Waldman Chair in Cancer Research; professor of medicine (Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology) and urology; director of immunotherapy and medical director, Vaccine and Cell Therapy Laboratory, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City. For pioneering the discovery and function of human dendritic cell subsets, identifying cross-presenting pathways of antigen presentation impacting cancer and viral immunity, and establishing their potent adjuvant activity in humans, pivotal discoveries which underlie the first approval of a cell-based vaccine in cancer.

Maria Elena Bottazzi, PhD, professor, departments of pediatrics and of molecular virology and microbiology; and senior associate dean and division chief, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston. For work as a tropical and emerging disease microbiologist, vaccinologist, global health advocate, and co-creator of a patent-free, open source COVID-19 vaccine technology. She pioneers and leads the advancement of a robust infectious disease vaccine portfolio tackling diseases that affect disproportionally the world’s poorest populations.

Kathryn H. Bowles, PhD, RN, FAAN, FACMI, professor and van Ameringen Chair in Nursing Excellence, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing; and vice president and director, Center for Home Care Policy and Research, VNS Health, Philadelphia. For work in accelerating the implementation of a learning health system via rigorous evidence in transitional care and advances in health information technologies. Bowles and her team have developed and commercialized a decision support tool for discharge planning to identify patients in need of post-acute care services. Her work with sepsis survivors resulted in a new ICD-10 code for sepsis aftercare.

Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, MPP, administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. For her long career of service in health policy, during which she helped to draft and implement the Affordable Care Act while working in Congress and the Obama administration. She is the first Black woman to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Robert D. Bullard, PhD, distinguished professor and director, urban planning and environmental policy, Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice, Texas Southern University, Houston. For extraordinary vision, groundbreaking research, and sustained leadership to identify and end injustices affecting vulnerable people and places disproportionately harmed by pollution and climate change. Known as “the father of environmental justice,” he has long led the charge to dismantle systems and structures that create and maintain inequality.

Jason A. Burdick, PhD, Bowman Endowed Professor, BioFrontiers Institute and the department of chemical and biological engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder. For innovative biomaterials and biofabrication techniques for application in in vitro models of biological and disease processes, as well as therapies for the repair and regeneration of injured musculoskeletal and cardiovascular tissues.

Jennifer D. Carlson, PhD, professor, Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics, and founding director, Center for the Study of Guns in Society, Arizona State University, Tempe. For leadership in fostering understanding of how guns shape American lives, including those who survive gun violence, police who enforce the country’s complex gun laws, gun retailers on the front lines of gun purchasing, and the people who own and carry guns.

Bob S. Carter, MD, PhD, William and Elizabeth Sweet Professor of Neurosurgery, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston. For contributions to neurosurgery, neuro-oncology, central nervous system gene-/cell-based therapies, including the creation of CAR T cells against human glioblastoma (hGBM), discovery of extracellular vesicles in hGBM, and “first in man” use of induced pluripotent stem cell derived dopaminergic neurons for Parkinson’s disease.

Stephen Jacob Chanock, MD, director, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, Md. For being an international leader in cancer genetics, identifying susceptibility alleles in more than a dozen cancers. He has awards for first describing clonal mosaicism and its relationship to cancer and aging. He has created and fostered international consortia on BRCA genetics and COVID-19.

Christopher G. Chute, MD, DrPH, Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Health Informatics, Schools of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore. For long-standing leadership and innovation in representation of clinical and phenotyping data in computable form that has significantly influenced the structure and content of electronic health records and their reuse in translational research as real-world data, building on his basic work in biomedical ontology, clinical classification, and fair interoperability standards.

Janine Austin Clayton, MD, FARVO, director, Office of Research on Women’s Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md. For advancing policy, program, and practice innovations to improve the health of all women by catalyzing integration of sex/gender factors across the biomedical research continuum to galvanize discovery and equity. She is the architect of NIH’s high-impact 2016 Sex as a Biological Variable policy, a landmark upgrade for research.

I. Glenn Cohen, JD, deputy dean and James A. Attwood and Leslie Williams Professor of Law, Harvard Law School, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. For scholarship on bioethics and health law in the U.S. and globally, including pioneering work on AI/big data and health, abortion, reproductive rights and technologies, therapeutic use of psychedelics, and LGBTQ rights. He is unequaled in organizing major scholarly collaborations, and is a leading bioethical voice in the media.

Lisa M. Coussens, PhD, FAACR, FAIO, professor and chair, department of cell, developmental, and cancer biology, and deputy director for basic and translational research, Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland. For paradigm-shifting mechanistic studies on inflammation and cancer that identified B cell and myeloid cell significance in fostering solid tumor progression and hindering therapeutic responses. Coussens subsequently conducted proof-of-concept clinical studies, successfully demonstrating that targeting B cell or myeloid-based molecular pathways yield systemic and tumor immune reprogramming that fosters anti-tumor immunity.

