College of Graduate Studies
College of Graduate Studies
3122 Weiskotten Hall
750 East Adams Street
Syracuse, New York 13210
E-mail: biosci@upstate.edu
www.upstate.edu/grad
RESEARCH PROGRAMS IN
BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES
PhD, MD/PhD, MASTER’S DEGREES
Former graduate student Guangliang “Johnny” Wang, with his Principal
Investigator, Jeffrey Amack, PhD, associate professor of Cell and
Developmental Biology. Using a zebrafish model, Johnny helped identify
a gene that regulates the asymmetric development of the heart, and his
research was published in the journal Development. “Considering the high
incidence of heart left-right malformation at birth, this project will potentially
lead to the diagnosis or therapeutic targets of congenital heart disease,”
Johnny said. He earned his PhD in 2013 and accepted a postdoctoral position
in the Department of Surgery at Johns Hopkins University.
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2014 - 2015
WWW.UPSTATE.EDU/GRAD
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Investigate with Us
Open Doors,
Open Minds
IN THIS
GUIDE
Research Mission 2
Your Academic Path 4
What You Need to Succeed 6
Research Programs 8
Special Programs 10
Student First Authors 11
Campus Life 12
Admissions Information 14
Alumni Spotlight Upstate at a Glance
16
Inside
Back
Cover
Welcome to SUNY Upstate Medical University’s College of Graduate
Studies. Our university is part of an academic medical center, one
of only 134 in the country, and is home to a well-funded,
interdisciplinary research enterprise.
This is a forward-thinking university that fosters a supportive
environment as it maintains high standards. Our graduate students
in the biomedical sciences enjoy a student faculty ratio of nearly
one-to-one. Our students consistently praise the individual attention
they receive from their advisors, and they also enjoy mentoring from
upper-level graduate students and other researchers across campus.
Right from the start, graduate students are empowered to make
the best choices for their future careers. They choose three lab
rotations their first year before deciding on a Principal Investigator
and a lab. They are given responsibility for research projects, and
take ownership of their work. Soon, the students are also the experts.
Consider joining us. Our door is open.
Investigate with Us
Jeanine Pignatelli,
a PhD student in Cell and
Developmental Biology,
works with lab technician
Mike James in the laboratory
of Christopher Turner, PhD.
Pignatelli received a $25,000
grant from the National Cancer
Center for her work with cell
adhesion proteins in tumors.
Choose SUNY Upstate for:
• Outstanding research
• Students publish in high-level journals
• Daily interaction with faculty research advisor
• Well-funded, modern labs
• Extensive career development program
• Choice of multiple degree programs
• Tuition waiver and competitive stipend
• Teaching duties are not required but opportunities are available
• Affordable cost of living
• Extensive health benefits, including dental and vision
• Formal training in grant writing
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SUNY Upstate Medical University
Research Concentrations
Improving Human Health by linking basic and translational research
Global
Collaboration
State-wide
Collaboration
Regional
University
Collaboration
Upstate
Medical
University
Research
our MISSION
our FOCUS AREAS
Research labs at Upstate are
exploring both common and
complex illnesses that affect people
all over the world. These include
potential treatments and cures for
cancer, cardiovascular diseases,
diabetes, infectious diseases,
neurodegenerative disorders,
blinding diseases, and many more.
Each student in the College of
Graduate Studies works closely with
research faculty on exciting areas of
biomedical investigation. Students
have three lab experiences before
focusing on a specific area of study.
Students ultimately will have a
research project to call their own.
Our scientists use technological
advances to explore diseases at a
molecular and cellular level and to
develop targeted treatments. Basic
research in structural, molecular
and systems biology informs and
supports all our research, and
our scientists include nationally
recognized experts in these fields.
As our College is closely aligned
with Upstate’s College of Medicine
and its teaching hospitals, our
interests span the range from basic
research, to field studies, to clinical
trials. Upstate also has facilities and
partnerships — from on campus
to around the world — to deepen
and broaden understanding and
discovery.
Upstate boasts basic and clinical researchers with diverse
expertise in neuroscience, molecular genetics, genomics,
epigenetics, structural biology, infectious disease, and behavior
disorders. This allows students the opportunity to perform
research in a wide range of research areas and easily collaborate
when new expertise is needed.
Significant research is dedicated to retinal development and
function. The vision group is committed to the translation of
basic research into practical treatments for blinding diseases.
Our neural injury research focuses on cauda equina
(lower spinal cord) injury and repair, including translational
rehabilitation studies with patients. Work in neurodegenerative
disorders is growing.
SUNY Upstate researchers strive to understand
processes responsible for degenerative changes that occur
in chronic illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease.
An interdisciplinary approach uses strengths in biochemical
signaling, electrical signaling, arrhythmogenesis, high-resolution
imaging (both in vitro and in vivo), developmental cell biology
and environmental science.
A critical goal is to develop therapeutic approaches to
reverse — and prevent — degenerative changes that develop
with these diseases. Cell migration, tissue remodeling,
immune surveillance, wound repair, angiogenesis and a better
understanding of metabolic pathways are vital and under study.
Upstate is a hub for clinical trials in diabetes.
Students and faculty in the College of Graduate Studies
contribute to a robust cancer research program at SUNY Upstate.
The new Upstate Cancer Research Institute on campus
offers opportunities for greater collaboration among faculty
conducting basic, clinical or translational research.
In addition to basic science investigations into diverse areas
— tumor cell invasion, immunotherapy, oncogenes and tumor
suppressors, viruses and genetic inheritance — our physicians
and scientists participate in national cancer trials. Our cancer
research model is a single, goal-driven unit that transcends
departmental boundaries.
Upstate emphasizes cancer research because the disease
affects people of all ages and remains the second-leading cause
of death in this country. The American Cancer Society estimates
that cancer will kill more than 580,000 people in the U.S. in 2014,
and an additional 1.66 million Americans will be diagnosed.
SUNY Upstate’s research efforts target a range of infectious
diseases. Our scientists use a combination of sophisticated
equipment, animal-model development and field work.
Host-pathogen interactions are key in understanding the
pathogenesis of human illness from infectious diseases. Upstate
has deep expertise and resources in this area, including epitope
discovery design for novel methods in vaccine development.
Emerging pathogens cause sickness and death worldwide.
