University of Chicago

The core mission of the PhD program in Development, Regeneration, and Stem Cell Biology (DRSB) is to train our students to identify and answer fundamental questions in developmental biology using a broad, interdisciplinary approach. The vibrant developmental biology community at the University of Chicago unites basic science and clinical researchers across the Biological Sciences Division. The diverse scientific interests of the DRSB faculty offer students a broad choice of research topics and organisms. Our students use systems ranging from non-traditional model organisms like salamanders and cephalopods to the more traditional ones such as fruit flies, nematode worms, zebrafish, mouse and Arabidopsis. Dissertation projects tackle important questions in stem cell biology, tissue morphogenesis, regeneration, gene regulation, and human disease using techniques that span the disciplines of genetics, cell biology, molecular biology, quantitative biology, neurobiology and evolutionary biology. In addition to rigorous academic coursework in developmental biology and closely related fields, the DRSB training program emphasizes written and oral communication and the development of critical, quantitative thinking. Graduates of our program continue on to successful careers as independent researchers in academia and industry, and to leadership positions in teaching, policy, science writing and consulting.

Preparing students to conduct research: Research interests of DRSB faculty and topics covered in the curriculum include:

• stem cell biology
• tissue patterning and morphogenesis
• gene regulation in normal development, disease and evolution
• regeneration
• neural development
• cell cycle, proliferation and growth regulation
• cytoskeletal dynamics, cell motility and metastasis
• computational and systems biology
• organismal biology
• paleontology