The program involves investigators in seven basic science departments. Training is offered in the general areas of Cancer Biology and Cell Proliferation, Cell Organization and Function, Cellular Immunology, Neurobiology, Signal Transduction and Gene Control, and Stem Cell Biology.

The interdisciplinary character of the program allows for a wide perspective for the student in approaching a research project and selecting thesis advisors. The design of the curriculum aims at providing the students with an advanced, but balanced biological education that prepares them to understand and apply to their research sophisticated ideas and methodologies of biochemistry, genetics, immunology, and molecular cell biology. There are no course requirements; rather each student decides with his or her mentor plus a student advisor which courses are most appropriate for that student’s interest.

In addition to specific courses, the program also provides a number of venues for individual students to design their own learning experience, and to discuss their research. These include the organization of tutorials with individual faculty selected by the students, presentations of research progress in weekly meetings with colleagues, the selection by students of outside guest seminar speakers, participation in a student run journal club, and a programmatic retreat where students present and discuss their research in an informal atmosphere.

The Program provides training for Ph.D. and M.D./Ph.D. degree students.

Ph.D. degree students are admitted through the "open program" of the Sackler Institute of Graduate Biomedical Sciences. Admission candidates are selected by a committee of faculty members from the participating departments; their acceptance must be approved by the Sackler Institute. The application form provides a place for appplicants to indicate their program of potential interest, but they are not committed to any program until after they matriculate and become more familiar with the various graduate programs. To learn more about the criteria for admission and to download an application form click here: Sackler Institute: Admissions After an initial screening, the selected candidates living in the United States are invited to NYU for interviews. Following the interview final decision on admission will be made by a committee of the Sackler Institute comprised of representatives from all the graduate programs.

M.D./Ph.D. Degree Students

M.D./Ph.D. students are admitted through the Medical Scientist Training Program. After the first two years of medical school courses M.D./Ph.D. students join a lab in which they conduct research towards the Ph.D. degree. To learn more about admission to the Medical Scientist Training Program and to download an application form click here: Medical Scientist Training Program: Application

Interview schedule for the Ph.D. program

The interview program lasts a day and a half. On the first day (Thursday) the program begins in the afternoon and includes a brief greeting by the program director, a research seminar by a Sackler Institute faculty member, a poster session in which current graduate students present their research, dinner, and attendance of a current New York theater production. The following day (Friday) the schedule begins with an overview of the Sackler Institute Graduate Program and a tour of the Medical Center and student housing. There will then be four interviews with current Program faculty, lunch with current graduate students, and a chance to meet with the directors of individual programs. Finally, there will be a "get-together" with current students, dinner, and a "night-on-the-town" with current first year graduate students.

Interview schedule for the Medical Scientist Training Program (M.D./Ph.D. Program)

The interview program begins with dinner on the first day (Thursday). The second day (Friday) begins with an orientation, and includes a tour of the medical center, lunch with current students in the program and four interviews with faculty, one from the medical school and three from the graduate program.