2012–2013

The david rockefeller graduate program Non-departmental campus promotes in- 2alumni have teractions between won the Nobel fields Prize

live on beautiful, lush 37 campus in the heart countries of represented by students 10 heads of lab are alumni full fellowship funding for all students PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE 2

Dean’s message 4 1 Academic programs 6

Faculty and research 12

Student life 20

Admissions and schedule of courses 26 President’s message For me, was love at first sight.

Understanding the brain and wanting to know how to deconstruct and resolve its complexity fueled my career ini- tially and still motivates me in my lab today. People fall in love with science at different times in their lives and for dif- ferent reasons, but the common denominator is an excite- ment and curiosity to understand the world around them — that’s what The ’s graduate program is designed to nurture. It is also what drives Rockefeller’s world-class faculty, who push the boundaries of knowledge with their innovative approaches to scientific discovery. In an environment that aims to foster independence and freedom, both students and faculty chart their own paths. For faculty, this culture has led to pioneering discoveries with the potential to eradicate 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 interdisciplin- ary research, which are the university’s hallmarks. 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 3 scientific administration is an active faculty member, with an active lab. Vital to faculty and student success are modern and well-equipped buildings, such as the new Collaborative Research Center. 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. 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 dean’s message 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 current student population consists of approximately 200 students from 37 countries, a range made possible by significant private support. Provide a flexible academic program. Students have diverse interests and needs. We support individual development by giving students the freedom to design their own curricula. They fulfill credit requirements with courses of interest and may conduct 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 scientifically. They receive a stipend, health, dental and vision insurance, subsidized housing 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 interac- tions, we have an annual student retreat organized and run 5 by students, as well as numerous lecture series featuring speakers from around the world. Ensure careful mentoring. The freedom of our graduate program requires supportive advice and mentoring. Counsel is provided by the Dean’s Office and, in later years, by a research adviser and faculty committee. The program has been an extraordinary success. Of more than 1,100 graduates, two have won the Nobel Prize, 27 are members of the 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 pro- fessional scientist. Although it has a well-defined end point, it really is just a beginning. All of the things that go into becom- ing a scientist — learning new ideas, perfecting new experi- mental 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 academic programs “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.” , President Emeritus 7

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 34 members or foreign associates of the National Academy of Sciences. The graduate program admitted its first students in 1955, and since then over 1,100 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. 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. Student Profile

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 73 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 and chemistry; medical sciences and human genetics; molecular, cell and developmental biology; , 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 Tamara Ouspenskaia prefer to explore may rotate through several laboratories to Third-year student gain exposure to different areas of research. Students choose a laboratory by the end of their first year and present a Growing up, Tamara Ouspenskaia always loved math thesis proposal before the end of their second year. and thought she might someday use her facility with The collegial nature of the laboratory environment links numbers in business. After immigrating to Canada from 8 younger students to previous generations from the same lab Russia at the age of 15, however, she was inspired by as well as to postdocs and faculty mentors. The collabora- a high school science teacher. “Once I learned what tions that result from these relationships are not only the science was really about, I knew that’s what I wanted to do,” she says. basis on which our scientific education is built, they are the As an undergraduate at McGill University, Tamara engine that drives the discovery process. Many collabora- dove into biochemistry. She did stints in physiology tions produce exceptional results that lead to publication in and pharmacology labs, and, for her master’s degree, prominent journals. And the relationships formed within she worked to identify novel players in the signaling laboratories often lead to lifelong associations. cascade for a growth factor, TGF-β. But after her lab While formal coursework is minimal, several classes each rotations at Rockefeller, she decided she wanted semester offer foundations in particular specialties, and three to work in an animal model. She joined Elaine required courses taken during the first year serve to develop Fuchs’s Laboratory of Mammalian and students’ abilities to critically interpret scientific data, to Development to work on stem cells in mice. “It always promote awareness of research ethics and to introduce bothered me that I couldn’t be sure whether the students to research going on in the university’s labs. Beyond work I was doing in cell cultures would actually apply the scheduled curriculum, additional seminars and tutorials in real life, so the mouse model was perfect.” Tamara investigates the function of new involved in are available based on demand. cancers and was recently awarded a prestigious HHMI As graduate students near the end of their investigations, International Student Research Fellowship to support her they defend their thesis before a panel of faculty members work. In Dr. Fuchs, she found a strong female mentor. and present their work to the full Rockefeller University “I hope some of her brilliance will rub off on me.” community. M.D.-Ph.D. Program

The mission of the Tri-Institutional M.D.-Ph.D. Program is Alumnus Profile to educate and train physician-scientists, who are able to bridge the gap between laboratory research and clinical medicine and thereby contribute toward improving health and enhancing the quality of life by reducing disability and death from disease. Rockefeller participates in the program jointly with its two neighbors: Weill Cornell Medical College and the Graduate School of Medical Sciences of Cornell University, and the Sloan-Kettering Institute at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Approximately 14 students enroll in this highly competi- tive program every year, and at any one time 25 or so are performing thesis research in Rockefeller University labora- tories. Students spend their first two years in medical school, while also completing three research rotations. Following the completion of graduate studies and thesis research at either The Rockefeller University, the Gerstner Sloan- Andrew Plump Kettering Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences or Weill Deputy Head of Research and Translational Medicine, Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, students Sanofi receive their Ph.D. degrees and then reenter medical school Ask Andrew Plump what he does for a living and you’ll to complete clinical rotations and receive their M.D. degrees. have a lively discussion. A 1993 Rockefeller graduate, With more than 25 years of continuous funding through 9 Andy works at the pharmaceutical company Sanofi as the Medical Scientist Training Program of the National the deputy head of research and translational medicine, Institutes of Health and significant institutional and founda- responsible for the global cross-therapeutic research tion support, the Tri-Institutional M.D.-Ph.D. Program offers portfolio. Prior to joining Sanofi in the summer of 2012, full tuition and stipends. Graduates typically go on to Andy spent 11 years at Merck as the cardiovascular fran- pursue clinical and advanced research training, and many chise integrator and subsequently as the cardiovascular alumni of the program occupy research, clinical and admin- worldwide discovery head. “In both my Sanofi and istrative positions at the nation’s top medical schools and Merck roles, I bring together the bench and clinical arms academic medical centers. of pharmaceutical research and development. I coordi- nate the work of people across the world into a cohesive effort to forward the goals of drug development.” Tri-Institutional Training Program Andy began his education at MIT, where he studied in Chemical Biology virology, political science and urban studies. UCSF Medical School was his next move. “MIT was a very experiment-driven place, but in medical school the The development of new generations of targeted probes learning is very memory based and lecture heavy. It and therapeutics is critically dependent on scientists trained wasn’t long before I wanted to get back in the lab.” in the new field of chemical biology. The Rockefeller He enrolled in a summer study program with Jan L. University, with Weill Cornell Medical College and Breslow, head of Rockefeller’s Laboratory of Biochemical Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, trains graduate Genetics and Metabolism, and later took a leave of students to use chemical approaches and technologies to absence from UCSF to enroll in Rockefeller’s Ph.D. answer fundamental biological questions. Students, who program. “Being at Rockefeller full time was a wonder- receive graduate-level training in both chemistry and ful immersion. The environment made it easy to focus biology, are recruited from top undergraduate chemistry on my work, and my years there were undoubtedly the most exciting of my professional life.” programs worldwide. Student Profile

