Welcome to the Molecular Biophysics and Structural Biology Graduate Program!

Molecular biophysics is an exciting interdisciplinary research field at the intersection of physics, chemistry, biology and medicine. The Molecular Biophysics & Structural Biology (MBSB) PhD Graduate Program is an adventure that brings together faculty across the Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences and the School of Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh as well as faculty of various departments at Carnegie Mellon University. It aims to provide a fertile and collaborative research and learning experience to its students, and has allowed current and previous students to explore a range of fascinating research topics. This website is meant as a resource to provide a useful source of information about the Program, for both current participants and anyone interested in joining us.

Please contact the program co-directors (below) with any questions or suggestions concerning the program you may have. Please contact the webmaster for any suggestions regarding the website.

 Program Overview

The Molecular Biophysics & Structural Biology (MBSB) Graduate Program at the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University is an interdisciplinary program for PhD studies that crosses the boundaries of Biology, Chemistry, Physics and

other traditional disciplines. MBSB aims to unravel and explain biological phenomena and processes in atomic and molecular detail.

Research: 

Research conducted by faculty of the graduate program covers a diverse range of topics in Molecular Biophysics and Structural Biology. Areas of study are focused on understanding fundamental principles involved in reactions and interactions in biological systems. Research projects attempt to address and elucidate answers to questions such as:

• How do proteins fold and can we prevent misfolding?
• Can we design proteins with novel functions?
• How does the coordinated interaction between proteins and nucleic acids lead to cellular differentiation and the formation of an organism?
• How do macromolecules assemble into molecular machines or viruses and how do they operate?
• How do signals traverse membranes?

Curriculum:

The curriculum stresses an interdisciplinary approach to learning and research in modern Molecular Biophysics and Structural Biology. In addition to traditional lectures, the curriculum includes multiple novel components from laboratory and hands-on demos to student-taught lectures and review of actual grant proposals. Students with strong backgrounds in physics, chemistry and mathematics as well as cellular and molecular biology are encouraged to apply. As a member of the MBSB program, all students will be advised by a mentor, exploring research options through laboratory rotations before choosing a thesis advisor in their first year.

Facilities and Environment: 

Students in the program will be trained through specifically designed courses and extensive laboratory research, set in a collaborative and collegial atmosphere. Unique to this program is the opportunity to train across traditional boundaries, and possibly be co-mentored by two thesis advisors. Students benefit from active participation and mentoring by prominent, internationally renowned faculty and receive training in state-of-the-art methodologies such as high field solution and solid-state NMR spectroscopy, X-ray crystallography, cryo electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, mass spectrometry, infrared spectroscopy and computational molecular biology.

The University of Pittsburgh has over 200 graduate degree programs and is one of the best (ranked 4th in 2009) supported research facilities in the nation, with over $400 million dollars from the NIH in 2009 alone. Carnegie Mellon University attracts students from all 50 US states and 93 nations, and is affiliated with 17 Nobel Laureates and ten Turing Award recipients, among other prestigious award recipients. An open and collaborative atmosphere between faculty at the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University allows students to explore all aspects of Molecular Biophysics and Structural Biology in an integrated research community.

The Molecular Biophysics & Structural Biology (MBSB) Graduate Program at the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University is an interdisciplinary program for PhD studies that cross the boundaries of biology, chemistry, physics and other traditional disciplines. MBSB research groups aim to unravel and explain biological phenomena and processes in atomic and molecular detail.

Research: 

Research conducted by faculty of the graduate program covers a diverse range of topics in Molecular Biophysics and Structural Biology. Areas of study are focused on understanding fundamental principles involved in reactions and interactions in biological systems. Research projects attempt to address and elucidate answers to questions such as:

• How do proteins fold and can we prevent misfolding?
• Can we design proteins with novel functions?
• How does the coordinated interaction between proteins and nucleic acids lead to cellular differentiation and the formation of an organism?
• How do macromolecules assemble into molecular machines or viruses and how do they operate?
• How do signals traverse membranes?

 Curriculum:

The curriculum stresses an interdisciplinary approach to learning and research in modern Molecular Biophysics and Structural Biology. In addition to traditional lectures, the curriculum includes multiple novel components from laboratory and hands-on demos to student-taught lectures and review of actual grant proposals. Students with a diversity of backgrounds in physics, chemistry and mathematics as well as cellular and molecular biology are encouraged to apply. As they join the program, all MBSB students will be advised by a mentor, exploring research options through laboratory rotations before choosing a thesis advisor in their first year.