Lindsey A. Criswell, MD, MPH, DSc, director, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md. For defining genetic and epigenetic contributions to development of autoimmune rheumatic disorders and their relationship to specific serologic and clinical phenotypes and to genetic ancestry of patients. Her work has transformed understanding of the pathogenesis of lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjögren’s disease, and related diseases.

Chinazo Opia Cunningham, MD, MS, commissioner, New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports, New York City. For being a national and international leader in the conceptualization of addiction, the development of evidence-driven programmatic innovations in treatment, and the rigorous evaluation of program effectiveness. As commissioner of New York State’s Office of Addiction Services and Supports, she leads one of the largest addiction treatment systems in the U.S.

Leemore Dafny, PhD, Bruce V. Rauner Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School; and professor of public policy, Harvard Kennedy School, Boston. For path-breaking work in illuminating where health care markets succeed and fail, including powerful insights regarding market consolidation, strategic decisions of market participants, and policy solutions to market failures. Her research on competition in health care appears in leading journals, and she has testified and provided advice to government agencies and congressional committees at the highest levels.

Teresa A. Davis, PhD, professor, department of pediatrics, Children’s Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston. For international expertise on the nutritional regulation of growth, having identified fundamental mechanisms by which nutrients regulate muscle protein synthesis and growth, with direct implications for improving lean growth and health of infants. She is a global leader on protein and amino acid requirements.

David Dranove, PhD, Walter McNerney Distinguished Professor of Health Industry Management, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill. For foundational insights on how health care markets work and how they affect patients generally, vulnerable populations, health care delivery, costs, and health outcomes. His work has changed scholarly and public understanding of health care markets and shaped policies toward hospitals, health insurance, physician practices, and pharmaceuticals.

Patricia C. Dykes, PhD, MA, RN, research program director, Center for Patient Safety, Research, and Practice, Brigham and Women’s Hospital; and professor of medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston. For being an internationally recognized nurse scientist and biomedical informatician who has developed, integrated into practice, and broadly disseminated innovative, cost-effective health information technology tools that engage patients and families in fall prevention, markedly reducing patient falls — the leading cause of injury-related death for those 65 and older.

Peter Joseph Embí, MD, MS, FACP, FACMI, FIAHSI, professor of biomedical informatics and medicine and chair, department of biomedical informatics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tenn. For being a pioneering physician-scientist whose career bridges health care, research, public health, and biomedical informatics. His thought leadership and research led to the field of clinical research informatics, real-world evidence generation, the safe and effective use of AI in health care, and data-driven learning health systems that improve health and care.

Alicia Fernandez, MD, professor of medicine, University of California, San Francisco. For seminal health services research elucidating the impact of language and literacy barriers on patient outcomes and experience of care that highlights the challenges facing millions with limited English proficiency, and for effectively championing workforce diversity and health equity through high-impact research and program development.

Erol Fikrig, M.D., Waldemar Von Zedtwitz Professor of Medicine and professor of microbial pathogenesis and epidemiology; and section chief, infectious disease, department of internal medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn. For mechanistic studies that led to an FDA-approved outer surface protein A-based human Lyme disease vaccine. He elucidated how arthropod-transmitted pathogens use vector proteins to infect mammals. These efforts led to an experimental vaccine to induce host resistance to tick bites, and therefore prevent Lyme disease — a new strategy for combatting infections.

Silvia C. Formenti, MD, FAACR, FACR, FASTRO, professor of radiation oncology and medicine and chair, department of radiation oncology, Weil Cornell Medicine; and radiation oncologist-in-chief, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York City. For introducing a paradigm shift in our understanding of focal radiotherapy by demonstrating that it can convert the tumor into an “in situ,” individualized vaccine, conferring systemic immunity. Her work has opened a new field in radiation biology.

Monika Kumari Goyal, MD, MSCE, professor of pediatrics and emergency medicine, George Washington University; and endowed chair for Women in Science and Health and co-director, Center for Translational Research, Children’s National Hospital, Washington, D.C. For being a national leader in research in pediatric firearm injury prevention. Her research has shed a spotlight on the burden of firearm violence on child health. She is also a leading pediatric equity scientist, developing interventions that have led to mitigation of health care disparities.

Marcia Carmen Haigis, PhD, professor, department of cell biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston. For leadership and pioneering studies in cellular metabolism, elucidating how metabolites contribute to normal physiology, aging, cancer, and anti-tumor immune control. Her discoveries informed how diet and age alter metabolite interactions, leading to disease.

