GDBBS Programs

The Biochemistry, Cell and Developmental Biology (BCDB) program at Emory University is a cross-disciplinary training program that encourages and fosters innovative thinking and experimentation. Our faculty members are drawn from 15 departments within Emory University to provide training in Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Developmental Biology, Molecular Biology, Structural Biology, Cancer Biology, and allied areas of research. The program uses formalized training in scientific research, presentation, writing, hypothesis design, and teaching to enable students to integrate diverse biological disciplines. Our students graduate as well-rounded biomedical research scientists who are highly competitive in a number of different career paths. Whether your goal is pure basic science or translational research we offer research opportunities that will enable you to impact human health and our understanding of our world. 

The Program in Cancer Biology (CB) provides outstanding training opportunities in every aspect of cancer research, from basic to translational research. This includes molecular and cellular biology, genetics and epigenetics, signal transduction, genetic engineering, nanotechnologies, and many other disciplines used to understand the development and progression of cancer.

Today, the opportunities in the fields of genetics and molecular biology are amazing. The wealth of genetic information and the potential to use this information for developing novel medical therapies and diagnostic procedures is unprecedented. With this in mind, the goal and philosophy of the Genetics and Molecular Biology (GMB) graduate training program is to provide the best training in a core area of genetics and molecular biology while at the same time providing broad-based training in the related disciplines of biochemistry, cell biology, statistics, and bioinformatics. In addition to coursework, first-year students participate in eight-week research rotations in faculty laboratories of their choice. These rotations provide the basis for selecting the area of genetics in which the student will become an expert. Seminar courses occurring each semester focus on current topics in genetics and molecular biology and are presented by investigators within and outside of Emory. We also believe that strong presentation and communication skills are critical to becoming a top-notch scientist. As such, GMB students present periodic progress reports on their own research to the assembled program. This combined training is designed to allow students to develop into scientific leaders in the 21st century.

The Immunology and Molecular Pathogenesis (IMP) at Emory University is part of the broader Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences at Emory that offers research-intensive training programs leading to the PhD degree. The IMP program offers interdisciplinary training in molecular and cellular immunology and the role of the immune system in the pathogenesis of infectious disease. Faculty members are affiliated with basic science and clinical departments in the School of Medicine, Emory Vaccine Center, Emory National Primate Research Center, as well as the adjacent U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Explore this site to meet our faculty and learn about their research, meet our students, and get an idea of what the IMP graduate experience is all about.

The Program in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics (MMG) provides training in the study of microorganisms as well as in the use of microbial models to investigate basic problems in molecular genetics. The program is designed not only for students interested in academic careers in teaching and research, but also for those interested in careers in related aspects of medicine and industry. Research training is offered in bacterial genetics and physiology, microbial development, molecular biology of viruses and bacterial pathogens, mechanisms of bacterial and viral pathogenesis, molecular biology of gene regulation, antibiotic resistance, antiviral and vaccine development. 

The Molecular and Systems Pharmacology (MSP) graduate program offers broad training in the biomedical sciences for students interested in learning how the drugs of today work and how the novel therapeutics of tomorrow can be developed. PhD training in the Emory MSP graduate program prepares students for successful careers in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries as well as in academic research, teaching, government research, patent law, and other disciplines that depend upon knowledge of fundamental pharmacological principles.

Neuroscience research at Emory has grown dramatically in the last decade with the recruitment of many renowned scientists. The broad spectrum of research expertise in cellular, molecular, behavioral, developmental, and systems neuroscience provides our students a unique environment in which to pursue their graduate education. The Neuroscience (NS) program includes over 120 neuroscientists drawn from more than 20 departments the Emory College of Arts and Sciences, Emory School of Medicine, Rollins School of Public Health, as well as collaborators at Georgia Institute of Technology and Atlanta VA Medical Center (Atlanta VAMC). Many faculty come from the departments of Pharmacology, Neurology, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and Rehabilitation Medicine, which are ighly-ranked in research and funding. Thus, our program provides access to excellent labs focused on a wide variety of specialties within neuroscience.

Our goal is to provide the multidisciplinary training required for a successful research and teaching career. The faculty and students in the Population Biology, Ecology, and Evolution (PBEE) program pursue a broad range of research questions in a wide variety of experimental systems, ranging from bacteria to humans. One central feature unites our program: the focus on the use of quantitative methods and models during the course of our research. This theme is reflected in the design of our core curriculum and the research projects pursued by our students. Our graduate program has six main areas of inquiry:

• Bioinformatics and Biostatistics
• Biology of Species Interactions
• Disease Ecology
• Ecological and Evolutionary Modeling
• Genetics of Complex Traits
• Population and Comparative Genomics