Molecular Pharmacology/
Chemical and Systems Biology
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A murine macrophage being invaded by Salmonella tyohimurim. |
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The Department of Molecular Pharmacology recently changed its name to the Department of Chemical and Systems Biology in order to reflect more accurately the current research interests of department members. A corresponding change in the name of the department's Ph.D. program is in process, and approval by the appropriate University committees is anticipated soon. In the meantime, when applying, please select Molecular Pharmacology as your program choice.
Faculty and students in the Molecular Pharmacology/ Chemical and Systems Biology training program share an interest in the molecular aspects of cellular and organismal regulation, the quantitative analysis of cellular regulatory systems, and the development and application of comprehensive chemical and genetic strategies for perturbing and probing regulatory networks. The department and its associated faculty are particularly committed to leading Stanford's research efforts at the chemistry/biology interface. These activities include quantitative descriptions of signaling pathways and networks, cell cycle regulation, and other biological processes as well as the use of chemical approaches in biomedical research.
Understanding biology at the molecular and systems levels will require new approaches to biomedical research, including the integration of quantitative, chemical, and biological methods. The next generation of scientists must be capable of bridging these diverse disciplines. Stanford faculty who share this vision have created this training program as an interschool initiative that provides graduate students with interdisciplinary research opportunities in the biological sciences.
The Molecular Pharmacology/Chemical and Systems Biology Ph.D. program emphasizes individualized training and provides students with diverse research opportunities in areas such as signal transduction, cell cycle regulation, human disease, and embryonic development. This multidisciplinary and interactive environment encourages students to investigate the frontiers of biological science using a variety of modern scientific techniques, ranging from recent advances in molecular biology and protein biochemistry to synthetic organic chemistry. Concurrent with their independent research, students may take classes in cell biology, genetics, biochemistry, chemical biology, signal transduction, and drug discovery. Annual program-wide retreats allow all researchers to share their results, and regular presentations throughout the year by students, postdoctoral fellows, faculty, and outside speakers foster an interactive, interdisciplinary scientific environment.