Scott David Halpern, MD, PhD, MBioethics, John M. Eisenberg Professor in Medicine, professor of medical ethics and health policy and of epidemiology, and director, Palliative and Advanced Illness Research Center, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia. For making seminal contributions to improving care near the end of life by combining conceptual and empirical work. Through trenchant ethical analyses and leadership of the field’s largest clinical trials, he has challenged old paradigms of serious illness decision-making and demonstrated how low-cost, scalable interventions can improve care quality and outcomes.

Joseph Heitman, MD, PhD, James B. Duke Professor and chair, department of molecular genetics and microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, N.C. For pioneering yeast chemical genetics approaches to discover FKBP12 and TOR as targets of the immunosuppressive chemotherapeutic drug rapamycin widely used in transplant, cardiology, and oncology. He discovered unisexual reproduction and roles in evolution and pathogenesis of eukaryotic microbes illuminating impact on diversity, outbreaks, and drug resistance.

Sally Lynn Hodder, MD, FIDSA, associate vice president of clinical and translational research, professor of medicine, and preeminent scholar chair, School of Medicine, West Virginia University Health Sciences, Morgantown. For accomplishments as an infectious diseases physician and researcher. She is a leader in the design and conduct of clinical trials, particularly among underserved rural and underrepresented populations. She is an expert in HIV treatment and prevention, rural health, addiction research, mentorship of young investigators, and engagement of community in research.

David Huang, MD, PhD, Wold Family Endowed Chair in Ophthalmic Imaging, associate director, and director of research, Casey Eye Institute; and professor of ophthalmology and biomedical engineering, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland. For co-inventing optical coherence tomography (OCT), which has transformed the diagnosis and treatment of eye diseases and the studies of cardiovascular, neurological, and neoplastic diseases. He developed methods to use OCT and OCT angiography in glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and macular degeneration, the leading causes of blindness.

Shawna Veleura Hudson, PhD, vice chancellor for dissemination and implementation science, Rutgers Health, and professor of family medicine and community health, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J. For seminal work to address vital U.S. health system implementation challenges for vulnerable populations. Her research shapes policy and practice to integrate care of cancer and other chronic illnesses for patients and families in the context of their communities during the critical transitions between specialty and primary care, and long-term cancer survivorship

Nola M. Hylton, PhD, professor of radiology and biomedical imaging, University of California, San Francisco. For the earliest development of breast MRI technology, the modern quantitative MRI techniques for breast cancer diagnosis and therapy guidance through development of MRI industrywide NIST-supported standards; leadership of multiple national network multicenter NCI trials; and development of globally commercialized (Hologic) software, improving the health of millions of women globally.

Reshma Jagsi, MD, DPhil, Lawrence W. Davis Professor and chair, department of radiation oncology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta. For pioneering empirical research that has identified targetable drivers of disparities in cancer outcomes and within the medical profession, particularly for women. Her work to develop and evaluate innovative interventions to promote equity has established new areas of investigation in oncology and prompted policy changes by institutions, funders, and professional societies.

Yishi Jin, PhD, professor, department of neurobiology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla. For groundbreaking discoveries on phylogenetically conserved mechanisms that drive synapse formation and that underlie central nervous system regeneration, providing fundamental knowledge and molecular targets which inform therapeutic strategies for ameliorating the effects of neuronal injury and degeneration.

Peter Anthony Jones, PhD, DSc (hon), president of the graduate school; chief scientific officer; professor, department of epigenetics; and co-leader, Stand Up to Cancer Epigenetics Dream Team; Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, Mich. For mechanistically linking DNA methylation gene expression and differentiation. His seminal discovery that 5 azanucleosides could change immortalized embryonic cells into muscle cells opened the field of epigenetics, was an early example of cellular reprogramming, and led to FDA approval of DNA methyltransferase inhibitors (DNMTis) for treatment of hematological malignancies.

Joseph Keawe‘aimoku Kaholokula, PhD, professor and chair, department of Native Hawaiian health, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu. For pioneering evidence-based interventions using Indigenous cultural values and practices to improve cardiovascular, diabetes, and obesity disparities for thousands of Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (NH/PI). He spans science and practice, provides direction to health care systems serving NH/PI, advocates for NH/PI, and develops NH/PI scientists.

Christine Laine, MD, MPH, editor-in-chief, Annals of Internal Medicine, American College of Physicians; and professor of medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia. For expanding the influence of the Annals of Internal Medicine and the American College of Physicians by addressing issues such as firearms and gun violence, reproducible research, misinformation, reproductive health, equitable health care, and scientific misconduct.