Facilities and Environment: 

Students in the program are trained through specifically designed courses and extensive laboratory research, set in a collaborative and collegial atmosphere. Unique to this program is the opportunity to train across traditional boundaries, and possibly be co-mentored by two thesis advisors. Students benefit from active participation and mentoring by prominent, internationally renowned faculty and receive training in state-of-the-art methodologies such as high field solution and solid-state NMR spectroscopy, X-ray crystallography, cryo electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, mass spectrometry, infrared spectroscopy and computational molecular biology. Excellent state-of-the-art equipment and resources are available for both experimental and computational research (see also: Research Facilities).

The University of Pittsburgh ranked ninth overall in the National Science Foundation's most recent ranking of federally funded research. In a recent analysis of National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding, the Faculty of the University’s School of Medicine ranked sixth among U.S. medical schools. Carnegie Mellon University attracts students from all 50 US states and 93 nations, and is affiliated with 19 Nobel Laureates and 12 Turing Award recipients, among other prestigious award recipients. An open and collaborative atmosphere between faculty at the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University allows students to explore all aspects of Molecular Biophysics and Structural Biology in an integrated research community.

Participating faculty in the MBSB Graduate Program are from the University of Pittsburgh and from Carnegie Mellon University. However, all administration is through the graduate studies office at the University of Pittsburgh. The goal of the graduate studies office is to provide all possible help to potential and registered graduate students in the MBSB program.

The program directors (below) direct and oversee all activities related to the program, assisted by activities and recommendations made by a number of committees: the steering committee, oversight and evaluations committee, curriculum committee, admissions committee and recruitment committee.

Directorship of the Program

Description of Directorship

The Co-directors are nominated by a majority vote of the participating faculty. The appointment is made jointly by the Dean of the respective college, in consultation with the chairs of the relevant departments. The Co-Directors take a leadership role in ensuring the quality of the Graduate Program; serves as a liaison with chairs of relevant departments and Deans of participating schools; facilitates communication among members of the various program committees; implements standard Graduate Program policies; and oversees the routine operation of the Graduate Program.

Current directors

Dr Andy Hinck and Dr Maria Kurnikova are the current co-directors of the MBSB graduate program. Dr Hinck is a member of the Department of Structural Biology at the University of Pittsburgh and Dr Kurnikova is in the Department of Biological Sciences of Carnegie Mellon University.

Previous Directors and Co-Directors

2010-2020: Gordon Rule

Dr. Gordon Rule joined the Carnegie Mellon University Department of Biological Sciences in 1996 and has served as faculty member, actively involved in both teaching and research in the Department, mainly in the area on NMR-focused studies and bimolecular structure and dynamics, since that time.  Dr. Rule has been a Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences since 2004.  He was substantially involved in initiating the program and was elected as the Co-Director of the Program in 2010 when Carnegie-Mellon began to officially participate. 

2012-2019: James Conway

Dr. James Conway joined the University of Pittsburgh Department of Structural Biology in 2005 as an inaugural faculty member and as head of the Cryo-EM laboratory. Prior to his appointment at the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Conway directed a structural electron microscopy lab at the the CNRS in the Institut de Biologie Structurale, Grenoble, France. Dr. Conway was elected as director of the MBSB program in July 2012.

2005-2012: Angela Gronenborn

Dr Angela Gronenborn joined the University of Pittsburgh in 2005 to found and direct the Department of Structural Biology. Prior to her appointment at the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Gronenborn was Chief of Structural Biology at the National Institutes of Health. She was elected director to the MBSB program in July 2005.

2003-2005: John Rosenberg

John Rosenberg, Professor at the Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine was the founding director, leading the development and inauguration of the program. The first class started in the Fall of 2004.

Committees

The directors are assisted by activities and recommendations made by five committees:

• Steering Committee
• Oversight and Evaluations Committee
• Curriculum Committee
• Admissions Committee
• Recruitment Committee
• Seminar Committee

More information on the committees responsibilities, chairs, and members  are available in the MBSB handbook and on this website. Generally, the term of the committee members is 3 years.

Steering Committee

Mission: On a high level, the MBSB Steering Committee will ensure the interdisciplinary goals and focuses of the program are maintained. The committee will also make certain that the quality of graduate student training remains consistently high throughout the program. The Steering Committee will make individual decisions regarding requests for major shifts in a student's direction, including 1) requests to change dissertation advisors or membership of dissertation committees, and 2) recommendations by advisors or dissertation committees for student termination. The committee will vote to accept new members into the MBSB Training faculty, review program issues and develop proposals for policy revision when needed or suggested by other MBSB program committees.

MBSB Program Co-Directors
Dr. Andy Hinck
Dr. Maria Kurnikova

MBSB Committee Chairs
Dr. William Furey
Dr. James Conway
Dr. Jonathan Coleman
Dr. Bennett Van Houten
Dr. Angela Gronenborn