Alakananda Basu, PhD, Graduate Advisor
Research and Education 437
Phone: 817-735-2487
E-mail: Alakananda.Basu@unthsc.edu
The Biochemistry and Cancer Biology program is an interdisciplinary program that offers both MS and PhD degrees. The goal of this program is to provide students with rigorous education and training in biomedical sciences with a specialty in Biochemistry and Cancer Biology. Students receive training through original research, formal classroom education, problem-based learning, seminars, and journal clubs. The programs include faculty members from several departments engaged in various aspects of biochemical, biophysical, molecular and cancer research.
The specific research interests of faculty cover a wide range of topics, including signal transduction, posttranslational protein modification in health and disease, protein structure and function, protein-ligand and protein-protein interactions, metabolism, molecular carcinogenesis, tumor immunology, stem cell biology, tumor invasion and metastasis, tumor microenvironment, cancer therapeutics, drug resistance, drug metabolism, drug delivery, drug discovery, nanotechology/imaging, epigenetic effects on cancer risks, alternative medicine therapies of cancer, disorders of lipid metabolism in atherosclerosis, lipoprotein metabolism and biophysics of muscle contraction. The interdisciplinary research also includes investigation of the link between cancer with other disorders, such as aging & Alzheimer’s disease, HIV and ocular diseases. The research projects employ state-of-the-art molecular, cellular and biochemical techniques that include genomics, proteomics, mass spectrometry, protein crystallography, molecular cloning, gene targeting, FACS analysis, advanced fluorescence spectroscopy, optical imaging and advanced molecular technology for the detection of genetic variation between normal and cancer cells.
Students may choose faculty advisors from any department according to their research interests. In addition, students will be able to utilize the resources and expertise of faculty members with diverse backgrounds from several departments. During the first year, students will acquire sufficient background in biological sciences, including biochemistry, molecular biology, cell biology, pharmacology, microbiology and immunology. The students will have the opportunity to rotate in research laboratories in any department prior to selecting their thesis advisors. Students will take two discipline specific courses. They will be able to select additional elective courses from any department based on their needs and interests. PhD students are admitted to candidacy after successful completion of their preliminary oral qualifying examination and defense of an NIH R21 research grant proposal. MS students are expected to graduate in approximately two years, whereas PhD students usually require five years to complete their degrees. The details of the Biochemistry and Cancer Biology program, degree plans and policies are included in the Handbook.
Master of Science
Students enrolled in the Master of Science degree program will conduct original research. The M.S. degree requirements are met upon satisfactory completion of a minimum of 48 semester credit hours (SCH) of coursework and research credits, including the successful completion of a formal public seminar on their thesis research, oral final defense of their research and approval of a thesis.
Doctor of Philosophy
The Ph.D. degree requirements are met upon satisfactory completion of a minimum of 90 semester credit hours (SCH) of core curricula, specialized upper division courses, and research credits, including the successful completion of the requirements for advancement to candidacy and defense of the dissertation research. Students entering the program with a non-terminal M.S. degree must complete a minimum of 60 SCH beyond that earned in their master’s studies. Prior to the dissertation defense, the doctoral candidates must have one first author manuscript derived from the dissertation research accepted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal; and, an additional manuscript published, in press, or submitted.
Advancement to Doctoral Candidacy
Qualifying Examination
The qualifying examination is to ensure a doctoral student has sufficient mastery of fundamental principles of biochemistry, cancer biology and biomedical sciences. Students should take the Oral Qualifying Exam (OQE) before they complete 72 SCH. The topics of the examination will be based on the core courses.
An oral qualifying examination will be administered by a committee comprised of Biochemistry and Cancer biology graduate faculty but will exclude the student’s major professor. The University Member will oversee the process.
Successful completion of the qualifying examination must be accomplished before the student can register for Grant Writing (BMSC 6310). The student is permitted two attempts to pass the qualifying examination. Failure to pass the qualifying examination after two attempts will result in dismissal from the PhD program but the student may be allowed to complete the requirements for a Master of Science degree.
Grant Writing (BMSC 6310)
After passing the qualifying examination, but prior to the completion of 84 SCH, the student must register for Grant Writing (BMSC 6310). This component of the advancement to Ph.D. candidacy process evaluates a student’s aptitude for independent thought and scientific writing. The student is required to prepare a research grant proposal in NIH R21 format. The grant proposal must be original, hypothesis driven, and must describe specific objectives and experimental approaches used to test the hypothesis. A student may choose an area related to his/her dissertation research but it must be developed without the assistance of the major professor.
The examination committee will consist of Biochemistry and Cancer Biology faculty appointed by the graduate advisor. The chairperson of the committee will serve as coordinator and will meet with the student at the beginning of the semester to review guidelines and answer relevant procedural questions. The University Member will oversee the examination procedure.
The grant proposal and the student’s oral presentation and defense will be evaluated on the basis of originality and ability to communicate the proposal content, and follow the Grant Writing Scoring Rubric developed by the GSBS. Three out of four voting faculty members will have to agree with the final decision. Upon successful completion of this course, the student is advanced to doctoral candidacy. Two attempts to successfully pass the BMSC 6310 Grant Writing are allowed. Failure of the student to pass the BMSC 6310 Grant Writing results in dismissal of the student from the doctoral program. In this case, a student may be allowed to complete the requirements for a Master of Science degree.
Defense of M.S. Thesis and Ph.D. Dissertation
Procedures for defense of M.S. theses and Ph.D. dissertations follow the policies outlined in the current catalog and the GSBS Graduation website.