Pathology & Laboratory Medicine About Us Message from the Chair Contact Us Education & Training Residency Program Fellowship Programs CLS Program Graduate Program Research Faculty & Labs Scholarly Activity Clinical Expertise Divisions Faculty Experimental Pathology Graduate Program The UCI School of Medicine Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine offers a PhD program in biomedical sciences with a concentration in experimental pathology. Home About Campus & Community Resources Pathology & Laboratory Medicine: Education & Training > Graduate Program Program Overview The Department of Pathology graduate program focuses on experimental approaches to better understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms of disease, particularly human disease. Throughout the program, graduate students rotate through various department faculty research labs, advancing their experimental pathology research knowledge and skills. Application to the experimental pathology graduate program is generally through one of two “gateway” programs, which offer multidisciplinary graduate training under the umbrella of the Cellular and Molecular Biosciences (CMB) program or Interdepartmental Neuroscience (INP) program. Another way to enter the program is through direct admission under special circumstances. Entry into the Experimental Pathology PhD program through direct admission requires a pre-identified faculty member with an interest and funding to support a graduate student. Contact graduate advisors, Edwin Monuki, MD, PhD, at emonuki@uci.edu or Elizabeth Head, PhD, MA, at heade@uci.edu for more information regarding this mechanism. Requirements Experimental Pathology PhD students are required to: Meet annually with either their advancement or doctoral committee Meet regularly one-on-one with their PhD advisor Complete an independent development plan (IDP) annually Attend seminars and speaker/student lunches Participate in the Experimental Pathology Journal Club Present a “research-in-progress” (RIP) seminar annually in the Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Research Conference series, usually during the spring quarter.* *These oral presentations are an important part of the graduate training program. Second-year students are required to give a 30-minute RIP talk, and third-year and beyond students are required to present formal one-hour seminars. Curriculum The Cellular and Molecular Biosciences (CMB) and Interdepartmental Neuroscience (INP) programs include a first-year curriculum and the opportunity to rotate through two or more research laboratories. After the first year in the CMB or INP program, students interested in experimental pathology will join the laboratories of faculty within the department or the laboratories of affiliated faculty. After the first year, PhD students in experimental pathology must take one didactic graduate course each year. Senior graduate students (Year 4 and beyond) may waive this requirement with approval from the graduate advisor. To satisfy this requirement, students may take Path/MMG 221 (Immunopathogenic Mechanisms of Disease), other approved courses offered by other departments or any other relevant coursework with approval from the graduate advisor. Conference Series The Experimental Pathology Research Conference Series is an ongoing continuing education program for faculty, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and laboratory staff. The program features a series of conferences targeting research issues. Research Conferences When: Last Monday of the month at 11 a.m.Where: Thorpe Conference Center, 4th floor, Gross Hall, UCI School of Medicine campus Scientific and Clinical Advances Grand Rounds When: Thursdays at 12 p.m.Where: Bldg. 53, Auditorium, UCI Medical Center campus Program Completion Following successful completion of the experimental pathology curriculum and research leading to a dissertation thesis, students will receive a PhD in biomedical sciences with a concentration in experimental pathology. Graduate students typically advance by the end of the third year and defend by the end of the fifth year. Graduate students are also strongly encouraged to apply for intramural and extramural funding/fellowships. Apply for funding How to Apply Application materials, checklists, requirements and regulations to apply to the CMB program can be found on the Cellular and Molecular Biosciences program website. Application materials, checklists, requirements and regulations to apply to the INP program can be found on the Interdepartmental Neuroscience program website. Housing Information about housing is available on the Guaranteed On-Campus Housing website. Experimental Pathology Program Faculty Anshu Agrawal, PhD Professor in Residence, Medicine Daniela Bota, MD, PhD Senior Associate Dean, Clinical Research Director, UCI Alpha Stem Cell Clinic, Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center Jefferson Chan, MD, PhD Professor, Pathology Peter Chang, MD Assistant Professor-in-Residence, Radiological Sciences Co-Director, Center for Artificial Intelligence in Diagnostic Medicine, Radiological Sciences Dongbao Chen, PhD Professor, Obstetrics & Gynecology Professor, Pathology Daniel Chow, MD Assistant Professor-in-Residence, Radiological Sciences Co-Director, Center for Artificial Intelligence in Diagnostic Medicine, Radiological Sciences Wendy Cozen, DO, MPH Professor, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Public Health Professor, Pathology Luis De La Maza, MD, PhD Associate Director Distinguished Professor, Pathology Robert Edwards, MD, PhD Professor, Pathology Mark Fisher, MD, JD Director, Center for Neuropolitics Professor, Anatomy & Neurobiology Donald Forthal, MD Professor, Department of Medicine Chief, Division of Infectious Diseases Elizabeth Head, PhD, MA Professor, Pathology Vice Chair for Research, Pathology M. Kenney, MD, PhD Director of Mitochondrial Research, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute Ophthalmology Professor, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute Ophthalmology Virginia Kimonis, MD Professor — Division of Genetic and Genomic Medicine, Pediatrics Albert La Spada, MD, PhD Associate Dean, Research Development Professor, Biological Chemistry Jana Lipkova, PhD Assistant Professor, Pathology Shahrdad Lotfipour, PhD Assistant Professor, Emergency Medicine, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Bryce Mander, PhD Assistant Professor, Psychiatry & Human Behavior Faculty, Cognitive Sciences Michael McClelland, PhD Professor, Microbiology & Molecular Genetics Professor, joint appointment, Pathology Dan Mercola, MD, PhD Professsor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Pathology Haik Mkhikian, MD, PhD Assistant Professor, Pathology Edwin Monuki, MD, PhD Warren L. Bostick Professor and Chair, Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Associate Director, Medical Scientist Training Program Hannah Park, PhD Associate Professor In Residence, Epidemiology Associate Professor In Residence, Pathology Farahnaz Rahmatpanah, PhD Assistant Professor In Residence, Pathology Abraham Qavi, MD, PhD Assistant Professor in Residence, Pathology Matthew Rose, MD, PhD Assistant Professor, Pathology S. Ahmad Sajjadi, MD, PhD Assistant Professor, Neurology Assistant Professor, Pathology Maheswari Senthil, MD Clinical Professor — Division of Surgical Oncology, Surgery Chief — Division of Surgical Oncology, Surgery Pratik Shah, PhD Assistant Professor, Pathology Andrea Tenner, PhD Professor, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry Professor, Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Zhuoli Zhang, PhD Professor, Radiological Sciences Contact Us Elizabeth Head, BSc, MA, PhD Co-director, Experimental Pathology Graduate Program Graduate Advisor Vice Chair for Research Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Edwin Monuki, MD, PhD Graduate Advisor Department Chair Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Dan Mercola, MD, PhD Co-director, Experimental Pathology Graduate Program Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine