THE DAVID ROCKEFELLER GR ADUATE PROGR AM 2011-2012 Published by The Rockefeller University Office of Communications and Public Affairs The david rockefeller graduate program 2011-2012

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE 2

Dean’s message 5

Academic programs 6

research Areas 12

Facilities 17

Student life 20

Admissions and schedule of courses 25

Life After Rockefeller 30 president’s message “For more than a century, THE Rockefeller University has ful- filled the mission my grandfather had envisioned, to produce discoveries that would benefit humankind. It has become one of the world’s great medical research institutions.”

David Rockefeller, life trustee

For me, neuroscience was love at first sight. Understanding the brain and wanting to know how to deconstruct and resolve its complexity fueled my career initially and still motivates me in my lab today. People fall in love with science at differ- ent times in their lives and bring their own perspective to learning and doing science, but the common denominator is an excitement and curiosity to understand the world around them — that’s what The Rockefeller University’s graduate pro- gram is designed to nurture. It is also what fuels Rockefeller’s world-class faculty, who push the boundaries of knowledge with their innovative approaches to scientific discovery. In an environment without departments that supports freedom to explore different areas of science, both students and faculty chart their own paths. For faculty, it enables research that has led to pioneering discoveries with the potential to erad- icate disease and reduce suffering for millions. For students, it provides flexibility to work with more than one professor on their chosen thesis topic. For both, it enables collaboration and interdisciplinary research, which are the university’s hallmark. Rockefeller is truly unique, as it exists solely to support science; thus, every aspect of the administration is dedicated to the success of our scientists. In fact, every member of our scientific administration is an active faculty member, with an active lab. Vital to the success of the faculty and students in these labs are modern and well-equipped buildings, an infra- structure that has been further strengthened by the recent opening of the Collaborative Research Center, which promotes interactions between scientists in modern lab spaces and open areas. We’re also well served by scientific resource centers that provide state-of-the-art research support services. At Rockefeller, we believe students should learn science by doing science, shoulder to shoulder with some of the world’s leading researchers, who guide and mentor them every step of the way. We care about the learning and progress of every student and want to ensure that each and every experience at Rockefeller is maximized. As a student at Rockefeller, you’ll be part of a diverse and supportive community that is a haven for creative, independent thinkers. Your time will be spent on an extraordinary campus, a green oasis nestled in one of the most exciting cities in the world. Deciding where to pursue your graduate training is not easy, as there are many outstanding institutions from which to choose. However, Rockefeller stands out among its peers, providing developing scientists an unparalleled educational experience. We hope you’ll join us.

Marc Tessier-Lavigne President

2 | the rockefeller university The david rockefeller graduate program 20 11–20 1 2 | 3 4 | the rockefeller university dean’s message “At Rockefeller, curiosity is celebrated in a way that is virtually unequaled in the academic universe. Our faculty ask questions that are pushing the very boundaries of human knowledge. Our students are at the center of this research enterprise.”

Paul Nurse, president emeritus

Rockefeller has a graduate program unlike any in the world. Since its beginning more than 50 years ago, five principles have guided the program: Recruit the best students, regardless of citizenship. International diversity is both intellectually and culturally stimulating. Our global approach is possible because we have significant private support for our students. Our current student popula- tion consists of approximately 200 students from 32 countries. Provide a flexible academic program. Students are all different and have diverse interests and needs. We support indi- vidual development by giving our students the freedom to design their own curricula. They fulfill credit requirements with courses of interest and have the option to conduct several rotations or immediately affiliate with a lab. Provide generous professional and personal support. Relieving worries about practical matters allows our students more time to be creative with their scientific pursuits. They receive a yearly stipend, free health and dental insurance, highly subsidized housing on or near campus and an annual research allowance for travel and lab support. Strongly encourage interactions. Students are often the catalyst for collaborations between labs, and some of the most revolutionary ideas span disciplines. To foster interactions, we have an annual student retreat organized and run by stu- dents, numerous scientific lecture series where students interact with speakers from around the world and a series with speakers from the arts and humanities to provide alternative perspectives. Ensure careful mentoring throughout the graduate career. The freedom of our graduate program requires supportive advice and mentoring. In the first year, counsel is provided by the Dean’s Office, and in later years, by the research adviser and a faculty committee. The program has been an extraordinary success. Of more than 1,000 graduates, two have won the Nobel Prize, 26 are members of the United States National Academy of Sciences and our alumni occupy influential positions in academia, industry and many other fields. Graduate school is an important step in becoming a professional scientist. Although it has a well-defined end point — the Ph.D. degree — it really is just a beginning. All of the things that go into becoming a scientist — learning new ideas, perfect- ing new experimental techniques, refining analytical abilities — are lifelong endeavors. Our goal at Rockefeller is to equip you with both the skills and the self-confidence to begin your journey.

Sidney Strickland Dean

The david rockefeller graduate program 20 11–20 1 2 | 5 academic programs “There are many reasons that The Rockefeller University is special. It’s wonderfully small and that means no one gets lost. The hope is always that some very important science can occur that might not ever happen otherwise.”

Michael W. Young, vice president for academic affairs

For over 100 years, biomedical science has been The Rockefeller University’s singular priority. Founded in 1901 by John D. Rockefeller as The Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research, it was the first institution in the United States devoted solely to understanding the causes of disease. Today, renamed The Rockefeller University, it is one of the foremost research centers in the world, with a world-class faculty including six Nobel Prize laureates and 37 members or foreign associates of the National Academy of Sciences. The graduate program admitted its first students in 1955, and since then more than 1,000 scientists have received degrees from Rockefeller. As a Rockefeller graduate student, you will be part of a diverse community of over 2,000, including students, postdocs, faculty and administrative staff. Though Rockefeller is a small school, our location adjacent to Weill Cornell Medical College, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center puts us at an epicenter of scientific activity. Our students truly have the best of both worlds: a personal, highly flexible training program and access to a broad range of collaborators and resources.

PH.D. Program

Rockefeller’s Ph.D. program is based on the concept of learning science by doing science, and our laboratories are at the center of the Ph.D. training program. There are 74 laboratories at Rockefeller, each headed by a tenured or tenure-track member of the faculty, that study a wide range of biomedical and related sciences, including biochemistry, structural biology and chemistry; medical sciences and human genetics; molecular, cell and developmental biology; immunology, virology and microbiology; neuroscience; and physics and mathematical biology. Students who arrive with a particular mentor or project in mind may immediately join a laboratory; those who prefer to explore may rotate through several laboratories to gain exposure to different areas of research. Students choose a labora- tory by the end of their first year and present a thesis proposal before the end of their second year. The collegial nature of the laboratory environment links younger students to previous generations from the same lab, as well as to postdocs and faculty mentors. The collaborations that result from these relationships are not only the basis on which our scientific education is built, they are the engine that drives the discovery process. Many collaborations pro- duce exceptional results that lead to publication in prominent journals. And the relationships formed within laboratories often lead to lifelong associations. While formal coursework is minimal, several classes each semester offer foundations in particular specialties, and three required courses taken during the first year serve to develop students’ abilities to critically interpret scientific data, to

6 | the rockefeller university The david rockefeller graduate program 20 11–20 1 2 | 7 Prizewinners as Mentors

Jeffrey M. Friedman Elaine Fuchs

Roderick MacKinnon Günter Blobel

In the university’s 110-year history, Rockefeller scientists have the 2008 National Medal of Science for research on how stem been honored with the most prestigious national and inter- cells in the skin undergo a cycle of self-renewal; Roderick national science awards. Fourteen National Medal of Science MacKinnon, who shared the 2003 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for recipients, 14 Gairdner Foundation International Awardees his work in elucidating how ion channel proteins help gener- and 21 winners of the Albert Lasker Medical Research Award ate nerve impulses; and Günter Blobel, who received the 1999 have been associated with Rockefeller. The university has also Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discovery of pep- been home to an impressive 23 Nobel laureates, six of whom tide signals that govern the transport of proteins inside cells. are current members of the Rockefeller faculty. In addition, rockefeller scientists are known not only for their numer- nearly half the current faculty are members of the prestigious ous honors and awards but also for their accessibility and National Academy of Sciences, and 16 have been elected to their passion for science. Rockefeller students work in their the Institute of Medicine. laboratories and are regarded as colleagues, contributing to Recent honorees include Jeffrey M. Friedman, who received the groundbreaking science being conducted there. As Dr. the 2010 Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research for MacKinnon succinctly put it, winning the Nobel is a fantastic his discovery of the hormone leptin, which is critical to the honor, but nothing compares to the work itself. “There is so body’s ability to regulate its weight; Elaine Fuchs, who received much joy in what I do,” he says.

