SDSU / UC San Diego Cell & Molecular Biology Joint Doctoral Program

Students enrolled in the SDSU / UC San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Cell and Molecular Biology benefit from taking graduate core courses from UC San Diego's School of Biological Sciences with research training provided by SDSU Faculty in departments such as Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, and Psychology. Students take cell and molecular biology, genetics, and ethics courses and a choice of electives during their time in the program. Students spend one year enrolled at UC San Diego and will complete at least three laboratory rotations with SDSU faculty. The diverse faculty research interests address a wide range of biological questions and reflect the interdisciplinary nature of modern biology.

Major Areas of Study

Ovarian cancer cells grown as spheroids.

Cancer Biology

Investigates tumor heterogeneity, drug resistance, and signaling pathways in various cancers.

Dissected Drosophila heart.

Developmental and Regenerative Biology

Focuses on muscle, heart development, stem cells, and neural crest studies.

Farmland rows of green plants.

Environmental Microbiology

Explores microbial ecology, coral disease, and environmental impacts of climate change.

Hairy Blastula.

Genetics and Epigenetics

Studies DNA recombination, CRISPR, gene-editing, and epigenetic regulation of gene expression.

Purple and green bacteriophage.

Microbiology and Immunology

Examines host-microbe interactions, microbial genetics, parasitology, and immune system responses.

Illustration of didymin and hesperidin in infected and healthy citrus branches.

Systems Biology and Bioinformatics

Utilizes big data, metabolic modeling, and genomics to understand biological systems.

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