Lindsay Bellani Fourth-year student

Lindsay Bellani’s academic research began in the rivers and streams of the South, where she waded into ecology through studies in water quality. As an 10 undergraduate at the University of North Carolina, her interest shifted to and genomics, specifically regulation in hermaphroditic roundworms. But by graduation, she knew what she wanted to pursue for her doctorate: neuroscience. “Thinking about how behaviors are coordinated in the brain fascinated me.” Lindsay joined Leslie B. Vosshall’s Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, where she is trying to answer a question that baffles hikers and researchers alike: Why do mosquitoes bite some people more than others? “Can mosquitoes sense something in our blood that differentially affects their fecundity? It’s a broad behavior question, but I want to find specific molecular explanations.” When she interviewed at Rockefeller, she was attracted by the university’s spirit of supporting its students’ research, wherever the science took them. And that’s been her experience so far. At the end of her second year, Lindsay began a project to measure the attraction of mosquitoes to people and search for answers in their blood and the microbiota on their skin. “I have a lot of independence, but also help when I need it,” she says. Student Achievements

Like the faculty they train with, Rockefeller’s students are some of the brightest and most accomplished in the world, and they have been recognized with prestigious national awards and honors. Eight students have received the Harold M. Weintraub Graduate Student Award, which recognizes outstanding achievement in the biological sciences, since the award’s creation in 2000. Rockefeller students also have a long-standing record of obtaining competitive fellowships from the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation, among others, to fund their graduate training.

Career Opportunities

A scientific education at Rockefeller can be the first step in a stellar career in academic research, or it can serve as the basis for work in other areas. While the majority of Rockefeller’s graduates go on to careers in research or teach- ing, 19 percent are drawn to businesses or nonprofit organi- zations, and six percent enter the pharmaceutical and tech- nology industries. 11 The university works to expose its students to the career opportunities available to them after graduation and to help them transition to postdoctoral fellowships or other positions. A monthly seminar series brings experts in various fields to campus to discuss their work and their career paths. Regular science career symposia also connect students with leaders in fields including academia, industry, public policy and media and provide workshops on résumé writing and job interviews. Faculty and research “For more than a century, The Rockefeller University has fulfilled 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 13

The university’s faculty tackle scores of different biological problems, but they all have one thing in common: they’re here for the science. Whether studying individual cells, model organisms, human beings or entire populations, Rockefeller’s scientists are working to explore the inner workings of life and are attempting to unravel the causes of disease. The questions they ask and the experiments they perform, although they vary, are all in service of expanding knowl- edge, and the results they generate have opened up new fields and overturned long-held dogma. It’s this emphasis on inqui- ry and discovery above all else that sets Rockefeller apart from its peers and that has sustained its excellence over more than 100 years. At Rockefeller, the formula for success is to hire only the best scientists and to give them the resources and freedom they need to do their best work. The result is a faculty that’s passionate, curious, energetic and more than a little brilliant — and a culture that supports high-risk proj- ects and rewards intellectual curiosity. 14

Faculty Mentors recipients of which are currently on the faculty. Nearly half the current faculty are members of the prestigious National At Rockefeller, students have over 70 laboratories to choose Academy of Sciences, and 16 have been elected to the from and are free to explore their interests before settling on Institute of Medicine. Rockefeller’s junior faculty members one. Regardless of which lab they choose, students will be also have a remarkable record of obtaining competitive sharing the bench with the world’s preeminent scientists, grants and receiving coveted fellowships to recognize prom- participating in the innovative research that has earned ise and leadership in research. Rockefeller’s faculty its prestigious reputation. Award-winning discoveries include the discovery of Rockefeller faculty members have relatively little to the hormone leptin, which is critical to the body’s ability to distract them from their work. The university’s small size regulate its weight; uncovering how stem cells in the skin and lack of departmental structure mean that faculty have undergo a cycle of self-renewal; elucidating how ion channel fewer administrative duties. As a result, they are able to help generate nerve impulses; and the discovery spend most of their time running their labs and serving as of peptide signals that govern the transport of proteins collaborators and mentors. inside cells. Taken as a whole, the faculty has a record of achieve- New Rockefeller faculty members are principally recruited ment that is virtually unmatched in academia. Faculty via an open search mechanism that seeks to identify the most throughout the university’s history have been recognized talented scientists regardless of their field. A large cross section with 20 National Medal of Science awards, 17 Canada of the university’s faculty participates in the search process, Gairdner International Awards, 21 Albert Lasker Medical and faculty candidate seminars are open to the entire campus. Research Awards and an impressive 24 Nobel Prizes, six Two searches are run each year, in the spring and fall. Rockefeller faculty regard students as colleagues and work to create an open environment where ideas and inde- pendence are encouraged. Alumna Profile

