Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences and Translational Medicine
Cedars-Sinai's graduate program in Biomedical Sciences and Translational Medicine achieves the merging of scientific and translational medicine curricula with mentoring by both researchers and clinicians, as well as broad exposure to clinical medicine.
As a major community medical center and tertiary referral center, Cedars-Sinai offers unparalled opportunity for translational studies. The research buildings which house the graduate program are surrounded by cutting-edge centers of excellence in a wide range of medical disciplines. The program's faculty includes clinicians who interact daily with patients in hospital and clinic settings. Similarly, basic scientists who work in Cedars-Sinai's research community are focused on uncovering new knowledge that will directly advance patient care.
Students are expected to complete the program, which confers a PhD in Biomedical Sciences and Translational Medicine, in four years. Students receive a $36,000 annual stipend.
Graduate Program Curriculum
The didactic element of the biomedical sciences curriculum includes a solid basis in molecular biology and disease mechanisms, including:
- The immune system and infectious disease
- Endocrinology, metabolism and reproduction
- Stem cell and developmental biology
- Gene regulation, pathways and systems biology
- Tumor cell biology and cancer
- Cardiovascular biology
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry and behavioral science
Students receive a foundation of clinical research training and an introduction to the underpinnings of clinical research conduct, including:
- Clinical epidemiology
- Biostatistics, bioinformatics and biomathematics
- Drug development
- Medical genetics
- Clinical pharmacology
- Health sciences research
- Evidence-based medicine
A core course on diagnostics, which includes pathology, imaging, biochemical testing, proteomics and genomics, is conducted side-by-side with courses on fundamentals of clinical research:
- Research ethics
- Scientific integrity
- Reputation and safety of clinical research
- Research management
- Quality assurance
A core course in support systems for clinical research seeks to provide skills required in competitive academic, industry and teaching environments:
- Grants and contracts
- Networking
- Core facilities
- Good manufacturing practices (GMP) facilities
- Information systems
- Technology transfer
Mentoring by Laboratory Scientists and Clinicians
The program's first year includes rotations through three scientific laboratories plus one through the General Clinical Research Center. The latter provides an early exposure to patient-based investigation.
All scientific modules involve instruction from clinical doctors. Common human diseases are explained in mechanistic terms, and visits to clinics are part of the learning experience. Scientific disciplines are paired with clinical disciplines. For example, neuroscience is paired with neurology and neurosurgery; cancer biology with oncology, surgery and radiotherapy; and cardiovascular science with cardiology, cardiac surgery and imaging.
The selection of a laboratory-based mentor is central to the student's choice of a research area. The Cedars-Sinai program adds one additional layer: a clinician with a closely related medical field to the selected field of biomedicine who acts as a clinical mentor to the student. Through this link, the student is able to discuss the translational implications of his or her research with a knowledgeable clinician who can point to opportunities for initiating research involving patients at Cedars-Sinai.
