Graduate Studies

It is my pleasure to introduce you to the Department of Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program. With world-class and award-winning researchers, our program has a great deal to offer you! At the Department of Biomedical Sciences, investigators are engaged in research across a variety of fields, including cancer, neurodegenerative disease, exercise, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, respiratory and reproductive physiology. Over the last five years, our faculty have published ~275 manuscripts in prestigious journals, and earned national recognition in teaching, scholarship and research. This is highlighted by over $16 million dollars in extramural funding. With the cutting-edge research in the department and in collaboration with other researchers across campus, the US and the world, few departments can offer a richer and more fulfilling research experience. Graduates from our program have obtained positions as teachers and/or researchers at prestigious universities, while others have gone on to successful careers in industry.

As leaders in our fields, we strive to give opportunities to train the next generation of scientists. Our program focusses on the individual student’s development in both the classroom and laboratory. BMS students have won multiple local and national awards and earned national funding for their research. A wide range of graduate courses are available, both within our department and across campus. Our coursework provides the student with a strong foundation of knowledge in physiology, cell biology and neuroscience, while also giving the students opportunities to take courses on topics relevant to their individual research projects. We are committed to providing our students with opportunities to present their research at local, national and international meetings. We have expanded our program in recent years, and now have 16 PhD and MS students actively conducting research in their chosen fields. Our students come from diverse backgrounds and cultures, representing countries from all over the world including Egypt, Singapore, Libya, China and the UK.

Our department offers generous stipends, and our students pay no out-of-pocket tuition, and receive excellent health insurance. Many of our students have obtained prestigious five-year Fellowships offered through the MU Graduate School and Life Sciences Center, significantly increasing their stipends. In addition, our students regularly receive highly competitive predoctoral fellowships through the American Heart Association and National Institutes of Health. Our average time to graduate with a PhD is just over 4 years.

Our department is built on a foundation of inclusiveness and working as a team. Our faculty take great pride in all of our students, and their doors are always open should you need help with any aspect of your graduate program. We want you to succeed!

I invite you to explore our website highlighting our program. If you are interested in pursuing graduate work, I encourage you to contact me or the faculty member whose research you find interesting. We hope you join us soon!