HILS Home > Programs of Study > Biological and Biomedical Sciences
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The PhD Program in Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS) offers concentrated training in the fundamentals of biochemistry, cell biology, genetics, pathology, microbiology, structural biology, pharmacology, translational medicine, virology, computational biology, and developmental biology. BBS faculty members are drawn from all of the basic science departments of Harvard Medical School (Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Cell Biology, Genetics, Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Pathology, and Systems Biology) and from many of Harvard’s affiliated teaching hospitals. Additionally, BBS has recently expanded to include faculty within the Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, a newly-established department spanning both HMS and the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS).
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The BBS program emphasizes flexibility in choosing an area of study open for pursuit, and strongly encourages student leadership and community among students as means to maximize the learning experience.
Faculty in the BBS program are located at the main research quadrangle at Harvard Medical School and at affiliated hospitals and institutions, providing students with several distinct training environments spanning pure basic research through translational research that is clinically motivated.
For example, the Leder Human Biology and Translational Medicine (LHB) Program (formerly known as the Human Biology and Translational Medicine (HBTM) Program), is a new BBS subject area that provides PhDs with training in the translation of basic research into clinical practice and disease prevention. LHB will engage physician-scientists from Harvard Medical School-affiliated hospitals as well as research faculty from the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.
For more information, visit the BBS Website.
The BBS graduate research training is interdisciplinary, with a concentration in one or more of the following areas: biochemistry, cell biology, genetics, pathology, microbiology, structural biology, pharmacology, virology, human biology, developmental biology and computational biology. The methods and experimental approaches used to address questions within these areas range from the techniques of molecular biology, protein chemistry, cell biology and biophysics to those of molecular and developmental genetics.
In the first and second years, students work with a faculty mentor to design a curriculum that meets their individual needs. The only required course in BBS is a critical reading course taken in the first semester.
Students choose core courses or advanced courses to round out their first year studies as befits their background and interests. Coursework is designed to develop a solid foundation in modern biology and to develop the ability to read critically in all areas related to a student’s research.
Laboratory rotations form an integral part of the program, allowing students to investigate several research areas before choosing a thesis laboratory. Students also perform research rotations during their first year and ordinarily choose a thesis laboratory by the end of the first full year of study.
In subsequent years, students focus on their doctoral research, supervised largely by their thesis advisor, but also periodically by an advisory committee of the student’s choosing. The thesis advisory committee guides the timely progress of his/her thesis work.
During this time, students will also take any additional advanced courses needed to meet the program requirement of eight courses. Ordinarily, about four years are required to complete the thesis research, culminating with a defense of the written thesis.
Students considering graduate work in BBS must complete the online GSAS Harvard Integrated Life Sciences (HILS) admissions application; see GSAS Application Instructions and Information for more details, or contact the Graduate School Office of Admission and Financial Aid at:
Harvard University
1350 Massachusetts Avenue
Holyoke Center 350
Cambridge, MA 02138-3654
telephone: 617-495-5315, 617-495-5396
e-mail: admiss@fas.harvard.edu
The Office of Admissions and Financial Aid is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Eastern Standard Time.
Classroom and laboratory instruction are conducted primarily by the 250 faculty members that participate in the BBS graduate program. BBS faculty are drawn from Medical School faculty located at the main Medical School quadrangle and at affiliated research institutions. The diversity of topics under study by the BBS faculty provides unparalleled research options for graduate work.
A complete directory (searchable by research interest, name, and title) of faculty affiliated with the PhD Program in Biological and Biomedical Sciences can be found at the HILS Faculty Directory's BBS listing. Another comprehensive list of BBS faculty members appears at the BBS website.