专业描述

LESLIE V. PARISE, PhD - Professor and Chair: Welcome to the Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics in the School of Medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill! Our primary missions are education, research and service. Our PhD students and post-doctoral fellows train in more than 40 different laboratories engaged in cutting-edge biomedical research across campus. Training in research comes at a time of tremendous change, as new tools are uncovering the molecular causes of human disease, revealing new drug targets, and fostering the development of innovative new therapies. With a PhD degree in Biochemistry & Biophysics, the next generation of scientists will be well equipped to solve some the most vexing and complex health problems of the day. The quickening pace of research together with the growing emphasis on interdisciplinary approaches to research dictate that tomorrow's scientists be not only dedicated experimentalists, but also highly versatile and capable of integrating information across a wide spectrum of fields. For example, efforts to elucidate the inner workings of the cell require the ability to integrate data on enzyme production, abundance, localization, modification, and activity. Such data may come from a wide range of genomics, proteomics and structural technologies. Moreover, these efforts require an understanding of how signals from multiple, converging pathways are integrated and regulated within the cell. Elucidating and understanding these signaling networks requires skills in bioinformatics and computation analysis. Finally, successful scientists must be effective communicators. Writing and speaking skills are needed to secure funding and to effectively disseminate research results. We provide opportunities to hone these skills not only through classes but through interactions with many successful faculty mentors. Our faculty is committed to providing the highest quality training for PhD candidates. Students in Biochemistry and Biophysics can choose between our excellent, flexible Biochemistry Track or our well-known Biophysics Track, which has an associated NIH training program.