Graduate study in Molecular Genetics and Microbiology offers a diversified course of study leading to the Ph.D. degree. The major areas of study are the basic mechanisms of viral, bacterial, and fungal pathogenesis, immunology, and cancer biology. Studies are directed toward an understanding of cell biology, molecular genetics, immunology, and microbial pathogenesis and are designed to prepare a student to become an effective research scientist. The Ph.D. Program in Microbiology and Immunology, one of three biomedical graduate programs at Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, trains students to become outstanding research scientists and prepares them to pursue careers in research, teaching, public health, biodefense and emerging diseases, the bioscience industry, medicine, patent law, technology licensing, and science policy. The strength of this training program is evident in the achievements of our students while in the program and the success our graduates have had in becoming leaders in their chosen fields.
Graduate students carry out their dissertation research with program faculty whose labs are actively involved in applying state-of-the-art basic research methods in molecular genetics, cell biology, and biochemistry to medically important problems in areas including cancer, infectious diseases, signal transduction, and cell cycle regulation. The program of study is structured to foster a highly interactive research environment. Students take standard lecture courses, which help to introduce the program faculty, and also participate in a wide range of other activities including seminars by visiting scholars, student research presentations, journal clubs, special topic research clubs, and an annual program retreat. Our trainees are also encouraged to take courses offered by the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science as electives.
