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Innovation and Excellence in Training and Research 

Mission

Driving biomedical discovery through interdisciplinary training and innovative research.

Vision

Demonstrating world-class excellence in all areas of biomedical research through the achievements of our students.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham offers a large and diverse community of scientists focused on innovation in modern biomedicine. The thrill of discovery is evident across campus—UAB routinely ranks among the top research-intensive universities for extramural funding and research productivity.

The Graduate Biomedical Sciences (GBS) Doctoral Training Program is designed to provide you with rigorous, interdisciplinary education and mentorship in a wide array of scientific disciplines. GBS trainees can perform doctoral research in more than 350 different labs across campus as well as Southern Research and HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology. Because of the program's scale and the number of affiliated faculty, the 300+ students are subdivided into eight individual themes that provide discipline-specific training and opportunities for smaller-scale connections within the overall community:

• Biochemistry and Structural Biology
• Cancer Biology
• Cell, Molecular, and Developmental Biology
• Genetics, Genomics, and Bioinformatics
• Immunology
• Microbiology
• Neuroscience
• Pathobiology, Pharmacology, and Physiology

Within all of GBS, the coursework and research opportunities are designed to allow students the opportunity to explore interests across multiple themes or focus in-depth on a research area of interest. 

Our Goals

The goal of the GBS program is to provide our students with all of the resources they need to cultivate excellence in their careers, irrespective of individual goals or aspirations. To accomplish this goal we take advantage of the exceptional research capacity of our community; the commitment of our faculty to excellence in mentorship; and modern, flexible methods for educating young professionals in advanced scientific topics.

We realize that the decision to pursue a Ph.D. in science is serious. Each trainee in our program has a different goal or dream. Graduates of the program pursue careers in research, education, clinical practice, science administration/policy, and more. Our mission is to help you reach your goals.

Ready to Learn More?

This website provide insights into the academic features of the program that are common to all eight of the themes, as well as theme-specific pages, student resources, admissions requirements, and other information. Take a tour of what the GBS program can offer. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us—each theme has specific contact information, or you can contact the GBS Office.

 

Our Student Body

  • 383 Active PhD students
  • 3.5 average GPA
  • 24% international 
  • 61% female
  • 39% male
  • Represent 39 US states and Peurto Rico
  • Represent 28 countries worldwide

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Biomedical Sciences at UAB

GBS is a PhD training program. For undergraduate and master's opportunities, please refer to the following programs: