Fields of Study and Research

Many general areas of research are available in the Human Genetics program:

Approximately 10 - 12 new students are admitted to the program each year. Our students interact with trainees in several other programs at Hopkins including postdoctoral fellows in Human Genetics, as well as predoctoral students in many of the other graduate programs on the School of Medicine campus including Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology (BCMB); Neuroscience; Immunology; and Cellular and Molecular Medicine (CMM).

Below are listed the courses required of all students in the program. These includes a human biology core that has been adapted from the basic medical school curriculum. The first course that incoming students will take is Genetics & Medicine: History of Ideas. In this seminar course, students revisit articles that have been the cornerstome of the evolution in the field and discuss the historical and scientific context in which such discoveries were made.

Further on, our students are required to take courses that are part of the core curriculum for BCMB and other programs on campus, where they will acquire an extensive knowledge of molecular biology, genetics of model systems, and human genetics. The introductory course in Human Genetics and three advanced genetics seminars are required, as well as basic graduate courses in Molecular Biology, Fundamentals of Genetics, Biochemistry and Cell Biology. We believe that the time spent in formal course work, although significant in the first year and a half of the program, provides our students with an excellent, broad-based foundation for careers in biomedical research.

Listed in blue boxes are those courses that are shared with other Graduate Programs in the School of Medicine. Those courses listed in a red box are specific for Human Genetics Students.

Electives available include existing courses in human biology as well as those in genetics and molecular biology. In addition, there are many other courses available in the Schools of Medicine, School of Public Health and at Homewood which may be appropriate for individualized programs. These include courses in Bioinformatics, Advanced Biostatistics and many other subject-related topics.

Research training begins soon after the student enters the program. The rotation electives are selected by the student according to his/her interests. A series of informal luncheon meetings with the faculty as well as the Human Genetics Student/Faculty retreat, held in September each year, provides the student with an opportunity to become acquainted with the research activities of each of the preceptors.

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Program Information | Johns Hopkins - Institute of Genetic ...