Kenneth M. Langa, MD, PhD, Cyrus Sturgis Professor of Medicine, department of internal medicine and Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. For being a global leader in the study of aging. His research has better defined the prevalence, outcomes, and population trends of cognitive impairment and dementia in the U.S. and around the world, and has allowed identification of the myriad costs of these conditions on patients, families, governments, and societies.

Haifan Lin, PhD, Eugene Higgins Professor of Cell Biology and professor of genetics, of dermatology, and of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences; and director, Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn. For making key contributions to the validation of two hallmark stem cell theories: asymmetric division and niche hypotheses. He discovered the only gene family (argonaute/piwi genes) known to be essential for stem cell maintenance in both animals and plants. He discovered millions of small noncoding RNAs called piRNAs and established a new paradigm of genome regulation.

Massimo Loda, MD, David D. Thompson Professor and chair, department of pathology and laboratory medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine; professor emeritus of pathology, Harvard Medical School; and visiting professor of pathology, University of Oxford-Lincoln College, New York City. For pioneering the use of molecular assays in diagnostic pathology and establishing the concept of “metabolic oncogenes” in the development of cancer. This discovery has led to clinical trials targeting lipogenic enzymes in prostate cancer.

Beatriz Luna, PhD, Staunton Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics and professor of psychology, bioengineering, and radiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh. For establishing a model of normative adolescent neurocognitive development, identifying neural mechanisms of plasticity supporting the specialization into adulthood of cognitive and motivational systems; informing AMA briefs for the U.S. Supreme Court decisions on juvenile sentencing; and the creation and leadership of the Flux Society for Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience.

Trudy F.C. Mackay, PhD, FRS, director, Center for Human Genetics, Self Family Endowed Chair of Human Genetics, and professor of genetics and biochemistry, Clemson University, Greenwood, S.C. For being recognized as one of the world’s leading geneticists for pioneering studies on the genetic architecture of complex traits and the discovery of fundamental principles of quantitative genetics with broad applications for medicine.

Nicole Maestas, MPP, PhD, John D. MacArthur Professor of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School, Boston. For contributions to our understanding of the economics of employment, work capacity, and income support for people who are disabled or elderly; for national leadership in building the evidence base for disability policymaking; and for contributions to the economics of health insurance for the elderly and people with disabilities.

David J. Mangelsdorf, PhD, professor and chair, department of pharmacology, and investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas. For landmark discoveries of oxysterol (LXRs) and bile acid (FXR) nuclear receptors that revealed the sensing mechanisms that govern reverse cholesterol transport and bile acid synthesis. He co-discovered the key roles of the endocrine hormones FGF21 and FGF15/19 in regulating lipid and energy metabolism, and bile acid homeostasis, respectively.

Jeanne Marrazzo, MD, MPH, director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md. For leading transformative research that has redefined our understanding of relationships between the vaginal microbiome and female reproductive tract infections, HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), hormonal contraception, and risk of STI/HIV acquisition. She has had key roles in NIH-funded networks — Infectious Diseases Clinical Research Consortium and HIV Prevention Trials.

Erica Elizabeth Marsh, MD, MSCI, S. Jan Behrman Collegiate Professor of Reproductive Medicine, vice chair and division chief, reproductive endocrinology and infertility, department of obstetrics and gynecology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor. For research on uterine leiomyomas and for her efforts to eliminate disparities in reproductive health. Her commitment to building research capacity in women’s health, both nationally and globally, and her cultivation of the next generation of leaders in reproductive health will have a lasting impact.

Dayna Bowen Matthew, JD, PhD, dean and Harold H. Greene Professor of Law, George Washington University Law School, Washington, D.C. For advancing our understanding of how policies and legal systems have produced health inequities. Her work has resulted in actionable federal policy changes in the United States.

Margaret M. McCarthy, PhD, director, University of Maryland – Medicine Institute for Neuroscience Discovery; and James and Carolyn Frenkil Dean’s Endowed Professor and distinguished university professor, department of pharmacology, physiology, and drug development, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore. For being the first to discover a critical role of the immune system in determining sex differences and the impact of infection and inflammation on neuroanatomical and behavioral outcomes, which provided mechanistic insights into the higher prevalence of autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia in boys and men.

Genevieve B. Melton-Meaux, MD, PhD, senior associate dean, health informatics and data science; director, Center for Learning Health System Sciences; and professor of surgery and health informatics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. For research in integrating AI with health care, bridging surgery and informatics, and fueling learning health systems. Melton-Meaux explores complex health dynamics, from optimizing clinical note usage in electronic health records to large-scale detection of social/behavioral health determinants with clinical data. Her work has significantly advanced biomedical informatics, clinical practice, and policy.

