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Molecular Medicine


Molecular Medicine Concentration

The Molecular Medicine concentration in the Medical Sciences PhD Program is focused on interdisciplinary approaches to the study of the molecular basis of disease, providing you with a fundamental understanding of biochemical and genetic principles basic to pathophysiological processes. In this program, you will examine molecular mechanisms that underlie the cellular aberrations in clinical disorders and incorporate fundamental principles learned in coursework to medical research.

The mission of the Department of Molecular Medicine is four-fold:

  1. To discover, apply and disseminate knowledge of the basis of health and disease.
  2. To translate this knowledge into innovative tools for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease.
  3. To train and mentor future scientists and health care professionals.
  4. Provide a collegial and scholarly environment where students, faculty, and staff thrive.

Courses

The curriculum for the PhD in Medical Sciences can be found in the Graduate Catalog. A sample of courses offered within the Molecular Medicine concentration is listed below. 

  • Molecular Basis of Disease
  • Structural Biology
  • Fundamentals of Structural Bioinformatics
  • Basic Medical Neuroscience
  • Neuroanatomy
  • Cancer Biology I
Graduate Catalog

Faculty & Research

Current research interests include:

  • Alzheimer’s Disease
  • Cellular Immunology
  • Protein Intrinsic Disorder
  • Signal Transduction/Cancer Tumor Virology

Learn more about our faculty, students, and their research interests below. 

Current Faculty & Students

Affiliated Institutes & Facilities

Concentration Spotlights

Awards

  • Ashley Lui – 2021 Research Day Best Poster in the field of Molecular & Cellular Biology
  • Roukiah Khalil - 2021 Research Day Best Poster in the field of Cancer Biology
  • Ahmed Ramadan – 2021 Research Day Outstanding Innovations in Medicine Award
  • Wael Gamal – 2021 Research Day USF FCU Best Poster in the Field of Immunology & Microbiology
  • Aya Elmarsafawi - Krzanowski Career Development Award, Spring 2021

Recent Publications

  • Muthengi A, Wimalasena VK, Yosief HO, Bikowitz MJ, Sigua LH, Wang T, Li D, Gaieb Z, Dhawan G, Liu S, Erickson J, Amaro RE, Schönbrunn E, Qi J, Zhang W. Development of Dimethylisoxazole-Attached Imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines as Potent and Selective CBP/P300 Inhibitors. J Med Chem. 2021 May 13;64(9):5787-5801. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c02232. Epub 2021 Apr 19. PMID: 33872011.

  • Moss LD, Sode D, Patel R, Lui A, Hudson C, Patel NA, Bickford PC. Intranasal delivery of exosomes from human adipose derived stem cells at forty-eight hours post injury reduces motor and cognitive impairments following traumatic brain injury. Neurochem Int. 2021 Aug 25;150:105173. doi: 10.1016/j.neuint.2021.105173. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34453976.

  • Dutta R, Khalil R, Mayilsamy K, Green R, Howell M, Bharadwaj S, Mohapatra SS, Mohapatra S. Combination Therapy of Mithramycin A and Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor for the Treatment of Colorectal Cancer in an Orthotopic Murine Model. Front Immunol. 2021 Jul 26;12:706133. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.706133. PMID: 34381456; PMCID: PMC8350740.

More Information

For information about the Medical Sciences PhD Program, contact 813-974-2836 or biomedphd@usf.edu.

Apply Now

Please note, students do not apply directly to a concentration. Interested students should submit an application for the PhD in Medical Sciences. Concentrations are typically selected during the first year of study.