Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Bulletin of Yale University
 
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Cellular and Molecular Physiology

B-147 Sterling Hall of Medicine, 737.2215
M.S., M.Phil., Ph.D.

Chair
Steven C. Hebert

Director of Graduate Studies
Fred Sigworth (BE-42 SHM, 785.5773, fred.sigworth@yale.edu)

Professors
Peter Aronson (Internal Medicine/Nephrology), Robert Berliner (Emeritus), Henry Binder (Internal Medicine/Endocrinology), Walter Boron, Emile Boulpaep, Arthur Broadus (Internal Medicine/Endocrinology), Thomas Brown (Psychology), Michael Caplan, W. Knox Chandler, Lawrence Cohen, Arthur DuBois (Epidemiology), Barbara Ehrlich (Pharmacology), Bliss Forbush III, John Geibel (Surgery), Gerhard Giebisch, Gabriel Haddad (Pediatrics), Steven Hebert, Joseph Hoffman, Leonard Kaczmarek (Pharmacology), Edward Moczydlowski (Pharmacology), Steven Segal, Gerald Shulman (Internal Medicine/Endocrinology), Fred Sigworth, Carolyn Slayman (Genetics), Clifford Slayman, John Stitt (Epidemiology), Fred Wright (Internal Medicine/Nephrology)

Associate Professors
Catherine Berlot, Marie Egan (Pediatrics), Steve Goldstein (Pediatrics), George Richerson (Neurology)

Assistant Professors
Michael Apkon (Pediatrics), Cecilia Canessa, Reiko Maki Fitzsimonds, P. Darrell Neufer, Vincent Pieribone

Fields of Study
Major training programs are in cellular and molecular physiology, membrane biophysics, and neurobiology. Individual programs are tailored for each student and can span the range from biophysics, biochemistry, and cell and molecular biology to organ systems and whole animal physiology.

Special Admissions Requirements
Courses in mathematics through elementary calculus, biology and biochemistry, and organic and physical chemistry are recommended. The GRE General Test is required.

To enter the Ph.D. program, students apply to an interest-based track within the interdepartmental graduate program in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences.

Special Requirements for the Ph.D. Degree
Formal requirements for the Ph.D. include two or three terms of course work in which the grade of Honors must be achieved in at least two term courses by the end of the second year, a qualifying examination taken at the end of that course work, submission of a thesis proposal no later than the end of the third year, and completion and satisfactory defense of the thesis. Students with appropriate background may fulfill requirements for the Ph.D. degree in four years.

Students consult with the DGS and the Committee on Graduate Training to design a suitable program of courses. This program forms a coherent background for the expected area of dissertation research and also satisfies the department's subject and proficiency requirements. Students must obtain advanced training in at least three out of four other areas that crucially underlie research: physical science, molecular science, cell science, and genetics. These breadth requirements may be met by course work throughout the university. Also during the first two terms, each student should explore research projects in several laboratories to create an informed basis upon which to select a thesis project. There is no foreign language requirement. The qualifying examination, which must be passed by the end of the student's fourth term in residence, will cover areas of physiology that complement the student's major research interest. After passing the qualifying examination and submitting a satisfactory prospectus, a student is admitted to candidacy and then begins concerted research on his or her thesis. The completed dissertation must describe original research making a significant contribution to knowledge.

An important aspect of graduate training in cellular and molecular physiology is the acquisition of teaching skills through participation in courses appropriate for the student's scientific interests. These opportunities can be drawn from a diverse menu of lecture, laboratory, and seminar courses given at the undergraduate, graduate, and medical school level. Ph.D. students are expected to participate in two terms (or the equivalent) of teaching. Students are not expected to teach during their first year.

Master's Degrees
No students are admitted for master's degrees. Under certain circumstances continuing or transferring students may become eligible for the M.S. or M.Phil. degree.

Program materials are available upon request to the Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University, School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, Yale University, PO Box 208026, New Haven CT 06520-8026.

Courses
C&MP 520, Research in Cell Biology and Molecular Physiology. Catherine Berlot.
Three ten-week periods of directed research and reading in selected laboratories. For first-year graduate students in the Cell Biology & Molecular Physiology Track. Also CBIO 520.

C&MP 550a, Physiological Systems. Steven Segal and staff. Mon/Wed/Fri 9.30-10.20
We develop a foundation in human physiology and the principles of feedback and regulation of homeostasis at the cellular level and of the organism as a whole. The biophysical properties of cells, tissues, and organs are developed in context of the functions they perform. We first examine cellular and membrane physiology, which leads into the physiology of skeletal muscle and its neural control, smooth muscle in hollow organs, and the heart as a muscular pump. The regulation of cardiac output, blood flow, and vascular exchange are each considered in context and then integrated in light of exercise physiology and the maintenance of arterial pressure. The respiratory system is considered in light of the mechanical interactions between the lung and the chest wall, convection and diffusion of gasses, and respiratory control of acid-base balance. We continue by exploring the functional organization of the kidney, how urine is formed, and how salt, fluid, and acid-base homeostasis are regulated. The digestive system is developed in the context of energy balance and temperature regulation, substrate metabolism, and its regulation by hormones. Calcium, water, and electrolyte balance are incorporated in further exploration of the endocrine system, which concludes with the physiology of reproduction. The organization of the central nervous system is then considered in light of synaptic physiology, learning and memory, and the special senses. Examining the body's innate and acquired defense mechanisms concludes the overall course material. In addition, graduate students evaluate pertinent research topics on a weekly basis through directed readings, written reports, and group conferences with the instructor. Also ENAS 550a, MCDB 550au.

C&MP 560b, Cell and Molecular Physiology from Fundamental Mechanisms to Human Disease. Michael Caplan, Knox Chandler. Mon/Wed/Fri 1.30-2.30
This course focuses on understanding the processes that transfer molecules across membranes at the cellular, molecular, biophysical, and physiologic levels. Students learn about the different classes of molecular machines that mediate membrane transport, generate electrical currents, or perform mechanical displacement. Emphasis is placed upon the relationship between the molecular structures of membrane proteins and their individual functions. The interactions among transport proteins in determining the physiologic behaviors of cells and tissues are also stressed. Molecular motors are introduced and their mechanical relationship to cell function is explored. Students read papers from the scientific literature that establish the connections between mutations in genes encoding membrane proteins and a wide variety of human genetic diseases.

C&MP 710b, Electron Cryo-Microscopy: A Versatile Tool for Studying the Structure of Biological Macromolecules and Their Supramolecular Assemblies. Vinzenz Unger, Fred Sigworth.
Understanding cellular function requires structural and biochemical studies at an ever-increasing level of complexity. The course is an introduction into the concepts and applications of high-resolution electron cryo-microscopy. This rapidly emerging, new technique is the only tool known to date that allows biological macromolecules to be studied at all levels of resolution ranging from their cellular organization to near atomic detail. Also MB&B 710b4.

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