What is the UAB Hughes Med-Grad Fellowship? 

The UAB Howard Hughes Medical Institute Med-Grad Fellowship is a revolutionary Ph.D. program which combines translational research and drug discovery and provides graduate students in training with career development opportunities.  UAB is one of only twenty-three schools in the nation to receive funding from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) $16-million dollar initiative for the Med into Grad Fellowship Program.

Why was the Hughes Med-Grad Fellowship established at UAB?

The emergence of modern molecular techniques and the sequencing of the human genome have resulted in unprecedented leaps in knowledge of the fundamental mechanisms regulating cellular function.

Opportunities to solve longstanding disease-related problems are greater than at any time in the past; however, the decline in the number of physician-scientists and a deficiency of Ph.D. graduates who understand disease processes has created a substantial gap in the workforce required to translate these discoveries for use in clinical practice. 

Bridging this gap will require a new breed of Ph.D. graduate who will have the requisite vocabulary and understanding of pathobiology to work alongside physician-scientists as tenure track faculty in clinical departments or as members of drug discovery teams in pharmaceutical companies. 

The UAB Medical Center, a well-recognized international leader in translational research, represents an ideal environment for integrated training in basic biomedical science and modern clinical medicine.  The UAB Hughes Med-Grad Fellowship represents a unique graduate experience in disease-oriented research that partners UAB faculty with the drug discovery community at Southern Research Institute (SRI), a proven Birmingham-based pharmaceutical development company. 

How do I apply for the UAB Hughes Med-Grad Fellowship?

The UAB Howard Hughes Medical Institute Med-Grad Fellowship (HMGF) program will accept eight highly motivated and academically qualified applicants each year who will matriculate through one of the existing interdisciplinary doctoral programs.  Please see the Admissions section of this Web site for more information regarding application requirements.

What are the components of the UAB Hughes Med-Grad Fellowship?

The UAB Howard Hughes Medical Institute Med-Grad Fellowships consist of three elements:  (1) a specialized curriculum; (2) mentored, disease-oriented thesis research; and (3) an enrichment program.

• Specialized HMGF Curriculum.  The specialized HMGF curriculum will include five courses focused upon the clinical pathological diagnosis and management of disease; clinical research topics; research approaches to drug discovery; disease phenotyping; and statistical methods.   Students must also complete the program requirements for their respective graduate programs of study.
  
  
• Mentored Thesis Research.  HMG Scholars will complete mentored disease-oriented thesis research.
  
  
• HMGF Enrichment Program.  The HMGF enrichment program will catalyze interactions between fellows and faculty, providing valuable training in career development.