Overview

UConn Health is situated on 150 acres of wooded hilltop in the beautiful Farmington Valley of central Connecticut. The campus includes a division of the Graduate School of the University of Connecticut and the Schools of Medicine and Dental Medicine. Our faculty pursue innovative research on contemporary problems in biology and medicine and are committed to mentoring and training the next generation of scholars and scientists in a collegial and supportive environment.

Degrees/Programs

PhD in Biomedical Science

The goal of the Ph.D. program in Biomedical Science at UConn Health is to prepare students for careers as scientists and scholars in the biological and biomedical sciences in a wide variety of settings. When students enter the program, a first-year advisory committee guides them in the selection of course work, journal clubs and laboratory research rotations. This curriculum gives students the opportunity to become familiar with ongoing research programs at UConn Health and build a sound academic foundation for future study. Many laboratories representing diverse scientific areas are available for rotations and doctoral dissertation research. After the first year, each student selects a thesis laboratory and affiliates with one of seven areas of concentration to develop competency in a scientific discipline:

Cell Biology

Genetics and Developmental Biology

Immunology

Molecular Biology and Biochemistry

Neuroscience

Skeletal Biology and Regeneration

Systems Biology (formerly Cell Analysis and Modeling)

MD/PhD and DMD/PhD Combined Degree Programs 

The MD/PhD and DMD/PhD programs are designed for students interested in pursuing careers as clinician scientists. Students acquire competence in both the basic science and clinical aspects of medicine or dental medicine. Entry into the combined programs is limited to a small number of highly qualified students. Applications are made through the centralized medical (AMCAS) or dental (ADEA AADSAS) admissions processing service.

Undergraduate Summer Research Internship Program in Biological and Biomedical Science

UConn Health provides a limited number of summer research internships for highly qualified undergraduate students currently in the US who are entering their junior or senior year. Applicants should have an interested in entering a PhD program in the biological or biomedical sciences. During the 10-week summer program, interns receive a stipend and carry out research in a laboratory under the direction of a graduate school faculty member. Interns also participate in academic enrichment and social activities throughout the summer.

Collaboration with the Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine

Faculty at the Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, located on the UConn Health campus, provide laboratory rotation and dissertation research opportunities in mammalian genetics and genomic medicine for students in the Biomedical Science PhD program.

Financial Support

UConn Health awards merit-based graduate research assistantships to entering Biomedical Science PhD students. The current full-time assistantship is $32,000. A student holding an assistantship also receives a waiver of tuition and may participate in a highly subsidized health insurance plan.

https://health.uconn.edu/graduate-school/academics/programs/ph-d-biomedical-science/