Research Areas

Centered around 73 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 experience 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 Mandë Holford and Chemistry Assistant Professor of Chemical Biology, Dramatic advances in molecular genetics have ushered in a and the American Museum of Natural History new era in biology in which the complete genetic blueprints For a scientist who studies snails, Mandë Holford’s life is of living organisms are available. Yet biologists still face the as fast paced as they come. Since graduating from Tom enormous challenge of relating one-dimensional DNA 15 W. Muir’s lab at Rockefeller in 2003, she’s had a National sequences to the three-dimensional architectures they Science Foundation diplomacy fellowship and a postdoc encode and to the complex chemical and physical transfor- in evolutionary biology and electrophysiology, both of mations that underlie living systems. which took her around the world. Biochemists, structural biologists and chemists at When the Brooklyn native was looking at graduate Rockefeller work toward a more complete understanding schools, she was determined to leave New York, but a of the molecular basis of life. They identify molecules visit to Rockefeller’s campus changed her mind. “I was involved in key biological processes, determine their three- blown away. At Rockefeller, the students were happy, dimensional structures, elucidate their cellular functions not stressed. From day one, you’re treated like someone and synthesize molecules capable of modifying these who’s here to learn science,” says Mandë, who studied functions. Molecular researchers at Rockefeller employ the expressed protein ligation, a tool that uses organic chemistry to address biological questions. full range of modern tools, including x-ray crystallography, Mandë’s career has come full circle: back in New magnetic resonance spectroscopy, electron microscopy, York, her research at Hunter College and the American mass spectrometry, , computer modeling Museum of Natural History explores the structural and chemical synthesis, as well as techniques of molecular function of peptidic toxins in marine snails and their biology and genetics. application to therapeutics. Collecting samples takes her to Panama and Mozambique, but Mandë is never Medical Sciences and Human Genetics far from her Rockefeller roots. The peptide-synthesizing Translating novel scientific insights into new approaches for machine she uses, and the field of peptide chemistry the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease is the itself, were invented by Nobel Prize winner Bruce ultimate goal of biomedical research. Rockefeller’s scientists Merrifield, whose Rockefeller lab was once one floor and clinicians study conditions such as cancer, heart disease, above Mandë’s. “At Rockefeller, science is the star. obesity, addiction, psoriasis, hepatitis C, HIV, mental illness, You’re there working with the greats, solving real-world problems. That was very special to me.” autoimmune disorders and many others. The Rockefeller University Hospital serves as an ideal setting for conducting advances to our understanding of how a fertilized egg is transformed into a complex organism and of how pluripo- tent 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 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 presentation, immunodeficiency syndromes and the DNA rearrangements that accompany the matura- tion 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, 16 genetics and cell biology. Other microbes, especially trypanosomes, provide valuable model systems for clinical studies in a carefully controlled environment. understanding molecular and cellular mechanisms of The university is also home to a number of researchers universal interest and importance. studying the genetic basis of human disease. Bioinformatics and other emerging technologies now provide sufficient scale Neuroscience to study the human genome, and New York City’s diverse Rockefeller scientists study the nervous system from many population gives Rockefeller scientists access to research perspectives, from the isolation of molecules and cells medi- subjects so they can work to identify human disease genes ating neural function and development, to the study of the for complex disorders. cellular ensembles engaged in high-level sensory processing, to the discovery of mechanistic links between the biology of Molecular, Cell and the brain and particular behavioral states. Research also Developmental Biology focuses on interactions between the brain and the immune Modern cell biology was founded at Rockefeller more than system, on ion channels and pores that transport molecules a half century ago with the introduction of the electron between nerve cells and on understanding neurodegenerative microscope. The field has since evolved into a molecular diseases, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. phase, which focuses on how cellular and extracellular mac- Rockefeller neuroscience laboratories span the areas romolecules interact and communicate with each other to of molecular and cellular neurobiology, sensory neuroscience give rise to specific functions and responses. Along with and the neurobiology of behavior. Topics of current microscopic and biochemical approaches, Rockefeller scien- investigation include, among many others: the control of tists use a full range of techniques from structural biology, gene expression in neurons; the formation and patterning biophysics, physiology and genetics. of the embryonic vertebrate nervous system; circadian Developmental biology has been revolutionized by the rhythms; olfaction; the effects of experience and hormones identification of conserved molecules that control the cell on brain plasticity; and the cortical mechanisms of cycle and the growth of embryos, resulting in significant visual perception. F aCULTY by Area of Research

Biochemistry, Molecular, Cell Jeffrey V. Ravetch Structural Biology and Developmental Charles M. Rice and Chemistry Biology Sanford M. Simon C. David Allis C. David Allis C. Erec Stebbins Günter Blobel Paul Bieniasz Alexander Tarakhovsky Sean F. Brady Günter Blobel Alexander Tomasz Brian T. Chait Ali H. Brivanlou Seth A. Darst Brian T. Chait Neuroscience Nam-Hai Chua 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 17 Shai Shaham Bruce S. McEwen Medical Sciences Sanford M. Simon Fernando Nottebohm and Human Genetics Agata Smogorzewska Donald W. Pfaff 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 Michael W. Young Vincent A. Fischetti Immunology, Virology Jeffrey M. Friedman and Microbiology Nathaniel Heintz Physics and David D. Ho Paul Bieniasz Mathematical Biology A. James Hudspeth Sean F. Brady Mary Jeanne Kreek Jean-Laurent Casanova Joel E. Cohen James G. Krueger George A.M. Cross Mitchell J. Feigenbaum Charles M. Rice Robert B. Darnell Konstantin A. Goulianos Agata Smogorzewska Vincent A. Fischetti A. James Hudspeth Hermann Steller Howard C. Hang Bruce W. Knight Sohail Tavazoie David D. Ho Stanislas Leibler Alexander Tomasz James G. Krueger Albert J. Libchaber Luciano Marraffini Marcelo O. Magnasco Daniel Mucida Eric D. Siggia Michel C. Nussenzweig Sanford M. Simon F. Nina Papavasiliou Physics and Mathematical Biology The university’s physicists and mathematical biologists are Student Profile 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 revolution- ized studies of nonlinear dynamics, which they apply to the analysis of biological systems. Physics laboratories are also studying systems theory, biological statistics and proba- bility, 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 Daniel B. Gilmer completion of the Standard Model hypothesis and to Fourth-year student comprehensive theories of matter such as quantum physics, supersymmetry and string theory. Daniel Gilmer was on a one-way track to medical school. As an undergraduate, he participated in a mission trip to Africa, served as president of the Howard 18 Clinical and Translational Research University Impact Movement and spent a spring break helping Hurricane Katrina victims rebuild their lives. The connection between basic research and clinical investi- With a drive to help others and his love of biology, becoming a medical doctor seemed a natural fit. Then gation is an essential feature of Rockefeller’s culture. he spent a summer at the bench. While it is well recognized that discoveries at the bench Following his junior year at Howard — where he can lead to effective new therapies, it is equally true that worked on the differential effects of silver nanoparticles research that probes the cause of disease in patients can on healthy and cancerous cells — Daniel spent the lead to important discoveries about the basic processes of summer doing research in an MIT laboratory as part of life. At Rockefeller, moving research between lab and clinic HHMI’s Exceptional Research Opportunities Program. is facilitated by one of the country’s only stand-alone On advice from his MIT mentor, he made short work research hospitals. of applying to doctoral programs. “I was drawn to An independent, central unit of the university since its Rockefeller’s flexibility and the fact that in such a tightly opening in 1910, The Rockefeller University Hospital knit community, I’d have the opportunity to learn more provides a vital facility to study the scientific basis of than just my own field.” Before enrolling, he accepted a disease diagnosis, treatment and prevention. It provides postbaccalaureate fellowship with the National Cancer Institute, where he spent a year. infrastructure, services and support to allow scientists to Daniel is a member of Vincent A. Fischetti’s explore the medical significance of their work without the Laboratory of Bacterial Pathogenesis and Immunology; barriers and bureaucracy typical of large teaching hospitals. his work focuses on an antibiotic enzyme known as a Close to half of the university’s labs are now conducting lysin, which his animal tests suggest shows promise in protocols that involve human subjects, and of these labs, treating dangerous Streptococci infections. more than a third are headed by Ph.D. scientists, not medical doctors. 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 resource centers volunteers. Funded by both The Rockefeller University and a

