Cell, Molecular, and Developmental Biology Graduate Program

Subject abbreviation: CMDB College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences

Michael E. Adams, Ph.D., Director Graduate Program, 1140 Batchelor Hall

• (800) 735-0717 or (951) 827-7378

cmdb.ucr.edu

Graduate Program Faculty

Professors

Michael Adams, Ph.D. (Molecular, Cell and

Systems Biology) Peter W. Atkinson, Ph.D. (Entomology) Julia Bailey-Serres, Ph.D. (Botany and Plant

Sciences) Katherine Borkovich, Ph.D. (Microbiology and

Plant Pathology) Richard Cardullo, Ph.D. (Evolution, Ecology,

and Organismal Biology) Monica J. Carson, Ph.D. (School of Medicine) Meng Chen, Ph.D. (Botany and Plant Science) Xuemei Chen, Ph.D. (Botany and Plant

Sciences) Djurdjica Coss, Ph.D. (School of Medicine) Margarita Currás-Collazo, Ph.D. (Molecular,

Cell and Systems Biology) Anupama Dahanukar, Ph.D. (Molecular, Cell

and Systems Biology) Katayoon Dehesh, Ph.D. (Botany and Plant

Sciences) Adler Dillman, Ph.D. (Nematology) Shou-Wei Ding, Ph.D. (Microbiology and Plant

Pathology) Iryna M. Ethell, Ph.D. (School of Medicine) Thomas Eulgem, Ph.D. (Botany and Plant

Sciences) Brian Federici, Ph.D. (Professor of the Graduate Division) Sarjeet S. Gill, Ph.D. (Professor of the Graduate Division) Venugopala Reddy Gonehal, Ph.D. (Botany

and Plant Sciences) Hailing Jin, Ph.D. (Microbiology and Plant

Pathology) Howard Judelson, Ph.D. (Microbiology and

Plant Pathology) Isgouhi Kaloshian, Ph.D. (Nematology) Paul Larsen, Ph.D. (Biochemistry) Karine G. Le Roch, Ph.D. (Molecular, Cell and

Systems Biology) Huinan Liu, Ph.D. (Bioengineering) Xuan Liu, Ph.D. (Biochemistry) David Lo, Ph.D., M.D. (School of Medicine) Morris F. Maduro, Ph.D. (Molecular, Cell and

Systems Biology) Manuela Martins-Green, Ph.D. (Molecular, Cell

and Systems Biology) Ernest Martinez, Ph.D. (Biochemistry) Ashok Mulchandani, Ph.D. (Chemical

Engineering) Jin Nam, Ph.D. (Bioengineering) David Nelson, Ph.D. (Botany and Plant

Sciences) Michael Pirrung, Ph.D. President’s Chair

(Chemistry) Alexander Raikhel (Entomology) Anandasankar Ray, Ph.D. (Molecular, Cell

and Systems Biology) Viji Santhakumar, Ph.D. (Molecular, Cell and

Systems Biology) Frances Sladek, Ph.D. (Molecular, Cell and

Systems Biology) Patricia S. Springer, Ph.D. (Botany and Plant

Sciences) Prudence Talbot, Ph.D. (Professor of the

Graduate Division) Linda L. Walling, Ph.D. (Botany and Plant

Sciences) Yinsheng Wang, Ph.D. (Chemistry) Emma Wilson, Ph.D. (School of Medicine) Sika Zheng, Ph.D. (School of Medicine) Changcheng Zhou, Ph.D. (School of

Medicine) Nicole zur Nieden, Ph.D. (Molecular, Cell and

Systems Biology)

Associate Professors

Jeffrey B. Bachant, Ph.D. (Molecular, Cell and

Systems Biology) Jun-Hyeong Cho, Ph.D. (Molecular, Cell and

Systems Biology) Nicholas V. DiPatrizio, Ph.D. (School of Medicine) Todd Fiacco, Ph.D. (Molecular, Cell and

Systems Biology) Juan Pablo Giraldo, Ph.D. (Botany and Plant

Science) Weifeng Gu, Ph.D. (Molecular, Cell and

Systems Biology) Sachiko Haga-Yamanaka, Ph.D. (Molecular,

Cell and Systems Biology) Rong Hai, Ph.D. (Microbiology and Plant

Pathology) Ted Karginov, Ph.D. (Molecular, Cell and

Systems Biology) Jiayu Liao, Ph.D. (Bioengineering) Amy Litt, Ph.D.(Botany and Plant Sciences) Kerry Mauck, Ph.D. (Entomology) Meera Nair, Ph.D. (School of Medicine) James Ng, Ph.D. (Plant Pathology and