Dan Merenstein, MD, professor and director of research programs of family medicine, Georgetown University School of Medicine, and department of human science, Georgetown University School of Health, Washington, D.C. For being an accomplished large-scale clinical trialist in family medicine. His work is inspired by practice and teaching, engaging hundreds of busy primary care practices in real-world research, answering foundational questions that inform daily practice.

Funda Meric-Bernstam, MD, professor and chair, department of investigational cancer therapeutics, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston. For leading practice-changing clinical oncology trials in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-targeted therapy, bringing novel biomarker-driven combination therapies from bench to bedside. She is leading large-scale national efforts in precision oncology such as NCI ComboMATCH and investigator-initiated antibody drug conjugate-MATCH; and leads one of the most influential developmental therapeutics programs in the world.

Matthew J. Miller, MD, MPH, ScD, professor, department of public health and health sciences, Northeastern University, Boston. For being a nationally recognized researcher who has led foundational epidemiological research on firearm access and suicide, enhanced our understanding of the theoretical underpinnings of suicide prevention via lethal means restriction, and developed clinical interventions illuminating how counseling patients and their families for reducing access to firearms can save lives.

Julie Morita, MD, president and chief executive officer, The Joyce Foundation, Chicago. For being one of the nation’s most respected public health leaders, who has dedicated her career to advancing health equity. During 20 years in Chicago, she addressed racial and ethnic health disparities, leading implementation of the city’s first health equity plan. Previously, as the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s executive vice president, she led strategic planning efforts to ensure all programming focuses on addressing health and racial equity.

Sally C. Morton, PhD, executive vice president, Knowledge Enterprise; and professor of statistics, College of Health Solutions and School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe. For preeminent leadership in statistics, health policy, and science in both academic and nonprofit research institutions; excellence in evidence synthesis of clinical and public health issues; and impactful methodology in patient-centered comparative effectiveness research. Her pioneering contributions to clinical practice guidelines and health care interventions have reduced morbidity and mortality.

Niki Maria Moutsopoulos, DDS, PhD, senior investigator, Intramural Research Program, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md. For making seminal contributions toward understanding and treating the prevalent human oral disease periodontitis. Her laboratory has contributed to the understanding of both homeostatic and pathogenic inflammation in the oral cavity, informing interventions for both rare and common forms of aggressive forms of periodontal disease.

Avindra Nath, MD, chief, Section of Infections of the Nervous System, and clinical director, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md. For pioneering research and strong leadership in emerging and persistent infections of the nervous system by studying pathophysiology, developing treatments, and conducting clinical studies. This includes retroviruses, Ebola, Zika, nodding syndrome, and COVID-19 as well as Long COVID, ME/CFS, and Gulf War syndrome.

Jennifer B. Nuzzo, DrPH, SM, director, Pandemic Center, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, R.I. For co-creating the Global Health Security Index and conducting research to measure and improve national preparedness for infectious disease threats. She co-established a global COVID-19 testing data tracker and created a health systems resilience checklist for biological emergencies.

Santa Jeremy Ono, PhD, president, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. For his work as a molecular immunologist who has studied the regulation of the immune response and the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration. He is a recognized leader in higher education who has served as the president of the University of Cincinnati, the University of British Columbia, and now as the 15th president of the University of Michigan.

David Pellman, MD, Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator and professor of cell biology and pediatrics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston. For identifying the mechanistic basis for mutational processes that generate a large fraction of the structural and numerical chromosome abnormalities in cancer and certain congenital diseases. In particular, his discovery of a mechanism explaining chromothripsis is considered a landmark in cancer genetics.

Priscilla Eyikojoka Pemu, MD, MS, FACP, FAHA, professor of medicine, department of medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta. For pioneering work on clinical trial diversity, centering on the importance of regaining trust, fostering transparent collaboration, and ensuring the equitable participation of diverse populations in medical research, from Grady health system, a large public hospital, to primary care practices, historically black churches and institutions.

Mary L. Phillips, MD (Cantab), Pittsburgh Foundation-Emmerling Endowed Chair in Psychotic Disorders and professor in psychiatry, department of psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh. For use of state-of-the-art neuroimaging and translational approaches to study neurobiological processes predisposing to bipolar disorder and depression. She has identified biomarkers reflecting these processes to help improve early diagnosis and risk identification in youth, and guide novel neuromodulation treatment developments to improve mental health and functional outcomes for these disorders.

Olivier Pourquié, PhD, Frank Burr Mallory Professor, department of pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and department of genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston. For his discovery of the segmentation clock and landmark work on vertebral development that provides a framework to understand pathologies of the spine such as scoliosis or spina bifida. He is recognized worldwide as a leader in developmental biology and in the use of human stem cells for disease modeling and regeneration of the musculoskeletal system.

