GRACE IN MOTION -- A Ballet Aficionado Heeds The Call Of The Wild (Turkey) To Explore The Science Of Biomechanics

When Glenna Clifton began studying ballet at the age of 3, she had no way of knowing that her love for dance would eventually lead her to study biomechanics as part of a PhD program in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, one of 12 programs in the Harvard Integrated Life Sciences network. And even as she continued to pursue her passion, she probably never expected that it would somehow lead her to turkeys. (more)

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TWO NEW STUDY AREAS -- Bioinformatics and Integrative Genomics (BIG) and the Program in Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology (SHBT)

HILS is pleased to announce that 2 new interdepartmental subject offerings within the Division of Medical Sciences -- Bioinformatics and Integrative Genomics (BIG) and The Program in Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology (SHBT) -- will be admitting PhD students for Fall 2012 enrollment.

The Bioinformatics and Integrative Genomics (BIG) subject area supports PhD study in bioinformatics and functional genomics. The program encompasses computational analysis and mathematical modeling of data generated by sequence, gene expression, structural, proteomics, and metabolite assaying technologies. It includes integration of clinical and population data from electronic health records and informal, non-traditional sources such as cellular phones. Bioinformatics and genomics are both tightly linked to the mathematical and biophysical modeling of complex biological systems and experimental validation of computational predictions. BIG graduate students will conduct original research relating to the development of novel approaches and new technologies which address these important connections. http://www.hms.harvard.edu/dms/BIG

The program in Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology (SHBT) provides multidisciplinary PhD research training in basic, clinical, and applied approaches to the study and treatment of all aspects of human communication and its disorders. The 65 SHBT faculty affiliates have academic homes in laboratories within Harvard, MIT and other Boston area institutions. Their aggregate research portfolio covers virtually all aspects of speech, hearing, voice, language, and balance, including: motor control or acoustics of speech production and laryngeal function; the mechanics, biophysics, physiology, and/or molecular biology of the middle and inner ear; the study of neural codes and circuitry underlying central auditory and language processing; as well as hardware and software systems development of hearing aids, cochlear implants, and speech recognition systems.

SHBT seeks students who share: 1) an interest in speech and hearing in its broadest definition; 2) the belief that progress in this area requires the coordinated effort of engineers, scientists, and clinicians; and 3) the understanding that real-world bedside applications require coupling the discoveries and the people behind them with appropriate industrial partners. http://www.hms.harvard.edu/dms/SHB

Admission applications to BIG and SHBT are accessible via the HILS online application website and share the December 1, 2011 deadline; they will be received and processed by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS), and admissions decision making for them will be managed by the Division of Medical Sciences (DMS).

Application instructions for BIG, SHBT, and the rest of the HILS member programs can be found here

Questions About HILS? 

If you need more information about the Harvard Integrated Life Sciences initiative, don’t hesitate to contact HILS Dean John McNally (jmcnally@fas.harvard.edu, 617-495-0616) or HILS Staff Assistant Matt Wallace (hils@fas.harvard.edu, 617-495-9500)