Graduate Education

Graduate Program in Molecular Oncology & Cancer Biology

The program in Molecular Oncology & Cancer Biology (MOCB) was established in 1998 by a group of faculty with common interests in cancer research. As one of the leading training programs at the University of Rochester Medical Center, the program currently has over 42 faculty members and 17 full-time graduate students.

An interdisciplinary graduate program with many different research interests. The program in Molecular Oncology & Cancer Biology offers graduate students opportunities to pursue research in cancer endocrinology, cancer immunology, cancer radiation biology, cancer pharmacology/ therapeutics, cancer genetics, and many basic research that may be linked to human cancer.

The curriculum for the program in MOCB consists of courses from advanced studies in Biochemistry, Cell Biology and cancer-related courses. Graduate classes are small and there is strong emphasis on the translational research from basic bench study to clinical trials. The program holds a weekly seminar where students and faculty present their recent important discoveries. At the same time, the MOCB seminar brings sixteen or more nationally recognized cancer researchers to the Medical Center each year to present their research.

In the first year of study students complete three elective rotations in the labs of faculty members of their choice and select an advisor by the end of the second semester. Required and elective courses (24 credits) are taken throughout the first and second years. The student must take and pass an oral qualifying examination (thesis proposal) by the end of the second year in order to become a Ph.D. candidate. Independent research is carried out in state-of-the-art laboratories under the direction of the student's advisor, with regularly scheduled meetings with the Ph.D. committee selected by the student and advisor. A formal written dissertation on the student's research is required and must be successfully defended at a public examination. The normal, average period required for completion of the Ph.D. degree ranges from 4 to 5 years.

It is the goal of the Ph.D. program in MOCB to train students as independent investigators who can bridge from basic bench study to clinical research and eventually become independent academic professors or researchers in pharmaceutical-related industry.

For information on admission to the program in MOCB, please visit our web site at: www.urmc.rochester.edu/GEBS

Course Requirements in MOCB Cluster

Total of 30 credit hours are needed before becoming a Ph.D. candidate. A maximum of 6 credits can come from research.

Name	Credits	Offered
Cancer Biology I(Radiation Biology, Cancer Immunology, Cancer Endocrinology)	2	Fall (even year)
Cancer Biology II(Cancer Genetics, Tumor Suppressor/Oncogene, Cancer Pharmacology/Therapeutics)	2	Fall (odd year)
Oncology Seminar	2/2	Spring/Fall
Pathology	4	Fall
Select 2 of the following 4 courses:
Biochemistry Core	4	Fall
Cell Biology Core	4	Fall
Molecular Biology Core	4	Spring
Eukaryotic Gene Expression	4	Spring

(Those who have an M.S. degree with advanced courses in Biochemistry or Cell Biology may waive one of the 4 credit core courses.)