We share our expertise and resources to conduct research and
develop products to promote global health, including at an NIHfunded clinic in Kenya, where children with Burkitt’s lymphoma
are treated. On campus, we use the humanized severe combined
immunodeficient mouse to develop preclinical models.
Over the last ten years, Upstate has built a large group of
structural biologists that collaborate using different techniques
to solve medically relevant structures of both soluble and
membrane bound proteins and nucleic acid protein complexes.
This has allowed for the design of specific drugs to inhibit various
proteins involved in cancer and other diseases. The institution
is fully equipped with state-of-the-art X-ray diffraction, Cryoelectron microscopy, a 800MHz NMR, super-high resolution
microscopy, and extensive computational facilities.
Upstate’s new Neuroscience Research Building is home to several basic
and clinical departments collaborating
on neuroscience research.
SUNY Upstate is part of collaborative research efforts as near as our neighbor Syracuse University
and as far away as institutions in Israel and Taiwan. The research at SUNY Upstate is highly relevant
and informs inquiry and discovery throughout the state, the nation and the world.
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SUNY Upstate Medical University
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SUNY Upstate Medical University
3
Your Academic Path
Your Academic Path
Individual Attention
Makes the Difference
LAB ROTATIONS
HELP YOU CHOOSE
Zainab Mansaray visited half a dozen graduate
Graduate student Patrick Sweeney spent his first year at Upstate rotating
schools with biomedical sciences programs before
among three different laboratories. The first year is designed that way to allow
choosing Upstate. Here, she saw the opportunity
students to sample different programs and to work with different Principal
to consistently work one-on-one with a Principal
Investigators before choosing a program and mentor.
Investigator.
Patrick was a psychology major as an undergraduate at the University of
“That was the tipping point,” Zainab said. “For
graduate school, that’s very important. It’s a new
endeavor, and you need a mentor.”
Her Principal Investigator, Brian Howell PhD,
Rochester, and knew he wanted to focus on Neuroscience. “I’ve always been
interested in the brain,” he said.
So instead of rotating into labs in three different programs, Patrick stayed
within Neuroscience but was able to spend 10 weeks in each of three labs. By
assistant professor of neuroscience and physiology,
working with three Principal Investigators, Patrick learned different techniques,
focuses his research on the molecular and cellular
different aspects of neuroscience research and different lab environments.
control of neuronal migration.
Zainab’s research aims to understand the molecular
signaling pathways involved in neuronal polarization
during early cortical development.
“It’s nice to know that we have a broad range of
“Probably the most valuable aspect of the rotations is it allows you to find a
PI who matches your style,” Patrick said. “All the PIs are different.”
Most of Patrick’s classmates rotated among two or three different
departments before deciding on a program and a lab to call home.
Patrick did his third rotation in the lab of Yunlei Yang, MD PhD, and is now
research here,” she said. “And different departments
a student in that lab. Dr. Yang’s research focuses on neural circuitry in the brain
talk to each other and collaborate. That happens a
and how that relates to eating habits and possible links to obesity and anorexia.
lot here.”
“We use a lot of interesting techniques in the lab, and it takes a lot of effort to
master them,” Patrick said.
PhD Degree Timeline
First Year
All first-year students participate in
three lab rotations of their choosing.
Lab rotations expose students to
diverse research environments and
help them select a mentor for their
dissertation research.
First-year students also participate
in a core curriculum that provides the
essentials of an education in the basic
biomedical sciences and develops
community and collegiality.
First-year students also take
electives and participate in Journal
Club, where they practice analyzing
papers and giving oral presentations.
They have until the end of the first
year to select a mentor and become
affiliated with a degree-granting
program.
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SUNY Upstate Medical University
Second Year
By the start of the second year, most PhD
students have begun work on the research
project that will lead to their dissertation.
Students take the Responsible Conduct of
Scientific Research course, which examines
the moral and philosophical issues
confronting scientists, and continue to take
electives based on their research interests as
well as courses required by their program.
In Grant Writing, students learn to write
grant applications under the supervision of a
professor.
Students pass a qualifying exam to
become candidates for the doctoral degree.
This exam is scheduled by the end of the
second year.
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Master’s Degree
Later Years
Immediately after passing the
qualifying exam, students put
together a dissertation advisory
committee of three to six
faculty members from different
departments. The committee
meets every six months to
review the student’s progress,
make suggestions and provide
direction. After completing
their research projects, students
write a dissertation and defend it.
Most students
complete their PhD
requirements in five
to six years.
Two to Three Years
Four programs in the College of
Graduate Studies offer master’s
degrees: Biochemistry and Molecular
Biology; Cell and Developmental
Biology; Pharmacology, and
Physiology. The master’s degree
program typically takes two to three
years. Master’s students participate in
selected parts of the core curriculum
along with PhD students.
Unlike PhD students who usually
affiliate with a degree-granting
program at the end of their first year,
master’s students join a program
from the start. Master’s students write
and defend a thesis, but they don’t
take a qualifying exam. Additional
requirements vary depending on the
program.
Excellent
Education
Focus on Research
SUNY Upstate has a long history of
providing an excellent education. Our
research focuses on some of the most
critical diseases that affect human
health, and our outstanding faculty
features international experts in many
areas – neuroscience, cardiovascular
physiology, cell and molecular
biology, stem cell research, structural
biology, virology and cancer biology.
Our graduate students receive
training in the latest scientific
techniques using state-of-the-art
technology and instrumentation. In
addition, we are committed to helping
our students become well-trained
scientists by providing mentoring,
opportunities to hone presentation
skills, and a solid grounding in writing
grants and research papers.
Unlike many graduate programs,
most of our PhD candidates are not
required to teach undergraduate or
lower level graduate courses. This
means our students focus on what
they came to do: research. However,
there are opportunities for our
students to gain teaching experience
if they wish. For example, some
graduate students assist in medical
school laboratory courses.
Career development
Students in the College of Graduate
Studies create an annual Career
Development Plan that identifies
professional development needs and
career objectives. The plan serves as
a communication tool for graduate
students and their faculty advisors.
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SUNY Upstate Medical University
5
We Give You What You Need…
…to succeed
Special Events
Biomedical sciences students at SUNY Upstate receive a great deal
of regular, individual attention from faculty. Students can also count
on advice from upper-level graduate students and other researchers,
including those from other departments.
Our laboratories are structured so that new students quickly gain
a sense of ownership in a project. In a relatively short period of time,
students become the experts and are given opportunities to speak
about their research, present posters at conferences and submit articles
to scientific journals.
Graduate student Jessica Ouderkirk, below
left, with mentor Mira Krendel, PhD, assistant
professor of cell and developmental biology.
Krendel is a key contributor to a study that has
identified a new gene, MYO1E, associated with
a debilitating kidney disease in children. Jessica
is a graduate student who took part in Upstate’s
Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship
(SURF) program, which provides a stipend and
a head start on graduate school.
Nobel Laureate Aaron Ciechanover, MD, DSc, visited Upstate and spent two days on campus.
He met with students and faculty, and gave a presentation on his research, which has led
to new ways of treating cancer, neurodegenerative disorders and other genetic diseases.
Ciechanover (sixth from left in front row) won the 2004 Nobel Prize for Chemistry.
Our graduate
students
have many
opportunities
to give poster
presentations of
their research to
fellow students
and faculty.
Our Students Go Places!
Distinguished Alumni Lecture
Series: Each year the College
of Graduate Studies invites an
Upstate graduate who has gone
on to a successful career in the
biomedical sciences, whether in
academia, industry or elsewhere. The
distinguished guest meets in small
groups with our graduate students
and presents a lecture open to the
entire campus.
STUDENT RESEARCH DAY: This
annual event showcases research
by students from the College of
Graduate Studies as well as students
from Upstate’s colleges of Medicine,
Nursing and Health Professions.
Students are selected to give
platform presentations, and dozens
of others give poster presentations.
The day includes a keynote by a
distinguished visiting researcher.
Travel
Opportunities:
Students Attend
Prestigious
Conferences
Yaxin Liu, right, a PhD student in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, has been awarded a
two-year American Heart Association pre-doctoral fellowship to support her research.
Yaxin studies how mutations in an essential protein in mitochondria – organelles that power
our cells – may cause certain heart and muscle diseases.
“The heart puts a high demand on cellular energy and cardiomyocytes are very sensitive to
metabolic changes and other stresses,” Yaxin said. “If anything goes wrong with mitochondria,
it has a more severe impact on cardiac function.”
Mitochondrial dysfunction is also associated with aging-related neuromuscular degenerative
diseases, Yaxin said, but how this happens isn’t clear. Her research could help scientists
understand how mitochondrial dysfunction induces cellular degeneration during aging.
“I feel like our work can play an important role,” she said. “My Principal Investigator (Dr. Xin
Jie Chen) has a personal passion for this work. He is very helpful and always available so I can go
discuss my experiments with him.”
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SUNY Upstate Medical University
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New Initiatives:
•
A
formal Peer Mentoring program that matches incoming students with
upper-level graduate students.
•
“ Six Weeks to Success,” a discussion series designed to help incoming
students get off to a strong start.
•
C
areer Development workshops throughout the year for all students
in the College of Graduate Studies.
•
L unch with the Dean – feedback sessions for students to discuss
suggestions, successes or concerns.
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A well-deserved perk for students in
the College of Graduate Studies is
the chance to travel to prestigious
conferences to present their
research – at no cost to the student.
It’s not just a free trip. It’s a
valued opportunity to improve
presentation skills, learn what other
researchers are doing and foster
relationships with students and
faculty at other universities.
Here’s a sampling of places our
students visited to present their
research in the past year:
Chicago, Illinois; Galveston, Texas;
Keystone, Colorado; New Orleans,
Louisiana; Raleigh, North Carolina;
San Diego, California; San Francisco,
California; Germany, Japan and the
Netherlands.
SUNY Upstate Medical University
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Research Degree Programs
in Biomedical Sciences
The College of Graduate Studies at SUNY Upstate educates students to be research scientists at the PhD or master’s level, preparing
them for careers in academic medical centers, colleges and universities, biomedical research institutes, the biotechnology industry,
and government agencies. The college educates graduate students through its six biomedical science programs featured here.
Upstate’s previously described areas of research focus are integrated throughout its degree granting programs.
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Faculty researchers in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology seek to understand the molecular
and cellular bases of human health and disease. We apply a broad range of tools ranging
from structural biology and biophysics to cell biology and development. Faculty with
expertise in X-ray crystallography, electron microscopy, and spectroscopy investigate protein
structure, folding, and interactions at the atomic level. Other faculty members employ
modern genetics and genomic technologies to integrate the above information with in vivo
studies to generate a broader understanding of cellular pathways and systems biology. This
comprehensive strategy is reflected by the diverse approaches that our researchers take,
from high-resolution structural studies to the use of animals and single-celled organisms to
model disease processes and development.
Areas of focus in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology include
structure and function of membrane transporters, DNA replication, transcription and
epigenetics, mitochondrial biology, and cellular
responses to stress. These studies impact
Michael Zuber PhD, associate professor
disorders from cancer to neurodegenerative
of Ophthalmology and adjunct assistant
diseases to infectious diseases such as
professor of Biochemistry & Molecular
Biology, is part of Upstate’s internationally
tuberculosis.
known Center for Vision Research. The
Our department boasts a robust and
CVR includes more than 60 faculty
longstanding record of extramural funding.
researchers, post-doctoral appointees,
graduate students and support staff.
This program awards a PhD and an MS.
Cell & Develop­mental Biology
Stewart Loh PhD, professor of Biochemistry &
Molecular Biology (left), and Stephan Wilkens PhD,
associate professor of Biochemistry & Molecular
Biology (right), examine an image in an electron
microscope. At right is an EM reconstruction of the
yeast vacuolar ATPase, from Wilkens’ lab.
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SUNY Upstate Medical University
Research in the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology explores
the molecular and biochemical mechanisms of cellular function and
development.
Faculty researchers in the department have funding for fundamental
studies of: proteins and structures responsible for the assembly and dynamics
of myofibrils; the genetics and cell biology of heart formation; the role of
class I myosins in kidney functions; the mechanisms of actin assembly during
endocytosis; the role of cell adhesion in regulating the cytoskeleton and
cell motility in normal and cancerous cells; integrin regulation of the actin
cytoskeleton; research on neural plasticity and spinal cord injury; the role of
formins in the assembly of the actin cytoskeleton; the identification of genes
important for the assembly and motility of cilia.
Models used in the research include: zebrafish, avian embryos, the alga
C. reinhardtii, cell culture lines, C. elegans, the yeast S. pompe, rats and
mice. Students and faculty use a variety of research methods including
sophisticated light microscopy (laser scanning confocal microscopy, spinning
disc confocal microscopy, widefield deconvolution imaging, real-time
fluorescence microscopy, TIRF microscopy), high sensitivity digital cameras
and image processing, electron microscopy, tissue culture, stereotactic
surgery, and a complete range of molecular and biochemical techniques.
Microbiology & Immunology
Major research areas in the Department of Microbiology &
Immunology are in diseases caused by viruses and parasites,
the host response to infection, and the development and
function of the immune system.
A range of viruses are studied, including dengue
virus, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated
herpesvirus (KSHV), cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex
virus and varicella zoster virus. The focus of virology
research is on pathogenesis, gene regulation, molecular
interactions between the virus and the host cell, antiviral
agents, and viral replication as well as cancers caused by
EBV and KSHV. Research on malaria and toxoplasma is
also conducted.
Immunology research focuses on autoimmune
diseases, macrophage function, T and B cell function,
K cells, antigen processing and presentation, viral immunity,
immunotoxicology and vaccine development. A central
theme is understanding how the immune system prevents
or causes diseases.
Research is conducted at the molecular, biochemical,
genetic and population levels with goals of developing
vaccines and therapeutics of infectious diseases.
This program awards a PhD.
Neuroscience
The graduate program in neuroscience is a multidisciplinary
interdepartmental and cross-institutional program. The
program is anchored in the department of Neuroscience
& Physiology but composed of faculty across multiple
departments at SUNY Upstate and Syracuse University.
The overall goal of the program is to provide students
with broad foundational knowledge in the neurosciences
while enabling students to tailor their curriculum toward
their specific research interests and areas of expertise. We
offer a very collaborative, supportive and comprehensive
environment in the neurosciences that is focused
toward training students to become independent
scientists.
Program research has strengths in
neurodevelopment and neurodevelopmental
disorders, neuropsychiatric disorders and diseases,
addiction, neurodegenerative disorders and neural
trauma, aging, sensory and cognitive systems, eye
development and disease, and neuro-oncology
and neuro-immunological disorders.
Pharmacology
Current research in the Department of Pharmacology focuses
on cancer biology, leukemia, drug discovery, structurebased drug design, cell signaling, cardiovascular disease,
neurodegeneration, and stem cells.
The department’s strengths include cardiac
Electrophysiology and cardiac arrhythmia, the molecular
biology of signaling pathways, intracellular proteolysis, cancer
biology, regulation of tumor suppressors and the discovery,
development and testing of novel cancer therapeutics. This
work is supported by extramural funding, particularly from
NIH.
To continue this excellent tradition in research and
teaching and to keep pace with changes in pharmacology,
our department is enhancing its research strengths and
expanding into new research areas.
This program awards a PhD and an MS degree.
Physiology
The major research area is neurophysiology.
The physiology program is an ideal vehicle for students
looking to learn about brain or eye function/dysfunction or
development.
Experimental approaches range from studies on whole
animals and isolated tissues to studies of cellular and
molecular events.
Scientific inquiry may include the complex interactions of
systems in the whole individual, the orchestration of processes
integrating organ and cell function, and/or the integration of
molecular events within individual cells.
This program awards a PhD and an MS degree.
This program awards a PhD.
This program awards a PhD in Anatomy and Cell Biology,
and an MS in Anatomy.
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9
SPECIAL PROGRAMS IN
BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES
MD/PhD Program
Upstate’s MD/PhD program combines the
graduate program in biomedical sciences
with medical school. Graduates pursue
careers in medical research and academic
medicine. The program offers a wide selection
of research areas.
Incoming MD/PhD students matriculate
with the entering class of medical students
and take the first two years of the medical
school curriculum. Students work in a
lab of their choosing during the summer
before their first year of medical school,
and between their first and second years.
Students select mentors and research
First-Author
Student Publications
2014
SUNY Upstate graduate students frequently publish first-author articles in
professional journals and books. The list below is a sampling. For the full list of
our student first-authors, visit www.upstate.edu/grad/students/publications.php.
projects before the end of the second year,
and resume lab work after sitting for Part 1
of the USMLE exam.
After approximately three years of
lab work and successful defense of their
dissertation, MD/PhD students complete the
last two years of medical school. Students
accepted into the program receive tuition
waivers and a stipend of $22,845 per year (as
of 2014).
For more information on the MD/PhD
program, visit www.upstate.edu/mdphd or
contact the MD/PhD office at 315-464-7719
or MDPHD@upstate.edu.
Adeseye Adekeye et al. Ablation of
the proapoptotic genes chop or ask1
does not prevent or delay loss of visual
function in a P23H transgenic mouse
model of retinitis pigmentosa. PLoS
One (2):e83871 (2014).
Hajime Akada et al. Critical role of
Jak2 in the maintenance and function
of adult hematopoietic stem cells.
Stem Cells 32(7):1878-89 (2014).
Dimitra Aggeli et al. Coordination
of the filament stabilizing versus
destabilizing activities of cofilin
through its secondary binding site
on actin. Cytoskeleton 71(6):361-79
(2014).
Tiffany Caza et al. Interplay of
Infections, Autoimmunity, and
Immunosuppression in Systemic Lupus
Erythematosus. Int Rev Immunol.
33(4):330-63 (2014).
Structural Biology (SB3) Program
The Structural Biology, Biochemistry
and Biophysics (SB3) doctoral degree
program is offered jointly by SUNY Upstate,
Syracuse University and SUNY College of
Environmental Science and Forestry.
First-year students participate in three
laboratory rotations with faculty from each
of the three member institutions, and choose
a mentor by the second year. For more
information on SB3, visit http://chemistry.syr.
edu/sb3
Joint NEUROSCIENCE program
Students in the College of Graduate Studies
have the opportunity to conduct research
in selected laboratories at nearby Syracuse
University through a new, integrated
Neuroscience PhD program. All first-year
students can perform their laboratory
rotations, and select their dissertation mentor,
in approved Syracuse University faculty
members’ labs. Students enter through
Upstate’s biomedical sciences program.
