Graduate Program in Biomedical Science and Translational Medicine

Core Curriculum

All students are required to enroll in and complete the Core Curriculum during their first year at Cedars-Sinai. The Core Curriculum is an integrated course that teaches students the fundamentals of basic biomedical research processes and familiarizes students with the clinical implications and translational opportunities associated with such research.

The academic year is divided into trimesters and each trimester will cover 2 core modules. The Core Curriculum is comprised of a total of 6 core modules focused on specific diseases/areas. Core module instruction will take place three times a week (e.g. M,W,F) in 1.5 hour blocks of instruction. In addition a series of "Special Topic Units" focused on specific translational research tools and skills will be presented in 1.5 hour sessions twice a week. During the fall and early winter, the first special topics area to be covered will be Biostatistics, followed by condensed, shorter sections on genomics, proteomics, expression, imaging, and ethical issues. Actual times and organization are subject to change.

The third component of the core curriculum is a series of presentations related to issues in Biomedical and Translation Research. These sessions will address the ethical, regulatory, and logistical issues important in human disease related research.

Rotations

Students are required to complete 3 laboratory rotations during the first year of the program. Laboratory rotations give graduate students an opportunity to experience several laboratory environments, research opportunities and investigators that they may be considering for their thesis research. These rotations also allow the faculty to evaluate students in a research setting and get to know the students. Laboratory rotations run congruent with the academic trimesters.

Students are expected to partake fully in the laboratories' activities including : group lab meetings, discussion groups and lab projects. Students are expected to arrange independently each of their three rotations with the Cedars-Sinai mentoring faculty who are actively participating in the program. Lab rotation arrangements between students and PI's cannot be made prior to four weeks before the rotation is to begin.