Biophysics Graduate Program
Modern biophysics combines state-of-the-art physical measurements with computational models to understand the detailed physical mechanisms underlying the behavior of complex biological systems. Biophysics is a growing enterprise world-wide, driven primarily by the widespread realization of the major contributions made to biological science by a combination of truly state-of-the-art physical measurements with modern molecular biology.
Membership in the Biophysical Society is now 7000. The field occupies a unique and central position at the intersection of the biological, chemical, physical, and computational sciences. Biophysics is intrinsically interdisciplinary. Biophysics takes a quantitative, physical, non-phenomenological approach to biology that is firmly rooted in the principles of condensed-phase physics and physical chemistry. Biophysicists are driven primarily by their curiosity about how biological systems work at the molecular level. While they routinely employ the methods of molecular biology, their primary focus is on development of novel structural and dynamical tools that enable uniquely incisive studies of systems ranging in complexity from single proteins in vitro to the complex interactions of biopolymers in live cells. Biophysicists as a group most often develop the novel, sophisticated experimental methods that reveal molecular level details with unprecedented clarity.
The state of the art in x-ray crystallography, solution phase and solid-state NMR, atomic force microscopy, single-molecule methods, EPR, and fluorescence microscopy continues to evolve in ways that better elucidate biological structure and function. In parallel, biophysicists are developing powerful new computational tools based on firmly established physical principlesthat are sufficiently accurate to greatly enhance insights from experiment. Just as the tools of molecular biology gradually become useful to biophysicists, over time the new tools developed by biophysicists gradually find widespread use among all biological scientists.
Faculty Trainers:
Edwin Chapman
Meyer Jackson
Raunak Sinha
Integrated Program in Biochemistry (IPiB)
Biochemistry is the study of biological molecules, their roles in the cell, and the chemistry of their reactions in living systems. The goal of the Integrated Program in Biochemistry (IPiB) is to train the next generation of biochemists and prepare them for 21st Century challenges in science.
From atoms to cells to plants and animals, biochemistry research in IPiB is at the forefront of modern science. IPiB is a merged graduate training program from the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Department of Biochemistry and the Department of Biomolecular Chemistry. We are home to around 100 graduate students and 52 world-class faculty pursuing cutting-edge research in all areas of biochemistry.
The size and breadth of the IPiB graduate program provide unique opportunities for graduate students wanting to pursue a degree in one of the top graduate programs in biochemistry in the nation. Our modern facilities are filled with labs carrying out groundbreaking research in a collaborative, friendly, and inspirational atmosphere.
Faculty Trainers:
Jon Audhya
Cellular and Molecular Biology Graduate Program (CMB)
CMB has been pioneering graduate education in the fields of cell biology and molecular biology. CMB provides the opportunity to work with over 180 faculty trainers, on a campus known for interdepartmental cooperation and collaboration. Currently there are over 100 students in the program, representing over 40 different departments. Coursework and research experience allow students to obtain a solid foundation in Cellular and Molecular Biology that is tailored to the professional objectives of each student.
Faculty Trainers:
Jon Audhya
Edwin Chapman
Mrinalini Hoon
Meyer Jackson
Marisa Otegui
Raunak Sinha
Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology Training Program (MCP)
The Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology Graduate Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is ranked in the top Pharmacology programs nationwide, reflecting the outstanding teaching and research quality of its members. The program is based in the Basic Science Departments of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.
The objective of the Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology Training Program is to equip students with the skills required to conduct high impact biomolecular, biomedical, and pharmacological basic research. The program assists students in becoming independent investigators in these research areas.
Advances in biomedical sciences are often based on the development of new drugs which improve and save the lives of millions of patients. Drugs with specific biochemical actions are also powerful research tools. They provide pharmacologists and other biomedical scientists unique research opportunities which help to elucidate cellular signaling cascades. Students of the program will develop expertise in the fundamentals of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology. They will be able to solve a variety of problems in basic biomedical sciences involving the design of research strategies for the discovery of novel drugs or gene therapy approaches.
Faculty Trainers:
Jon Audhya
Edwin Chapman
Mrinalini Hoon
Meyer Jackson
Raunak Sinha
Neuroscience Training Program (NTP)
The Neuroscience Training Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison was established in 1971. Currently, it comprises over 80 faculty members whose research interests range from molecular neurobiology to integrative systems and computational modeling. The program is designed to prepare students for careers in research and teaching. Training leads to the Ph.D. degree in neuroscience or the M.D./Ph.D. degree in cooperation with the School of Medicine and Public Health.
Faculty Trainers:
Jon Audhya
Edwin Chapman
Mrinalini Hoon
Meyer Jackson
Robert Pearce
Raunak Sinha
MD/PhD – Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP)
The Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health provides integrated graduate training in scientific research and clinical medicine, leading to a combined MD-PhD degree.
Our goal is to produce physician-scientists who will make major contributions to the understanding and improvement of human health. The program, drawing from the UW School of Medicine and Public Health and the UW-Madison Graduate School, works to ensure that students take full advantage of the remarkable resources and opportunities present at UW-Madison for both medical education and graduate research training.
Faculty Trainers:
Edwin Chapman
Mrinalini Hoon
Comparative Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program (CBMS)
The Comparative Biomedical Sciences (CBMS) graduate program emphasizes an integrated approach to contemporary biology that combines molecular and cellular techniques with the analysis of complex whole animal systems. Faculty provide exceptional graduate and undergraduate interdisciplinary research training opportunities in core areas of animal and human health including immunology, molecular and cellular biology, physiology, neuroscience, genomics, oncology, virology, medical technology, infectious diseases and toxicology and pharmacology. They also contribute extensive public services, both nationally and internationally, within related faculty disciplines.
The graduate program serves as a focal point for graduate research training in the School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM) and is administered by the Department of Pathobiological Sciences. Trainers in CBMS have their tenure homes in all four departments of the School of Veterinary Medicine as well as in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS), the School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH), the College of Engineering, and the College of Letters & Science. Faculty in the CBMS program also serve in or interface with other campus training programs including bacteriology, biocore, cellular and molecular biology, endocrinology and reproductive physiology, medical microbiology and immunology, molecular and environmental toxicology, and the Primate Center.
Currently, there are over 95 faculty trainers in the Comparative Biomedical Sciences program. Affiliate faculty outside the School of Veterinary Medicine have their tenure homes in the Departments of Anatomy, Animal Sciences, Biochemistry, Dermatology, Entomology, Human Oncology, Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Medicine, Neurosurgery, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Population Health Sciences, Radiology, and Surgery. The program is currently comprised of approximately 50 graduate students, most of whom are pursuing the Ph.D. degree. The program is recognized as a premier research and graduate training program for students with or without a degree in veterinary medicine.
Faculty Trainers:
Edwin Chapman
Mrinalini Hoon
Cellular and Molecular Pathology (CMP)
The graduate program in cellular and molecular pathology (CMP) is a joint venture of the UW-Madison Department of Pathology and the School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH). This interdisciplinary training environment, embedded in an exciting and challenging basic and clinical translational research context, offers a high level of intellectual stimulation for predoctoral training. The CMP curriculum is novel at the university, providing integrated training in fundamental concepts of modern pathobiology with an emphasis on biochemical, cellular and molecular approaches, and providing rigorous in-depth bench-level research training in understanding the fundamental bases of diseases. Trainees and trainers participate in rigorous pathobiology courses and activities, and are offered in-depth research training in the pathobiology of cancer, nervous and immune system diseases, and signal transduction in basic disease mechanisms.
Faculty Trainers:
Mrinalini Hoon
Raunak Sinha