College
College of Life Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy
Campus
Center City
Format
On Campus
Duration
4 - 5 Years
Contact Information
Leadership
- Co-Director, Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine PhD Program
- Associate Professor
- Co-Director, Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine PhD Program
- Professor
Program Information
1020 Locust Street
M-46 JAH
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107
Connect with Us
 |
Curriculum
Prior to registering for their first academic year, each new graduate student meets with the Program Directors to determine an initial course of study. First-year pre-doctoral students are also offered the opportunity to begin their training during the summer preceding registration for their first semester of classes.
The curriculum for the Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine (CBRM) Program consists of two parts. The first is an interdisciplinary core of courses, which each student is required to successfully complete. The second part is comprised of additional graduate courses deemed necessary by the student's research committee. These are not limited to courses offered through the CBRM Program, and may be selected from the course offerings available through any of our graduate programs.
A minimal requirement for the Jefferson College of Life Sciences is the successful completion of 180 total graduate credits, including research. Of these, there should be no less than 54 course credits of graduate course work, 26 of which must be outside the area of Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine.
Students spend a substantial portion of their first year and part of their second year in course work. A course in the Foundations of Biomedical Science, GC 550, is required of all incoming graduate students. This course provides a solid introduction to biochemistry, cell biology, and genetics. Program requirements include courses in cell biology, biochemistry, molecular biology, developmental biology, and pathology. Advanced courses can be selected from either the CBRM program or other programs in the Jefferson College of Life Sciences. Courses in Research Ethics, Planning & Writing a Research Grant, and Applied Statistics are required of all graduate students at the University.
Core Curriculum
Certain components of the Core Curriculum may be modified or waived to account for the individual experience and background of the student. Any modifications must be approved by the Program Director. In addition to the required courses, the graduate program and College offer a wide range of additional introductory and upper-level courses which are available to students. Additional elective graduate courses are available from among all course offerings within the Jefferson College of Life Sciences. The student, in consultation with his/her research advisor, may thus select course offerings that meet specific objectives and/or needs.
Core Courses
| Course Title | Semester(s) | Credit |
|---|---|---|
GC 750/760/770 PhD Laboratory Rotations (first year PhD) |
Summer, Fall, Spring |
3 |
CB 616/626 Current Topics: Journal Club and Research in Progress (R.I.P) |
Fall, Spring |
1 each |
CB 710/720 Seminar: Grand Rounds, Showcase Seminars, MPM’s |
Fall, Spring |
1 each |
CB 910/920/930/940 Research |
Fall, Winter, Spring & Summer |
Variable |
GC 550 Foundations in Biomedical Sciences |
Fall |
10 |
GC 640 Research Ethics |
Fall |
1 |
| GC 550D Rudiments of Computational Biology and Computational Medicine | Winter | 1 |
GC 645 Genomics and Bioinformatics |
Spring |
3 |
GC 660 Statistical Methods |
Fall, Spring, Summer |
3 |
GC 665 Cell Signaling |
Fall |
4 |
GC 730 Planning & Writing Research Grant |
Spring |
1 |
TE 624 Extracellular Matrix |
Fall (odd years) |
2 |
| TE 531 Biological Basis of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine | Fall (even years) | 2 |
Suggested Electives
| Course Title | Semester(s) | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| BI 525 Genetic Information | Spring | 3 |
| CB 570 Pathological Aspects of Disease | Spring | 3 |
| CB 615 Developmental Biology I - Embryology | Fall | 3 |
| CB 635 Gene Enviroment Interactions, Birth Defects & Disease | Summer | 3 |
| GC 520 Cultural Humility | Fall, Spring | 2 |
| GC 558 Intro to Unix and C Programming | Summer | 3 |
| GC 559 Intro to R Programming | Summer | 3 |
| GC 560 Data Visualization | Summer | 2 |
| GC 561 Date Structures & Algorithms | Spring | 3 |
| GC 562 Computational Genomics | Fall | 3 |
| GC 563 Computational Transcriptomics | Spring | 3 |
| GC 564 Data Mining & Knowledge Discovery | Fall | 3 |
| GC 565 Functional Genomics | Summer | 3 |
| GC 630 Fund-Clinical Trials | Spring | 3 |
| GC 636 Principles of Care Management-Diverse BM Careers | Spring | 2 |
| GC 642 Introduction to Microscopy | Spring | 1 |
| GE 612 Genetics of Model Organisms | Spring | 3 |
| GE 637 Human Genetics | Spring | 3 |
| GE 651 Pathobiology of Cancer | Spring | 2 |
| TE 531 Biological Basis of TE & RM | Fall (every other year) | 2 |
PhD Program Curriculum
Note: Credits for the 910, 920, 930, and 940 Research courses are variable. Assign credits to Research to equal the target number of credits for each semester.
Year One
Fall Semester (20 Credits)
| Course Title | Credit |
|---|---|
GC 550 Foundations in Biomedical Sciences |
10 |
GC 640 Research Ethics |
1 |
GC 760 PhD Laboratory Rotation |
3 |
CB 616 Current Topics: Journal Club and Research in Progress (R.I.P) |
1 |
CB 710 Seminar: Grand Rounds, Showcase Seminars |
1 |
CB 910 Research |
Variable |
Winter Semester (10 credits)
| Course Title | Credit |
|---|---|
| GC 550D Rudiments of Computational Biology and Computational Medicine | 1 |
CB 940 Research |
10 |
Spring Semesters (30 Credits)
| Course Title | Credit |
|---|---|
GC 770 PhD Laboratory Rotation |
3 |
GC 645 Genomics and Bioinformatics |
3 |
| GC 660 Statistical Methods | 3 |
CB 626 Current Topics: Journal Club and Research in Progress (R.I.P) |
1 |
CB 720 Showcase Seminars |
1 |
CB 920 Research |
Variable |
Summer Semester (10 Credits)
| Course Title | Credit |
|---|---|
| Elective(s) | Variable |
CB 930 Research |
Variable |
Year Two
Fall Semester (20 Credits)
| Course Title | Credit |
|---|---|
| GC 665 Cell Signaling | 4 |
TE 624 Extracellular Matrix (offered every other year) |
2 |
| TE 531 Biological Basis of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (offered every other year) | 2 |
CB 616 Current Topics: Journal Club and Research in Progress (R.I.P) |
1 |
CB 710 Showcase Seminars |
1 |
CB 910 Research |
Variable |
| Elective(s) | Variable |
Winter Semester (10 Credits)
| Course Title | Credit |
|---|---|
CB 940 Research |
10 |
Spring Semesters (30 Credits)
| Course Title | Credit |
|---|---|
| GC 730 Planning & Writing a Research Grant | 1 |
CB 626 Current Topics: Journal Club and Research in Progress (R.I.P) |
1 |
CB 720 Showcase Seminars |
1 |
| Elective(s) | Variable |
CB 920 Research |
Variable |
Summer Semester (10 Credits)
| Course Title | Credit |
|---|---|
CB 930 Research |
Variable |
Year Three to Graduation
Fall Semester (20 Credits)
| Course Title | Credit |
|---|---|
| TE 624 Extracellular Matrix (offered every other year) | 2 |
| TE 531 Biological Basis of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (offered every other year) | 2 |
CB 616 Current Topics: Journal Club and Research in Progress (R.I.P) |
1 |
CB 710 Showcase Seminars |
1 |
CB 910 Research |
Variable |
Winter Semester (10 Credits)
| Course Title | Credit |
|---|---|
CB 940 Research |
Variable |
Spring Semesters (30 Credits)
| Course Title | Credit |
|---|---|
CB 626 Current Topics: Journal Club and Research in Progress (R.I.P) |
1 |
CB 720 Showcase Seminars |
1 |
CB 920 Research |
Variable |
Summer Semester (10 Credits)
| Course Title | Credit |
|---|---|
CB 930 Research |
Variable |
MD/PhD Curriculum
Year One
| Course Title | Semester(s) | Credit |
|---|---|---|
CB 616/626 Current Topics: Journal Club and Research in Progress (R.I.P) |
Fall, Spring |
1 each |
CB 710/720 Showcase Seminars |
Fall, Spring |
1 each |
CB 910/920/930/940 Research |
Fall, Winter, Spring & Summer |
Variable |
GC 640 Research Ethics |
Fall |
1 |
GC 645 Genomics and Bioinformatics |
Spring |
3 |
GC 660 Statistical Methods |
Fall, Spring, Summer |
3 |
TE 624 Extracellular Matrix (offered every other year) |
Fall |
2 |
| TE 531 Biological Basis of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (offered every other year) (talk with the program directors) | Fall | 2 |
GC 665 Cell Signaling (optional) |
Fall |
4 |
GC 730 Planning & Writing Research Grant |
Spring |
1 |
Elective(s) |
Variable |
Variable |
5 Years at a Glance
Year 1
- Take required courses (Fall, Spring, and Summer)
- 3 Lab rotations and a summary for each lab
- Select research advisor and review progress
- Attend the required seminars and any seminars your advisor suggests
Year 2
- Complete required courses (Fall, Spring, and Summer)
- Join a thesis lab and begin to develop a project
- Take comprehensive qualifying exams (written and oral) during the summer
- Continue to attend and participate in seminars and current topics
Year 3
- Submit committee names to Danielle Park for CBRM Executive Committee approval
- Continue thesis research while working with mentor and thesis committee
- Continue to attend and participate in seminars and current topics
Year 4
- Continue to attend and participate in seminars and current topics
- Wrap up thesis project
Final Year
- Continue to attend and participate in seminars and current topics
- Write and defend before April 1st
- Graduate