It is designed to prepare students for careers in biomedical research and requires approximately five years of full-time study, including course work, examinations and dissertation research. The program is based in MCG's Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics, directed by Dr. Robert K. Yu, Professor and Eminent Scholar in Neurobiology. The institute includes more than 30 faculty drawn from clinical and basic science departments. All are committed to using molecular approaches to solve disease-related problems. The opportunity to participate in the institute's research programs is a central aspect of the Molecular Medicine Graduate Program.
All students complete a Ph.D. dissertation based on original research.
Research focuses on aspects of intracellular trafficking events in epithelial cells, smooth muscle, endocrine glands and the nervous system. Developmental Biology Research focuses on development of the heart, blood, lymphoid organs, and nervous system and makes extensive use of knockout models and transgenic animals. Work includes developing models for congenital defects and methods to manipulate genes in whole animals. Gene Regulation Led by Dr. William S. Dynan, Professor and Eminent Scholar in Molecular Biology. Research focuses on basic regulatory processes in the cell nucleus including transcription, recombination, and the response to heat and radiation damage.