Mark R. Prausnitz, PhD, Regents’ Professor, School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta. For innovating on research advancing microneedles and other drug delivery technologies, inventing novel pharmaceutical methods and devices, translating drug delivery technology into clinical trials and medical products, bringing medical advances to patients by founding companies, inspiring students to be creative and impactful engineers, and providing leadership among his colleagues.

Uma M. Reddy, MD, MPH, professor and vice chair of research, department of obstetrics and gynecology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, and professor of population and family health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York City. For leadership of paradigm-shifting research that has fundamentally advanced the understanding of stillbirth, neonatal morbidity and mortality, and labor management and their impact on maternal morbidity through large multicenter cohorts and trials, driving new standards in national obstetric practice and improved outcomes for pregnant people and their children.

Juergen Albrecht Richt, DVM, PhD, Regents and University Distinguished Professor of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan. For being a pioneer in infectious diseases of “One Health” importance. His prolific basic and translational research findings on emerging pathogens of livestock, wildlife, and humans are unique and highly significant for animal/public health. His biocontainment expertise is crucial for the nation’s bio- and agro-terrorism defense capacities.

Selwyn O. Rogers Jr., MD, MPH, FACS, MAMSE, Dr. James E. Bowman Jr. Professor of Surgery; chief, Section for Trauma and Acute Care Surgery; founding director, Trauma Center; and executive vice president for community health engagement, University of Chicago Medicine, Chicago. For paradigm-shifting hospital-based violence interventions including Medical-Legal Clinics that address the social drivers of violent trauma to reduce gun violence and reduce recidivism. He is a leading national advocate for a holistic public health approach with an equity lens to prevent firearms injuries.

Jeffrey D. Rothstein, MD, PhD, John W. Griffin Director, Brain Science Institute; professor of neurology and neuroscience; and director, Robert Packard Center for ALS Research, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore. For discoveries that led to the first FDA-approved drug for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and antisense therapies for C9orf72 ALS/FTD and nuclear pore dysfunction for TDP-43 based neurodegeneration. He founded the Packard Center 25 years ago, which has advanced science and training of leading basic and clinical ALS researchers.

David Henry Rowitch, MD, PhD, FMedSci, FRS, professor and head, department of pediatrics, University of Cambridge; adjunct professor of pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco; and associate director, Basic and Translational Research, Cedars-Sinai Guerin Children’s, Cambridge, United Kingdom. For establishing fundamental genetic mechanisms that determine glial cell development in the brain. His research has provided insight into causes of leukodystrophy, multiple sclerosis, and cerebral palsy. He has transformed our understanding of fundamental neuroscience and promoted important advances for human neurological diseases.

Dana Gelb Safran, ScD, president and chief executive officer, National Quality Forum; and chief scientific officer, The Joint Commission, Washington, D.C. For leadership, innovation, and accomplishment in improving health care quality, outcomes, equity, and affordability through performance measurement, including as an architect of value-based payment models that catalyzed payment reform nationally and internationally, and as a pioneer of patient-reported measures and novel consensus-based methods to rationalize and improve quality and implementation science.

Christine E. Schmidt, PhD, distinguished professor and J. Crayton Pruitt Family Endowed Chair, J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville. For outstanding leadership, pioneering research, and clinical translation in neural tissue engineering and wound healing.

Nina F. Schor, MD, PhD, deputy director for intramural research, Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md. For pioneering research that has radically improved outcomes for children with tumors of the nervous system. She has been a role model, mentor, and beacon to countless other female physician-scientists throughout her amazing career, from bench scientist to academic dean to NIH leader.

Deborah Schrag, MD, MPH, chair, department of medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York City. For pioneering efforts to develop, validate, and disseminate methods for ascertaining patient-reported outcomes that have advanced the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of cancer research, for bridging the efficacy-effectiveness gap by developing strategies to improve equitable delivery of cancer care, and for leading practice changing studies in colorectal cancer.

Eugenia South, MD, MSHP, Ralph Muller Presidential Associate Professor, Perelman School of Medicine; associate vice president of health justice, University of Pennsylvania Health System; and faculty director, Center for Health Justice, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. For being among the country’s foremost leaders in developing and testing interventions to dismantle structural racism and prevent firearm injury in Black neighborhoods. She has made substantive, field-changing scientific and real-world contributions to advancing health via the lens of racial, environmental, and economic justice.

Konstantina M. Stankovic, MD, PhD, FACS, Bertarelli Foundation Professor and chair, department of otolaryngology – head and neck surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, Calif. For expertise in the causes and treatments of hearing loss, which affects 1.5 billion people worldwide. She has initiated and led successful national and international collaborations to develop and deploy novel molecular diagnostics and therapeutics for hearing loss while educating tomorrow’s leaders in surgery and science.