8 | the rockefeller university academic programs

promote awareness of research ethics and to introduce students to research going on in the university’s labs. Beyond the sched- uled curriculum, additional seminars and tutorials are available based on demand. As graduate students near the end of their investigations, they defend their the- sis before a panel of faculty members and present their work to the full Rockefeller University community.

M.D.-Ph.D. Program

The mission of the Tri-Institutional M.D.- Ph.D. Program is to educate and train phy- sician-scientists, who are able to bridge the gap between laboratory research and clini- cal medicine and thereby contribute toward improving health and enhancing the qual- ity of life by reducing disability and death from disease. Rockefeller participates in the program jointly with its two neighbors: Weill Medical College and the Graduate School of Medical Sciences of Cornell University, and the Sloan-Kettering Institute at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Between 12 and 14 students enroll in this highly competitive program every year, and at any one time 25 or so are perform- ing thesis research in Rockefeller University laboratories. Students spend their first two years in medical school, while also complet- ing three research rotations. Following the completion of graduate studies and thesis research at either The Rockefeller University, the Gerstner Sloan-Kettering Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences or Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, students receive their Ph.D. degrees and then reenter medical school to complete clinical rotations and receive their M.D. degrees. With more than 25 years of continu- ous funding through the Medical Scientist Training Program of the National Institutes of Health and significant institutional and foundation support, the Tri-Institutional M.D.-Ph.D. Program offers full tuition and stipends. Graduates typically go on to pur- sue clinical and advanced research training, and many alumni of the program occupy research, clinical and administrative posi- tions at the nation’s top medical schools and academic medical centers.

The david rockefeller graduate program 20 11–20 1 2 | 9 Student profiles

Third Year: Pursuing a Thesis First Year: Courses and Rotations Second Year: Thesis Work Begins

Tamara Ouspenskaia Lindsay Dick The growth factor Biting questions for neuroscience

Growing up, Tamara Ouspenskaia always loved math and thought Lindsay Dick’s academic research began in the rivers and streams she might someday use her facility with numbers in business. After of the South, where she waded into ecology through studies in immigrating to Canada from Russia at the age of 15, however, water quality. As an undergraduate at the University of North she was inspired by a high school science teacher. “Once I learned Carolina, her interest had shifted to molecular biology and genom- what science was really about, I knew that’s what I wanted to do,” ics, specifically gene regulation in hermaphroditic roundworms. she says. But by graduation, she knew what she wanted to pursue for her As an undergraduate at McGill University, Tamara dove into doctorate: neuroscience. “Thinking about how behaviors are biochemistry. She did stints in physiology and pharmacology coordinated in the brain fascinated me, and I knew it was what I labs and, for her master’s degree, she undertook biochemical wanted to study.” experiments to identify novel players in the signaling cascade for After her rotations at Rockefeller, Lindsay joined Leslie Vosshall’s a growth factor, TGF-β. But when she came to Rockefeller and Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, where she is trying to began her lab rotations, she decided she wanted to work in an answer a question that has baffled hikers and researchers alike: animal model. She joined Elaine Fuchs’s Laboratory of Mammalian Why do mosquitoes bite some people more than others? “We Cell Biology and Development to work on stem cells in mice. “It know there are these groups of people, but why? Is there some- always bothered me that I couldn’t be sure whether the work thing in our blood that mosquitoes can sense that differentially I was doing in cell cultures would actually apply in real life, so affects their fecundity? It’s a very broad behavior question, but I the mouse model was perfect.” Tamara plans to investigate the want to find specific molecular explanations.” function of new genes involved in skin cancers. In Dr. Fuchs, she When she interviewed at Rockefeller, she was attracted by the found a strong female mentor. “I hope some of her brilliance will university’s spirit of supporting its students’ research, wherever the rub off on me.” science took them. And that’s been her experience so far. At the Applying to Ph.D. programs, Tamara knew she wanted to be end of her second year, Lindsay had approval from Rockefeller’s in a big city. The idea of living in one of the world’s great cultural Institutional Review Board to measure the attraction of mosquitoes capitals was a major draw. “One great thing about living here is to people and sample their blood and the microbiota on their skin I get to see every band I like, popular or not. Some people go to search for answers. “I have a lot of independence, but also help traveling when they are 25, and I guess I am, too: I moved to when I need it,” she says. “I don’t know the answers yet, but I’ve New York.” got a promising way to start looking for them.”

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Fifth Year: Writing and Defending

Fourth Year: Continuing Thesis Work

Daniel B. Gilmer Fabio Casadio At the service of science Rewiring gene switches

Daniel Gilmer was on a one-way track to medical school. As an Fabio Casadio already knew what he wanted to study when undergraduate, he participated in a mission trip to Africa, served he matriculated at Rockefeller. It was the more mundane issues as president of the Howard University Impact Movement and he needed extra help with. “It’s hard not to succeed at Rockefeller,” spent a spring break helping Hurricane Katrina victims rebuild says Fabio. “Not only does the university provide housing and their lives in New Orleans. With a drive to help others and his a stipend, but they even help with things like international love of biology, becoming a medical doctor seemed a natural fit. taxes. Honestly, I’m not sure I’d have survived without that kind Then he spent a summer at the bench. of support.” Following his junior year at Howard — where he later received Fabio first came to Rockefeller University as a Summer a B.S. in biology for his work on the differential effects of silver Undergraduate Research Fellow. He spent the summer in Frederick nanoparticles on various cancer cells and healthy cells — Daniel R. Cross’s Laboratory of Yeast Molecular Genetics, studying the spent the summer doing research in a Howard Hughes Medical expression of genes that contribute to symmetrical cell division. He Institute laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology returned to his hometown of Bologna, Italy, to complete a gradu- as part of HHMI’s Exceptional Research Opportunities Program. ate-level degree in molecular biology at the University of Bologna, “That summer, I realized that I could learn even more in the lab but he knew he wanted to come back to Rockefeller for his Ph.D. than I had in classes,” he says. On advice from his mentor at Currently a student in C. David Allis’s Laboratory of Chromatin MIT, he made short work of applying to doctoral programs. “I Biology and Epigenetics, Fabio is part of a team that studies was drawn to Rockefeller’s flexibility, and the fact that in such a histones, proteins that are central to the activation and inactiva- tightly knit community, I’ll have an opportunity to learn so much tion of individual genes in individual cells and thus hold important more than just my own field.” Before enrolling he accepted a implications for the study of cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s postbaccalaureate fellowship with the National Cancer Institute, disease, AIDS and other diseases in which normal gene activity is where he spent a year. disrupted. “I’m in a very particular field, and though there is an Daniel is a member of Vincent A. Fischetti’s Laboratory of incredible diversity of people and fields at Rockefeller, you never Bacterial Pathogenesis and Immunology; his work focuses feel like you’re lost in a crowd. There are many opportunities to on an antibiotic enzyme known as a lysin, which his animal get to know people in other fields and not only learn from them tests suggest shows promise in treating dangerous Strepto- but even contribute to their work in return. The collaborative spirit cocci infections. is alive and well here.”

The david rockefeller graduate program 20 11–20 1 2 | 11 Research Areas “One of the best things about Rockefeller is that there are no formal departments. At other schools, if you go to a graduate program in microbiology, you don’t get exposed to a lecture on neuroscience.”

Mary Abraham, alumna

Centered around 74 cutting-edge laboratories working in a broad range of fields — some of which defy easy categorization — The Rockefeller University fosters a collaborative research environment and provides an innovative educational experi- ence for its select group of outstanding graduate students and postdoctoral researchers. To help reduce artificial barriers and provide its investigators with the greatest degree of freedom, Rockefeller does not have departments. Its laboratories are, however, loosely clustered into six distinct research areas.

Biochemistry, Structural Biology and Chemistry

Dramatic advances in molecular genetics have ushered in a new era in biology in which the complete genetic blueprints of living organisms are available. Yet biologists still face the enormous challenge of relating one-dimensional DNA sequences to the three-dimensional protein architectures they encode and to the complex chemical and physical transformations that underlie living systems. Biochemists, structural biologists and chemists at Rockefeller work toward a more complete understanding of the molecular basis of life. They identify molecules involved in key biological processes, determine their three-dimensional struc- tures, elucidate their cellular functions and synthesize molecules capable of modifying these functions. Molecular researchers at Rockefeller employ the full range of modern tools, including x-ray crystallography, magnetic resonance spectroscopy, electron microscopy, mass spectrometry, bioinformatics, computer modeling and chemical synthesis, as well as techniques of molecular biology and genetics.

Medical Sciences and Human Genetics

Translating novel scientific insights into new approaches for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease is the ultimate goal of biomedical research. Rockefeller’s scientists and clinicians study conditions such as cancer, heart disease, obesity, addiction, psoriasis, hepatitis C, HIV, mental illness, autoimmune disorders and many others. The Rockefeller University Hospital serves as an ideal setting for conducting clinical studies in a carefully controlled environment. The university is also home to a number of researchers studying the genetic basis of human disease. Using bioinformat- ics and other emerging technologies that have provided sufficient scale to study the human genome, and recruiting subjects from New York City’s diverse population, Rockefeller scientists work to identify human disease genes for complex disorders.

12 | the rockefeller university The david rockefeller graduate program 20 11–20 1 2 | 13 Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology

Modern cell biology was founded at Rockefeller more than a half century ago with the introduction of the electron micro- scope. The field has since evolved into a molecular phase, which focuses on how cellular and extracellular macromolecules interact and communicate with each other to give rise to specific functions and responses. Along with microscopic and biochemical approaches, Rockefeller scientists use a full range of techniques from structural biology, biophysics, physiology and genetics. Developmental biology has been revolutionized by the identification of conserved molecules that control the cell cycle and the growth of embryos, resulting in significant advances to our understanding of how a fertilized egg is transformed into a complex organism and of how pluripotent stem cells differentiate to form specific organs. This field holds great promise, and laboratories in this area focus on combining diverse genetic, biochemical and cellular approaches to explore developmental questions in a range of model organisms.

Immunology, Virology and Microbiology

The immune system lies at the heart of many critical areas of biomedicine, among them stem cell biology, gene therapy, resistance to tumors, vascular biology, antiviral immunity and autoimmune disease. Rockefeller laboratories apply the tools of modern molecular genetics and cell biology to the study of several critical aspects of the immune system, including antigen presentation, immunodeficiency syndromes and the DNA rearrangements that accompany the maturation of immune cell lineages. Microbial pathogenesis requires an understanding of the molecular interplay between pathogenic microbes and cells of the human or animal host. Understanding this molecular interplay depends heavily on advances in the fundamental disciplines of immunology, biochemistry, genetics and cell biology. Other microbes, especially trypanosomes, provide valuable model systems for understanding molecular and cellular mechanisms of universal interest and importance.

Neuroscience

Rockefeller scientists study the nervous system from many perspectives, from the isolation of molecules and cells mediat- ing neural function and development, to the study of the cellular ensembles engaged in high-level sensory processing, to the discovery of mechanistic links between the biology of the brain and particular behavioral states. Research also focuses on interactions between the brain and the immune system, on ion channels and pores that transport molecules between nerve cells and on understanding neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Rockefeller neuroscience laboratories span the areas of molecular and cellular neurobiology, sensory neuroscience and the neurobiology of behavior. Topics of current investigation include, among many others: the control of gene expression in neurons; the formation and patterning of the embryonic vertebrate nervous system; circadian rhythms; olfaction; the effects of experience and hormones on brain plasticity; and the cortical mechanisms of visual perception.

P hysics and Mathematical Biology

The university’s physicists and mathematical biologists are creating a dynamic interface between physical and biological disciplines. The university’s Center for Studies in Physics and Biology promotes experimental collaborations to study both the physical properties of biological systems and the application of physical techniques to the modeling of biological networks. Condensed-matter physicists at Rockefeller revolutionized studies of nonlinear dynamics, which they apply to the analysis of biological systems. Physics laboratories are also studying systems theory, biological statistics and probability, population dynamics and sensory processing, among other subjects. In addition to laboratories that study the physics of biological systems, the university also has two high-energy particle physics laboratories, one experimental and one theoretical, working on questions fundamental to the completion of the Standard Model hypothesis and to comprehensive theories of matter such as quantum physics, supersymmetry and string theory.

14 | the rockefeller university Research Areas

Faculty by Area of research

Biochemistry, Molecular, F. Nina Papavasiliou Structural Cell and Jeffrey V. Ravetch Biology and Developmental Charles M. Rice Chemistry Biology Sanford M. Simon C. David Allis C. David Allis C. Erec Stebbins Günter Blobel Paul Bieniasz Ralph M. Steinman Sean F. Brady Günter Blobel Alexander Tarakhovsky Brian T. Chait Ali H. Brivanlou Alexander Tomasz Seth A. Darst Brian T. Chait Titia de Lange Nam-Hai Chua Neuroscience David C. Gadsby Frederick R. Cross Cori Bargmann Howard C. Hang George A.M. Cross Ali H. Brivanlou Tarun Kapoor Titia de Lange Robert B. Darnell M. Magda Konarska Elaine Fuchs Winrich Freiwald Roderick MacKinnon Hironori Funabiki Jeffrey M. Friedman Luciano Marraffini Mary E. Hatten David C. Gadsby Michael O’Donnell Nathaniel Heintz Charles D. Gilbert Charles M. Rice Tarun Kapoor Paul Greengard Robert G. Roeder M. Magda Konarska Mary E. Hatten Michael P. Rout Daniel Kronauer Nathaniel Heintz Vanessa Ruta Albert J. Libchaber A. James Hudspeth Thomas P. Sakmar Paul Nurse Bruce W. Knight Agata Smogorzewska F. Nina Papavasiliou Mary Jeanne Kreek C. Erec Stebbins Charles M. Rice Daniel Kronauer Alexander Tomasz Robert G. Roeder Roderick MacKinnon Thomas Tuschl Michael P. Rout Marcelo O. Magnasco Thomas P. Sakmar Gaby Maimon Medical Shai Shaham Bruce S. McEwen Sciences Sanford M. Simon Fernando Nottebohm and Human Agata Smogorzewska Donald W. Pfaff Genetics Hermann Steller George N. Reeke Jr. Paul Bieniasz Sohail Tavazoie Vanessa Ruta Jan L. Breslow Alexander Tomasz Shai Shaham Jean-Laurent Casanova Thomas Tuschl Sanford M. Simon Joel E. Cohen Leslie B. Vosshall Sidney Strickland Barry S. Coller Michael W. Young Marc Tessier-Lavigne Robert B. Darnell Leslie B. Vosshall Titia de Lange Immunology, Michael W. Young Vincent A. Fischetti Virology and Jeffrey M. Friedman Microbiology Physics and Nathaniel Heintz Paul Bieniasz Mathematical David D. Ho Sean F. Brady Biology A. James Hudspeth Jean-Laurent Casanova Joel E. Cohen Mary Jeanne Kreek George A.M. Cross Mitchell J. Feigenbaum James G. Krueger Robert B. Darnell Konstantin A. Goulianos Charles M. Rice Vincent A. Fischetti A. James Hudspeth Agata Smogorzewska Howard C. Hang Bruce W. Knight Ralph M. Steinman David D. Ho Stanislas Leibler Hermann Steller James G. Krueger Albert J. Libchaber Sohail Tavazoie Luciano Marraffini Marcelo O. Magnasco Alexander Tomasz Daniel Mucida Eric D. Siggia Michel C. Nussenzweig Sanford M. Simon

The david rockefeller graduate program 20 11–20 1 2 | 15 16 | the rockefeller university Facilities “Rockefeller’s scientific approach is based on its people. The university brings in the right talent and invests not only in them, but in their space, their equipment and their support.”

Chad Euler, Alumnus

High-quality science requires high-quality equipment and expertise. Rockefeller’s world-class laboratories are supported by state-of-the-art shared facilities and resource centers.

The Rockefeller University Hospital

The primary mission of The Rockefeller University Hospital is to conduct clinical research. An independent, central unit of the university since its opening in 1910, the hospital serves as an essential link between laboratory investigation and bedside observation, providing a vital facility to study the scientific basis of disease detection, prevention and treatment. The hospital’s unique environment is well suited for long inpatient stays, facilitating the study of pathologic processes in patients and normal physiological processes in healthy volunteers. Funded by both The Rockefeller University and a Clinical and Translational Science Award from the National Center for Research Resources of the National Institutes of Health, the hospital’s facilities include a 20-bed inpatient unit, a procedure suite suitable for endoscopy and biopsy pro- cedures, a sleep study unit, a broadband/narrowband ultraviolet lightbox and a digital radiology suite. The Robert and Harriet Heilbrunn Outpatient Research Center, opened in 2003, includes nine examination rooms, two consultation rooms and two phlebotomy rooms. Research at the hospital, which celebrated its centennial in 2010, has resulted in some major contributions to public health, including development of the oxygen chamber, methods for blood transfusion and storage, methadone therapy and development of multiple-drug treatment of HIV infection.

Resource Centers

The university’s in-house resource centers provide centralized, high-quality laboratory services for the university community at cost-effective rates. In addition, some common lab services, including DNA sequencing, are provided by outside compa- nies under contract to the university.

Bio-imaging Resource Center The Frits and Rita Markus Bio-Imaging Resource Center provides a wide spectrum of state-of-the-art imaging equipment, including multiphoton confocal, spinning disk and DeltaVision microscopes, and offers extensive training in its use.

The david rockefeller graduate program 20 11–20 1 2 | 17 Comparative Bioscience Center The Comparative Bioscience Center is capable of maintaining a variety of common and unique laboratory animals and in addition provides a wide range of veterinary, diagnostic and research technical services, including:

Bioluminescence Imaging Facility The Bioluminescence Imaging Facility houses an IVIS Lumina imaging system for in vivo imaging. The system allows highly sensitive detection of fluorescent and/or bioluminescent signals facilitating longitudinal noninvasive monitoring of disease progression, cell trafficking and gene expression patterns in living mice.

gem Phenotyping Core The Genetically Engineered Mouse Phenotyping Core provides an extensive baseline phenotypic profile of geneti- cally engineered mice, which can be used by investigators who are unfamiliar with normal mouse anatomy, histol- ogy, physiology and age- or strain-related background lesions. The center also aids in evaluating the entire mouse, as opposed to a specific tissue or organ system, which can help to identify unanticipated phenotypic changes.

gene Targeting Facility This facility performs specific genomic modifications in mouse embryonic stem cells, which are used mainly in creating knockout or knockin mice that allow researchers to assess specific gene functions in intact mice. The cur- rent service includes regular gene targeting by homologous recombination and Cre-mediated genomic engineering in embryonic stem cells. It can also adapt to the specific needs of individual projects.

transgenic Services Laboratory The Transgenic Services Laboratory creates and maintains transgenic animal models and works to refine and develop new transgenic techniques. Services include the production of transgenic mice by DNA injection into pro- nuclei of mouse oocytes; the production of knockout and knockin chimeric mice by embryonic stem cell injection into mouse blastocysts; embryo transfer rederivation; and cryopreservation of embryos.

Electron Microscopy Resource Center The Electron Microscopy Resource Center provides full-service imaging with both transmission equipment and a scanning electron microscope. The staff is experienced in processing biological samples such as tissues, cultured cells and subcellular fractions for morphological analysis by transmission electron microscopy. They also provide full training for users who prefer to conduct their own studies. Special techniques that can be applied to suitable samples include negative staining, rotary shadowing of macromolecules and immunoelectron microscopy.

Flow Cytometry Resource Center The Flow Cytometry Resource Center (FCRC) provides researchers with equipment and support for sorting cells and acquir- ing and analyzing flow cytometric data. The FCRC staff offers maintenance of the instruments, assistance with experimental design, advice on sample preparation, individualized instruction, consultation on data analysis and experiment troubleshooting.

Genomics Resource Center The Genomics Resource Center offers services for gene expression analysis on Affymetrix, Agilent and Illumina microarray platforms, as well as next-generation DNA sequencers, real-time PCR systems and accessory instruments. The center offers full support for whole genome gene expression and SNP genotyping analysis on microarrays, including sample preparation, array hybridization and processing and data analysis. The center performs initial sequencing data analysis for all users and helps users with downstream analysis if required.

High Energy Physics Instrument Shop Staffed by master machinists, this center can fabricate precise and unique instruments in support of the university’s research needs. The staff is also available to assist in instrument design.

High Throughput Screening Resource Center The High Throughput Screening Resource Center (HTSRC) enables scientists to screen for small-molecule modulators, protein function and cellular processes. The center has a collection of 185,000 compounds as well as automated liquid transfer devices and chemical databases, and it supports assay development techniques found in early drug discovery programs.

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Library and Scientific Information Commons The mission of the Rita and Frits Markus Library is to support and enhance the univer- sity’s research programs by facilitating access to the world’s scientific literature in multiple formats, providing an environment that promotes creative thinking and collaboration and offering proactive custom research support. By managing high-quality research collections in areas of Rockefeller University expertise, as well as access to resources beyond the university, the library is able to link faculty, students and staff with the information they need to advance their research goals.

Monoclonal Antibody Core Facility The Monoclonal Antibody Core Facility, operated by Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center under a joint agreement with the university, stocks monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) from established hybridomas and assists laboratories with generating new MAbs. It also produces, purifies, conjugates, isotypes and generates FAb fragments of MAbs. Other services offered by the facility are weekly testing for mycoplasma, production of recombinant proteins from mammalian cells and the generation of naive B cell libraries.

Proteomics Resource Center Proteomics services include amino acid analysis, peptide synthesis, identification of protein complexes and assemblies, identification and characterization of posttranslational modifications, protein profiling and quantitation, analysis of oligonucleotides and oligosaccharides, characterization and quantification of phospho- and glyco-lipids, identification of metabolites and metabolic profiling. Center research is aimed at the development of methodologies for microanalytical techniques and biopolymer synthesis. The center houses and offers training in the use of its instruments.

Spectroscopy Resource Center The center offers facilities for nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy at 400 and 600 MHz for use in studies of the structure, function and dynamics of macromolecules, as well as spectroscopic fingerprint of peptides and small organic molecules. The center also provides access to high field spectrometers (700–900 MHz) at the New York Structural Biology Center. Occasional users have spectra produced for them, and more frequent users may be trained on the equipment themselves.

Stem cell Derivation core The main goal of the university’s derivation unit is to isolate, characterize and maintain new human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines. It uses classical methods and also works to develop new derivation methods that bypass the requirements of feeder influence and improve the condition of maintenance of hESC pluripotency. A second goal is to reprogram human somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells using a reversible transpositional strategy. Finally, the facility is developing unbiased forward genetic approaches to hESCs and iPS cells.

StRUCTURAL BIOLOGY RESOURCE CENTER The Structural Biology Resource Center is home to state-of-the-art x-ray equipment for the determination of the three-dimensional structures of biological macromolecules. The x-ray generator is the Rigaku microMax 007HF. Robotic liquid handling equipment for crystallization trials includes a Formulatrix Formulator to prepare 96-well plates from stock solutions and an Art Robbins Phoenix to create protein/precipitant drops. UV fluorescence imaging of crystallization experiments is also available. The center provides training and expert guidance for researchers undertaking crystallographic structure determination. The center is also the liaison between the university and Brookhaven National Laboratory.

The david rockefeller graduate program 20 11–20 1 2 | 19 Student life “Life at Rockefeller is truly what Robert Frost calls a vantage point. One side of the campus is lush and calm, tucked against the river, and the other is a gateway to one of the world’s most energetic cities.”

Rudy Bellani, Student

Campus Overview

Rockefeller’s 14 acres and 22 buildings, set along the East River, serve as its students’ home base for their scientific explorations. Nearly all students, along with most postdocs and many faculty, live on or adjacent to campus, and their proximity keeps the grounds — and many of the labs — buzzing with activity late into the night. Because science isn’t only about lab work, the university offers numerous spaces for impromptu conversations that spur creative thought. For more than 50 years, the university’s Faculty and Students Club has been a relaxed setting for late-night interactions among scientists of all ages and disciplines. The campus also offers athletic facilities — including a fitness center and tennis and squash courts — a cafeteria, dining room and coffee cart, a child care facility, campus-wide wireless internet access, an impressive art collection and numerous places, both indoor and out, to simply sit and think. The university’s library, which maintains an extensive archive of books and journals and provides campuswide online access to over 50 electronic databases, is currently under- going a top-to-bottom renovation; when finished it will have new indoor and outdoor spaces for reading and study as well as meeting areas, a computer facility and a coffee room. Finally, to further enhance interactions and collaborations on campus, the university is constructing new state-of- the-art open-plan laboratory space in two historic buildings located on the north part of its campus. About half of the Collaborative Research Center’s 125,000 square feet of lab space has already been completed, and new common areas for meeting and working are in use. These developments, which will be fully complete in 2012, will facilitate communica- tion between laboratories that wish to work together and will provide a collegial environment in which new interactions can prosper.

Lectures

The university’s Caspary Auditorium, a blue-domed neighborhood landmark, hosts several lecture series that bring in the world’s foremost scientists and thinkers for lectures and informal conversations. In addition to twice-weekly scientific lectures (Rockefeller faculty speak on Mondays; acclaimed researchers from outside institutions speak on Fridays), the university’s Insight Lecture Series brings speakers in public health, policy, arts and humanities. There is also a student- and postdoc-sponsored lecture series and a variety of specialized student- and postdoc-sponsored seminar talks, as well as concerts and a film series.

20 | the rockefeller university The david rockefeller graduate program 20 11–20 1 2 | 21 Recent speakers have included Alan Alda, Michael Bloomberg, Harry Frankfurt, Frank Gehry, Murray Gell-Mann, David Nathan, Martin Rees, Jeffrey D. Sachs, Robert Sapolsky, Nicholas Wade, Jonathan Weiner, E.O. Wilson, Tadataka Yamada and Elias A. Zerhouni.

Housing

Subsidized housing for all Ph.D. students is guaranteed. Accommodations include studios with kitchenettes, double and triple suites with shared kitchens and one-bedroom apartments. M.D.-Ph.D. students spend their first five years in Cornell University housing, then live in Rockefeller housing for the duration of the program. Like the laboratories, all on-campus student rooms have high-speed internet access. Current rents range from $555 to $805 a month. The university also owns two vacation cottages near the Bear Mountain Recreational Area, one hour north of the city in the Hudson Valley. The cottages are available for use by Rockefeller faculty, students and employees.

Financial support

Students in the Ph.D. program are guaranteed full financial support, including the cost of tuition and a stipend. For the academic year 2011–12, the stipend is $33,000. Students are expected to engage full-time in advanced study and research. University policy does not permit students to accept activities for compensation. While the university guarantees support, students are strongly encouraged to apply for appropriate fellowships. If necessary, these will be supplemented by the uni- versity to the current stipend level, plus $5,000 in the case of competitively awarded fellowships. The university also supplies each student with an independent research allowance, supplementing the laboratory’s budget. Because the university, rather than an individual investigator, provides the stipend and research allowance to the student directly, students have flexibility and may join any laboratory they wish. During the first year, the research allowance is $1,500. In the second year and beyond, the amount is $1,000 annually. Students may use these funds to attend scientific meetings, to purchase a computer, or to purchase research-related reading materials. A few fellowships are available for participation in collaborations abroad. In addition, Rockefeller students have an option to be covered by a comprehensive health and dental plan for themselves, their spouses or domestic partners and children. The university pays for the elected coverage. (Coverage for domestic partnership may incur imputed income costs.)

N ew York City

Rockefeller students have chosen to focus their studies on science, but living in New York City is one of the best liberal arts educations in the world. The Rockefeller campus, located in Manhattan’s Upper East Side, is a short walk — or quick subway ride — to many of New York’s outstanding museums, theaters, concert halls, cultural centers, sports arenas and art galleries. Students can obtain complimentary passes to The Museum of Modern Art and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, as well as discounted tickets to selected concerts and Broadway shows. Those who like being outdoors can bike, stroll or run along the East River esplanade that adjoins the campus, or enjoy Central Park with its zoo, summer Shakespeare festival and free concerts, ice skating rink, boating pond, walkways and running and bicycle paths. The city’s more than 18,000 restaurants offer authentic food from every imaginable cui- sine. New York is also situated within a few hours’ drive of numerous state parks, beaches and other recreational areas, perfect for swimming, hiking, skiing, boating, rock climbing, mountain biking, camping and other adventure sports. What’s more, opportunities for scientific stimulation don’t end at Rockefeller’s gates. Home to several of the country’s most well-respected universities and hospitals, New York has a vibrant academic and scientific culture. The New York Academy of Sciences offers conferences, symposia and other opportunities to meet and share knowledge with scientists of all disciplines. Other organizations offer Rockefeller students the opportunity to volunteer in local science classrooms or participate in public science events. Numerous biotech companies are also choosing to locate in New York, many of them in a new bioscience campus on the East River two miles from Rockefeller.

22 | the rockefeller university Student Life

The david rockefeller graduate program 20 11–20 1 2 | 23 24 | the rockefeller university Admissions “We pride ourselves on not going by the numbers. We look for a good fit in terms of the flexibility and independence that we offer, and we’re most influenced by what we view as potential for research achievements.”

Sidney Strickland, dean

Applying to the Ph.D. Program

The university seeks students who have a natural curiosity about science and who have demonstrated aptitude, enthusiasm and commitment to research. Students who enter the Ph.D. program must have received a degree of bachelor or master of arts or sciences, or doctor of medicine or equivalent international qualification. Applicants should be able to document a high level of achievement in the biological, chemical, mathematical or physical sciences. Each year, up to 30 students enter the Ph.D. program. Applications must be submitted online. Applicants must submit a personal letter describing their scientific interests, academic background and research experience and goals, as well as a biographical data form and at least three letters of recommendation from faculty who can assess their research potential. Official college or university transcripts and GRE general test scores are required for admission. A GRE advanced subject test is strongly recommended. Applicants whose native language is not English must submit evidence of their proficiency in the English language. The application deadline for the Ph.D. program is December 5, 2011, for entrance during the first week of September 2012. An application fee of $80 is required. A faculty committee representing a wide range of research interests screens the applications. Selected candidates are invited to visit the university in March. During these visits, candidates have formal and informal opportunities to meet faculty and students, to visit laboratories and housing facilities, to explore the Rockefeller neighborhood and to experience the cultural opportunities of New York.

Applying to the M.D.-Ph.D. Program

Applicants to the Tri-Institutional M.D.-Ph.D. Program must demonstrate strong undergraduate science preparation and an interest in combining basic scientific research and clinical medicine. Applications are submitted through Weill Cornell Medical College. The application deadline is October 15, 2011, for entrance during the first week of July 2012.

Contact information for the Ph.D. and M.D.-Ph.D. programs can be found on page 32.

The david rockefeller graduate program 20 11–20 1 2 | 25 Ph.D. Requirements Dean’s Office Staff and Fields of Study

To earn the Ph.D. degree, a Rockefeller student must complete a thesis comprising a coherent body of novel scientific work. In consultation with the dean and research advisers, students must plan coursework and tutorials to support and comple- ment their thesis research. Students must balance their need for a broad basis of scientific knowledge with the requirement for greater depth of understanding in the particular area of science in which their thesis research will be focused. Students in the life sciences are required to participate actively in courses, discussions and tutori- als and to fulfill designated qualifying From left: Kristen Cullen, Emily Harms, Cristian Rosario, requirements. Students are evaluated on Courtney McBride, Marta Delgado, Sidney Strickland their required coursework based on par- ticipation in class discussions and written or oral exercises. Most courses are sched- Academic Staff uled on a two-year cycle during the fall, winter and spring quarters, but some are Sidney Strickland, Ph.D. offered annually. Additional information Dean of Graduate and about course offerings and participation Postgraduate Studies; and qualification requirements appears Vice President for Educational Affairs on the following pages. Should a special- ized course that is essential for a student’s Emily Harms, Ph.D. research be unavailable at the university, Associate Dean of Graduate and the Dean’s Office may help the student Postgraduate Studies register for a course at another institution. Students are encouraged to arrange tutori- als with appropriate faculty members, if Administrative Staff they feel the need. Kristen Cullen Graduate Admissions Administrator Curriculum and Registrar

There is no required core curriculum for Marta Delgado the Ph.D. In consultation with the dean of Graduate Program Administrator graduate studies, students choose a flexible of Finance and Student Affairs combination of courses totaling seven aca- demic units. Courses are grouped into seven Cristian Rosario major areas (biochemistry, structural and Dean’s Office Associate chemical biology and biophysics; molecular, cell and developmental biology; genetics; Courtney McBride microbiology and immunology; neurosci- Dean’s Office Assistant & SURF Coordinator ence; physics and mathematical biology; and science and economics). Courses toward qualification should be relevant to the intended area of thesis research and completed by the end of the second year.

26 | the rockefeller university Admissions

Schedule DNA sequence. The study of these seem- organisms, but the emphasis throughout ingly bizarre phenomena, often in off-beat will be on aspects of cell cycle control con- of Courses organisms, has now emerged as a scientific served throughout the eukaryotes. field with far-reaching implications in Biochemistry, Structural human biology and human health. The Molecular Basis of Cancer and Chemical Biology course will examine the scientific approach- Sohail Tavazoie and Biophysics es and research methods employed to define This course is designed to teach modern key advances in chromatin biology leading concepts in the regulation of growth control Biochemical and to the current interest in epigenetics. and its significance to cancer. The format Biophysical Methods consists of a weekly two-hour lecture fol- Seth A. Darst, Michael P. Rout and Molecular, Cell and lowed by informal discussion over lunch. Thomas Tuschl Each lecture is accompanied by a review Fundamental biochemical and biophysical Developmental Biology and a research article to be discussed at principles are presented, with an emphasis Cell Biology lunch. (A reference list is distributed at the on methodologies. This course addresses Shai Shaham, Sanford M. Simon and first lecture.) Before the start of the course, issues of protein and nucleic acid structure Leslie B. Vosshall students should read The Biology of Cancer and the forces that underlie stability and This is an advanced course covering major by Weinberg. If thoroughly unfamiliar govern the formation of specific three- topics in modern cell biology, taught by with the genetics of cancer, please start dimensional structures. Specific case stud- faculty and visitors who are specialists in with Genes and the Biology of Cancer by ies are presented that examine particular various disciplines of cell biology. A good Varmus and Weinberg. The method of processes, such as transcription and replica- knowledge of textbook cell biology is a evaluation is discussed at the beginning of tion, and how the application of different prerequisite for effective participation. The the course. There is a take-home exam at methodologies has been used to address spe- course is completed with an oral exam. the end of the course. cific biological questions. For background Recommended text for cell biology: The reading use Biochemistry by Stryer and The Molecular Biology of the Cell by Alberts et Molecular Biology of the Cell by Alberts Stem Cells in Tissue al. Recommended text for histology: Basic et al. There are no prerequisites for this Morphogenesis and Cancer Histology by Junquera et al., 2009 edition. Elaine Fuchs and Ali H. Brivanlou course. The final exam consists of a written This course aims to present and discuss research proposal and an oral presentation key concepts in stem cell biology, drawing of the proposal to the class. CELL CYCLE CONTROL Frederick R. Cross and Hironori Funabiki on research from planaria, Drosophila, Chemical Biology This seminar will cover contemporary zebrafish, mouse and human. It covers basic Tarun Kapoor, Howard Hang and understanding of eukaryotic cell cycle principles of stem cells from self-renewal to Sean Brady control. It is designed to complement the tissue development, homeostasis, wound- The spirit of the course will be to explore Molecular Basis of Cancer seminar, so there repair and cancer. In addition to the basic the complexities of modern biology using will be little overlap between the two. A lectures, there are guest speakers who the tools of chemistry. The lectures will primary resource in the seminar will be the are world-renowned leaders in the field. cover: (1) amino acid chemistry, (2) nucleic recently published book Cell Cycle Control Although these lectures are open to the pub- acid chemistry, (3) posttranslational modi- by David Morgan. This book presents a lic, they are geared toward students enrolled fications of proteins, (4) discovery and use highly integrated view of cell cycle control in the course. Following each of these lec- of chemical probes to examine cellular drawing on over 20 years of research in tures, speakers lead a discussion with the mechanisms, (5) membrane chemistry, (6) many experimental systems. Weekly reading class. Course credit is awarded based upon chemical tools for imaging and (7) natural in this book will be accompanied by read- participation in lectures and class discus- product bioysnthesis. Knowledge of intro- ing primary research papers (some relatively sions, as well as a written paper. Students ductory chemistry and organic chemistry classical, some current). Weekly homework are required to attend lectures and class. will be helpful, but is not essential. This exercises will be assigned. Evaluation will course is offered every two years. be based on homework and class participa- Genetics tion. Due to the integration of the discus- Chromatin Biology sions, the readings and the homework exer- Genetics and Evolution and Epigenetics cises, auditing is not a possibility. Frederick R. Cross and Cori Bargmann C. David Allis Topics in the seminar will include: con- This seminar covers basic genetic mecha- This course will explore the fast growing struction of a biochemical oscillator and nisms: generation of mutations and genetic field of chromatin biology and epigenetics. overall structure of cell cycle control; posi- segregation, linkage and recombination It will have two primary objectives: (1) to tive and negative control of DNA replica- (emphasis on linkage/segregation in eukary- gain some appreciation of chromatin, the tion; spindle morphogenesis and function; otes). The seminar also considers changes physiological form of our genome, and (2) chromosome cohesion control; surveillance in population genotypes when these basic to introduce students to a wide array of mechanisms (checkpoints) monitoring genetic mechanisms are operating, in the mechanisms that may underlie epigenetic spindle and DNA integrity; and control of presence or absence of selective pressure. phenomena — heritable changes in gene proliferation (start/restriction point control). Changes in population genotypes can have function that are not due to changes in the We will rely heavily on studies in model effects ranging from polymorphism at

The david rockefeller graduate program 20 11–20 1 2 | 27 neutral loci to evolution of distinct species. toxoplasmosis, selected gram-negative and systems, the study of biological clocks and Such changes are also used in historical -positive bacterial infections, pathogenic important aspects of behavior in higher analysis to trace migrations, evolution and mycobacteria, opportunistic mycoses, anti- vertebrates, brain mechanisms of fear and coevolution in diverse biological contexts. microbials and vaccines, evolution of patho- anxiety, behavioral and physiological adap- Students are required to read two to genicity and molecular mimicry. The course tations to stress, sexual behavior and sexual three papers in the primary literature each is taught by Rockefeller and Cornell faculty differentiation of brain and behavior, and week and participate in a weekly discus- and selected guest speakers. Each class regulation of food intake and body weight. sion of those papers. In addition, there includes a lecture followed by lunch and There is a lecture outline and relevant bibli- are weekly homework exercises, requiring in-depth discussion of assigned papers with ography for each lecture, and students make a variable level of effort. Group effort on the lecturer. Background reading includes presentations during the week following the the homework exercises is encouraged. assigned review articles and the textbooks lecture on each major topic. Each student is Evaluation is based on participation in the Foundations of Parasitology by Roberts and required to write a short, critical review of a discussion groups and performance on the Janovy, 2008 (eighth edition) and Bacterial topic in behavioral neuroscience in the form homework exercises. Pathogenesis: A Molecular Approach by of a research proposal. The paper is due There are no specific prerequisites for Salyers and Whitt, 2010 (second edition). by the end of the term and counts heavily this course. Due to the integration of the in the evaluation of the student’s success in discussions, the readings and the homework Topics in Clinical Immunology the course. exercises, auditing is not a possibility. Ralph M. Steinman and Sarah Schlesinger This tutorial covers selected topics in clinical BIOLOGY OF BRAIN DISORDERS Mammalian Genetics immunology, such as autoimmunity, tumor Gerald Fischbach Agata Smogorzewska immunity, transplantation, allergy and infec- This course emphasizes the biological and This course entails 12 weekly lectures. tious diseases. Participants meet for two to behavioral underpinnings of common neu- Topics to be covered include mouse genetics three hours each week to hear a brief over- rological and psychiatric disorders. Subjects and quantitative trait locus mapping; modern view from a faculty member and then discuss include: disorders of excitation and con- genetic analysis tools; transgenics, knock- a few papers. The course is Tri-Institutional duction (epilepsy and multiple sclerosis); outs, knockins and nuclear transfer; human and required for students in the Tri- perception, cognition and memory (autism, linkage analysis; human association studies; Institutional Cancer Immunology Program. schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease); con- the genetics of type 2 diabetes mellitus; the sciousness (coma and persistent vegetative genetics of autoimmune diseases; the genetics Virology state); mood (depression and anxiety); moti- of obesity; the genetics of cancer; mitochon- Charles M. Rice, Paul Bieniasz and vation (addiction); sensation (pain); motor drial genetics and diseases; and population David D. Ho control (Parkinson’s disease and ataxia); genetics. The lectures are supplemented by This course of lectures and discussions and trauma (brain/spinal cord injury and specific readings and questions/problems. is presented by Rockefeller faculty and stroke). The course meets once a week for Performance in the course is evaluated by an selected visitors. Major emphasis is placed two hours and consists of introductory extensive take-home final exam. on the cellular and molecular biology of remarks, followed by brief student presenta- animal viruses. The topics include virus tions and open discussion based on assigned Microbiology and structure, replication, molecular genetics readings. Each student will be asked to Immunology and gene expression, interactions with host write a speculative paper relating a disor- cells, immunology, pathogenesis, viral vac- dered trait to a specific brain circuit. Immunology Tutorial cines, antiviral therapy and resistance and Daniel Mucida, Howard C. Hang and viral vectors. Model systems discussed will DEVELOPMENTAL NEUROBIOLOGY F. Nina Papavasiliou include cytocidal, steady state and tumori- Mary E. Hatten Major topics in cellular, molecular and genic virus-cell interactions. Recommended This course focuses on the molecular and cel- clinical immunology are covered. Each texts for the course are Fields Virology by lular mechanisms underlying the development session consists of a discussion of the topic Knipe et al. and Principles of Virology by of the mammalian nervous system. Topics to and a review of two or more papers. Flint et al. be discussed include induction of the nervous system, specification of neural cell fate, cell Microbial Pathogenesis Neuroscience migration, axon guidance and establishment Luciano Marraffini of neuronal connectivity. Major emphasis is Infectious diseases continue to be a leading Behavioral Neuroscience placed on the molecular mechanisms of neu- cause of human morbidity and mortality Bruce S. McEwen, Cori Bargmann, ronal differentiation and cellular mechanisms worldwide as well as an important cause Jeffrey M. Friedman, Donald W. Pfaff, of cell patterning in the brain. of economic loss and the “poverty trap” in Leslie B. Vosshall and Michael W. Young developing countries. This course focuses on This course emphasizes the principles of Fundamentals of Neuroscience the molecular mechanisms of host-pathogen behavioral neuroscience, stressing the meth- A. James Hudspeth interactions and pathogenesis of repre- ods and rationales used to acquire infor- An introduction to neuroscience for those sentative bacterial, fungal and protozoan mation and reach conclusions about brain without previous experience with the sub- diseases. Topics may include malaria, schis- mechanisms underlying behavior. Subjects ject, as well as a refresher for those with a tosomiasis, trypanosomiasis, leishmaniasis, include the study of behavior in invertebrate modest background, this course covers the

28 | the rockefeller university Admissions

biophysical principles of electrical and syn- and the developed hypothesis, the link to present papers, discuss them and formulate aptic signaling; neural plasticity; neuronal appropriate analytic methods is defined. conclusions regarding the experimental cell biology; the structure and development Here, the focus is on the application results. Students also present a project based of invertebrate and vertebrate nervous sys- and interpretation of statistical methods. on one of the papers discussed in class. By tems; human neuroanatomy; and the opera- Students practice recognizing the appro- the end of the course, students should be tion of simple neural circuits. Each week’s priateness of analytic methods and present able to critically read a scientific manuscript single session comprises two lectures sepa- interpretations of the analysis from peer- and understand principles used in interpret- rated by a break and followed by a student- reviewed journal articles. ing scientific data. There are no prerequi- led discussion of a classic paper related to sites for the course. the subject at hand. Math Review for Biologists Marcelo O. Magnasco RESPONSIBLE CONDUCT Membrane Biophysics This is an intensive skill-development OF RESEARCH David C. Gadsby, A. James Hudspeth, course, starting with calculus and linear In collaboration with neighboring Weill Roderick MacKinnon and Sanford M. Simon algebra and leading up to differential equa- Cornell Medical College and the Sloan- This intensive six-week course consists tions, Fourier transforms and related com- Kettering Institute, this course promotes of 15 to 20 two-hour lectures and six putational methods for model simulation. awareness of ethical considerations relevant to eight all-day labs. The topics are The concurrent journal club explores the to the responsible conduct of research. biophysical aspects of the structure and major historical papers as well as contem- Attendance is mandatory for all Rockefeller mechanisms of function and regulation porary biological modeling papers proposed graduate students. of ion channels, pumps/transporters and by the students, in full line-by-line detail. neurotransmitter receptors. The labs are There are no prerequisites. Seminars on Modern Biology limited to 12 students. Members of the Rockefeller University faculty Science and Economics This series is designed to give incoming grad- Neural Systems uate students a chance to interact with facul- Charles D. Gilbert Ways and Means: The Economic ty in an intensive series of twice-weekly two- This course covers mechanisms of informa- Edge of Science hour seminars. Participation is mandatory tion processing in the adult nervous system Geoffrey W. Smith for and limited to first-year graduate stu- at the level of neuronal ensembles and inter- This course covers a range of topics that dents. (This course is not required for M.D.- actions, concentrating primarily on the visual explore questions such as how econom- Ph.D. students, who complete similar Tri- cortex, with selected examples from other ics impacts what science gets funded and Institutional seminars during their first two systems. Themes include connectivity, func- by whom; how ideas move out of the lab years.) Seminar sessions run from 1 to 3 p.m. tional architecture, receptive field properties, and into the commercial marketplace; how on Monday and Tuesday afternoons. In each psychophysics, dynamic properties of cortical novel ideas are protected — who wins and session, two to three faculty members give circuits, relationship between synaptic mech- who loses; and what all this may mean for brief introductions to their research and par- anisms and functional specificity, learning the future. ticipate in a student-led discussion. and memory, attentional mechanisms and higher-order cognitive functions. Theoretical Drug Development: From Dis- Supplementary Seminars approaches to modeling neural function are covery to Commercialization and Tutorials discussed. The seminar meets for two to Geoffrey W. Smith three hours once a week and includes lec- This course is devoted to a critical assess- Additional seminars and tutorials are tures and discussion groups. Readings for the ment of the major issues and stages of offered in response to demand. Students course consist of original papers and reviews. developing a pharmaceutical or biologic are encouraged to speak with the dean to product. Drug discovery, preclinical devel- arrange seminars or tutorials in any area of Physics and opment, clinical investigation, regulatory science not covered by the listed courses. Mathematical Biology concerns and commercialization issues are considered for small and large molecules. Support Courses Fundamentals of Biostatistics This course is designed for students who General Several courses of a more practical nature desire access to and understanding of are offered by various faculty and service applied biostatistical methodologies. The Experiment and Theory in departments. These include courses on vari- course begins by exploring the necessary Modern Biology ous aspects of computing, which range from theoretical bases for inferential methods, Shai Shaham, Leslie B. Vosshall and Peter Model instruction in the efficient use of everyday and by describing the limitations of sta- This course introduces first-year graduate PC and Macintosh software to the effective tistical methods for a given study design. students to the methods and principles use of more complex computational tools. Subsequent classes focus on understanding behind current biological research. Students the differences of variable measurement and meet with two faculty members once a translating investigator-driven questions week to discuss preselected papers that illus- about those data into hypotheses. Finally, trate methods of biological deduction. With given the measurement type of the variable guidance from the faculty mentors, students

