An increasing number of young scientists have integrated the methods and approaches of the physical and life sciences in order to address biological questions in their laboratories. Their science is distinct from other genomic sciences, which typically involve applying quantitative techniques in one lab to the biological data generated in another. The power of math-based reasoning and theoretical physics is harnessed to discover fundamental aspects of biological systems. Iterations between theory and experiment, between mechanistic models and biological validation, are the key feature of Quantitative Biology.

Addressing these challenges requires an interdisciplinary research structure dedicated to developing intellectual and human capacity in Bioinformatics and Systems Biology (BISB), Biomedical Informatics (BMI), and Quantitative Biology (QBIO). As such, there is an enormous need for trained professionals who are experts in biology, biomedicine, and computing. To address this need, the Bioinformatics Graduate Program at UC San Diego was founded in 2001 by Professor Shankar Subramaniam. It now includes five schools and divisions on the UC San Diego campus: the Jacobs School of Engineering (bioengineering, computer science and engineering, and nanoengineering), the Division of Biological Sciences (molecular biology, cell and developmental biology, neurobiology, ecology/behavior/evolution), the Division of Physical Sciences (chemistry and biochemistry, physics, and mathematics), the School of Medicine, and the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. The graduate program is supported by the respective schools, divisions, and departments as well as by a substantial NIH Training Grant and more than fifty associated faculty.

Source: http://www.ucsd.edu/catalog/curric/BIOI-gr.html

University of California San Diego | PHD: Bioinformatics and Systems Biology

Login