Graduate Programs in Biomedical Sciences

The Saint Louis University Graduate Programs in Biomedical Sciences is made up of four programs: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Molecular Microbiology and Immunology; Pathology; and Pharmacological and Physiological Sciences.

First-year courses focus on the basic biochemical, molecular, cellular and organismal aspects of the biomedical sciences, preparing you for more intensive, individualized instruction that will be unique to the discipline you choose to study in the following years.

Class of 2024, SLU Core Graduate Program in the Biomedical Sciences Back Row (L to R): Wenzheng Guo, Andy Rocca, Erin Vest, Mikayla Bode Front Row: Zahra Alibolandi, Anshita Sharma, Haya Alkhateeb

SLU Core Graduate Program in the Biomedical Sciences, class of 2024. Back row (from left): Wenzheng Guo, Andy Rocca, Erin Vest and Mikayla Bode. Front row (from left): Zahra Alibolandi, Anshita Sharma and Haya Alkhateeb

Instructors come from all four Ph.D. programs. Their charge is to introduce you to the most recent findings and the methodologies used to study major issues in their fields. Coursework includes didactic lectures, small-group problem-solving sessions, student presentations and hands-on research experience.

Active seminars in all departments and programs provide broad exposure to the wide scope of biomedical research and introduce you to potential future employers or collaborators. We emphasize the preparation of technically skilled and thoughtful scientists for diverse careers in academia, industry or government.

Learn More About Graduate Study in the Biomedical Sciences

Diversity

The Saint Louis University School of Medicine is committed to the importance of diversity. We seek to immerse our graduate and medical students in a training atmosphere that prepares them for the practice of medicine in a multicultural America. We strive to demonstrate this inclusiveness in the classroom and in all areas of our admissions practices, academic advising, student services and activities, curricular offerings and administrative policies. Our goal is to produce well-rounded and culturally competent professionals who will respectfully serve their diverse communities.

The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion oversees the School of Medicine’s efforts to promote inclusion for the graduate and medical school community. Programs, events and initiatives are designed to raise awareness, inspire action, support equitable employment and cultivate a culture of diversity and inclusion.

Visit the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Applications and Financial Aid

You must complete both the classified graduate school application and the graduate program in biomedical sciences application to be considered for our Ph.D. programs.

SLU Graduate School Application

Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences Supplemental Application

Email the completed application for the Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences to Katherine Kornuta at katherine.kornuta@health.slu.edu.

Financial aid is available, and all first- and second-year students receive a nationally competitive student stipend, as well as tuition waivers and health insurance. Stipends, health benefits and tuition costs are the responsibility of your advisor or doctoral program during the final years of your graduate study and are most commonly provided by research grants or contracts.

Colloquiums

The biomedical sciences colloquiums are scheduled every Wednesday at noon. Unless otherwise announced, all colloquium sessions will be held in Auditorium B of the Learning Resource Center.

CORE Graduate Program Colloquiums Schedule

Date	Presenter	Paper

Sept. 25, 2024	Katie Danforth	Zou, D., Yin, Z., Yi, S.G. et al. CD4+ T cell immunity is dependent on an intrinsic stem-like program. Nat Immunol 25, 66–76 (2024) https://doi.org/10.1038/s41590-023-01682-z
Oct. 2, 2024	Don Ashley Malabana	Widjaja, A.A., Lim, WW., Viswanathan, S. et al. Inhibition of IL-11 signalling extends mammalian healthspan and lifespan. Nature 632, 157–165 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07701-9
Oct. 16, 2024	Jennifer Brown	George, Dale S et al. “The Mas-related G protein-coupled receptor d (Mrgprd) mediates pain hypersensitivity in painful diabetic neuropathy.” Pain vol. 165,5 (2024) https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003120
Oct. 23, 2024	Capri Charleston	Olešová, D., Dobešová, D., Majerová, P. et al. Changes in lipid metabolism track with the progression of neurofibrillary pathology in tauopathies. J Neuroinflammation 21, 78 (2024) https://doi.org/10.1186/s12974-024-03060-4
Nov. 6, 2024	Hanaa Saleh	Raj, V Stalin et al. “Dipeptidyl peptidase 4 is a functional receptor for the emerging human coronavirus-EMC.” Nature vol. 495,7440 (2013) https://doi.org/10.1038/nature12005
Nov. 13, 2024	Spencer Jones	Sun Ryu, Xuemei Liu, Tingting Guo, Zhaohua Guo, Jintao Zhang, Yu-Qing Cao, Peripheral CCL2-CCR2 signalling contributes to chronic headache-related sensitization. Brain, Volume 146, Issue 10, October 2023 https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awad191

Wednesdays at noon in LRC Auditorium B (unless indicated otherwise)

All students, staff and faculty are encouraged to attend. The schedule for the spring semester is distributed in December. There are 11 presentations by the first-year core students, leaving some open dates for volunteers. Any faculty member, post-doctoral fellow or senior graduate student who would like to present in the spring should contact Willis K. Samson, Ph.D. at willis.samson@health.slu.edu.