GRADUATE STUDY AREAS

The following is a listing of the graduate study areas supported by the BSGSAC as well as some graduate focus areas. You can obtain information on each program, its requirements, and faculty research interests by clicking on the program of interest.

BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY(M.S., Ph.D.)

The Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Graduate Program offers both the MS and Ph.D. degrees in biochemistry and molecular biology . The goal of the graduate program in biochemistry is to prepare you for a future career in science by expanding your knowledge of biochemistry and molecular biology, and by developing your ability for critical thought and creativity. The academic program emphasizes an in-depth study of the field of biochemistry with considerable flexibility to tailor your course selection to your own particular needs and special interests. A large diversity of research programs is available from which to choose your area of thesis research. Areas of research specialization represented within the Graduate Program include molecular biology, physical biochemistry, molecular endocrinology, plant biochemistry and molecular biology, signal transduction, and biomedical research. Each program prepares you well for either a research and teaching career in academia, or for a career in biochemical research at both the pure and applied levels in private, governmental or industrial laboratories.

BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES (Ph.D.)
Provides state-of-the-art research training in the Biomedical Sciences. The faculty have diverse research interests united by the common goal of elucidating molecular and cellular mechanisms in the causation and/or treatment of human disease. Areas of research specialization include cancer cell biology, molecular mechanisms of gene regulation, signal transduction mechanisms, molecular aspects of cardiovascular disease, cytokine, chemokine and hormone action, and cellular/molecular neurobiology.

BOTANY & PLANT SCIENCES (M.S. Botany/M.S. Plant Science, Ph.D. Plant Biology/Ph.D. Plant Biology (Plant Genetics))
Offers graduate training in the following basic and applied research areas: bioinformatics, biotechnology, cell, molecular and developmental biology, conservation, crop management, ecology, evolution, gene regulation, genetics, genomics, horticulture, natural resources, plant breeding, plant physiology, plant stress, signal transduction, and systematics. The new Institute for Integrative Genome Biology contains a center in Plant Cell Biology (CEPCEB)

CELL, MOLECULAR, AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY (M.S./Ph.D.)
Faculty sponsor research programs in basic, applied, medical, and agriculture sciences. Our research group includes more than 60 faculty and is distinctive in offering opportunities to work with microbial, plant, insect, and animal model systems.

ENTOMOLOGY (M.S./Ph.D.)
Offers advanced degree programs with specialization in, but not restricted to, the following areas of study: arthropod vectors of plant pathogens, biological control, behavior, biochemistry and physiology, chemical ecology, ecology and evolution, pathology, integrated pest management, insect-plant interactions, systematics, pesticide toxicology, medical and veterinary entomology, molecular entomology, nematology, neuroscience, and urban entomology.

ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY (M.S./Ph.D.)
Research and teaching in the program focus on the molecular, biochemical and genetic mechanisms of toxicity; the formation, movement and remediation of toxics in soil, water and air; and the development of procedures to evaluate the effects of toxic agents on humans as well as other living organisms.

EVOLUTION, ECOLOGY, AND ORGANISMAL BIOLOGY (M.S./Ph.D.)
Specializations for graduate studies are Evolutionary Biology and Physiology. The Department's research in Evolutionary Biology encompasses evolutionary ecology and population genetics, behavioral ecology, molecular systematics, physiological ecology, and evolutionary physiology. We are also concerned with the application of knowledge from these disciplines to problems in biological control and conservation biology. Our Physiologists work in the following areas: physiological ecology (physiological adaptations of animals to their environments), comparative and evolutionary physiology (evolutionary changes in physiological traits), and regulatory physiology (especially mechanisms of water balance and thermoregulation).


GENETICS, GENOMICS, & BIOINFORMATICS (Ph.D.)
Administered by faculty in life sciences, computer sciences, and statistics, the program offers three areas of specialization: Genomics and Bioinformatics; Molecular Genetics; Population and Evolutionary Genetics. Each track has a flexible curriculum and individual students can develop a curricular plan that best suits their research interests. Unique to our curriculum is the melding of microbial, animal, and plant genetics, facilitated by our alliance with UCR's new Institute for Integrative Genome Biology and Center for Plant Cell Biology.

MICROBIOLOGY
Opportunities are available for study in a wide range of disciplines, including molecular microbiology, plant microbiology, and environmental microbiology. Students enroll in graduate programs in the Biological Sciences, which provide core graduate courses. Dissertation research opportunities, major research professor, curriculum advisor, and specific courses are provided by Microbiology and complement requirements of the graduate degree programs, such as Entomology, Genetics, Genomics, and Bioinformatics, Nematology, Plant Pathology, and Environmental Sciences, and the Division of Biomedical Sciences. Faculty in these graduate programs work on a range of microorganisms including bacteria, fungi, viruses, and nematodes.

NEMATOLOGY
A comprehensive area of graduate studies in Nematology is offered within a broader biological context. Students enroll in graduate programs in the Biological Sciences, which provide core graduate courses. Dissertation research opportunities, major research professor, curriculum advisor, and specific courses are provided by the Department of Nematology to complement requirements of the graduate degree programs, such as Biology, Plant Biology, Entomology, Plant Pathology; interdepartmental graduate programs include Environmental Toxicology, Genetics, or Cell, Molecular and Developmental Biology.

NEUROSCIENCE (Ph.D.)
A multi-disciplinary approach to understanding nervous systems at levels ranging from the molecular and cellular to the cognitive. The program aims to provide high quality graduate training for students who come from a variety of undergraduate backgrounds but share a commitment to and an intense interest in research on nervous systems. Our goal is to prepare students for high impact careers in research and teaching, as well as in scientific administration.

PLANT PATHOLOGY (M.S./Ph.D.)
Covers a comprehensive range of topics ranging from basic to applied biology. The faculty are nationally recognized and have a unique combined expertise in genetics, biochemistry, microbiology, molecular biology, organic chemistry, physiology, systematics, evolution, and plant protection. Consequently, students can develop areas of specialization that will provide an intellectually stimulating graduate experience and that will also lead to varied and exciting career opportunities.

STATISTICS (M.S./Ph.D)

The Department of Statistics has a reputation for outstanding teaching, research, and consulting services. The undergraduate program offers B.A. and B.S. degrees with two options in Statistical Computing and Quantitative Management, while the graduate program offers both a B.S. in Statistics and a Ph.D. in Applied Statistics. The program offers students unusually free access to the faculty, many of whom have received national and international recognition for their professional work.

In addition, the degree programs offer students opportunities to diversify their study to include research areas in a variety of academic disciplines. The Statistical Consulting Collaboratory provides faculty and students a rich environment for collaboration in research and instruction, emphasizing statistical/quantitative approaches. The faculty serves the academic community in many roles-as editors of major academic publications, as authors of major text books and research monographs, and as consultants to business, government and international organizations.