The Bioinformatics Program accepted its first students in 2001, establishing itself as one of the first Bioinformatics programs in the nation. Bioinformatics at the University of Michigan is housed in the Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics (DCM&B), an interdisciplinary center whose mission is to catalyze research and teaching on biomedical problems where quantitative and computational methods can be of decisive value.
The Department of Biological Chemistry at the University of Michigan Medical School has played a prominent role in the development of the subject of biochemistry. The department dates from the appointment in the early 1900s of Dr. Victor Vaughan as the first professor of biochemistry in a medical school in the United States. Dr. Vaughan was an early member of the National Academy of Sciences and a founder of the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
The Cancer Biology program spans many disciplines, including cell biology, genetics, biochemistry, microbiology, pharmacology, pathology, epidemiology, bioinformatics, and immunology, to name a few. It represents a unique set of training and educational activities that, taken collectively, expose the student to the full breadth of cancer biology while allowing immersion in a specific dissertation topic of the student’s choice.
The Graduate Program in Cell & Developmental Biology (CDB) provides outstanding doctoral training in fundamental aspects of cell and developmental biology, ranging from stem cells to regenerative medicine and organogenesis to cancer biology. Research activities in CDB place a strong emphasis on quantitative and computational skills, and involve a broad array of model systems. CDB graduate students thus receive rigorous and comprehensive training and are integral members of a highly collaborative and collegial environment.
The CMB Program has been an integrative force that aims to tie together the various disciplines of genetics, biochemistry, microbiology, immunology, cell biology and others. The goal of CMB is to train our students to examine scientific problems from many perspectives through individualized, flexible programs of coursework and research.
The graduate program in Genetics and Genomics is housed within the Department of Human Genetics at the University of Michigan, which was founded by Dr. James V. Neel in 1956 and was the first human genetics department in the United States. The initial focus of the department was human heredity, and this view has grown in breadth and depth through the genomic and post-genomic eras.
The Health Infrastructures and Learning Systems (HILS) program focuses on the synergistic combination of data and information sciences, infrastructure, and behavioral, social, and system sciences related to behavior change and continuous improvement in health at multiple levels of scale. The emphasis on the science of infrastructure highlights the importance of enabling change that is sustainable and scalable.
The goal of the doctoral Program in Immunology at the University of Michigan is to train future leaders at the forefront of molecular and cellular immunology. Furthermore, our objective is to guide and prepare students for cutting-edge research in immunology while equipping them broadly to address scientific questions from multiple perspectives.
As one of the earliest departments of its kind in the nation, the Department of Microbiology and Immunology conducts research in microbial pathogenesis as well as basic mechanisms of immunologic function and host defense using the tools of molecular biology, genetic screens, cell culture, models of infection, molecular imaging, transgenic animals, and bioinformatics.
The goal of the MCDB graduate program is to provide a solid foundation of scientific knowledge and technical skills that will mature our students into independent scientists while also providing enough flexibility to allow students to develop and explore their own research interests.
The Molecular and Cellular Pathology Graduate Program is situated in the Department of Pathology and takes advantage of its unique position in a department that bridges basic and clinical sciences to encourage interdisciplinary projects and interdepartmental cooperation.
Our department has a storied history and a strong tradition for outstanding leadership in teaching, research and graduate education. Our graduate program has extensive opportunities for student interaction with faculty, departmental participation, and the development of leadership and teaching skills.
The Neuroscience Graduate Program at the University of Michigan was constituted in 1971, making it the longest-standing neuroscience training program in the United States. The Program is interdisciplinary and inter-departmental with faculty and students located in the Medical School, the College of Literature, Arts, and Sciences, the Dental School, the School of Kinesiology, and the College of Engineering.
Our department has awarded more Ph.D. degrees in pharmacology than any other American university. Our graduates have made a major impact on the field of pharmacology. Among our alums are many pharmaceutical company executives, research directors and senior scientists; directors of government research labs; and recognized chairs and faculty in academia with reputations for both excellent research and teaching.