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Anatomy and Cell Biology

The Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology performs three major functions. It teaches human anatomy to students preparing for careers in the health care professions; provides advanced courses, teaching experience, and research training to graduate students preparing for careers in academic research and related scientific fields; and conducts original research on the biological basis of cellular functions and human disease processes.

Preclinical Study

The department contributes to the preclinical education of health care professionals by providing major courses in gross anatomy, cell biology, histology, and neuroscience. The department participates in the Carver College of Medicine's Medical Scientist Training Program and the Graduate College's Biosciences, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Immunology, Genetics, and Neuroscience Programs.

Graduate Program

The department offers a Doctor of Philosophy in anatomy and cell biology.

Doctor of Philosophy

The Doctor of Philosophy in anatomy and cell biology requires a minimum of 72 s.h. of graduate credit. Students in the Ph.D. program work toward the doctorate without an intermediate master's degree program. They complete courses focused in one of three major areas--molecular medicine and gene therapy, developmental and stem cell biology, or cancer biology--in addition to related background and elective courses. Students also teach in lecture and laboratory courses under faculty supervision. The program may be completed in four or five years of intensive, full-time residence.

Students interested in pursuing graduate study in anatomy and cell biology spend their first year in the University of Iowa Biosciences Program, where they investigate different disciplines by performing research rotations in three of the program's affiliated laboratories. They also take courses that introduce them to basic principles in the biosciences; participate in the biosciences seminar, where they learn how to evaluate scientific literature critically; and attend departmental seminars.

Students are assigned an advisor to assist in their selection of courses and research rotations during the Biosciences Program year. The curriculum is tailored to fit each student's individual interests. For more detailed information about the program, see Biosciences (Graduate College) in the Catalog.

Students enter the Biosciences Program in fall semester. The following May, after completing three research rotations, each student is expected to select a research laboratory and program affiliation and to begin his or her thesis research project. Students who choose to pursue a Ph.D. in anatomy and cell biology may apply all credit earned in the Biosciences Program toward requirements for the degree.

By the end of their second year of graduate study, anatomy and cell biology students take the comprehensive examination, which assesses their ability to analyze, organize, and apply the information, concepts, and skills acquired during the first two years of study. They define a research problem with their major advisor and formulate a research prospectus.

Subsequent years are devoted primarily to research.

The final Ph.D. examination consists of a public oral defense of the dissertation. The dissertation is based on original research conducted with the guidance of the major advisor and at least four other faculty members on the thesis committee.

Admission

Individuals interested in pursuing a Ph.D. in anatomy and cell biology must apply to and be accepted by the University's Biosciences Program, where they will spend their first year of graduate study. The program accepts applicants with a variety of backgrounds in the biological and physical sciences.

The Biosciences Program has specific admission requirements, including a bachelor's degree and certain undergraduate course work; specific scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test; and for applicants whose first language is not English, specific scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). For detailed admission requirements and application information, see Biosciences (Graduate College) in the Catalog.

Admission to the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, after completion of the biosciences year, is based on evaluation of each applicant's credentials by the department's faculty. In addition to having met all admission requirements of the Biosciences Program, applicants to the Ph.D. program in anatomy and cell biology must have completed a bachelor's degree with the following undergraduate course work: chemistry through organic chemistry, one semester of biochemistry or the equivalent, one semester of another advanced biology course, mathematics through calculus, one year of physics, and one semester of statistics or the equivalent. Desirable qualifications include an undergraduate major in the biological sciences or chemistry; a master's degree in the biological sciences, chemistry, or a related area; and scores from a GRE Advanced Test in the applicant's major area.

Applicants must meet the admission requirements of the Graduate College; see the Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College or the Graduate College section of the Catalog.

Financial Support

All students in the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology receive stipends and tuition support. Sources include training grants from the National Institutes of Health, University of Iowa and departmental fellowships and graduate research assistantships, and individual faculty research grants.

Facilities

The department occupies more than 35,000 square feet in the Bowen Science Building on the health sciences campus. The building houses modern teaching facilities and well-equipped research laboratories. The most modern instrumentation is available, including facilities and equipment for digital microscopic imaging, confocal microscopy, molecular biological techniques, tissue culture, and protein chemistry. Other specialized equipment (e.g., electron microscopes, mass spectrophotometers) is available in other facilities. Through collaborative programs with the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center and Iowa Cardiovascular Center, faculty and students also have access to outstanding research facilities throughout the University of Iowa health sciences campus.