Program Overview

Introduction to the PhD Graduate Program in Microbiology & Infectious Diseases

The PhD graduate program in Microbiology & Infectious Diseases is located in the Texas Medical Center, the world's largest biomedical center, providing an excellent research environment. The biological sciences have undergone a revolution of unprecedented scale, fueled in large part by studies in microbiology, which is fast reshaping the way scientists approach the myriad of biomedical and environmental issues confronting our society today.

Program Overview

Microbiology still maintains its classical advantages, including a wide variety of well-developed experimental approaches available in the study of microbes, and many experiments can be completed in a relatively short time period. This makes microbiology especially well-suited for graduate student training.

Research Areas

Our program faculty explore questions relevant to the following areas of modern microbiology:

• Fundamental Life Processes
  • Many genes and their activities are conserved among bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotes
  • Our faculty leverage the many practical advantages of microbes to perform detailed mechanistic studies of a wide array of fundamental biological phenomena
  • These include:
    • Gene expression
    • Cell division
    • Membrane biogenesis
    • Macromolecular transport
    • Multicellular development
    • Cellular differentiation
• Microbial Pathogenesis
  • Understanding virulence mechanisms is a major arm of medical research
  • Our faculty apply modern molecular genetics and biochemical technologies to understand the basis for infectious disease
  • Emphasis is placed on identifying and characterizing regulatory networks controlling virulence gene expression, virulence factor structure and function, mechanisms for the spread of antibiotic resistance, and host-pathogen interactions

Program Environment

The program's location in the Texas Medical Center provides an excellent research environment, with access to a wide range of resources and expertise. The faculty's research interests and expertise are diverse, providing students with a broad range of opportunities for research and training.