Doctor of Philosophy in Cell Biology, Development and Physiology

Faculty of the Division of Cell and Developmental Biology (CDB) pursue research aimed at detailed understanding of: the structure and function of cellular components, such as membranes, organelles, chromosomes and the cytoskeleton, cellular processes, such as epithelial transport, cell motility, mitosis, protein targeting and secretion, stem cell plasticity, and eukaryotic cell cycle control, tumor biology, cellular physiology, the origin of cell polarity, and the molecular and cellular basis for axis formation, morphogenetic movements, fate determination, and gene regulation during embryogenesis and cellular differentiation. These issues are being addressed in systems as diverse as yeast, fruit flies, worms, sea urchins, frogs, mice and mammalian cells in culture, and these studies exploit techniques ranging from molecular biology and microinjection to digital imaging and mathematical modeling. Specialized equipment for confocal fluorescence microscopy, video imaging, and computer simulations are available in shared core facilities in the Life Sciences Addition where many of the faculty are housed.

The following minimum requirements apply to all graduate programs and will be verified by the Graduate Division:
A bachelor's degree or recognized equivalent from an accredited institution,
A grade point average of B or better (3.0),
If the applicant comes from a country or political entity (e.g., Quebec) where English is not the official language, adequate proficiency in English to do graduate work, as evidenced by a TOEFL score of at least 90 on the iBT test, 570 on the paper-and-pencil test, or an IELTS Band score of at least 7 on a 9-point scale (note that individual programs may set higher levels for any of these), and
Sufficient undergraduate training to do graduate work in the given field. Transcripts: Applicants may upload unofficial transcripts with your application for the departmental initial review. If the applicant is admitted, then official transcripts of all college-level work will be required. Letters of recommendation: Applicants may request online letters of recommendation through the online application system. Hard copies of recommendation letters must be sent directly to the program, not the Graduate Division.