Clinical and Translational Science Award from the National The university’s in-house resource centers provide Center for Advancing Translational Science of the National centralized, high-quality laboratory services for the Institutes of Health, the hospital’s facilities include a 20-bed university community at cost-effective rates. In addition, inpatient unit, a procedure suite suitable for endoscopy and some common lab services, including DNA sequencing, biopsy procedures, a sleep study unit, a broadband/narrow- are provided by outside companies under contract to band ultraviolet lightbox and a digital radiology suite. The the university. Robert and Harriet Heilbrunn Outpatient Research Center, opened in 2003, includes nine examination rooms, two con- BIO-IMAGING RESOURCE CENTER sultation rooms and two phlebotomy rooms. Research at the hospital, which celebrated its centennial COMPARATIVE BIOSCIENCE CENTER in 2010, has resulted in some major contributions to cBC IMAGING RESOURCES public health, including development of the oxygen chamber, GENE TARGETING RESOURCE CENTER methods for blood transfusion and storage, methadone LABORATORY OF COMPARATIVE PATHOLOGY AND therapy and multiple-drug treatment of HIV infection. GEM PHENOTYPING CORE TRANSGENIC SERVICES LABORATORY

ELECTRON MICROSCOPY RESOURCE CENTER

FLOW CYTOMETRY RESOURCE CENTER

GENOMICS RESOURCE CENTER

GLASSWASHING SERVICES 19

HIGH ENERGY PHYSICS INSTRUMENT SHOP

HIGH THROUGHPUT SCREENING RESOURCE CENTER

LIBRARY AND SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION COMMONS

MONOCLONAL CORE FACILITY

PROTEOMICS RESOURCE CENTER

SPECTROSCOPY RESOURCE CENTER

STEM CELL DERIVATION CORE

STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY RESOURCE CENTEr S tudent 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, Alumnus 21

Although the laboratory is the heart of the graduate student’s day-to-day life, learning at Rockefeller is an immersive experience and takes place in both formal and informal settings. The academic calendar buzzes with a busy schedule of lectures and seminars, and the university’s thoughtful architecture and peaceful landscaping include many indoor and outdoor spaces for quiet study or informal conversation with peers and mentors. Subsidized student housing, free comprehensive health insurance and a highly regarded child care facility help to reduce the burdens of daily life and allow students to focus on their work. And a welcoming, approachable community of students, postdocs, faculty and staff is always ready to offer support and lend a hand — it’s not uncommon for friends and neighbors at Rockefeller to become lifelong confidantes and collaborators. Meanwhile, Rockefeller’s location on Manhattan’s Upper East Side offers easy access to everything New York — a world epicenter of art and culture — has to offer. Campus Overview setting for interactions among scientists of all ages and disciplines. The Weiss Café and Abby Dining Room offer Rockefeller’s 14 acres and 22 buildings, set along the East spaces for the Rockefeller community to meet over lunch. River, serve as its students’ home base for their scientific And the Rita and Frits Markus Library, located in newly explorations. Nearly all students, along with most postdocs renovated Welch Hall, features a cavernous reading room and many faculty, live on or adjacent to campus, and their overlooking Roosevelt Island as well as an extensive archive proximity keeps the grounds — and many of the labs — of books and journals and access to electronic databases. alive with activity late into the night. Many labs have The campus also offers athletic facilities — including a dramatic views of the river, the historic Queensboro Bridge fitness center and tennis and squash courts — to stimulate or the New York skyline. the body and, to stimulate the mind, an impressive collection The university’s laboratories are state-of-the-art. Its of artwork and a weekly concert series. The campus is newest lab complex, the $400 million Collaborative smoke free indoors and out, and recent environmental initia- Research Center, was completed in 2012 and features over tives have led to the adoption of organic horticultural prac- 125,000 square feet of open-plan lab space connected by a tices on campus grounds, the purchase of wind-generated dramatic glass atrium. electricity and the installation of high-efficiency lighting and Because science isn’t only about lab work, the university HVAC equipment. 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 Lectures

The university’s Caspary Auditorium, a blue-domed neigh- borhood landmark, hosts several lecture series that bring in the world’s foremost scientists and thinkers for lectures and 22 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 spe- cialized student- and postdoc-sponsored seminar talks, as well as concerts and a film series. 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

The university provides subsidized housing for all Ph.D. students. 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 and then live in Rockefeller housing for the duration of the program. Like the laborato- ries, all on-campus student rooms have high-speed internet access. Current rents range from $570 to $830 a month. 23 For those in need of an escape, the university owns two cottages located about an hour north of the city near the Bear Mountain Recreational Area. Student use of the cottages is by lottery, and they are available between May and October.

