Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences
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Biochemistry Program

Computational and Molecular Biophysics Program

Computational and Systems Biology Program

Developmental Biology Program

Evolution, Ecology and Population Biology Program

Human and Statistical Genetics Program

Immunology Program

Molecular Cell Biology Program

Molecular Genetics and Genomics Program

Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis Program

Neurosciences Program

Plant Biology Program

Program Directors


Molecular Genetics and Genomics Program

Graduate Student Coordinator: Melanie Puhar
Molecular Genetics and Genomics Faculty Director: Tim Schedl & Jim Skeath
Molecular Genetics and Genomics Program Guidelines
Molecular Genetics and Genomics Qualifying Exam Guidelines
Request Ph.D. Admissions Information

Molecular geneticists seek to understand how genes are inherited, modified, expressed and regulated. The field of molecular genetics and genomics has been astonishingly successful in deciphering the genetic code and providing us with a clear picture of the nature of the gene, but much remains to be learned about fundamental genetic mechanisms. How is it that only the appropriate genes are turned on in a particular cell type? How do cells replicate their genes with such remarkable speed and fidelity? How does the cell choreograph the events of cell division so that only one copy of each gene is passed on to the next generation? By what processes do genes become altered to provide the raw material for evolution? The possibility of finding answers to such fundamental questions makes molecular genetics and genomics an exciting field of biology.

Laboratories in the Molecular Genetics and Genomics Program are pursuing answers to these and other important questions using a variety of model organisms including phage and viruses, bacteria, yeast and fungi, nematodes, fruit flies, plants and mice. Use of such organisms provides opportunities to design and carry out experiments that reveal fundamental biological processes in great detail. In addition, they offer the opportunity to apply molecular genetics and genomics to the study of human biology and disease. Laboratories in the Molecular Genetics and Genomics Program at Washington University have been at the forefront of human molecular genetics and the Human Genome Project. Students interested in studying fundamental genetic mechanisms, as well as those with a desire to apply this knowledge to human biology, will find many laboratories within the Program in which to pursue their doctoral research.

For information regarding career path and complete program guidelines, click here.

Program of Study

Students enroll in a common set of core courses during the first semester:

Fundamentals of Molecular Cell Biology (Bio 5068)
Nucleic Acids and Protein Biosynthesis (Bio 548)

Students in the Molecular Genetics and Genomics Program begin specialized training in the second semester. Advanced Genetics (Bio 5491) and Genomics (Bio 5488) are required. Students may take other advanced elective courses in subsequent semesters and may choose from the following:


Molecular, Cell and Organ Systems (Bio 5224)
Computational Molecular Biology (Bio 5495/BME 537)
Developmental Biology (Bio 5352)
Macromolecular Interactions (Bio 5312)
Molecular Microbiology and Pathogenesis (Bio 5392)
Genomics (Bio 5488)
Advanced Genetics (Bio 5491)
Microbial Physiology and Biochemistry (Bio 4490)

Students in the program also enroll in five special topics courses and journal clubs. These activities promote optimal student-faculty interaction, allow students to study current research topics in great depth and provide valuable experience in oral presentation.

Special Topics Courses

Molecular Mechanisms of Disease (Bio 5261)
Pathobiology of Human Disease States (Bio 5191-limited enrollment)
Special Topics in Microbial Pathogenesis (Bio 5217)
Chromatin Structure and Gene Expression (Bio 5282)
Special Topics in Molecular Genetics (Bio 5288)
Subversive Genetics, Attacks on the Central Dogma (Bio 5493)

Journal Clubs

Genetics Journal Club (Bio 5235)
Student Run - Cell Biology Journal Club (Bio 5125)
Journal Club for Molecular Mechanism of Aging (Bio 5138)

Molecular Genetics and Genomics Program Faculty

Jeffrey M. Arbeit, M.D. - Molecular regulation of epithelial carcinogenesis

Thomas J. Baranski, M.D., Ph.D. - Signal transduction mechanisms by hormone receptors and G proteins

Wayne M. Barnes, Ph.D. - Improvements to DNA technology, applied to plant genetic engineering

Yehuda Ben-Shahar, Ph.D. - Molecular and genetic analyses of behavior

Douglas E. Berg, Ph.D. - Helicobacter pylori pathogenic mechanisms, drug resistance, genome organization, evolution

Deepta Bhattacharya, Ph.D. - Fate Decisions in the Hematopoietic and Immune System

Anne M. Bowcock, Ph.D. - Genetics and Genomics approaches to human disease

Michael R. Brent, Ph.D. - Systems biology, kinetics of regulatory networks, network inference, adaptive value of regulatory networks, yeast

Jeremy D. Buhler, Ph.D. - Developing algorithms for large-scale biosequence comparison, genome annotation, and metagenomics

Peter M.J. Burgers, Ph.D. - Molecular Biology of DNA replication and repair in yeast

Michael G. Caparon, Jr, Ph.D. - Genetics and virulence of the pathogenetic streptococci

Douglas L. Chalker, Ph.D. - Genetic and epigenetic regulation of developmentally programmed DNA rearrangements of Tetrahymena

Zhou-Feng Chen, Ph.D. - Molecular mechanisms of the dorsal spinal cord development and the role of the central serotonergic system in pain modulation

Shiming Chen, Ph.D. - Molecular mechanisms regulating photoreceptor transcriptome in healthy and diseased retina

Roberto Civitelli, M.D. - Connexins, cadherins and beta-catenin in bone cell function

Barak A. Cohen, Ph.D. - Genomic anlyses of regulatory networks, models of complex traits and genetic variation

Graham A. Colditz, M.D., Dr.P.H. - Causes and prevention of chronic disease, particularly among women

Janet M. Connolly, Ph.D. - CD8 T cell recognition of MHC class I

Joseph C. Corbo, M.D., Ph.D. - Transcriptional regulatory networks in photoreceptor development, evolution, and disease

C. Michael Crowder, M.D., Ph.D. - C. elegans behavioral genetics, hypoxic cell death, general anesthetic targets

Gautam Dantas, Ph.D. - Engineering microbial biofuel catalysts and characterizing microbial reservoirs of antibiotic resistance

Victor Davila-Roman, M.D. - Noninvasive characterization of heart function in patients with high blood pressure

Gerald W. Dorn, II, M.D. - The multiple biochemical signaling pathways for growth and death of heart cells

Ian W. Duncan, Ph.D. - Control of antennal identity and abdominal segment patterning in Drosophila

Susan K. Dutcher, Ph.D. - Cilia, cytokinesis, tubulin superfamily, microtubules, cell division, obesity, ciliary signaling

Sarah C.R. Elgin, Ph.D. - Chromatin structure and the control of gene expression in Drosophila

Justin C. Fay, Ph.D. - Population and evolutionary genetics, computational and experimental genomics

Timothy P. Fleming, Ph.D. - Isolation and characterization of cancer-related genes

Alison Goate, Ph.D. - Genome-wide association studies to uncover genetic susceptibility to neuropsychiatric disease

Matthew I. Goldsmith, M.D. - Growth control and regeneration in zebrafish

Paul J. Goodfellow, Ph.D. - Tumor initiation, oncogenes, DNA mismatch repair, human genetics, cancer

Timothy A. Graubert, M.D. - The study of normal and leukemic hematopoietic stem cell biology

Eduardo A. Groisman, Ph.D. - Regulation and evolution of bacterial virulence and physiology

David H. Gutmann, M.D., Ph.D. - Using mouse models to understand normal growth control and tumor formation in the mammalian brain

Ted H. Hansen, Ph.D. - Antigen presentation to CD8+ T cells

J. William Harbour, M.D. - Genomics of tumor evolution and metastasis

Tuan-Hua David Ho, Ph.D. - Hormone and stress-regulated gene expression and function of stress proteins

James J. Hsieh, M.D., Ph.D. - Integrate development, cancer, and stem cell through a common proteolytic framework

Andrew J.W. Huang, M.D., M.P.H. - Corneal epithelial wound healing, neovascularization and stromal dystrophies

Shin-ichiro Imai, M.D., Ph.D. - Understanding the molecular mechanism of aging and longevity in mammals

Sanjay Jain, M.D., Ph.D. - Development, injury and regeneration: bench to bedside

Patrick Y. Jay, M.D., Ph.D. - Genetics and genomics of cardiac development and heart failure

Stephen L. Johnson, Ph.D. - Growth control of adult stem cells and regeneration

S. Kerry Kornfeld, M.D., Ph.D. - Signal transduction and cell fate specification during development; aging

Barbara N. Kunkel, Ph.D. - Molecular genetic analysis of disease development in Pseudomonas syringae-Arabidopsis interactions

Allan Larson, Ph.D. - Molecular population genetics and phylogenetics of amphibians and reptiles

Petra Anne Levin, Ph.D. - Temporal and spatial regulation of bacterial cell division

Amanda L. Lewis, Ph.D. - Sialic acid metabolism in commensal and pathogenic host-microbe interactions

Timothy J. Ley, M.D. - Study of normal versus leukemic blood cell development and immunology

Jennifer K. Lodge, Ph.D. - Signal transduction, cell wall biosynthesis and resistance to oxidative and nitrosative stresses  in the pathogenic fungus, Cryptococcus neoformans

Michael Lovett, Ph.D. - Human genetic diseases, genome technologies, systems biology, functional genomics of hearing loss and craniofacial development

John E. Majors, Ph.D. - Replication of (+) strand RNA viruses

Elaine R. Mardis, Ph.D. - Robotics and automation for DNA sequencing, genotyping, CNV

Philip J Mason, Ph.D. - Telomere maintenance and ribosome biogenesis in human disease

Craig Micchelli, Ph.D. - The biology of stem cells

Jeffrey Milbrandt, M.D., Ph.D. - Axonal degeneration, regulation of myelination, neuronal energetics and mitochondrial function in neuropathy and neurodegenerative disease

Robi D. Mitra, Ph.D. - Technology development for functional genomics and systems biology

Michael L. Nonet, Ph.D. - Molecular genetic analysis of synaptic development and function

Eugene M. Oltz, Ph.D. - Genetic and epigenetic programs that guide normal lymphocyte development and contribute to cellular transformation

M. Alan Permutt, M.D. - Pancreatic islet cell genes and diabetes genetics research

Christine T.N. Pham, M.D. - The role(s) of cysteine and serine proteases in inflammatory diseases

David R. Piwnica-Worms, M.D., Ph.D. - Molecular imaging of gene expression and protein function in vivo; multidrug resistance transporters; metallopharmaceuticals

Helen M. Piwnica-Worms, Ph.D. - Cell cycle and checkpoint control

Kenneth S. Polonsky, M.D. - Role of pancreatic beta cell in the development of diabetes

Katherine P. Ponder, M.D. - Retroviral vectors for hepatic gene therapy for lysosomal storage diseases and hemophilia

Lee Ratner, M.D., Ph.D. - Molecular biology and pathogenesis of HIV and HTLV

Nancy L. Saccone, Ph.D. - Statistical genetics, complex human diseases, linkage analysis, association studies, analysis methods

Lawrence B. Salkoff, Ph.D. - How ion channels function in physiology and behavior

Mark S. Sands, Ph.D. - Pathophysiology and novel therapies for lysosomal storage diseases

Scott Saunders, M.D., Ph.D. - Molecular basis of normal and abnormal development

Tim B. Schedl, Ph.D. - Control of germline stem cells and meiotic development in C. elegans

Clay F. Semenkovich, M.D. - Molecular and cell biology of atherosclerosis and diabetes

Paul J. Shaw, Ph.D. - Molecular/genetic analysis of sleep function

Alan Shiels, Ph.D. - Ophthalmic genetics

L. David Sibley, Ph.D. - Cellular and molecular basis of intracellular parasitism by protozoan parasites

James B. Skeath, Ph.D. - Genetic analysis of neural and muscular development in the Drosophila embryo

Barry P. Sleckman, M.D., Ph.D. - T cell development and lineage determination

Sheila A. Stewart, Ph.D. - Telomere biology in human cancer and aging

Gary D. Stormo, Ph.D. - Computational biology, bioinformatics, protein-DNA interactions, RNA structure prediction, gene regulation

Brian K. Suarez, Ph.D. - Genetic epidemiology of psychiatric disorders, linkage studies of Mendelian diseases with emphasis on theoretical issues involved in mapping recessives in endogamous populations

Alan R. Templeton, Ph.D. - Application of molecular genetic techniques and statistical evolutionary genetics to the study of genotype/phenotype associations, the evolution of the human genome, and the conservation of endangered species

Robert E. Thach, Ph.D. - Ecology of vector-borne diseases

Michael Tomasson, M.D. - Chromosomal translocations, fusion oncogenes, and the molecular pathogenesis of leukemia

Heather L. True-Krob, Ph.D. - Epigenetic regulation of phenotypes by propagation of prions in yeast

Joseph P. Vogel, Ph.D. - Intracellular replication of Legionella pneumophila inside macrophages

Matthew J. Walter, M.D. - Study of normal versus myelodysplastic blood cell development

Mark A. Watson, M.D., Ph.D. - Use of microarray technology and other 'whole-genome' approaches to molecularly classify human malignancies and to identify genetic pathways associated with tumor progression

Jason D. Weber, Ph.D. - Role of tumor suppressors and oncogenes in growth control

Katherine N. Weilbaecher, M.D. - Molecular mechanisms through which tumor cells metastasize to bone

George M. Weinstock, Ph.D. - Genomic and computational approaches to human and microbial biology

Richard K. Wilson, Ph.D. - Genomic studies of C. elegans, yeast and humans

Qin Yang, M.D., Ph.D. - Telomere recombination and maintenance, AKT oncogenic signaling

Zhongsheng You, Ph.D. - Molecular mechanisms of genome surveillance and tumorigenesis

Dong Yu, Ph.D. - Human cytomegalovirus replication and pathogenesis

Weixiong Zhang, Ph.D. - Computational approaches to elucidating transcriptional and post-transcriptional gene regulation underlying complex human diseases and plant stress tolerance




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