As a student in the PhD in biological sciences in public health program, you will gain expertise in the prevention and treatment of diseases.
Key areas of investigation:
- The metabolic basis of health and disease
- Immunology and infectious diseases
- Gene-environment interactions
- Inflammation and stress responses
Current research within our laboratories includes these and other diseases and risk factors:
- Aging
- AIDS
- Asthma
- Atherosclerosis
- Cancer
- Chagas’ disease
- Diabetes
- Environmental exposure to toxins
- Gene-environment interactions
- Infection
- Inflammation and stress responses
- Inflammatory diseases
- Kidney disease
- Malaria
- Metabolic syndrome
- Nutrition
- Obesity
- Tuberculosis
Careers
As a graduate of the program, you will be prepared for a career as a faculty member in a college, university, medical school, research institute, or school of public health. You may also choose to pursue a career in research at a government agency, or in the private sector at a consulting, biotech, or pharmaceutical firm.
Curriculum
The program provides broad interdisciplinary knowledge of both mechanistic and quantitative approaches to biomedical research and prepares graduate students for research careers with courses in the following areas:
- Biochemistry, Genetics
- Biostatistics
- Cell biology
- Epidemiology
- Immunology/Infectious diseases
- Molecular biology
- Physiology
- Toxicology/Cancer cell biology
Funding
All students admitted to the PhD in biological sciences in public health program, including international students, are guaranteed full funding, which includes a stipend, tuition, and health insurance for five years, provided they maintain satisfactory progress.
Eligibility
To qualify for admission, applicants must demonstrate strong enthusiasm and ability for the vigorous pursuit of scientific knowledge. Minimum requirements include a bachelor’s degree and undergraduate preparation in the sciences.
Application Process
Like all PhD (doctor of philosophy) programs at the School, the PhD in biological sciences in public health is offered under the aegis of the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS). Applications are processed through the GSAS online application system. The program is located within the Division of Biological Sciences at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