MD/PhD student Eric Wohlford
(above left) received roundtrip airfare and $1,000 in
living expenses to work in
Kenya in the lab of Rosemary
Rochford, PhD, professor of
Microbiology & Immunology.
They’re studying the role of the
Epstein-Barr Virus in endemic
Burkitt’s lymphoma, the most
common childhood cancer in
sub-Saharan Africa.
TWO-YEAR FELLOWSHIP FOR
KIDNEY RESEARCH
Jing Bi Karchin, a PhD student in Cell & Developmental Biology, has been
awarded a two-year fellowship from the American Heart Association for
her research into the role of a protein in kidney disease and blood vessels
permeability.
Jing showed that the proteins she is investigating were involved not
only in kidney disease but also in regulating blood vessel integrity.
The award is worth $23,000 per year, and will fund Jing’s work in the
lab of her Principal Investigator, assistant professor Mira Krendel, PhD.
Jing’s research has clinical relevance, since the pediatric patients
affected by the disease she’s investigating -- Focal Segmental
Glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) – eventually undergo dialysis.
The common feature of FSGS is abnormal protein excretion in the
urine caused by a leaky filtration barrier in the kidney.
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SUNY Upstate Medical University
www.upstate.edu
Chandrav De et al. -l-1-[5-(E-2bromovinyl)-2-(hydroxymethyl)1,3-(dioxolan-4-yl)] uracil (l-BHDU)
prevents varicella-zoster virus
replication in a SCID-Hu mouse
model and does not interfere with
5-fluorouracil catabolism. Antiviral Res.
110C:10-19 (2014).
screw instrumentation reliable? J
Neurosurg Spine 20 (5):492-6 (2014).
Karen Howard et al. The Distribution
of Implant Fixation for Femoral
Components of TKA: A Postmortem
Retrieval Study. J Arthroplasty 2014.
[Epub ahead of print]
Sonia Iyer et al. SHIP1 regulates
MSC numbers and their osteolineage
commitment by limiting induction of
the PI3K/Akt/catenin/Id2 axis. Stem
Cells Dev. 2014 [Epub ahead of print]
Lingyan Jiang et al. Mitotic arrest
by tumor suppressor RASSF1A is
regulated via CHK1 phosphorylation.
Mol Cancer Res. 12(1):119-29 (2014).
Sheena Claire Li et al. The signaling
lipid PI(3,5)P2 stabilizes V1-Vo
sector interactions and activates the
V-ATPase. Mol Biol Cell 25(8):1251-62
(2014).
Nicole Mantella and S. Youngentob.
Prenatal alcohol exposure increases
postnatal acceptability of nicotine odor
and taste in adolescent rats. PLoS One
2014 [Epub ahead of print]
Jessica Ouderkirk and M. Krendel.
Myosin 1e is a component of the
invadosome core that contributes to
Chrissa Dwyer et al. Brevican
knockdown reduces late-stage glioma regulation of invadosome dynamics.
Exp Cell Res 322(2):265-76 (2014).
tumor aggressiveness. J Neurooncol.
[Epub ahead of print]
Dakshesh Patel et al. Atrial
fibrillation-associated Connexin40
Edward Doherty et al. Increased
mitochondrial electron transport chain mutants make hemichannels and
synergistically form gap junction
activity at complex I is regulated
channels with novel properties. FEBS
by N-acetylcystein in lymphocytes
Lett 588(8):1458-64.
of patients with systemic lupus
erythematosus. Antioxid Redox Signal Jie Peng et al. Analysis of ssDNA Gaps
21(1):56-65 (2014).
and DSBs in Genetically Unstable Yeast
Cultures. Methods Mol Biol. 1170:501Miriam L. Donohue et al. Is in vivo
manual palpation for thoracic pedicle 15 (2014).
Elizabeth M. Samuelson et al.
Reduced B Lymphoid Kinase (Blk)
Expression Enhances Proinflammatory
Cytokine Production and Induces
Nephrosis in C57BL/6-lpr/lpr Mice.
PLoS One ;9(3):e92054 (2014).
Naman B. Shah and T.M. Duncan.
Bio-layer Interferometry for Measuring
Kinetics of Protein-protein Interactions
and Allosteric Ligand Effects. J Vis Exp.
Feb 18;(84) (2014).
Stephen Shinsky et al. A non-active
site SET domain surface crucial for
the interaction of MLL1 and the
RbBP5-ASH2L heterodimer within
MLL family core complexes. J Mol Biol.
426(12):2283-99 (2014).
Qing Sun et al. Lappaol f, a novel
anticancer agent isolated from plant
arctium lappa L. Mol Cancer Ther.
13(1):49-59 (2014).
Jennifer White et al. Localization
of sarcomeric proteins during
myofibril assembly in cultured mouse
primary skeletal myotubes.Anat Rec
297(9):1571-84 (2014).
Joel Wilmore et al. AID expression
in peripheral blood of children living
in a malaria holoendemic region is
associated with changes in B cell
subsets and Epstein-Barr virus. Int J
Cancer [Epub ahead of print]
Duncan B. Wormer et al. The Focal
Adhesion-Localized CdGAP Regulates
Matrix Rigidity Sensing and Durotaxis.
PLoS One 9(3):e91815 (2014).
Huimei Zheng et al. Converting a
Binding Protein into a Biosensing
Conformational Switch Using Protein
Fragment Exchange. Biochemistry
[Epub ahead of print]
STUDENT FOCUSES ON
EYE DEVELOPMENT
Kimberly Wong, right, a graduate student pursuing a
doctorate in Neuroscience, specializes in vision research in
the lab of Principal Investigator, Andrea Viczian, PhD, left.
Kim, who has presented her research on retina
formation, studies the molecules and pathways that
transform pluripotent cells, like stem cells, into cone
photoreceptors. She is developing a new way to determine
if these light-sensing cells are functional.
Dr. Viczian, an assistant professor with appointments
in four departments at Upstate, specializes in the eye’s cone
photoreceptor cells responsible for daylight vision. Once
these cells are lost due to injury or disease, the eye can’t
generate new cones in their place, resulting in blindness.
