- Katie Withers (July 2017)
- Megan Pannel (Sept. 2017)
- Peyton Stevens (Dec. 2017)
- Smita Joshi (February 2018)
And welcomes
11 new students:
- Megan Green
- Justin Weldon
- Kit Donahue
- Rebekah Eleazar
- Kelly Jones
- Joshua Lykins
- Valli Prakhya
- Caroline Smith
- Ashley Stevens
- Rachel Thompson
- Lyndsay Young
All entering graduate students pursuing doctoral degrees in these programs are now admitted through the Integrated Biomedical Sciences (IBS) program, an undifferentiated first-year core curriculum designed to provide:
- Exposure to cellular and molecular concepts in the biomedical sciences
- Development of interdisciplinary approaches essential to innovative research
- Flexibility in choosing a Ph.D. mentor among 186 faculty in the seven basic science departments:
Each IBS course - Biomolecules and Metabolism, Biomolecules and Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Cell Signaling and Experimental Genetics - presents concepts central to understanding advances in the biomedical sciences. The final course, Integrated Biomedical Sciences, builds upon cellular and molecular biology to develop, at an organismal level, an integrative appreciation of biologic systems. During the IBS year, students also complete three or four laboratory rotations and participate in research seminars. At the conclusion of IBS, students select doctoral programs based on research interests and mentoring relationships in one of the seven basic science departments.
The IBS Curriculum is designed for students beginning graduate studies in the fall semester. However, the flexibility exists to accommodate students beginning in the spring. Students with an M.S. degree or prior graduate studies will be offered the opportunity to tailor an individual academic program reflecting coursework completed and prior research experience.
The Molecular & Cellular Biochemistry Department does not directly admit students to the Ph.D. program. We are part of a consortium of basic science departments in the University of Kentucky Medical Center that run a joint first-year program, the IBS program, for Ph.D. students. First-year students in this program take classes together and rotate through laboratories spread throughout the Medical Center. The choice of rotations is made by the student, with the approval of the principal investigator running that laboratory, and can be in any of the participating departments. This gives students an opportunity to sample up to four different disciplines before settling on a final laboratory and department in May.
For additional information about IBS and application to apply, please visit the IBS website.