Financial support

As part of its mission to educate the next generation of scientific leaders, the university guarantees full financial support for its students in the Ph.D. program, including tuition, stipend and a research budget. This arrangement relieves students of financial concerns and also allows them to select a laboratory without the complication of considering the lab’s budget. For the academic year 2012–13, the stipend is $34,000; the research budget is $2,000 in the first year and $1,500 in subsequent years and may be used toward the purchase of a computer, reading material or research-related supplies or for travel to attend scientific meetings. Students are strongly encouraged to apply for appropriate fellowships; these will be supplemented by the university to the current 24 stipend level, plus $5,000 in the case of competitively awarded fellowships. Fellowships for participation in collaborations abroad are also available. Students are expected to engage full time in advanced study and research (university policy does not permit students to accept activities for compensation). Rockefeller students and their families have the option to be covered by comprehensive health, dental and vision plans at the university’s expense (coverage for domestic partner- ship may incur imputed income costs).

New 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 on 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, Alumna Profile walkways and running and bicycle paths. The city’s more than 18,000 restaurants offer authentic food from every imaginable cuisine. 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 Natalie de Souza public science events. Numerous biotech companies are Senior editor, Nature Methods also choosing to locate in New York, many of them in a new bioscience campus on the East River two miles Natalie de Souza has always loved both science and writing, and when the time came to pick a career, from Rockefeller. she chose both. The 2002 Rockefeller graduate is 25 a senior editor at Nature Methods, where she vets manuscript submissions and reviews and helps determine what ends up in each issue of the prestigious journal. She also edits research papers and writes for the publication. The position affords not only a sweeping perspective on the best methods research in the life sciences but also a look at the nitty-gritty experimentation behind each paper, and she likes the combination. “It’s as close as you can be to the scientific process without actually doing research,” she says. At Rockefeller, Natalie studied the biogenesis and trafficking of membrane proteins in Sanford M. Simon’s lab. Her rigorous lab training was vital preparation for her current job. “To know what advances in methodology matter, you need a really good understanding of what biological questions are being asked,” says Natalie, who took the job in 2006 following a postdoctoral fellowship at . “The way you achieve that is through talking to a lot of people and reading extensively about current research, which are both things that I instinctively enjoy.” A dmissions and schedule of courses “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 27

To be accepted into the Rockefeller University graduate program, applicants must demonstrate a record of achieve- ment in science and have superb undergraduate academics. Applications are evaluated by faculty working in a wide range of fields, and they look for students who have demon- strated a commitment to scientific excellence and who they believe will thrive in a flexible, interdisciplinary program. The application process is highly selective. Applicants to the university’s other two programs, the M.D.-Ph.D. program and the Tri-Institutional Training Program in Chemical Biology, are handled separately (see page 35 for contact information). Several courses are offered each year in each of the university’s six research areas, and students can construct their own curriculum consisting of at least seven credits, relevant to their areas of interest, and complete them within the first two years after enrollment. Supplemental seminars and tutorials, dependent on demand, and support courses are also available. Applying to the Ph.D. Program Applying to the Tri-Institutional Training Program in Chemical Biology The university seeks students who have a natural curiosity about science and who have demonstrated aptitude, enthusi- Complete application instructions for the Tri-Institutional asm and commitment to research. Students who enter the Training Program in Chemical Biology are available online Ph.D. program must have received a degree of bachelor or at www.triiprograms.org/tpcb. master of arts or sciences, or doctor of medicine or equiva- lent international qualification. Applicants should be able to Contact information for all three programs can be found on document a high level of achievement in the biological, page 35. chemical, mathematical or physical sciences. Each year, up to 30 students enter the Ph.D. program. Applications must be submitted online. Applicants must Ph.D. Requirements and Fields of Study submit a personal letter describing their scientific interests, academic background and research experience and goals, as To earn the Ph.D. degree, a Rockefeller student must complete well as a biographical data form and at least three letters of a thesis comprising a coherent body of novel scientific work. recommendation from faculty who can assess their research In consultation with the dean and research advisers, students potential. Official college or university transcripts and GRE must plan coursework and tutorials to support and comple- general test scores are required for admission. A GRE ment their thesis research. Students must balance their need advanced subject test is strongly recommended. Applicants for a broad basis of scientific knowledge with the requirement whose native language is not English must submit evidence for greater depth of understanding in the particular area of sci- of their proficiency in the English language. The application ence in which their thesis research will be focused. Students in deadline for the Ph.D. program is December 3, 2012, for the life sciences are required to participate actively in courses, entrance during the first week of September 2013. An appli- discussions and tutorials and to fulfill designated qualifying 28 cation fee is required. requirements. Students are evaluated on their required course- A faculty committee representing a wide range of work based on participation in class discussions and written research interests screens the applications. Selected candi- or oral exercises. Most courses are scheduled on a two-year dates are invited to visit the university in March. During cycle during the fall, winter and spring quarters, but some are these visits, candidates have formal and informal opportuni- offered annually. Additional information about course offer- ties to meet faculty and students, to visit laboratories and ings and participation and qualification requirements appears housing facilities, to explore the Rockefeller neighborhood on the following pages. If a specialized course that is essential and to experience the cultural opportunities of New York. for a student’s research is unavailable at the university, the Dean’s Office will help the student register for a course at another institution. Students are encouraged to arrange tutori- Applying to the M.D.-Ph.D. Program als with appropriate faculty members, if they feel the need.

Applicants to the Tri-Institutional M.D.-Ph.D. Program must demonstrate strong undergraduate science preparation and Curriculum an interest in combining basic scientific research and clinical medicine. Applications are submitted through Weill Cornell There is no required core curriculum for the Ph.D. In consul- Medical College. The application deadline is October 15, tation with the dean of graduate studies, students choose a 2012, for entrance during the first week of July 2013. flexible combination of courses totaling seven academic units. Courses are grouped into six major areas (biochemis- try, structural and chemical biology and biophysics; molecu- lar, cell and developmental biology; genetics; microbiology and immunology; neuroscience; and physics and mathemati- cal biology). Courses toward qualification should be relevant to the intended area of thesis research and completed by the end of the second year. Dean’s Office Staff

From left: Cristian Rosario, Emily Harms, Kristen Cullen, Marta Delgado, Sidney Strickland

Academic Staff

Sidney Strickland, Ph.D. Dean of Graduate and Postgraduate Studies; Vice President for Educational Affairs 29 Emily Harms, Ph.D. Associate Dean of Graduate and Postgraduate Studies

