HILS Home > Programs of Study > Systems Biology
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Introduction to Program and Program RationaleThe goal of the Systems Biology Program at Harvard University is to prepare investigators with diverse backgrounds for independent research careers in which combined theoretical and experimental approaches are used to address biological problems. The program is administered by the Committee on Higher Degrees in Systems Biology, which comprises senior representatives from the Departments of Systems Biology (DSB), Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology (BCMP), Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB), Chemistry and Chemical Biology (CCB), and the Division of Engineering and Applied Sciences (DEAS). Students may choose advisors from any science department at Harvard, including the research departments of the 11 Harvard-affiliated teaching hospitals.
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For more information, please visit http://sysbio.med.harvard.edu/phd.
Students considering graduate work in Systems Biology 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.
A number of candidates will be invited to interview in late January. Final decisions concerning admission are made by the dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and the candidates are notified by letter from the Admissions Office.
Students admitted to Harvard Medical School as candidates for the MD degree may also apply for admission to the Systems Biology program in order to earn a PhD degree in systems biology.
This program may be of particular interest to prospective medical students with a strong theoretical background and to students enrolled in the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology.
The Program aims to recruit students from a variety of backgrounds including all areas of biology, physics, chemistry, computer science, engineering, and mathematics who will work together to forge a new approach to biology that combines theoretical and experimental approaches. The typical student has a strong background in one of the disciplines relevant to Systems Biology and an interest in interdisciplinary research.
Each student's program of graduate study is planned in consultation with two faculty advisors. The degree program is designed to be completed in a maximum of six years.
Students are required to take SB300 Introduction to Systems Biology, MedSci300 Conduct of Science, and four additional courses chosen in consultation with their faculty advisor.
Four formal courses are currently offered by the Systems Biology Department. In addition, students can take a wide variety of courses taught in any of the science departments at Harvard and MIT.
(1) Dynamic and Stochastic Processes in Cells SB200
Rigorous introduction to (i) dynamical systems theory as a tool to understand molecular and cellular biology (ii) stochastic processes in single cells, using tools from statistical physics and information theory.
(2) Principles of Animal Development from a Systems Perspective SB201
Intensive and critical analysis of systems approaches to circuits and principles controlling pattern formation and morphogenesis in animals. Students develop their own ideas and present them through mentored “chalk talks” and other interactive activities.
(3) Biologically Inspired Molecular Engineering SB204
A course focusing on the rational design, construction, and applications of nucleic acid- and protein-based synthetic molecular machinery and programmable molecular systems. Students are mentored to produce substantial midterm and final group design projects.
4) Synthetic Biology SB205
A course covering the design and synthesis of new genetic circuits, construction of novel genomes and the chemical basis for building self-replicating systems. Weekly lectures and discussion sections will be led by instructors and outside speakers.
To facilitate choice of advisor(s), we recommend that students temporarily join research groups for periods of 6-12 weeks during their first year of study. Two to four “rotations” are allowed, with the last to be completed by summer of the first year, after which the student will select an area of research and one or more advisors.
Students will meet participating faculty and hear about their research, both in formal lectures and in informal settings. After the first year a student may choose a single faculty member as their advisor, or may elect to initiate a collaboration between two or more labs. The research topic chosen may be entirely theoretical, or entirely experimental, or anything in between.
The purpose of the examination is to ensure that the student is prepared to embark on dissertation research. The examination is given in two phases. The first phase must be completed by June 1 of the student’s first year, and is intended to evaluate the student’s progress in acquiring competence in mathematical and/or computational approaches. Students will formulate a question related to any problem in biology and devise a mathematical or computational approach to addressing it. Results of the project will be presented in a short written summary and orally. Phase two must be completed by the end of March of the student’s second year. Students will prepare and defend an original research proposal related to the student’s proposed dissertation research.
After completing the Qualifying Exam, students will be required to meet once a year with a Dissertation Advisory Committee (DAC) consisting of their advisor(s) and three additional faculty. The DAC and the student will meet and discuss the proposal, and the student will receive feedback, advice and suggestions from Committee members. This should help refine the student’s ideas about their dissertation project and define the scope, direction and overall soundness of the idea.
The dissertation defense is comprised of two components: the first is a public presentation made to the department and community as a whole; the second is a private defense and examination before the student’s dissertation advisory committee.
The candidate must provide copies of the completed (unbound) dissertation to members of their committee and the Graduate Programs Office at least two weeks in advance of the dissertation defense. Electronic copies may be submitted. Detailed requirements on the dissertation are published in The Form of the PhD Dissertation, which is available online at www.gsas.harvard.edu or in the Graduate Office.
A total of 51 members of the Harvard faculty are currently affiliated with the Systems Biology Program.
A complete directory (searchable by research interest, name, and title) of faculty affiliated with the Systems Biology Program can be found at the HILS Faculty Directory's Systems Biology listing.