PhD in Medical Sciences
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:
- To discover, apply and disseminate knowledge of the basis of health and disease.
- To translate this knowledge into innovative tools for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease.
- To train and mentor future scientists and health care professionals.
- 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
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.
Affiliated Institutes & Facilities
Concentration Spotlights
Awards
Niat Gebru - Chih Foundation Research & Publication Award 2023
Brandi Miller - American Aging Association Early Scholar Honorable Mention Award 2023
Joanne Tejero - Genshaft Family Doctoral Fellowship 2023
Recent Publications
Cai, Z., Kohaal, N., Georgiou, K., Liang, X., Chi, X., Tan, H., Tan, B., Li, K., Fan, G., Lambrinidis, G., Kolocouris, A., Deng, X., Chen, Y., & Wang, J. (2026). Structure-Based Design of Covalent SARS-CoV‑2 Main Protease Inhibitors Targeting the Nirmatrelvir-Resistant E166 Mutants. JACS Au, 6(1), 233–244. https://doi.org/10.1021/jacsau.5c01178
Tejero, J. D., Hesterberg, R. S., Drapela, S., Ilter, D., Raizada, D., Lazure, F., Kashfi, H., Liu, M., Silvane, L., Avram, D., Fernández-García, J., Asara, J. M., Fendt, S. M., Cleveland, J. L., & Gomes, A. P. (2025). Methylmalonic acid induces metabolic abnormalities and exhaustion in CD8+ T cells to suppress anti-tumor immunity. Oncogene, 44(2), 105–114. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41388-024-03191-1
Matlack, J. K., Miner, R. E., 3rd, Lokhandwala, J., & Binning, J. M. (2025). Ancestral protein reconstruction reveals the mechanism of substrate specificity in FN3K-mediated deglycation. bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology, 2025.07.30.667714. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.07.30.667714
More Information
For information about the Medical Sciences PhD Program, contact 813-974-2836 or biomedphd@usf.edu.
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.