Administrative Staff

Kristen Cullen Graduate Admissions Administrator and Registrar

Marta Delgado Graduate Program Administrator of Finance and Student Affairs

Cristian Rosario Dean’s Office Associate Schedule of Courses Conversations about RNA James E. Darnell Jr. Biochemistry, Structural and Chemical The course will consist of discussions based on chapters in Biology and Biophysics RNA, Life’s Indispensable Molecule by Dr. Darnell (Contents: Chapter 1, The Dawn of Molecular Biology: Biochemical and Biophysical Methods History of Macromolecules before RNA; Chapter 2, RNA Seth A. Darst, Michael P. Rout and Thomas Tuschl Connects Genes and Proteins: Ribosomes, tRNA and Fundamental biochemical and biophysical principles are pre- Messenger RNA; Chapter 3, After mRNA: The Genetic sented, with an emphasis on methodologies. This course Code, Translation and the Biochemistry of Controlled RNA addresses issues of protein and nucleic acid structure and the Synthesis in Bacteria; Chapter 4, Gene Expression in forces that underlie stability and govern the formation of Mammalian Cells: Discovery of RNA Processing, Genes in specific three-dimensional structures. Specific case studies Pieces and New RNA Chemistry; Chapter 5, Controlling are presented that examine particular processes, such as mRNA: The Cell’s Most Complicated Task; Chapter 6, RNA transcription and replication, and how the application of and the Beginning of Life). The book will be provided to all different methodologies has been used to address specific students. Credit will be awarded to those who submit a final biological questions. For background reading, use paper. The format and topics will be discussed in class. Biochemistry by Stryer and Molecular Biology of the Cell by Alberts et al. There are no prerequisites for this course. The final exam consists of a written research proposal and an Molecular, Cell and oral presentation of the proposal to the class. Developmental Biology

