Message from the DGS

Welcome to the Cell Biology Graduate Program. Our principal goal is to provide an environment where every student has the chance to pursue world class science.

Our curriculum is designed to both reinforce core principles in modern cell biology and to allow students to go deeper in specialized fields through a broad array of electives. As you begin your thesis research, you will find support throughout our department. Your PI will work with you, hand-in-hand, to find the best questions to ask in your field and to develop a research plan. Collaboration is a strength here, and you will likely find opportunities to advance your project through the application of techniques and systems in common use in other labs. Our faculty will also be there in other capacities, supporting your work on committees and through the development of graduate student focused programming including both our Beyond the Bench seminar series and a grant-writing course. I maintain an open door policy and as DGS am also happy to help you on your journey.

We hope the next several years will be a high point in your scientific career, but we recognize that there will be periods of stress and anxiety too. Evaluations, benchmarks, committee meetings will all play a role during your graduate experience. They are essential guardrails to keep all of us on track, but they are not actually what this experience should be about for you. Our real expectation for each of you is to embark on a dedicated unflagging pursuit of scientific discovery. We’re here to help and we are all excited to see where your science will take you next.