Max Mertens is pursuing a PhD in virology. A student in the David Knipe Lab, Mertens studies a cell’s antiviral response to infection by the herpes simplex virus. Pictured behind Mertens, green shows a protein responsible for detecting viral infection and red shows the skeleton of the cell.
DOCTORAL STUDIES
HMS doctoral programs are designed to launch superbly trained scientists into a wide range of careers, from biomedical research, academia and industry to positions in government service, patent law and science communications. In 2016, 841 PhD students were enrolled in nine disciplines. The HMS Division of Medical Sciences is made up of six programs, including bioinformatics and integrative genomics, biological and biomedical sciences, immunology, neuroscience, speech and hearing bioscience and technology, and virology. Three programs—biophysics, chemical biology and systems biology—are collaborations between HMS and Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences. MASTER’S PROGRAMS
In recent years, HMS has launched six new master’s degree programs. The following concentrations, comprising one-year and two-year programs, are designed for biomedical professionals wishing to further their career aspirations. Enrollment in 2016 totaled 142. MMSc in Clinical Investigation provides training in methods of clinical investigation for
future leaders in patientoriented research. MMSc in Medical Education prepares professionals to lead in medical education and develop new courses and curricula. MMSc in Immunology provides a research-based foundation in basic, translational and clinical immunology. MMSc in Global Health Delivery focuses on improving health services in resource-constrained settings. Master of Bioethics covers bioethical questions that arise in clinical and research settings. Master of Biomedical Informatics immerses physicians and scientists in data science methods. INTERDISCIPLINARY PROGRAMS
Among its many successful enrichment programs, HMS and its partners are focusing on multidisciplinary areas of medicine: The Bertarelli Program in Translational Neuroscience and Neuroengineering, a partnership with École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland, advances faculty and student
exchange programs that are aimed at moving basic research in neuroscience and engineering toward clinical applications. The Leder Human Biology and Translational Medicine Program has attracted 150 doctoral students since its inception. It focuses on translating basic science discoveries into new ways to diagnose and treat disease. The Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at HMS and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, which was created in 2010, connects HMS researchers, educators, clinicians and graduate students who are fostering a new model of wellness and healing by integrating therapies such as nutritional supplementation, chiropractic, meditation, acupuncture, tai chi, yoga and movement therapy into treatment plans and lifestyle approaches. The Therapeutics Graduate Program, which develops interconnected themes that lead to new drug discoveries, enrolled nine PhD students in 2016, for a total of 37 students from seven of the Harvard Integrated Life Sciences programs. n
FOR MORE ON EDUCATION hms.harvard.edu/education