Microbiology) Constance I. Nugent, Ph.D. (Molecular, Cell

and Systems Biology) Sean O’Leary, Ph.D. (Biochemistry) Carolyn Rasmussen, Ph.D. (Botany and Plant

Sciences) Martín Riccomagno, Ph.D. (Molecular, Cell

and Systems Biology) Naoki Yamanaka, Ph.D. (Entomology) Hongdian Yang, Ph.D. (Molecular, Cell and

Systems Biology)

Assistant Professors

Garret Anderson, Ph.D. (Molecular, Cell and

Systems Biology) Bryan Brown, Ph.D. (Molecular, Cell and

Systems Biology) Sonali Chaturvedi, Ph.D. (Microbiology and

Plant Pathology) Sihem Cheloufi, Ph.D. (Biochemistry) Juhong Chen, Ph.D. (Bioengineering) Patrick Degnan, Ph.D. (Plant Pathology and

Microbiology) Ansel Hsiao, Ph.D. (Plant Pathology and

Microbiology) Joshua Morgan, Ph.D. (Bioengineering) Juliette Morrison, Ph.D. (Microbiology and

Plant Pathology) Jernej Murn, Ph.D. (Biochemistry) Dawn H. Nagel, Ph.D. (Botany and Plant

Sciences) Maria Ninova, Ph.D. (Biochemistry) Tara Nordgren, Ph.D. (School of Medicine) Adam Norris, Ph.D. (Biochemistry) Megan Norris, Ph.D. (Biochemistry) Danelle Seymour, Ph.D. (Botany and Plant

Sciences) Joy Xiang, Ph.D. (School of Medicine) Huimin Zhang, Ph.D. (Molecular, Cell and

Systems Biology)

Associate Professor of Teaching

Scott N. Currie, Ph.D. (Molecular, Cell and

Systems Biology)

Assistant Professor of Teaching

Brian Duistermars, Ph.D. (Molecular, Cell

and Systems Biology)

The Cell, Molecular, and Developmental Biology Graduate Program offers M.S. and Ph.D. degrees to students seeking advanced training in these disciplines. The program focuses on the bridge between basic and applied research and on the interface between cell, molecular, and developmental biology. Participating faculty are drawn from numerous biological sciences departments whose research interests in cell, molecular, and developmental biology span biomedical to agricultural problems, and students in the program benefit from unique training opportunities.

Students seeking admission into the program should meet all general requirements of the Graduate Division as printed in the Graduate Studies section of this catalog.

Admission Applicants should have adequate undergraduate course work in chemistry (two years), physics (one year), calculus (one year), statistics (one course), biochemistry (one course), and biology (two years, including a course in genetics and two courses among cell, molecular, or developmental biology). Applicants with strong academic records but with deficiencies in preparation for graduate training may be admitted and must rectify undergraduate deficiencies early in the first two years of residence. Applicants may submit GRE General Test scores (verbal, quantitative and analytical) on an optional basis.

Course Work All students must complete the following core of course work:

• 1. CMDB 203

• 2. One graduate-level course in cell biology

(BIOL 200/CMDB 200, BPSC 237, or NRSC 200A/PSYC 200A)

• 3. One graduate-level course in molecular

biology (BIOL 201/CMDB 201, BCH 211, BPSC 231/BCH 231, BMSC 202, or NRSC 200B/ PSYC 200B)

• 4. One graduate-level course in developmen

tal biology (BPSC 232, CMDB 202)

• 5. GDIV 403 Research and Scholarship Ethics

(1 unit; may be taken any time prior to graduation)

Each student must enroll in the program seminars (CMDB 257, CMDB 258) each time they are offered. Upon entry into the program, each student meets with a guidance committee, which recommends a course of study commensurate with the student’s interests and background.

The Cell, Molecular, and Developmental Biology program offers an M.S. degree.

Plan I (Thesis) Students complete the course work above, enroll in one graduate seminar course in cell, molecular, or developmental biology (SCH 230 (E-Z), BIOL 281 (E-Z)/CMDB 281 (E-Z), BPSC 240, BCH 289/BIOL 289/NRSC 289/PSYC 289) or other with consent of the graduate advisor, and undertake a research project leading to a thesis.

