The Personalized Molecular Medicine program will train students in current personalized medicine approaches as well as teach students the knowledge and skills required to explore molecular medicine pathways that will be targeted in the future to expand and refine personalized treatment strategies. Personalized or Precision Medicine will be the norm for medicine in the future and the Personalized Molecular Medicine program will ensure that graduates fully engage as active participants in the evolution of this approach to medicine. Students will gain foundational training in biological systems, molecular mechanisms, and cutting edge translational technologies.
Training will include next-generation molecular technology to devise and implement personalized strategies to prevent and treat human diseases based on Individual susceptibilities through the study of complex and Integrated biological systems. Students will receive first-hand experience in the use of the latest technologies in next-generation sequencing, single cell analysis, computational biology, epigenomics, proteomics, drug design, animal models of human diseases, systems approaches, as well as instruction in "mining" the multitude of human disease databases such as The Cancer Genome Atlas.
Students will participate in didactic classroom instruction, team based learning, and hands-on laboratory training with a choice between a Thesis/Research or Course-Based .
First Year:
First-year students shall take the required Personalized Molecular Medicine courses (core curriculum) and choose a degree plan (Course-Based or Thesis/Research Plan). Students must enroll for 9 semester credit hours per semester.
Course-Based Plan: Students wiII complete required courses, research practicum, and practicum reports.
Thesis/Research Plan: In addition to completing the required courses, students will complete two laboratory rotations, and must select a research area of interest and a Thesis/Research Advisor.
Second Year:
Course-Based Plan: Students wiII complete additional course requirements as well as the research practicum and practicum reports. Students may complete additional elective courses as needed to meet final credit hours required for graduation. Students will complete the final oral examination based on course and practicum material.
Thesis/Research Plan: Student will choose a thesis/research committee and gain approval of their research proposal to advance to candidacy. Student will complete their research, with their thesis, and defend their thesis in a final presentation and oral examination.