The Biomedical Sciences (BMS) Graduate Program at UCSF trains students for an exciting new phase of biological research - the application of molecular, cellular, and biochemical techniques to the investigation of how mammalian cells, tissues, and organs function in health and disease.

The BMS program has eight major thematic areas(Cancer Biology & Cell Signaling, Developmental & Stem Cell Biology, Genetics & Genomics, Immunology, Neuroscience, Tissue/Organ Biology & Endocrinology, Vascular & Cardiac Biology, Virology & Microbial Pathogenesis) that you can explore on our website. You will see we have a very diverse faculty committed to both basic research and graduate education. Most of the individual thematic areas offer their own journal clubs, research retreats, and course electives to enrich the basic curriculum of the Biomedical Sciences Program.

Our curriculum is unique and fashioned to give graduate students fluency in the principles of tissue and organ architecture, development, and function. In all cases, this is done in the context of the underlying basic biology. Formal coursework provides a foundation in Genetics, Molecular Biology, Macromolecular Structure & Function, and Cell Biology. In addition, a two-quarter course covers Tissue and Organ Biology, including an introduction to tissue architecture in a laboratory setting that allows students to become familiar with normal and disease states in both experimental animal models, and humans themselves.

The Biomedical Sciences Graduate program is a reflection of the interdisciplinary and interactive philosophy that characterizes the University of California, San Francisco. Our faculty is committed to training generations of graduate students who are excited about cross-disciplinary research using techniques at the frontiers of biological science.

Application Deadline
All application materials must be received by MONDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2004. In particular, please allow several weeks for your transcripts and letters of recommendation to arrive before the December 20, 2004 deadline. GRE and TOEFL tests should be taken no later than the November prior to application submission in order to ensure that the scores are received by late December.

Many faculty at UCSF participate in one or more graduate programs.
Listed below are the graduate programs with shared faculty, along with their contact information. Each graduate program maintains its own admissions procedures. You may only apply to one UCSF graduate program in an academic year.

Biological & Medical Informatics (BMI)
Denise Chan
(415) 514-0249

Biophysics
Julie Ransom
(415) 476-6641

Chemistry & Chemical Biology (CCB)
Chris Olson
(415) 476-1914

Neuroscience
Pat Veitch
(415) 476-2248

Pharmaceutical Sciences & Pharmacogenomics (PSPG)
Debbie Acoba
(415) 476-1947

TETRAD
Danny Dam
(415) 476-3941