About the Program

Now that the sequencing of the human genome is completed, biological and biomedical science enters a new era of scientific inquiry. How can we place the immense data generated from the genome project into a functional context? How can we interpret the broad, systemic effects derived from the experimental perturbation of a single gene? Conversely, how can studies of whole organisms or living systems shed light on molecular and cellular biology? These questions become a more pressing challenge as increasingly powerful and accessible technologies enable the rapid generation of genetically modified organisms for study. The scientists who can best meet this challenge will be those who have the education and creativity to integrate knowledge that spans molecular genetics and whole animal function. The goal of the Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology Interdepartmental Program is to train scientists of the highest caliber to meet this new challenge!