Curricular Training Tracks

A core strength of the graduate educational experience within the Biomedical Sciences (BIMS) PhD and MS Thesis degree programs is the alignment of graduate training with the VMBS research strengths by way of curricular training tracks. These training tracks capitalize on the interdepartmental, cross-disciplinary nature of our research emphasis areas, providing faculty with a natural structure for teaching and mentoring graduate students.

Students select a curricular training track based upon their research interests, a planned project, and/or a faculty mentor’s area of research. Building upon common core courses for the program, each curricular training track has required coursework and recommended electives that are designed to build a strong foundational body of knowledge relevant to the student’s specific research focus.

Faculty Leadership

Each track has faculty leadership that serves on the VMBS Graduate Instruction Committee, providing advisory programmatic oversight of the BIMS Graduate Program.

Biomedical Genomics & Bioinformatics
Track Co-Leaders: Dr. Chris Seabury | Dr. Ivan Ivanov

Diagnostics & Therapeutics
Track Co-Leaders: Dr. Larry Suva | Dr. Tibor Farkas

Infection, Immunity & Epidemiology
Track Co-Leaders: Dr. Angela Bordin |Dr. Keri Norman

Physiology & Developmental Biology
Track Co-Leaders: Dr. Gladys Ko | Dr. Wei Xu

These faculty are deeply committed to the growth and development of graduate training within their respective tracks and the program as a whole. Notable roles include:

• Serving as a resource to prospective students by assisting with faculty mentor selection
• Supporting faculty mentors and trainees by being a resource of content-specific track information
• Supporting the professional development of graduate faculty by assisting faculty with best practices in mentoring trainees
• Engaging in curricular review, providing recommendations for graduate program course development