Message from the Chair

The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology provides its graduates with an excellent foundation for careers in basic or medical life sciences through an emphasis on biochemical and genetic approaches to scientific advances and fundamental knowledge combined with research-intensive training. Research in the department encompasses a range of exciting investigations, all aimed at understanding life's fundamental molecular mechanisms.

Focus areas include cell surface enzymes/proteins/glycoproteins and interacting molecules, metalloproteases, protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions, protein folding, gene expression, the organization, stability, RNA and protein biosynthesis, processing and subcellular trafficking, metabolic and enzyme biochemistry, glycoconjugates, neuro-development and neuro-signaling, and signaling mechanisms controlling growth and differentiation. Much of the research in the department also has direct medical relevance to, for example, metabolic diseases, cancer, blood diseases, heart disease, AIDS, neuropathology, nephrology, diabetes, and anesthesiology. Members of department are recognized for research excellence and are active in professional leadership roles, including membership on editorial and science advisory boards. The faculty members with primary appointments in the department, and joint appointees, are devoted to working closely with graduate students in the course of their thesis research.

The students currently enrolled in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology graduate program benefit from a departmental philosophy of communal responsibility for each student accepted into the program. Our students also benefit immensely from a rich learning environment. Students, postdoctoral fellows, and faculty participate in research and journal clubs to foster professional interactions, critical thinking, and excellence in analytical and communicative skills. Graduates compete successfully for postdoctoral fellowships in first-class laboratories and go on to establish rewarding careers in academic, industrial, biotech, educational and other institutions.

The facilities in the Department and College are excellent due to a long history of support from Penn State University and national funding agencies. Most of the research funding is from the National Institutes of Health, with additional funding coming from the American Cancer Society, National Science Foundation, Department of Defense, American Heart Association, and the International Frontier in Science Program.