The Department of Biochemistry offers a program of study leading to the Ph.D. degree. Students receive broad training in modern biochemistry, including molecular biology, cell biology, enzymology, protein and nucleic acid chemistry, and biophysics. The curriculum consists of course work, independent study, and research. Graduates are prepared to compete successfully in academic and industrial research. The department has 14 faculty members and an average of 20 graduate students. Research interests are diverse and include biophysical characterization of drug-DNA interactions, structure and function of eukaryotic chromatin, enzymology and mechanisms of oxidation-reduction reactions and electron transfer, regulation of the cell cycle, organization of macromolecular complexes, assembly of the nucleolus and ribosomes, molecular dynamics of microtubule assembly and disassembly, structure-function relationships of antimitotic drugs and cancer drug delivery. The department is well equipped for biochemical training and research. Each faculty member has generous laboratory space and the specialized equipment necessary for his/her research. In addition, there is an abundance of shared departmental equipment and facilities. Of particular note are imaging capabilities (a real-time laser scanning confocal microscope, a transmission cryo-electron microscope, video image analysis, and Silicon Graphics molecular modeling workstations), protein analysis facility (with a protein sequencer and an amino acid analyzer), and biophysical instrumentation (an Optima-XL-A analytical ultracentrifuge, a stopped-flow spectrophotometer, a circular dichroism spectropolarimeter, steady-state and lifetime fluorimeters, differential scanning, and titration calorimeters). All full-time students receive a graduate research assistantship. Importantly, these assistantships bear no obligations other than the students must maintain good academic standing and continued progress towards their development as research scientists. The Department of Biochemistry is strongly committed to graduate research and teaching, and is small enough in size to provide close scientific and personal interaction between faculty members and students.

For additional information on application procedures, financial aid and faculty, please contact:

Dr. Drazen Raucher
Director, Graduate Program in Biochemistry
Department of Biochemistry
The University of Mississippi Medical Center
2500 North State Street, Jackson, MS 39216-4505
Phone: (601) 984-1500
Fax: (601) 984-1501
E-mail: draucher@biochem.umsmed.edu

Please visit our website:  http://biochemistry.umc.edu/