A Message from the Program Director

Molecular Biology is the convergence of concepts, theories and techniques, that were developed over most of the last century, including the concept of macromolecules, the biochemical and biophysical techniques that allowed their analysis, the theory and techniques of genetics, and their application to bacterial and viral biology, and to eukaryotic cell biology, allowing the definition of the concept of the gene, and of the flow of information in biological systems.

With the sequencing of whole genomes, including the sequence of the human genome, and with the development of new technologies to analyze the expression of hundreds or thousands of genes simultaneously in a specific cell type, molecular biology is rising to the challenge of unraveling some of the more complex problems in biology and medicine: the mechanisms of higher neural activity including memory, the mechanisms that regulate embryonic and fetal development, the nature of stem cells, the process of cell differentiation, and the nature and mechanisms of cancer and aging. A degree in Molecular Biology can lead to a career in teaching, scientific research, and /or biotechnology.

A degree in Molecular Biology can also complement a medical degree for a career in medical research, or can lead to careers in patent law, consumer advocacy, and scientific journalism when complemented by the corresponding training. Whatever the field you choose, these careers bring attached the reward and responsibilities coming with scientific discovery, the training of young scientists, and the social and economic impact of both science and technology.

The Molecular Biology Graduate Program at Loyola has 32 faculty members working in diverse aspects of the biomedical sciences using molecular biology approaches. With faculty from almost every major department at the Medical Center, research areas under investigation include cancer biology, cardiovascular disease, neurobiology, microbiology, and immunology, thus giving graduate students an extremely wide range of opportunities for research training. These faculty members are housed in modern laboratories and core facilities, and are externally funded by NIH, NSF or other federal and non-federal funding agencies like DOD, American Cancer Society, Leukemia Society of America or the American Heart Association.

Manuel O. Diaz, M.D.