The david rockefeller graduate program 20 11–20 1 2 | 29 Life After Rockefeller The university’s more than 1,000 alumni have gone on to a variety of careers

6% Pharmaceuticals, technology

19% Nonprofits, other business

75% Academia

Jonathan Dworkin Hilleary Osheroff Assistant Professor, Columbia University Program Manager, Science Research Mentoring Program, American Museum of Natural History

Jonathan Dworkin knew more about Rockefeller University than Hilleary Osheroff loved her student years in the laboratory, but for a most prospective students: He grew up here. When he was a young career, she had a different goal in mind. A 2008 graduate of Mary child, Jonathan’s father, Barry Dworkin, was both a student and a E. Hatten’s Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, Hilleary is junior faculty member at the university. “I grew up feeling that the the program manager of the Science Research Mentoring Program lab is a fun place to be. I still like working in labs.” Appropriately, at New York City’s American Museum of Natural History. The pro- Jonathan, a 1997 Rockefeller graduate, now runs his own laboratory, gram, funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation, in the microbiology department of Columbia University Medical offers high school students a hands-on introduction to careers in Center, where he studies spore-forming bacteria, including those scientific research. Hilleary spends her days recruiting sophomore that cause anthrax, botulism and tetanus. His current research goal and junior students from city schools, building relationships with is to understand the process by which bacterial spores are formed the schools’ biology departments and teaching after-school courses and how they interact with various host organisms. in genetics and public health research. As a Rockefeller student, Jonathan worked with Peter Model and “Informal education is extremely important, and people with Marjorie Russel, experts in bacterial genetics. His dissertation was on expertise too often don’t get involved in that,” says Hilleary, who the transcriptional regulation mechanisms of Escherichia coli. “Being a has made herself an exception. In between hours in the lab at principal investigator now myself, I really appreciate how special the Rockefeller, where she studied the layers of neurons that compose Rockefeller experience is. The freedom you’re given as a student makes the cerebral cortex, she participated in the university’s Summer the whole experience more open and challenging. Learning to work High School Science Outreach Program and mentored students at and think independently is an extremely important part of a research 826NYC, an organization that helps students to develop writing education, and it’s a great confidence builder when you’re finished.” skills. “In science, you should be trained in communication, and Jonathan encourages his own students at Columbia to work you should be able to talk to people about science on any level,” and think independently, but he notices one missing element. she says. “Rockefeller has much more of a family feel about it, and that isn’t Hilleary has proven her case at the museum. “Most kids inter- just because I grew up around there. During Convocation, the ested in science only know about becoming doctors,” she says. ladies from the Purchasing Office came to the room where we were “Part of my job is to expand their perspective about what the putting on our regalia and they fussed over us like mothers. It’s just world of science entails and show them how many great careers another thing that is unique to Rockefeller.” are out there for them.”

30 | the rockefeller university Natalie de Souza Andrew Plump Senior editor, Nature Methods Vice President and Cardiovascular Disease Franchise Worldwide Basic Research Head, Merck Research Laboratories

Natalie de Souza has always loved both science and writing, and Ask Andrew Plump what he does for a living and you’ll have a when the time came to pick a career, she chose one that includes lively discussion. A 1993 Rockefeller graduate, Andy works at Merck both. The 2002 Rockefeller graduate is a senior editor at Nature Research Laboratories as the cardiovascular disease worldwide basic Methods, where she vets manuscript submissions, solicits reviews, research head. Andy leads Merck’s efforts in identifying novel drug reviews the reviews and ultimately decides, along with four other targets and discovering and developing new cardiovascular medi- editors, what ends up in each issue of the prestigious journal. She cines. He assumed this position in late 2008 after holding a trans- edits research papers and writes for the publication as well. The lational position, franchise integrator, which generally requires an position affords a sweeping perspective on the best methods explanation. “In that job I brought together the bench and clinical research in the life sciences but also an intimate engagement with arms of pharmaceutical research and development. I coordinated the nitty-gritty experimentation behind any given paper, and she the work of people across the world into a cohesive effort to forward likes the combination. the goals of drug development.” “To know what advances in methodology matter, you need a Andy began his education at the Massachusetts Institute of really good understanding of what biological questions are being Technology, where he studied virology, political science and urban asked,” says Natalie, who took the job in 2006 following a studies. The University of California, San Francisco, Medical School postdoctoral fellowship at Columbia University. “The way you was his next move. “MIT was a very experiment-driven place, but achieve that is through talking to a lot of people and reading in medical school the learning is very memory-based, very lecture- extensively about current research, which are both things that I heavy. It wasn’t long before I knew I wanted to get back into the instinctively enjoy.” lab.” He enrolled in a summer study program with Jan L. Breslow, At Rockefeller, Natalie studied the biogenesis and trafficking of head of Rockefeller’s Laboratory of Biochemical Genetics and membrane proteins. At Columbia, she worked on the regulation of Metabolism, and later took an official leave of absence from UCSF. Notch signaling in Caenorhabditis elegans. Natalie’s rigorous lab “Being at Rockefeller full-time was a wonderful immersion. The training gave her the experience required to deliver the most cutting environment made it easy to focus on my work, and my years there edge and consequential methods research to the scientific were undoubtedly the most exciting of my professional life.” community. “It’s as close as you can be to the scientific process Andy has always found time to pursue interests outside the without actually doing research,” she says. “It’s a real privilege to laboratory as well. While a student, he played on Rockefeller’s short- have this kind of view of science and, most of the time, it’s also fun.” lived but very successful softball team, The Scientists.

The david rockefeller graduate program 20 11–20 1 2 | 31 Board of Trustees For further information: Honorary Chair and Life Trustee David Rockefeller Ph.D. Program Chair Russell L. Carson Office of Graduate Studies Vice Chairs The Rockefeller University David I. Hirsh, Ph.D. 1230 York Avenue, Box 177 Henry R. Kravis New York, NY 10065 Marnie S. Pillsbury Richard E. Salomon www.rockefeller.edu/graduate President [email protected] Marc Tessier-Lavigne, Ph.D.

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32 | the rockefeller university Published by The Rockefeller University Office of Communications and Public Affairs THE DAVID ROCKEFELLER GR ADUATE PROGR AM 2011-2012