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The Committee on Cell Physiology is an interdepartmental committee made up of faculty
members of the Division of the Biological Sciences whose research interests are in the
areas of cellular and biophysical regulatory phenomena.
The program provides training and instruction for students over a wide range of
topics, leading to the Ph.D. degree in
Cell Physiology.
Major research areas in
which training can be received include electrophysiology and biophysics of ion
channels in excitable and nonexcitable cells; membrane transport; signal transduction
and second messenger systems; regulation of cell growth in normal and transformed
cells; biophysics and biochemistry of muscle contraction; molecular biology of
membrane proteins; mechanisms of protein synthesis and assembly; secretion and
endocytosis. A common focus of this committee is the interest in the integration
of the specific phenomena in the behavior of the whole cell.
The program of study is designed to give the student a broad-based knowledge in the
areas of physiology, cell biology, molecular biology, and biochemistry. A number of
basic courses are offered to form the curricular core, and students have the opportunity
to take other courses that complement and expand the core requirements. The exact series
of courses is determined individually for each student in consultation with an advisory
committee made up of several faculty with interests close to those of the student. The
student must pass a preliminary examination consisting of a thesis proposal. In addition,
students must write and defend a dissertation of original and publishable research.
Course Requirements
Satisfactory completion of nine courses is required. These courses are selected from a
range of offerings in the fields of physiology/biophysics, cell and molecular biology,
biochemistry, genetics, and neurobiology. The list of suggested courses include those
at the end of this program entry and others which can be viewed at
http://cmp.bsd.uchicago.edu.
Admission
Students interested in the Cellular and Molecular Physiology Program should apply
to the Committee on Cell Physiology in the Neurobiology, Pharmacology and Physiology
Cluster within the Division of the Biological Sciences. Admission and financial aid
are based upon transcripts, Graduate Record Examination scores, and letters of
recommendation. Minimum undergraduate requirements generally include calculus,
one year of biology, one year of physics, general chemistry, and organic
chemistry.
This text was last revised on 9/20/2005.
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