Each student must complete 36 units of course work, of which at least 24 units must be in the graduate series (200 level) in the biological sciences. No more than 12 units in courses numbered 290-299 may be taken to fulfill the 24-unit requirement. Candidates for the M.S. degree must defend their thesis at a public oral presentation.

Final Defense Modality for the M.S degree The possible modalities are In Person, Hybrid or Remote. The default mode is In-Person. If Hybrid or Remote is desired, the committee chairperson, in consultation with the student, will determine the modality for the final defense, with the approval of the Graduate Advisor or Program Director.

Students presenting a final defense in person are expected to present on campus with all committee members physically present.

Students presenting a final defense hybrid, have the option for some committee members/ students to attend in-person and some committee members/students to attend remotely.

Students presenting a final defense remotely; all participants, students, and committee members can participate remotely.

Normative Time to Degree Two years

The Cell, Molecular, and Developmental Biology program offers a Ph.D. degree.

• 1. Completion of the course work listed above

• 2. One additional graduate course in cell,

molecular, and developmental biology

• 3. One graduate seminar course in cell,

molecular, or developmental biology (BCH 230 (E-Z), BIOL 281 (E-Z)/CMDB 281 (EZ), BPSC 240, BCH 289/BIOL 289/CHEM 289/ ENTM 289/NRSC 289/PSYC 289} or other with consent of the graduate advisor

• 4. A research project leading to a dissertation

• 5. Oral public defense of dissertation

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations Doctoral students are advanced to candidacy following successful completion of written and oral qualifying examinations. Students write a proposal detailing the rationale, specific aims, and approaches to be undertaken for their proposed dissertation research prior to taking the oral qualifying examination. Professional Development Training Ph.D. graduate students fulfill their professional development training requirement through the following activities:

• 1) Responsible conduction of research:

One-time mandatory enrollment in GDIV 403 Research and Scholarship Ethics (1 unit; may be taken any time prior to graduation).

• 2) Teaching: One-time mandatory orien

tation in the Teaching Assistant Development Program administered through Graduate Division (must be fulfilled prior to classroom instruction). CMDB requires two quarters of TA teaching.

• 3) Safety training: Mandatory laboratory

safety training administered through Environmental Health and Safety. Additional training may be mandated for some research activities.

• 4) Presentations, scientific interactions

and intellectual development: Enrollment each quarter in CMDB 257 Seminar in Cell, Molecular and Developmental Biology. Part of the professional development in this course involves luncheon meetings between the speakers and students following the seminar. CMDB also offers opportunities for participation and presentation in intra-mural research seminars.

• 5) Research Training: Individual research

training in major professor laboratories is associated with enrollment in CMDB 250, which encompasses laboratory journal clubs and lab meetings, as well as CMDB 297 and CMDB 299 research units. Students are also required to schedule an Annual Research Progress Evaluation (ARPE) with their guidance or dissertation committee to monitor ongoing professional development.

Dissertation Candidates must successfully defend their dissertation research in a public oral presentation.

Oral Qualifying Exam and Final Defense Modality for the Ph.D. degree The possible modalities are In Person, Hybrid or Remote. The default mode is In-Person. The Hybrid and Remote options can be considered if the student or faculty member cannot attend in person due to travel or health reasons. If Hybrid or Remote is desired, the committee chairperson, in consultation with the student, will determine the modality for the Oral Qualifying Exam or Thesis Defense, with the approval of the Graduate Advisor or Program Director.

Students taking the oral qualifying exam/ presenting a final defense in person are expected to present on campus with all committee members physically present.

Students taking the oral qualifying exam/ presenting a final defense hybrid, have the option for some committee members/students to attend in-person and some committee members/students to attend remotely.

Students taking the oral qualifying exam/ presenting a final defense remotely; all participants, students, and committee members can participate remotely. Teaching Requirement Students must fulfill a two-quarter teaching requirement.

There is a high demand in industry and academia for scientists with training in cell, molecular, and developmental biology. Students matriculating from the program are well trained in this field and successfully obtain positions in biotechnology, including biomedical and agricultural industries, and at colleges and universities nationwide.

Normative Time to Degree Five years