David M. Studdert, LLB, ScD, MPH, professor of health policy, department of health policy, Stanford University School of Medicine, and professor of law, Stanford Law School, Stanford, Calif. For illuminating the relationship between gun ownership and increased mortality risk. His landmark studies of medical injury and malpractice litigation, which produced novel evidence of how the liability system relates to health care quality, have deeply influenced legal reform.

Lorenz Studer, MD, director, Center for Stem Cell Biology, and member, Developmental Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York City. For pioneering methods to differentiate mouse and human stem cells into a wealth of diverse nervous system cells. He discovered strategies to direct cellular maturation and aging, transforming our ability to model neurodegenerative diseases. He has spearheaded a human stem cell-based transplantation therapy for Parkinson’s disease.

Alexis A. Thompson, MD, MPH, chief, Division of Hematology, and Elias Schwartz MD Endowed Chair in Hematology, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; and professor of pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia. For leadership in sickle cell disease (SCD), including creation of the first national SCD learning community, the largest SCD data repository, and collaborations to improve care for children with SCD in sub-Saharan Africa, and for her role in recent FDA approval of gene therapy and other novel SCD therapeutics.

Matthew G. Vander Heiden, MD, PhD, director, Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge. For leadership in understanding cell metabolism and how it influences cancer initiation, progression, and therapy responses. His work has contributed to the development of approved therapies for cancer and anemia, and he is thought leader in understanding metabolic phenotypes and their relations to disease pathogenesis.

Fan Wang, PhD, professor of brain and cognitive sciences and investigator, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge. For discoveries of brain circuits important for anesthesia and analgesia, and circuits for generating rhythmic and coordinated orofacial movements. Her research provided foundational knowledge for developing new therapies to treat chronic pain and movement disorders.

Donna L. Washington, MD, MPH, director, Health Equity-QUERI National Partnered Evaluation Center, Veterans Health Administration; and professor of medicine, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System and David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles. For groundbreaking research that has enhanced the understanding of the health and health care needs of U.S. veterans and to ensure equitable access to the highest quality health care and outcomes for this diverse population. Her work informs health policy and strategic-planning initiatives to eliminate health disparities by sex, race, and ethnicity.

Mitchell J. Weiss, MD, PhD, chair, department of hematology, and Arthur Nienhuis Endowed Chair in Hematology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tenn. For being a key leader in characterizing blood cell development and the pathogenesis of red cell diseases, which has defined roles for noncoding RNAs in hematopoiesis and identified alpha-hemoglobin-stabilizing protein (AHSP) as a key regulator of alpha globin folding. He applied embryonic stem and induced pluripotent stem cell technologies to study erythropoiesis and develop new approaches to therapy.

E. John Wherry III, PhD, Schiffrin President’s Distinguished Professor and chair, department of pharmacology and translational therapeutics; and director, Institute for Immunology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. For pioneering the field of T cell exhaustion in chronic infections and cancer where he conducted a deep molecular dissection of this immune biology. He defined the genetic and epigenetic signatures of immunity and the mechanisms of blocking the PD1 immune checkpoint, the basis of major advances in cancer treatment.

Garen J. Wintemute, MD, MPH, Susan P. Baker and Stephen P. Teret Chair in Violence Prevention, department of emergency medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento. For being a leading researcher in firearm injury prevention, spanning five decades. He brilliantly translates research findings to inform and evaluate gun violence policies and initiatives that are the basis of major policies at the state and federal levels.

Hao Wu, PhD, senior investigator, Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital; and Asa and Patricia Springer Professor, department of biological chemistry and molecular pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston. For discovering supramolecular complexes (signalosomes) as central organizing structures that mediate signal transduction in innate immunity. Her studies led to a paradigm shift in signal transduction and new therapeutic strategies for inflammation and cancer where small molecules are developed to keep the signaling proteins in a monomeric, inactive state.

Marc A. Zimmerman, PhD, Marshall H. Becker Collegiate Professor, department of health behavior and health education, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor. For recognition as a preeminent leader for the development and implementation of groundbreaking public health interventions to prevent community and firearm violence.

Newly elected international members and their election citations are:

Jarbas Barbosa da Silva Jr., MD, MPH, PhD, director, Pan American Health Organization, Washington, D.C. For making important contributions as the head of Brazil’s health surveillance and regulatory authority. As director of the Pan American Health Organization, he brings a relevant regional perspective to health equity.

Kelly Chibale, PhD, professor of organic chemistry, department of chemistry; and founder and director, Holistic Drug Discovery and Development Center, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa. For pioneering infectious disease drug discovery on the African continent. He has led international project teams including one that discovered the first small molecule clinical candidate for any disease, researched on African soil by an African-led international team.

