Master's Degree Program in
Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry
Description
▪
Program
Requirements
▪
Research
Undergraduate Prequisites
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How to
Apply
Description
This program is designed for students who wish to improve their qualifications for more
advanced degrees such as the M.D. or Ph.D., to obtain employment as a laboratory
scientist, to meet other career objectives (e.g., scientific administration, secondary
school science education, patent law), or to augment an existing advanced degree (M.D.,
D.V.M., D.D.S., J.D., etc.). The program can be designed to meet specific individual
needs. The focus of the Master's Program is to provide an in-depth experience in molecular
and cellular biochemistry which develops the student's critical thinking and problem
solving abilities. This flexible program can be designed to meet individual students'
needs.
Candidates for the M.S. degree will complete twenty-four semester
hours of credit and must meet the general requirements of the Graduate School. Normally the first year of study will be spent
taking required and elective courses, as well as becoming familiar with research
opportunities in the department. The required
core curriculum consists of Molecular Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Methods in Biomedical
Sciences, Molecular Biology, Biostatistics, and Journal Club.
The second and final year consists entirely of research conducted
under the direction of a faculty advisor. The
M.S. student will be required to either write a thesis or to write a less formal report of
the research project. A Masters Faculty
Committee, formed at the end of the first year, will review these written documents. At the end of the second year, students will be
required to present a research seminar. Based
on an evaluation of each student’s course grades, thesis or research report, and
research presentation, the Master’s Committee will determine if division requirements
of the Program have been fulfilled.
Research is being conducted in the following areas: (1) molecular biology -
Regulation of gene expression by transcription factors, protein co-factors, and by
chemical modification of histone proteins; transcriptional activation by steroid hormones;
chromatin structure of active genes; molecular basis of alcohol effects on hormone gene
regulation. (2) molecular neurobiology/neurochemistry and neurotoxicity - brain
neurodegeneration and/or neuroprotection mechanisms during parkinsonism and other
neurodegenerative diseases; therapeutic and neuroprotective mechanisms to prevent the
damaging effects of alcohol on the developing brain; effects of maternal alcohol
consumption on development of the serotonergic system; effects of alcohol on
hypothalamic and pituitary gene transcription; molecular mechanisms of neuronal calcium
channel function in normal and pathological conditions. (3) cellular biology, cancer
biology, and metabolic biochemistry - metabolism of peptide hormones and
neurotransmitters, role of aminopeptidase P in blood pressure control/cardioprotective
mechanisms and development of drug-like inhibitors of this enzyme; mechanisms
involved with the control of expression of genes required for the malignant properties of
tumor cell by activated oncogenes; role of tumor suppressor in the regulation of the cell
cycle; pathways of cellular apoptosis; signal transduction pathways in cancer cells;
mechanisms by which the regulation of lysosomal protease synthesis and trafficking in
tumor cells might facilitate tumor cell metabolism; structure/function
characterization of the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor family; heat shock and
chaperone proteins in regulation of apoptosis; angiogenesis in wound healing; effects of
steroid hormones on sexual differentiation of the brain; cytokine signaling - T helper
cell differentiation; biochemistry of oxygen radical reactions; effects of gender, aging
and alcohol exposure on inflammation and cell mediated immunity.
Applicants for the M.S. Degree Program should have completed courses
in biochemistry, differential and integral calculus, organic chemistry
and physics, and have a strong biology background. Additional
recommended courses for applicants include molecular biology, cell
biology and genetics.
To apply for admission to the graduate program in Molecular and
Cellular Biochemistry, the following documents are required from
domestic applicants:
▪ A completed admission
application
▪ One set of official
transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions
attended
▪ Official GRE scores from the
General Exam
▪ Three letters of
recommendation
▪ Statement of Purpose
For international applicants, the following documents are
required in addition to those listed above:
▪ TOEFL or IELTS scores
▪ A Declaration and Certification
of Finances Form
▪ Evaluations of international
transcripts by an outside credentialing service. Go to
www.ece.org for information about
this service and to download an application.
All documents should be sent to:
Graduate and Professional Enrollment Management
820 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 800
Chicago, IL 60611
If you have any questions, please e-mail:
gradapp@luc.edu
