Program Overview

Biological Sciences Ph.D. Program

The Biological Sciences Ph.D. program includes faculty from both Biological Sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences and Biomedical Sciences in the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine. Faculty and graduate students conduct research on a wide array of biological topics spanning from molecules to ecosystems, and from basic to applied research.

Program Overview

Faculty and students develop collaborative networks both within and outside the department as they conduct their research. Within Ohio University, the interdisciplinary Molecular and Cellular Biology graduate program, the interdisciplinary Neuroscience program, The Infectious and Tropical Disease Institute (ITDI), and the Ohio Center for Ecology and Evolutionary Studies (OCEES) bring together researchers with common research interests from across diverse departments.

Areas of Concentration

Our faculty expertise spans a broad range of biological disciplines across multiple hierarchical levels including molecular biology, microbiology, animal physiology, comparative anatomy, ecology, and evolution.

Cell, Developmental and Microbiology

The cell, developmental and microbiology program employs molecular and cellular approaches to study biological function. The cell group examines intracellular and intercellular mechanisms in a wide variety of cells. The developmental group studies the mechanisms underlying the establishment and maintenance of multicellular complexity over time. The microbiology group addresses questions concerning the role of microorganisms in environmental processes and in disease and immune responses.

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

The ecology and evolutionary biology program integrates research in functional and evolutionary morphology, biomechanics, animal behavior, phylogenetics, population genetics, conservation biology, population ecology, and community ecology to understand the causes and consequences of biological diversity. Faculty use lab and field-based research on model organisms and natural populations to study ecological and evolutionary patterns, processes, and mechanisms.

Physiology and Neuroscience

The physiology and neuroscience program includes research in metabolic and comparative physiology, the physiology of thermo-tolerance, environmental toxicology, computational biology, developmental neurobiology, trophic interactions in the development of sensory systems, control of movement, auditory neurobiology, neuronal cytoskeleton and axonal transport, heavy metals and neurodegeneration, neuroendocrine control of development, cellular basis of neuronal communication, and neural and neuroendocrine control of the autonomic nervous system.

Program Requirements

• Two semesters of supervised teaching are required.
• Doctoral students may be required to complete breadth courses depending on their particular educational program.
• Admission to Ph.D. candidacy must be achieved within six semesters and includes successfully passing a qualifying exam and a research proposal defense.
• The presentation of a public dissertation seminar and passing the final dissertation oral exam are required in addition to the completion of the written dissertation to receive the Ph.D. degree.

Related Programs

• Biological Sciences M.S.: The Biological Sciences M.S. program strives to be both flexible and supportive, stressing individualized training and a diverse research environment.
• Molecular and Cellular Biology Ph.D.: Students in the graduate program in Molecular & Cellular Biology explore interdisciplinary approaches to solving key problems in molecular and cellular biology.
• Conservation Biology Certificate: The Conservation Biology Certificate provides graduate students in the natural sciences exposure to the social, economic, and political approaches for conserving biological diversity.