Research Overview
The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering (GSBSE) provides a flexible, collaborative research environment consisting of internationally known institutions at which students can freely explore a wide range of research interests. Through first year rotations, opportunities for research training are possible at five unique institutions: The Jackson Laboratory (JAX), Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory (MDIBL), MaineHealth Institute of Research (MHIR), University of Maine (UM), and University of New England (UNE).
Faculty and students create a supportive, open research environment of shared scientific interests, collaboration, and expertise. Students develop intellectual independence in basic and applied translational or clinical research. Scientific communication, grant writing, teaching assistantships, conferences, and publication provide further opportunities for development.
Faculty research subject specialties are diverse. Research areas include aging, tissue remodeling and repair, metabolism, muscle, bone, and cardiovascular diseases, kidney vascularization, cancer, mouse model generation, genomics, bioinformatics, computational modeling, neuroscience, stress response, toxicology, infectious disease, stem cells, reproductive biology, cell signaling, biosensors, bioengineering, and photo physics.
In the first year, students rotate in at least three different research labs at multiple institutions or can concentrate at one institution. This enables students to gain a diverse scientific foundation. Core courses are completed by the second year. After forming a faculty committee, students propose a dissertation topic and at the end of the second year or beginning of the third year students take their candidacy exam. After which students focus on their research full-time until their PhD defense.