Chemical Biology Cell Biology Tarun Kapoor, Howard C. Hang and Sean Brady Sanford M. Simon and Shai Shaham 30 The spirit of the course will be to explore the complexities of This is an advanced course covering major topics in modern modern biology using the tools of chemistry. The lectures will cell biology, taught by faculty and visitors who are special- cover: (1) amino acid chemistry, (2) nucleic acid chemistry, ists in various disciplines of cell biology. A good knowledge (3) posttranslational modifications of proteins, (4) discovery of textbook cell biology is a prerequisite for effective partici- and use of chemical probes to examine cellular mechanisms, pation. The course is completed with an oral exam. (5) membrane chemistry, (6) chemical tools for imaging and Recommended text for cell biology: Molecular Biology of (7) natural product biosynthesis. Knowledge of introductory the Cell by Alberts et al. Recommended text for histology: chemistry and organic chemistry will be helpful, but is not Basic Histology by Junqueira et al., 2009 edition. essential. This course is offered every two years. Cell Cycle Control Biology and Frederick R. Cross and Hironori Funabiki C. David Allis This seminar will cover contemporary understanding of This course will explore the fast-growing field of chromatin eukaryotic cell cycle control. It is designed to complement biology and epigenetics. It will have two primary objectives: the Molecular Basis of Cancer seminar, so there will be little (1) to gain some appreciation of chromatin, the physiologi- overlap between the two. A primary resource in the seminar cal form of our genome, and (2) to introduce students to a will be The Cell Cycle: Principles of Control by David wide array of mechanisms that may underlie epigenetic phe- Morgan. This book presents a highly integrated view of cell nomena — heritable changes in gene function that are not cycle control drawing on over 20 years of research in many due to changes in the DNA sequence. The study of these experimental systems. Weekly reading in this book will be seemingly bizarre phenomena, often in off-beat organisms, accompanied by reading primary research papers (some has now emerged as a scientific field with far-reaching impli- relatively classical, some current). Weekly homework cations in human biology and human health. The course will exercises will be assigned. Evaluation will be based on examine the scientific approaches and research methods homework and class participation. Due to the integration of employed to define key advances in chromatin biology lead- the discussions, the readings and the homework exercises, ing to the current interest in epigenetics. auditing is not a possibility. Topics in the seminar will include: construction of a bio- population genotypes when these basic genetic mechanisms chemical oscillator and overall structure of cell cycle control; are operating in the presence or absence of selective positive and negative control of DNA replication; spindle pressure. Changes in population genotypes can have effects morphogenesis and function; chromosome cohesion control; ranging from polymorphism at neutral loci to evolution of surveillance mechanisms (checkpoints) monitoring spindle distinct species. Such changes are also used in historical and DNA integrity; and control of proliferation (start/ analysis to trace migrations, evolution and coevolution in restriction point control). We will rely heavily on studies in diverse biological contexts. model organisms, but the emphasis throughout will be on Students are required to read two to three papers in the aspects of cell cycle control conserved throughout the primary literature each week and participate in a weekly eukaryotes. discussion of those papers. In addition, there are weekly homework exercises, requiring a variable level of effort. Molecular Basis of Cancer Group effort on the homework exercises is encouraged. Sohail Tavazoie Evaluation is based on participation in the discussion groups This course is designed to teach modern concepts in the regu- and performance on the homework exercises. lation of growth control and its significance to cancer. The There are no specific prerequisites for this course. Due to format consists of a weekly two-hour lecture followed by the integration of the discussions, the readings and the informal discussion over lunch. Each lecture is accompanied homework exercises, auditing is not a possibility. by a review and a research article to be discussed at lunch. (A reference list is distributed at the first lecture.) Before the Mammalian Genetics start of the course, students should read The Biology of Agata Smogorzewska Cancer by Robert A. Weinberg (Taylor and Francis, Inc.). The The course entails 12 weekly lectures. Topics to be covered method of evaluation is discussed at the beginning of the include: modern genetic tools, including RNAi screening and course. There is a take-home exam at the end of the course. genetic engineering using TALENS; human gene mapping; mouse genetics and human disease modeling; genetics of 31 Stem Cells in Tissue Morphogenesis and Cancer bone marrow failure syndromes; genetics of cancer suscepti- Elaine Fuchs and Ali H. Brivanlou bility; ethical issues in modern genetics; and genetics of This course aims to present and discuss key concepts in stem infectious diseases, obesity and diabetes, coronary heart cell biology, drawing on research from planaria, Drosophila, disease and neurodegenerative diseases. The lectures will be zebrafish, mouse and human. It covers basic principles of supplemented by specific readings and questions/problems. stem cells from self-renewal to tissue development, homeosta- Performance in the course will be evaluated by class partici- sis, wound repair and cancer. In addition to the basic lec- pation and a take-home final exam. tures, there are guest speakers who are world-renowned lead- ers in the field. Although these lectures are open to the pub- lic, they are geared toward students enrolled in the course. Microbiology and Immunology Following each of these lectures, speakers lead a discussion with the class. Course credit is awarded based on participa- Immunobiology Tutorial tion in lectures and class discussions, as well as a written Howard C. Hang, Daniel Mucida and F. Nina Papavasiliou paper. Students are required to attend lectures and class. Major topics in cellular, molecular and clinical immunology are covered. Each session consists of a discussion of the topic and a review of two or more papers. Genetics Microbial Pathogenesis Genetics and Evolution Luciano Marraffini Frederick R. Cross Infectious diseases continue to be a leading cause of human This seminar covers basic genetic mechanisms: generation morbidity and mortality worldwide as well as an important of mutations and genetic segregation, linkage and cause of economic loss and the “poverty trap” in developing recombination (emphasis on linkage/segregation in countries. “Microbial Pathogenesis” focuses on the eukaryotes). The seminar also considers changes in molecular mechanisms of host-pathogen interactions and pathogenesis of representative bacterial, fungal and and stroke). The course meets once a week for two hours protozoan diseases. Topics may include malaria, and consists of introductory remarks followed by brief schistosomiasis, trypanosomiasis, leishmaniasis, student presentations and open discussion based on assigned toxoplasmosis, selected Gram-negative and Gram-positive readings. Each student will be asked to write a speculative bacterial infections, pathogenic mycobacteria, opportunistic paper relating a disordered trait to a specific brain circuit. mycoses, antimicrobials and vaccines, evolution of pathogenicity and molecular mimicry. The course is taught Developmental Neurobiology by Rockefeller and Cornell faculty and selected guest Mary E. Hatten speakers. Each class includes a lecture followed by lunch This course focuses on the molecular and cellular and in-depth discussion of assigned papers with the lecturer. mechanisms underlying the development of the mammalian nervous system. Topics to be discussed include induction of Topics in Clinical Immunology the nervous system, specification of neural cell fate, cell This tutorial covers selected topics in clinical immunology migration, axon guidance and establishment of neuronal such as autoimmunity, tumor immunity, transplantation, connectivity. Major emphasis is placed on the molecular allergies and infectious diseases. Participants meet for two mechanisms of neuronal differentiation and cellular to three hours each week to hear a brief overview from a mechanisms of cell patterning in the brain. faculty member and then discuss a few papers. The course is Tri-Institutional and required for students in the Tri- Fundamentals of Neuroscience Institutional Cancer Immunology Program. A. James Hudspeth An introduction to neuroscience for those without previous Virology experience with the subject, as well as a refresher for those Charles M. Rice, Paul Bieniasz and David D. Ho with a modest background, this course covers the biophysi- This course of lectures and discussions is presented by cal principles of electrical and synaptic signaling; neural 32 Rockefeller faculty and selected visitors. Major emphasis is plasticity; neuronal cell biology; the structure and develop- placed on the cellular and molecular biology of animal ment of invertebrate and vertebrate nervous systems; human viruses. The topics include virus structure, replication, neuroanatomy; and the operation of simple neural circuits. molecular genetics and gene expression, interactions with Each week’s single session comprises two lectures separated host cells, immunology, pathogenesis, viral vaccines, antiviral by a break and followed by a student-led discussion of a therapy and resistance and viral vectors. Model systems classic paper related to the subject at hand. Auditing is discussed will include cytocidal, steady-state and tumorigenic not permitted. virus-cell interactions. Recommended texts for the course are Fields Virology by Knipe et al. and Principles of Virology Membrane Biophysics by Flint et al. Gaby Maimon and Vanessa Ruta This intensive six-week course consists of 15 to 20 two-hour lectures and six to eight all-day labs. The topics are biophys- Neuroscience ical aspects of the structure and mechanisms of function and regulation of ion channels, pumps/transporters and neu- Biology of Brain Disorders rotransmitter receptors. The labs are limited to 12 students. Gerald Fischbach This course emphasizes the biological and behavioral Neural Systems underpinnings of common neurological and psychiatric Charles D. Gilbert disorders. Subjects include: disorders of excitation and This course covers mechanisms of information processing conduction (epilepsy and multiple sclerosis); perception, in the adult nervous system at the level of neuronal ensem- cognition and memory (autism, schizophrenia and bles and interactions, concentrating primarily on the visual Alzheimer’s disease); consciousness (coma and persistent cortex, with selected examples from other systems. Themes vegetative state); mood (depression and anxiety); motivation include connectivity, functional architecture, receptive field (addiction); sensation (pain); motor control (Parkinson’s properties, psychophysics, dynamic properties of cortical disease and ataxia); and trauma (brain/spinal cord injury circuits, relationship between synaptic mechanisms and functional specificity, learning and memory, attentional historical, physical and geological background for studies of mechanisms and higher order cognitive functions. the origin of life, the physics and chemistry of polymers, Theoretical approaches to modeling neural function are mechanisms for segregation from the environment, the discussed. The seminar meets for two to three hours once a synthesis of RNA and DNA, RNA catalysis and the RNA week and includes lectures and discussion groups. Readings world, the genetic code, the nature of peptides and proteins, for the course consist of original papers and reviews. the origin of eukaryotic life and the origin of multicellularity. The course requirements include in-class presentations and group discussion; auditing is not permitted. Physics and Mathematical Biology

Fundamentals of Biostatistics General This course is designed for students who desire access to and understanding of applied biostatistical methodologies. The Experiment and Theory in Modern Biology course begins by exploring the necessary theoretical bases Shai Shaham, Sanford M. Simon and Daniel Mucida for inferential methods and by describing the limitations of This course introduces first-year graduate students to the statistical methods for a given study design. Subsequent methods and principles behind current biological research. classes focus on understanding the differences of variable Students meet once a week to discuss preselected papers measurement and translating investigator-driven questions that illustrate methods of biological deduction. With about those data into hypotheses. Finally, given the measure- guidance from the faculty mentors, students present papers, ment type of the variable and the developed hypothesis, the discuss them and formulate conclusions regarding the link to appropriate analytic methods is defined. Here, the experimental results. Students also present a project based focus is on the application and interpretation of statistical on one of the papers discussed in class. By the end of the methods. Students practice recognizing the appropriateness course, students should be able to critically read a scientific of analytic methods and present interpretations of the analy- manuscript and understand principles used in interpreting 33 sis from peer-reviewed journal articles. scientific data. There are no prerequisites for the course.

