Program Overview

BioMed: Therapeutic Sciences

The Therapeutic Sciences graduate program offers students an intimate, congenial and collaborative learning environment that draws upon faculty experts from the life and physical science departments, as well as physician-scientists at affiliated hospitals.

Program Description

The Therapeutic Sciences PhD Program was developed to be an expansion and integration of our longstanding PhD programs in Molecular Pharmacology & Physiology (MPP) and Biotechnology (Biotech). Although the Therapeutic Sciences PhD still covers pharmacology, physiology and biotechnology, it also includes other fields that are part of the broader, expanding discipline of therapeutics. For example, the program includes studies of drug targets in the immune system that are important in treating infectious diseases, characterization of brain mechanisms of addiction with an eye toward therapy, studies of molecular interactions in disease processes, understanding and preventing cancer growth and metastasis, and applications of cell- and tissue-based therapies, to name a few of the research foci. Thus, TSGP offers advanced training appropriate for academic and research careers in the fields of biology and medical sciences with a focus on determining disease mechanisms and drug actions, and developing novel therapies. The PhD program is funded in part by an NIH training grant (T32) through the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) Program in Pharmacological Sciences.

Research Facilities

All graduate student research is carried out in faculty research laboratories. In addition to all of the basic research equipment, tools, and facilities, major shared facilities include:

• An electron microscope facility, which houses two high–resolution transmission electron microscopes and a scanning electron microscope
• A professionally staffed animal–care facility fully equipped for animal maintenance, large animal surgery, and experimentation
• An artificial–organ laboratory
• An NMR facility with an 850 MHz (with cryogenic probe) spectrometer
• A mouse transgenic and knockout core facility
• A proteomics core facility including a Biacore T–100
• A molecular genetics core facility with the capacity to analyze gene–chips

Application Information

Application Requirements

• GRE Subject: Not required
• GRE General: Not required
• Writing Sample: Required (in the form of a personal statement)

Dates/Deadlines

• Application Deadline: December 1, 2025

Completion Requirements

Students must pass a preliminary research examination according to established schedules, complete and publicly defend a doctoral dissertation, and participate in the undergraduate and graduate teaching programs of the Division of Biology and Medicine. Attainment of the Ph.D. degree normally requires four to five years for Ph.D. candidates and three to four years of graduate work for M.D./Ph.D. candidates.

Leadership

• Chair: Jonathan Kurtis
• Director of Graduate Studies: Diana Horrigan
• Director of Graduate Studies: Sean Lawler

Program Overview

The Therapeutic Sciences graduate program at Brown University offers a comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach to the study of therapeutics, providing students with a unique and collaborative learning environment. With a focus on determining disease mechanisms and drug actions, and developing novel therapies, this program is ideal for students seeking advanced training in the fields of biology and medical sciences. The program is supported by state-of-the-art research facilities and a faculty of renowned experts in their fields. Upon completion of the program, graduates are well-prepared for academic and research careers in the fields of biology and medical sciences.