George Coukos, MD, PhD, director, oncology department, Lausanne University Hospital; and director, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Lausanne Branch, Lausanne, Switzerland. For discovering the correlation between T-cell infiltration and favorable prognosis in ovarian cancer, an observation later generalized to all human tumors. He also uncovered that tumor vasculature is a barrier to immunotherapy, leading to treatments with angiogenesis inhibitors and immune checkpoint blockade showing significant benefit in many tumors.

Nicholas Peter Franks, PhD, professor of biophysics and anaesthetics, department of life sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom. For revolutionary discoveries that have shaped our understanding of how anaesthetics work. He overturned the long-held assumption that anaesthetics interact nonspecifically with cell membranes, demonstrating that they act at specific binding sites on a small number of receptors.

Thumbi Ndung’u, BVM, PhD, director for basic and translational science, Africa Health Research Institute; professor and Victor Daitz Chair, HIV Pathogenesis Programme, University of KwaZulu-Natal; and professor of infectious diseases, University College London, Durban, South Africa. For generating the first primary isolate infectious molecular clone of HIV-1 subtype C, enabling research on viral-host mechanisms of pathogenesis. He has identified regions of immune vulnerability in HIV-1 subtype C for candidate vaccine and immunotherapeutic development, currently leading the first HIV cure trial in Africa.

Friday Ebhodaghe Okonofua, MD, BSc, MB ChB, PhD, FRCOG, FMCOG, FWACS, FICS, center leader, African Center of Excellence in Reproductive Health Innovation, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria. For expertise in reproductive health and leading large national and international research in interventional and implementation research for preventing maternal mortality with impact on policies and programming in African countries. He is committed to gender quality, ethics, and equity in global and Africa settings.

Aziz Sheikh, OBE, FRSE, FMedSci, Nuffield Professor of Primary Care Health Sciences and head, Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford; and professor and director, Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. For being a global leader in health informatics and data science to advance the quality, safety, and efficiency of clinical care internationally. He is a world leader in asthma care and in primary care and has helped lead the COVID response in Scotland.

Janet Kathleen Smylie, MD, MPH, FCFP, research scientist, staff physician, and director, Well Living House Action Research Centre, Unity Health Toronto – St. Michaels Hospital; and professor, Dalla Lana School of Public Health and department of family and community medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada. For being globally respected for producing and translating innovative research into tangible benefits for Indigenous communities. Contributions include advancing Indigenous knowledge translation, unmasking urban Indigenous health inequities, and improving recognition of health systems’ responses to racism.

Henrik Toft Sørensen, MD, PhD, DrMedSci, DrSci, professor and chair, department of clinical epidemiology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark. For trailblazing the linkages between unparalleled Danish data systems, including medical records, prescriptions, disease registries, and/or bio specimens. He shaped the information systems to enable 1,400 research studies based on these systems, shedding groundbreaking light on the outcomes and clinical courses of common diseases including cancer.

Sarah J. Tabrizi, PhD, MBChB, FMedSci, FRS, professor of clinical neurology and neurogenetics and director, Huntington’s Disease Centre, and joint head, department of neurodegenerative disease, University College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology; and principal investigator, UK Dementia, London, United Kingdom. For contributions that have impacted experimental therapeutics of Huntington’s disease, leading multidisciplinary research teams to the first randomized clinical trials of nucleic acid therapies, and forging a biological staging approach tethered to fundamental science and patient research for treating neurodegenerative disorders, akin to cancer therapeutics.

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First year students take three courses and conduct a laboratory rotation in the Fall and Spring semesters and complete a third laboratory rotation that summer.

Second year students are expected to declare their dissertation advisor by September. They begin their dissertation research and take two courses that fall: Virology 202 (Proposal Writing), which helps students prepare for the preliminary qualifying exam, and Med Sci 300qc (Conduct of Science), which is required of all DMS students and serves to inform students about appropriate conduct of research and the many ethical and social problems that they may encounter during their research career.

Preliminary qualifying exams (PQE) are held during December of the second year. Following successful completion of the PQE, students continue their dissertation research and establish their dissertation advisory committee (DAC) in consultation with their advisor and with the approval of the Program Chair. Students hold their first DAC meeting within six months of completing the PQE.

G3 and beyond

By the third year students are absorbed in their dissertation research. They are required to meet at least once a year with their DAC until the G5 year when meetings take place every six months.

Upon receiving permission from their DAC to write they are expected to write and defend their dissertation within 4-6 months. A suggested endpoint for graduation, though this decision is left to the discretion of the individual DAC, is two submitted manuscripts.

G5 students are required to take a Conduct of Science refresher in the Fall semester.