Introduction to Elementary Statistical Mechanics Responsible Conduct of Research E.G.D. Cohen In collaboration with neighboring Weill Cornell Medical Elementary Statistical Mechanics will be an introductory College and the Sloan-Kettering Institute, this course pro- lecture and discussion course emphasizing the foundations motes awareness of ethical considerations relevant to the of the field and its basic concepts. The prerequisites are responsible conduct of research. Attendance is mandatory college- or graduate-level physics and calculus. Some for all Rockefeller graduate students. familiarity with thermodynamics would be helpful. Seminars on Modern Biology Math Review for Biologists Members of the Rockefeller University faculty Marcelo O. Magnasco This series is designed to give incoming graduate students a This is an intensive skill-development course, starting with chance to interact with faculty in an intensive series of calculus and linear algebra and leading up to differential twice-weekly two-hour seminars. Participation is mandatory equations, Fourier transforms and related computational for and limited to first-year graduate students. (This course methods for model simulation. The concurrent journal club is not required for M.D.-Ph.D. students, who complete explores the major historical papers as well as contemporary similar Tri-Institutional seminars during their first two biological modeling papers proposed by the students, in full years.) Seminar sessions run from 1 to 3 p.m. on Monday line-by-line detail. There are no prerequisites. and Tuesday afternoons. In each session, two to three faculty members give brief introductions to their research and The Origin of Life participate in a student-led discussion. A. James Hudspeth and Albert Libchaber This reading and discussion course runs for a 10-week period between January and March. Topics include the Theory and Practice of Experimental Design David Glass and Winrich Freiwald This course focuses on both the theory and practice of experimental design, asking when, how and whether hypotheses or questions should be used to frame experiments, and how these frameworks may perturb experimental design and interpretation. A thorough discussion of the various types of experimental controls is provided. This goes beyond a standard exposition of negative and positive controls and includes elements like system design, system controls, controls for underlying assumptions and experimentalist controls. This is not a statistics course — rather it covers those elements of design that usually precede and follow statistical analysis.

Supplementary Seminars and Tutorials

Additional seminars and tutorials are offered in response to demand. Students are encouraged to speak with the dean to arrange seminars or tutorials in any area of science not covered by the listed courses.

34 Support Courses

Several courses of a more practical nature are offered by various faculty and service departments. These include courses on various aspects of computing, which range from instruction in the efficient use of everyday PC and Macintosh software to the effective use of more complex computational tools. Board of Trustees For further information:

Honorary Chair and Life Trustee David Rockefeller Ph.D. Program

Chair Russell L. Carson Office of Graduate Studies The Rockefeller University Vice Chairs 1230 York Avenue, Box 177 David I. Hirsh, Ph.D. Henry R. Kravis New York, NY 10065 Marnie S. Pillsbury Richard E. Salomon www.rockefeller.edu/graduate Telephone: 212-327-8086 President [email protected] Fax: 212-327-8505 Marc Tessier-Lavigne, Ph.D.

Allen R. Adler Holly S. Andersen, M.D. M.D.-Ph.D. Program Robert M. Bass Edward J. Benz Jr., M.D. Judith Roth Berkowitz Weill Cornell/Rockefeller/Sloan-Kettering Debra Black , Ph.D. Tri-Institutional M.D.-Ph.D. Program H. Rodgin Cohen, Esq. 1300 York Avenue, Room C-103 Andreas C. Dracopoulos New York, NY 10065 Anthony B. Evnin, Ph.D. Michael D. Fascitelli Peter A. Flaherty www.med.cornell.edu/mdphd Telephone: 212-746-6023 William E. Ford Joseph L. Goldstein, M.D. [email protected] Toll free: 888-826-3743 Neva R. Goodwin, Ph.D. Peter T. Grauer Paul B. Guenther Marlene Hess Tri-Institutional Training Program in Chemical Biology Sandra J. Horbach 35 William I. Huyett Jr. Ajit Jain Tri-Institutional Training Program in Chemical Biology David H. Koch 1300 York Avenue, Room A139, Box 194 Karen M. Levy New York, NY 10065 Evelyn G. Lipper, M.D. Susan M. Lyne Thomas P. Maniatis, Ph.D. www.triiprograms.org/tpcb Telephone: 212-746-5267 Surya N. Mohapatra, Ph.D. Robin Chemers Neustein [email protected] Fax: 212-746-8992 Willard J. Overlock Jr. Don Michael Randel, Ph.D. Patricia P. Rosenwald Lewis A. Sanders The Rockefeller University is accredited by the New York State Board of Regents and the John M. Shapiro Commissioner of Education, located at 89 Washington Avenue, Albany, New York 12234, Sydney R. Shuman 518-474-3852. James H. Simons, Ph.D. Dinakar Singh David Sze The Advisory Committee on Campus Safety will provide upon request all campus crime statistics Lulu C. Wang as reported to the United States Department of Education. Please contact James Rogers in The

Trustees Emeriti Rockefeller University Office of Security at 212-327-7339 to request a copy of the report. The U.S. Ralph E. Ablon Department of Education’s Web site for campus crime statistics is http://ope.ed.gov/security. Edward S. Cooper, M.D. D. Ronald Daniel It is the policy of The Rockefeller University to support equality of educational and employment Annette de la Renta Alexander D. Forger, Esq. opportunity. No individual shall be denied admission to the graduate program of the university or Richard M. Furlaud otherwise be discriminated against with respect to any program or in the administration of any Maurice R. Greenberg policy of the university because of race, color, religion, sex, age, national or ethnic origin, Eugene P. Grisanti David A. Hamburg, M.D. citizenship, sexual orientation, veteran status or disability. The Rockefeller University is committed Eric R. Kandel, M.D. to the maintenance of affirmative action programs that will assure the continuation of such Nancy M. Kissinger equality of opportunity. David G. Nathan, M.D. Donald A. Pels Julian H. Robertson Jr. Stephen Stamas Frederick A. Terry Jr., Esq. Published by The Rockefeller University John C. Whitehead Office of Communications and Public Affairs Subsidized housing 27 guaranteed alumni elected to the National Academy of Sciences 36 18 alumni elected to the institute of medicine 8 Weintraub Award winners Freedom to choose number of lab rotations Non-departmental campus promotes in- 2alumni have teractions between won the Nobel fields Prize

live on beautiful, lush 37 campus in the heart countries of New York city represented by students 10 heads of lab are alumni full fellowship funding for all students 2012–2013

The david rockefeller graduate program