The lab studies the formation of cone photoreceptor cells
during eye development.
www.upstate.edu
JCB
THE JOURNAL OF CELL BIOLOGY
VOL. 198, NO. 1, JULY 9, 2012
Formins’ Muscle
Building Routine
Cargoes Compete for Myo2
Fuz Regulates Intraflagellar Transport
Good
Environment
for Student
First Authors
Schwann Cells and Nerve Regeneration
www.jcb.org
A research paper by Lei Mi-Mi, a student in the
lab of David Pruyne, PhD, assistant professor of
Cell & Developmental Biology, was chosen for
the cover of the Journal of Cell Biology.
“It’s of the utmost importance to have
a decent publication record in this highly
competitive day and time,” Lei said. “It’s
more often than not the yardstick to measure
our success. And publishing peer-reviewed
articles is still the main way of communicating
in science, especially for the academic
researchers.”
Pruyne, Lei’s Principal Investigator, said
publishing research results gives graduate
students experience in expressing their
thoughts clearly and succinctly.
“It is also one of the primary ways for
students to introduce themselves to the
wider science community,” Pruyne said.
“Their published work shows other scientists,
including potential future employers and
colleagues, the type and quality of work a
student can do.”
Using a worm model, Lei pinpointed the
location of two formins that act as key proteins
involved in muscle movement, and showed
how a reduction or absence of those proteins
stunted muscle growth.
Formins are a group of proteins that
govern cell shape, adhesion, division and
positioning.
Lei’s project is believed to be the first
demonstration in a living organism that shows
how formins help organize muscle structure.
Lei suggests that her findings in the worm may
hold true in other species as well, which could
lead to further research and eventual clinical
applications.
SUNY Upstate Medical University
11
Make Friends, Pursue
Your Interests
Graduate
Student
Association
This organization is devoted
to increasing interaction
among graduate students.
Events sponsored include
new student orientation,
class get-togethers and
socials, the GSA-sponsored
annual speaker in May, and
end-of-the-year picnic and
interdepartmental softball
tournament for students,
faculty, family and friends.
Upstate
Student
Government
The student government
organization represents all
Upstate students. It provides
a forum for student opinion,
facilitates cooperation and
communication with the
administration, faculty and
community and allocates the
student activity fee.
FacultyStudent
Association
The Faculty-Student
Association administers
scholarships, loan funds and
student activity fees, and
sponsors special projects.
International
Student
Association
Our International Student
Association (ISA) is very
active. The ISA promotes the
diversity of the International
student population through
cultural meetings and
events, including the annual
International Festival. SUNY
Upstate also has a designated
International Student advisor.
12
SUNY Upstate Medical University
Syracuse:
A College Town
Syracuse is an affordable, medium-sized
city with big city sports, arts and recreation.
The SUNY Upstate campus sits on the edge
of downtown, next to Syracuse University
and the SUNY College of Environmental
Science and Forestry on University Hill -home to restaurants, theatres, shops and
the Carrier Dome.
Combine our three campuses with
nearby LeMoyne College and Onondaga
Community College, and you have a city filled
with students, academics, research centers,
libraries and great sports. Add abundant,
affordable housing and a cost of living below
the national average, and you have a great
place to go to graduate school.
Just outside the city you will find
numerous parks, lakes and mountains with
golf courses, ski slopes, hiking trails and
beaches. Syracuse is just a 4- to 5-hour drive
from New York City, Boston, Toronto and
Montreal.
Campus Activities
SUNY Upstate offers dozens of student
clubs and organizations and an intramural
sports program. The Campus Activities
Governing Board schedules social, cultural
and recreational programs for students,
including first-run movies on weekends,
a guest lecture series, comedy hours,
weekend trips and discount tickets to
local sports and cultural events.
The Campus Activities Building (CAB),
has a computer lounge, snack bar, bookstore,
TV lounge, pool, sauna, gym, treadmills,
ellipticals, Nautilus, tennis courts, billiards,
ping pong and more.
Campus Housing
The renovated Geneva Tower opened in
2012 as housing for students, post-docs
and medical residents at SUNY Upstate.
The apartments are fully furnished, including
a flat-screen television in each unit. Geneva
Tower has a fitness facility, social rooms
and laundry facilities, and is a non-smoking,
pet-free environment. The residence is only
for the Upstate community and provides a
clean, modern place to call home. It is a
short walk from campus.
www.upstate.edu
1
2
Faces & Places
1. Annual Biomedical
Sciences Retreat
2. Across the Quad
3. Annual Graduate Studies Picnic
4. International Festival 2014
3
5. Gone Fishing
6. Celebrating PhD Dissertation
4
Geneva Tower:
Housing for Upstate students.
Off-Campus Housing
Most graduate students choose to live offcampus in apartments near the university. The
College of Graduate Studies maintains a list of
off-campus apartments, duplexes and houses
to help students searching for housing.
Student Services
SUNY Upstate offers numerous student
services including 24-hour security and
escort service to all on-campus locations; a
child care center with an elite accreditation
placing it among the top five percent of child
care centers in the nation and which reserves
spaces for the children of students; and a
student health service providing primary care
for acute conditions, illnesses and injuries to
all students. A complete listing of student
services can be found at www.upstate.edu/
currentstudents/support
We’re SUNY
SUNY Upstate is part of the State University of
New York, the largest university system in the
world, with 467,000 students on 64 campuses.
SUNY is one of the top 10 U.S. institutions for
patents issued each year.
5
6
Enjoy Life!
It’s true that the demands upon students in the College
of Graduate Studies are rigorous. But there are also many
opportunities to have fun at SUNY Upstate and in the
community. From well-organized activities on campus
(picnics, free or inexpensive comedy shows and concerts), to
spontaneous outings with friends and short day trips,
our students know how to find healthy releases from the
laboratory. Central New York’s four seasons, numerous cultural
offerings and wide range of entertainment options help our
students lead well-balanced lives. As one of our PhD students
said, “If you’re going to spend four or five years somewhere, it’s
important to have some fun.”
Lots of Things to Do — Central New York Attractions and Events
Adirondack Mountains
Armory Square
Balloon Fest
Beaver Lake Nature Center
Chittenango Falls
Clark Reservation State Park
Destiny USA
Downtown Arts and Crafts Festival
Everson Museum of Art
Finger Lakes Wine Country
Green Lakes State Park
Highland Forest
Labrador, Toggenburg and Song Mountain Ski Areas
LaFayette Apple Festival
Multicultural Festivals
Museum of Science and
Technology
New York State Fair
Old Forge
Onondaga Lake Parkway
Regional Farmers Market
Rosamond Gifford Zoo at
Burnet Park
Salmon River Fishing
Skaneateles Lake
Symphoria
www.upstate.edu
Syracuse Chiefs AAA Baseball
Syracuse Crunch Hockey
Syracuse Jazz Fest
Syracuse Opera
Syracuse Stage
Syracuse University Athletics at the Carrier Dome
Whitewater Rafting
Winterfest
SUNY Upstate Medical University
13
Admissions
How To Apply
The College of Graduate Studies
Applications are online. There are
two different applications – one for
PhD applicants and one for Master’s
applicants. All prospective students
apply online at www.upstate.edu/
grad/admissions.
Admission
Requirements
Candidates for admissions are
selected on the basis of their record
and qualifications for independent
scholarship in a specialized field of study.
All PhD and Master’s applicants
should have:
• Bachelor’s degree or its equivalent
• Official Graduate Record Examination
(GRE) scores. The institutional code is 2547.
• Minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0
and combined GRE of 295. Accepted
students typically have much higher
grades and scores (see table below).
• GRE Subject Tests in the sciences are
recommended. The institutional
code is 2547.
• Three original letters of
recommendation from people
familiar with your academic record
and potential for investigative
research. These can be emailed or
mailed from the recommender to
admissfa@upstate.edu or to:
Student Admissions and
Financial Aid Processing
SUNY Upstate Medical University
766 Irving Avenue
Room 217 Weiskotten Building
Syracuse, NY 13210
• Official transcripts from all undergraduate
and graduate schools attended.
• Competitive applicants will have
prior research experience
• Prerequisite courses
• Biology, 1 year
• Mathematics, 1 year
• Chemistry, 1 year
• Physics, 1 year
Selected domestic applicants will be
invited to visit SUNY Upstate to meet with
faculty and students and view the campus,
community, and research facilities.
Application
DeadlineS
The Biomedical Sciences PhD
program application deadline for
full consideration is January 15th.
Requests for submitting an application
beyond this date will be considered
until the class is full.
*All students interested in the
Biomedical Sciences PhD program
apply to the undeclared program. If
accepted, their first year at Upstate
includes core classes and three lab
rotations, of the student’s choosing,
before deciding on a research program,
lab, and mentor.
The four Biomedical Science
Master’s programs in Anatomy,
Biochemistry, Pharmacology, and
Physiology have an application
deadline of April 1st.
*Application Fee waivers are
available for both Biomedical Sciences
Master’s and PhD applications, email
biosci@upstate.edu to receive one.
Applications for the MD/
PhD program require the AMCAS
application to be completed by
October 15th and the Upstate
supplemental application by December
1st. For more information on the MD/
PhD program, see page 10.
International
Students
International students who have
completed all or part of their education
abroad are recommended to have a
course-by-course educational credential
evaluation completed by an approved
agency. SUNY Upstate recommended
using World Education Services at www.
wes.org however other accredited
agencies are acceptable.
In addition to the documents listed
at left in “How to Apply,” international
students who completed their bachelor’s
degree abroad must also submit an
official copy of the Test of English as a
Foreign Language (TOEFL) score. The
institutional code number is 2547.
Our Global Ambassadors Program
connects prospective international
students with current students in
the College of Graduate Studies. The
program’s goal is to help accepted
international students successfully
transition to the PhD program and
the United States, and to provide new
students a mentor from their home
country or with similar research interests.
Incoming Class Scores
GPa
Gre (Q+V)
2014 3.65
309
2013
311
3.59
We Celebrate your Success!
Chrissa Dwyer earned her PhD in Neuroscience in 2013,
graduating with honors. She landed a post-doctoral research
position in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine at
the University of California San Diego.
An Upstate tradition is to celebrate a successful dissertation
defense with a reception, with the student’s family, classmates
and faculty in attendance.
Chrissa’s Principal Investigator, Associate Professor Rick
Matthews, PhD, gave a toast: “We’ll miss you, and we wish you the
best in San Diego. We expect to see great things from you in the
future. Congratulations, Dr. Dwyer ... now you can cut the cake.”
14
SUNY Upstate Medical University
www.upstate.edu
Weiskotten Hall This Classical Revival building with comfortable lecture halls and some of SUNY Upstate’s most advanced
research laboratories is the College of Graduate Studies’ central academic and research facility.
Stipends, Tuition, Fees and Financial Aid
PhD Program
All PhD students receive a full-tuition
waiver and are paid a 12-month
stipend of $22,845 as of fall 2014.
By receiving stipends, PhD students
become part of the SUNY Graduate
Student Employees Union, which
provides periodic and automatic
increases in stipend awards in addition
to other benefits including a low-cost
health care package.
The comprehensive health benefits
include: coverage for medical services;
hospitali­zation; prescription drugs; and
mental health, dental, and eye care.
Student stipends are derived
from a variety of university sources
including departmental and university
fellowships, training grants and
research assistantships.
Students are encouraged to apply
for individual predoctoral fellowships
from the National Institutes of Health
(NIH), National Science Foundation, the
Howard Hughes Medical Institute and
the American Heart Association which
could lead to higher stipends. In fact,
some of our current students receive
their own extramural funding.
The SUNY Graduate Diversity
Fellowship Program was enacted
with the expressed goal of enhancing
diversity and academic excellence
in SUNY’s graduate programs by
recruiting outstanding students from
different backgrounds, including
individuals from groups that have
been historically underrepresented,
and providing them with the support
necessary for achieving academic
success. The State University of
New York offers graduate fellowships
to students who have been admitted
to graduate or professional study and
who will contribute to the diversity
of the students in the graduate
or professional program in which
enrollment is sought.
For more information on the
PhD pro­gram, visit the website
www.upstate.edu/grad; call the office
at 315-464-7719 or 315-464-4538, or
e-mail biosci@upstate.edu.
Master’s Program
The 2014-2015 tuition for master’s
students is $432 per credit for New
York residents and $841 per credit for
out-of-state residents.
For more information on the
Master’s pro­gram, visit the website
www.upstate.edu/grad; call the office
at 315-464-7719 or 315-464-4538, or
e-mail biosci@upstate.edu.
For more information on stipends,
tuition waivers, fees or financial aid,
please contact:
The Office of Financial Aid
315-464-4329
|
finaid@upstate.edu
Tuition and fees are subject to change
without notice.
Syracuse Costs Less
Syracuse is the most affordable midsize city in America, according to The
Simple Dollar website.
Syracuse topped the list of the
personal finance website’s list of the
150 most affordable mid-size cities
in the U.S. (50,000 to 150,000 pop.).
Syracuse’s cost-of-living index score is
11 points below the national average.
The affordability rankings were
based on median house prices, average
rent of a one-bedroom apartment,
median household income, and a cost
of living index that considers housing,
utilities, groceries, transportation and
healthcare costs.
The rankings also took into account
quality of life, including climate, job
opportunities, cultural and recreational
facilities.
www.upstate.edu
SUNY Upstate Medical University
15
Great careers ahead
The research skills Jennifer Smith, PhD, learned at
Upstate before she graduated in 2002 have taken her
to Brazil. Now on the faculty at the University of South
Carolina School of Medicine, Smith came back to Upstate
in 2011 to meet with students and discuss her research
into potential links between mercury exposure and
autoimmune disorders.
In Brazil, she studied workers’ exposure to mercury in
gold-mining operations, which use the toxic liquid metal
to extract gold.
Smith said the three lab rotations in her first year at
Upstate provided a perfect foundation for her career
— even if she didn’t realize it at the time. The rotations
allowed her to develop a variety of laboratory skills and
ultimately find her niche.
Before joining the faculty at the University of South
Carolina, Nyland landed a post-doc fellowship at Johns
Hopkins’ Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Areas of Interdisciplinary
Research Concentration:
• Vision
• Neural Injury
• Diabetes
• Cancer
• Infectious Diseases
• Global Health
• Heart Disease
Degrees Offered:
PhD, MS, MD/PhD
… Began at SUNY Upstate
Jack “Matt” Webster, PhD, a 2004 Upstate graduate and
Senior Scientist at GE Global Research, was selected to
deliver the 2014 Distinguished Alumni lecture. Webster
earned his doctorate in Pharmacology in the lab of
Richard Wojcikiewicz, PhD, now chair of the department.
In addition to giving his lecture, “Engaging in
Multidisciplinary Research: from Imaging Oxidative
Stress in vivo to Nutritional Sensors,” Webster spent the
day meeting in small groups with students and faculty.
He fielded questions from students about his diverse
research projects and career prospects in industry.
Webster’s area of expertise is Novel Functional
and Molecular Imaging Agent development. He has
developed a small molecule amino acid transporter
substrate for PET imaging of oxidative stress, as well
as small novel protein binding scaffolds for molecular
targeting applications.
16
PhD students who graduated in 2012 and were seeking placement,
received jobs or post-doctorate positions in their fields.
SUNY Upstate Medical University
www.upstate.edu
At A Glance
Degree-Granting Programs:
• Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
• Cell and Developmental Biology
• Microbiology & Immunology
• Neuroscience
• Pharmacology
• Physiology
These Successful Careers …
100% Job
Placement
The College of Graduate Studies
Students: 121
(51% women, 11% minority, 42%
international)
Faculty: 104
SUNY Upstate
Research Funding:
Approximately $32 million
SUNY Upstate
Research Projects: 682
Stipend/Tuition:
All PhD students receive a full
tuition scholarship and an
annual stipend of $22,845
(as of Fall 2014).
Master’s students pay tuition at the
SUNY rate (see page 15).
SUNY Upstate Medical University does not discriminate on the basis of race,
sex, sexual orientation, color, creed, age, national origin, disability, marital
status, or veteran status, in the recruitment and employment of faculty or
staff; in the recruitment of students; or in the operation of any programs or
activities, as specified by federal and state laws and regulations. For more
information, contact the Office of Diversity and Affirmative Action, 711
Jacobsen Hall, 315-464-5234.
ON THE COVER
Stephan Wilkens, PhD,
associate professor of
Biochemistry & Molecular
Biology, and three of his
graduate students in the
courtyard of Weiskotten Hall.
From left: Sergio Couoh-Cardel,
second-year student; Dr.
Wilkens; Stuti Sharma, thirdyear student; Nicholas Stam,
third-year student.
Dr. Wilkens was selected to receive the Graduate Student
Association’s Outstanding Teacher Award in 2012 and 2013. He also won
the President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2014.
First-year graduate students who have gone through the core
curriculum select the Outstanding Teacher each year based on the
following criteria: best overall teaching ability; best able to get point
across; best at handling responding to questions; fairest and most
honest about their expectations; most supportive.
Apply on-line:
Message from
the Dean
www.upstate.edu/grad | www.upstate.edu/mdphd
As dean of the College of Graduate Studies,
I am often asked what career options there
are with a PhD in biomedical research.
The labor market for a biomedical
scientist is one of the best in the country.
Their unemployment rate runs at less than
half of the national average, and the growth
rate for jobs is projected at a healthy 31%
over the next 10 years.
Many of our graduates follow the
traditional academic track leading to faculty
positions at both research and teaching
universities. However, an increasing number
of graduates are landing in biotechnology,
pharmaceutical or start-up research settings.
Another growth area for our graduates
has been in non-research scientific careers.
These include patent law, national and
international science policy, national defense
and homeland security, journal editors,
management consulting and finance.
The training we provide our students opens
doors to opportunities that would otherwise
be difficult to achieve.
Thanks to social media, we hear back
from our alumni often. Their excitement over
their occupations and lives is clear. They are
working at what they love, which makes a job
fun instead of a burden.
I would encourage you to apply to
Upstate. You will receive a first-rate education
from faculty dedicated to your intellectual
growth, career development and long-term
success. I hope you will take time to examine
this brochure and see for yourself what we
have to offer. I promise you will be impressed
and want to join our endeavor to be part of
our noble mission.
Mark E. Schmitt, PhD
Dean, College of Graduate Studies
SUNY Upstate Medical University
17