Overview of the Program

Cell Biology is a hypothesis-based discipline which - being more than the sum of its parts - integrates information from genetics, anatomy and biochemistry/ molecular biology. Cell Biology emphasizes both basic science and disease-related studies, each of which has often enriched the other. Much of Cell Biology is concerned with topographic issues, the dynamics of macromolecular structure and localization, and the biogenesis of macromolecular structures and organelles.

The inter-departmental Cell Biology Program includes faculty from the School of Medicine, Clinical Departments at University Hospitals of Cleveland and the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. It organizes a weekly seminar program/journal club for students, fellows and faculty and an annual retreat. We also have organized an international meeting (Membrane Traffic in Health and Disease) and specialized lecture series (e.g. Cell Biology of the Fragile X Syndrome and other Trinucleotide Repeat Diseases; Cell Biology of Huntington’s Disease), and a Symposium concerning the organization of the nucleus (Regulation of Nucleear Functions). Graduate students are accepted into the Ph.D or M.D./Ph.D. program in Cell Biology through the Biomedical Sciences Training Program. The PhD program is described in detail in the Handbook. The Cell Biology program is currently administered through the Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology. All forms and procedural matters will be handled by that department.

Cell Biology Handbook

The Cell Biology Handbook is now available through the Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology.

Applying

Applications should be submitted in late autumn or early winter for anticipated entrance in the following autumn semester. Late applications are accepted. Application forms may be obtained from the Biomedical Sciences Training Program. Applicants are required to take the General Test of the Graduate Record Examinations and are urged to take a subject test of their choice. Ph.D. students are admitted via the Biomedical Sciences Training Program, which is composed of twelve training programs in the School of Medicine. Students in this program have the opportunity to explore many different research areas before choosing an adviser at the end of the first semester. (Ph.D./M.D. students are admitted by the Medical Sciences Training Program in the School of Medicine -- tel: 216-368-4497;fmc3@case.edu.)

First-year students typically arrive during the summer and begin a sequence of three laboratory rotations. These extend throughout the fall, along with the Correlated Curriculum in Cell and Molecular Biology - a team-taught course which is described among our course listings. At the beginning of January, the student undertakes research in the laboratory in which he /she will remain. If that laboratory is directed by a member of the Cell Biology Program, the student may officially remain a member of the Program. Alternatively, the student may at that point affiliate with the Department in which the faculty member has his/her primary appointment. Cell Biology Program students must acquire the same number of course credit hours as students in other PhD programs, but there are no further specific course requirements. The timing of their prethesis and thesis exams matches that of PhD students in the Case Department with which their Professor has his appointment.

Stipend

A competitive stipend to cover living expenses is awarded. The stipend for the 2008 academic year will be $25,000.

All full-time students in the Cell Biology Ph.D. Program have tuition waived and academic fees and health insurance paid.

Graduate and professional students may live in a University residence hall or in one of a limited number of University apartments for married students. Most graduate students find privately owned apartments near the campus. Costs are below average for large urban areas.

Research Facilities

The campus of the School of Medicine is thoroughly equipped for research in molecular and cell biology as well as in genetics, pharmacology, physiology, biochemistry and anatomy. Specific information is listed on our Facilites Page.

University Life

The University has approximately 10,000 students, of whom about half are enrolled in graduate and professional schools. About 1,000 students attend adjacent institutes of music and art and schools of nursing.

Cleveland is an industrial and financial center. Many cultural facilities are located near the University in University Circle, including the Cleveland Orchestra, the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Cleveland Institute of Art and the Cleveland Institute of Music. The city is home to the Cleveland Browns, the Cleveland Indians, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Northeast Ohio offers many recreational activities that are readily accessible from Cleveland.

Case Western Reserve University is a fully accredited private coeducational university with students from across the U.S. and ninety-seven other countries. The medical school is one of the top-ranked schools in the country.

Postdoctoral Opportunities

There are many training grants on the campus which support both predoctoral students and postdoctoral fellows. Individuals wishing to do postdoctoral work in a Cell Biology Program laboratory should contact the laboratory to inquire whether support through these training grants can be obtained.