Program Overview

Introduction to the QBS PhD Program

The QBS PhD program is designed to prepare students for careers at the intersection of biomedical research and quantitative sciences. The program aims to equip students with the skills and knowledge necessary to synthesize and integrate multiple disciplines, providing a truly interdisciplinary approach to solving complex biomedical problems.

Program Overview

The QBS PhD program is built around a set of core courses, electives, and research rotations. The program requires students to complete a series of core courses in bioinformatics, biostatistics, and epidemiology, as well as electives in areas such as computer science, public health, and biology. Students are also required to complete three first-year research rotations, which provide hands-on experience in different research settings.

Learning Outcomes

The QBS PhD program is designed to achieve the following learning outcomes:

1. Demonstrate comprehensive and foundational knowledge of the core concepts and principles within the field of study
2. Critically analyze and interpret relevant, scholarly literature relevant to the field
3. Integrate and synthesize theoretical and empirical ideas across the field of study
4. Apply the research methods, analytical tools, and techniques essential to scholarly inquiry in the field
5. Assess and critique empirical data and research findings using appropriate methodological frameworks
6. Develop and effectively communicate a research proposal through clear, well-structured written and oral presentations

Required Coursework

The QBS PhD program requires students to complete the following core courses:

• QBS 700: Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research
• QBS 110: Integrative Biomedical Sciences Seminar (0.5 unit)
• 6 units from the following core courses, with at least 1 unit in each area:
  • Bioinformatics:
    • QBS 146: Foundations of Bioinformatics I
    • QBS 148: Introduction to Statistical Genetics
  • Biostatistics:
    • QBS 108: Machine Learning
    • QBS 119: Foundations of Biostatistics I: Applied Biostatistics
    • QBS 120: Foundations of Biostatistics I: Statistical Theory for the Quantitative Biomedical Sciences
    • QBS 121: Foundations of Biostatistics II: Regression Modeling
    • QBS 122: Foundations of Biostatistics III: Modeling Complex Data
    • QBS 124: Advanced Biomedical Data Analysis
    • QBS 126: Analysis of Densely Collected Longitudinal Data
    • QBS 177: Methods of Statistical Learning for Big Data
  • Epidemiology:
    • QBS 130: Foundations of Epidemiology I: Theory and Methods
    • QBS 131: Foundations of Epidemiology II: Theory and Methods
    • QBS 132: Molecular Biologic Markers in Human Health Studies
    • QBS 133: Clinical Epidemiology
    • QBS 136: Applied Epidemiological Methods (0.5 unit)
    • QBS 137: Applied Epidemiological Methods II (0.5 unit)

Electives

Students are required to choose 3.5 units from the following list of electives:

• QBS:
  • QBS 101: Foundations of Programming for Data Scientists
  • QBS 101.1: Intermediate Programming (winter)
  • QBS 108: Applied Machine Learning
  • QBS 110.5: Integrative Biomedical Sciences Seminar Project (0.5 unit)
  • QBS 119: Foundations of Biostatistics I: Applied Biostatistics
  • QBS 120: Foundations of Biostatistics I: Statistical Theory for the Quantitative Biomedical Sciences
  • QBS 121: Foundations of Biostatistics II: Regression Modeling
  • QBS 122: Biostatistics III: Modeling Complex Data
  • QBS 123: Biostatistics Consulting Lab (0.5 unit)
  • QBS 124: Advanced Biomedical Data Analysis
  • QBS 126: Analysis of Densely Collected Longitudinal Data
  • QBS 130: Foundations of Epidemiology I: Theory and Methods
  • QBS 131: Foundations of Epidemiology II: Theory and Methods
  • QBS 132: Molecular Biologic Markers in Human Health Studies
  • QBS 133: Clinical Epidemiology
  • QBS 136: Applied Epidemiological Methods I
  • QBS 137: Applied Epidemiological Methods II (0.5 unit)
  • QBS 139: Advanced Methods in Health Services Research
  • QBS 140: Decision & Cost-Effective Analysis
  • QBS 147: Genomics: From Data to Analysis
  • QBS 146: Foundations of Bioinformatics I
  • QBS 148: Introduction to Statistical Genetics
  • QBS 177: Methods of Statistical Learning for Big Data
  • QBS 180: Data Visualization (0.5 unit)
  • QBS 181: Data Wrangling
  • QBS 192: Health Informatics
  • QBS 195: Independent Study
• Thayer School of Engineering:
  • ENGM 179.1: Strategy (0.5 unit)
  • ENGM 181: Marketing
  • ENGM 182: Data Analytics
  • ENGM 183: Operations Management
  • ENGM 184: Introduction to Optimization Methods
  • ENGM 188: Law for Technology and Entrepreneurship
  • ENGM 189.1: Medical Device Commercialization (0.5 unit)
  • ENGM 189.2: Medical Device Development (0.5 unit)
  • ENGM 190: Platform Design, Management, and Strategy
  • ENGM 191: Product Design and Development
  • ENGM 204: Data Analytics Project Lab
  • ENGS 102: Game-theoretic Design, Learning and Engineering
  • ENGS 162: Basic Biological Circuit Engineering
  • ENGS 262: Advanced Biological Circuit Engineering
• Computer Science:
  • COSC 122: 3D Digital Modeling
  • COSC 124: Computer Animation: The State of the Art
  • COSC 125: Intro to UI/UX Design I
  • COSC 169: Topics in Computer Systems
  • COSC 174/74: Machine Learning and Statistical Data Analysis
  • COSC 178/78: Deep Learning
  • COSC 189: Topics in Applied Computer Science
  • COSC 258: Operating Systems
  • COSC 267: Introduction to Human Computer Interaction
  • COSC 274: Machine Learning and Statistical Data Analysis
  • COSC 276: Artificial Intelligence
  • COSC 278: Deep Learning
  • COSC 281: Principles of Robot Design and Programming
• Public Health:
  • PH 114: Contemporary Issues in Biotechnology: The Practitioner's Perspective (0.5 unit)
  • PH 115: Value and Resource Allocation
  • PH 122: Survey Methods
  • PH 125: Introduction to Qualitative Methods for Public Health& Healthcare Studies (0.5 unit)
  • PH 128: Health Systems (0.5 unit)
  • PH 130: Practical Approaches for Today's Health Care Ethics Challenges (Elective Short Course)
  • PH 131: Patient Centered Health Communication(0.5 unit)
  • PH 140: Applying Health Statistics (1.5 units)
  • PH 147/QBS 139: Advanced Health Services Research with ILE Project (0.5 unit)
  • PH 151: Environmental Health Sciences and Policy(0.5 unit)
  • PH 154: Determinants of Health Inequities(0.5 unit)
• Additional A & S Courses:
  • BIOL 176: Advanced Genetics
  • GENE 145: Genomics of Human Disease
  • MATH 100: Topics in Probability Theory
  • MATH 106: Stochastic Processes with Applications
  • PSYC 174: Computational Neuroscience: Brain Engineering
  • Communicating Science

Journal Clubs

Students are required to complete 6 approved journal club courses, which can be chosen from the following options:

• QBS Journal club offerings:
  • QBS 193: Independent Journal Club (0.5 unit)
  • QBS 194: Biostatistics Journal Club (0.5 unit)
  • QBS 270: QBS Journal Club: Epidemiology (0.5 unit)
  • QBS 270: QBS Journal Club: Bioinformatics (0.5 unit)
  • QBS 270: QBS Journal Club: Biostatistics (0.5 unit)
  • QBS 271: Advanced Epidemiology Journal Club (0.5 unit)
• Additional journal club offerings:
  • BIOL 265: Microbial Ecology and Environmental Biology
  • BIOL 268: Genes and Gene Products
  • COSC 189: Topics in Applied Computer Science
  • ENGG 260: Advances in Biotechnology
  • GENE 261: Cancer Biology
  • MICR 264 and 265: Microbiology and Immunology - Graduate Research Colloquium

Research Rotations

Students are required to complete three first-year research rotations, which consist of three small research projects conducted with different faculty members for periods of about three months each. The research rotations are registered as:

• QBS 187: QBS PhD Student Internship
• QBS 197: Graduate Research in Quantitative Biomedical Sciences I
• QBS 198: Graduate Research in Quantitative Biomedical Sciences II
• QBS 199: Graduate Research in Quantitative Biomedical Sciences III
• QBS 297: Advanced Graduate Research in Quantitative Biomedical Sciences I
• QBS 298: Advanced Graduate Research in Quantitative Biomedical Sciences II
• QBS 299: Advanced Graduate Research in Quantitative Biomedical Sciences III

Teaching

Students are required to complete one quarter of supervised teaching in a QBS course, unless otherwise approved. The supervised teaching is registered as:

• QBS 196: Supervised Teaching in QBS

Qualifying Examination and Thesis

Students are required to complete a qualifying examination and a thesis. The qualifying examination is an oral examination that assesses the student's knowledge and skills in the field. The thesis is a significant research project that demonstrates the student's ability to conduct original research and contribute to the field. The thesis is defended in an oral examination and presented in a public lecture.