Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics (GRAD)
The Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics is an administrative division of the School of Medicine and a member of The Graduate School. The graduate program offers instruction and research opportunities leading to the Ph.D. degree. Applicants are offered admission with the expectation that they will complete their doctorate. While the curriculum is designed as a Ph.D. program, a terminal master's degree can be offered under special circumstances.
Modern research in biochemistry and biophysics is designed to address mechanism and function; it utilizes the paradigms of molecular biology but is influenced by chemistry, physics, and genetics. The philosophy of the department and its graduate program is to provide students with broad training in modern approaches to the field and unique opportunities for multidisciplinary training.
Financial Aid and Admissions
Funds available from the University, the department, and individual research grants provide stipends for students. All applicants are considered for special fellowships and research or teaching assistantships. Students typically receive a stipend and coverage of in-state tuition and fees, along with major medical insurance. Nonresidents with predoctoral fellowships or assistantships are recommended for special tuition rates. Applications are considered from prospective graduate students who present evidence of superior scholarship in biology, chemistry, or biochemistry. The department recommends that students prepare themselves by taking general and organic chemistry, biochemistry, biology, physics, and calculus. It is anticipated that students who have not had these courses will take them, as appropriate, after their arrival. Departmental information may be obtained through the department's website. Applicants should apply online at The Graduate School's admission website.
Research Interests
Faculty member's research interests are diverse and include research in the following areas: cell signaling and growth control, DNA repair and replication, membrane biophysics and function, molecular regulation including transcriptional control, nervous system development and function, and protein structure/function, including enzymology. Model systems used by the faculty range from bacteria to mammals; techniques span molecular biology to physical biochemistry. Please visit the department's website for more information.
Facilities
The departmental research facilities are centered in the Genetic Medicine Building, which is within walking distance of other medical school departments, research centers, and the departments of biology, chemistry, and physics. The building is equipped with instruments for molecular biological, biochemical, structural, and biophysical research. Animal care facilities are available to support the department's research endeavors. Research and training support is provided by several core facilities on campus.
Courses
Numbered 600-999:
IMPORTANT: Not all courses are offered every year. Students should check with the Director of Graduate Studies Wolfgang Bergmeier or the student services administrator before they register for classes.
Biochemistry and Biophysics, Doctoral Program (Ph.D.)
We offer a PhD with two customizable tracks in either Biochemistry or Biophysics, and we support our students with an array of resources and opportunities for professional growth. Our curriculum includes course requirements for all departmental students intended to help you with skills essential to careers in science. We additionally have course requirements specific to each track, both the Biochemistry & Molecular Biology track, as well as the Biophysics track, to emphasize basic skills and principles, and yet be sufficiently flexible to allow students to focus on different research areas.
Course Requirements
Biochemistry Track
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| BIOC 701 | Critical Analysis in Biochemistry | 2 |
| BIOC 710 | Scientific Communication 1 | 4 |
| GNET 888 | Responsible Conduct of Research 3 | 1 |
| or BIOC 888 | Responsible Conduct of Research | |
| 6 credit hours are required from the list below: | 6 | |
| Advanced Molecular Biology | ||
| Macromolecular Thermodynamics and Binding | ||
| Macromolecular Interactions and Forces | ||
| Macromolecular Dynamics | ||
| Principles of Cellular and Molecular Biochemistry | ||
| Biochemistry of Human Disease | ||
| Contemporary Topics in Cell Signaling: Phosphorylation Control | ||
| Contemporary Topics in Cell Signaling: GTPases | ||
| Contemporary Topics in Cell Signaling: Cell Cycle Control | ||
| Topics on Stem Cells and Development | ||
| Intercellular Signaling in Development and Disease | ||
| Electives | 4 | |
Choose from the list below or any graduate-level course in a discipline supportive of biomedical research training, excluding the Biochemistry track and Departmental core courses. | ||
| BIOC 662 | Macromolecular Interactions | 1 |
| BIOC 663A | Macromolecular NMR | 1 |
| BIOC 663B | Macromolecular NMR Practice | 1 |
| BIOC 665 | Advanced NMR Spectroscopy Course | 1 |
| BIOC 666 | X Ray Crystallography of Macromolecules | 1 |
| BIOC 667 | Macromolecular Crystallographic Methods | 2 |
| BIOC 669 | Macromolecular Crystallographic Methods II | 1 |
| BIOC 670 | Structural Bioinformatics | 1 |
| BIOC 673 | Proteomics, Protein Identification and Characterization by Mass Spectrometry | 1 |
| BIOC 675 | Fundamentals of Cryo-Electron Microscopy | 1 |
| Thesis/Substitute or Dissertation | ||
| BIOC 994 | Doctoral Research and Dissertation 2 | 3 |
| Minimum Hours | 36 | |
- 1
Take twice for a total of 4 credits. Students matriculating prior to fall 2021—BIOC 712 (3 credits) and BIOC 715 (1 credit) is equivalent to taking BIOC 710 twice.
- 2
Students must take BIOC 994 twice for a minimum of 6 credit hours.
- 3
Biophysics Track
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| BIOC 650 | Macromolecular Thermodynamics and Binding | 1 |
| BIOC 651 | Macromolecular Interactions and Forces | 1 |
| BIOC 652 | Macromolecular Dynamics | 1 |
| BIOC 662 | Macromolecular Interactions 3 | 1 |
| BIOC 704 | Seminars in Biophysics | 2 |
| BIOC 710 | Scientific Communication 1 | 4 |
| BIOC 888 | Responsible Conduct of Research | 1 |
| 3 modules are required from the list below: | 3 | |
| Macromolecular NMR | ||
| Macromolecular NMR Practice | ||
| Macromolecular Spectroscopy | ||
| Advanced NMR Spectroscopy Course | ||
| X Ray Crystallography of Macromolecules | ||
| Macromolecular Crystallographic Methods | ||
| Macromolecular Crystallographic Methods II | ||
| Structural Bioinformatics 3 | ||
| Proteomics, Protein Identification and Characterization by Mass Spectrometry | ||
| Fundamentals of Cryo-Electron Microscopy | ||
| Mathematical and Computational Approaches to Modeling Signaling and Regulatory Pathways | ||
| Proteomics Methods and Applications | ||
| Special Topics in Biomedical Engineering | ||
or BMME 890 | Special Topics | |
| Electives | 3 | |
Choose from the list below or any graduate-level course in a discipline supportive of biomedical research training, excluding the Biophysics track and Departmental core courses. For students matriculating before 2023, a minimum of one elective credit hour is required. Alternative courses approved by DGS. | ||
| BIOC 631 | Advanced Molecular Biology | 4 |
| BIOC 655 | Principles of Cellular and Molecular Biochemistry | 3 |
| BIOC 706 | Biochemistry of Human Disease | 3 |
| BIOC 740 | Contemporary Topics in Cell Signaling: Phosphorylation Control | 1 |
| BIOC 741 | Contemporary Topics in Cell Signaling: GTPases | 1 |
| BIOC 742 | Contemporary Topics in Cell Signaling: Cell Cycle Control | 1 |
| BIOC 744 | Topics on Stem Cells and Development | 2 |
| BIOC 745 | Intercellular Signaling in Development and Disease | 1 |
| Thesis/Substitute or Dissertation | ||
| BIOC 994 | Doctoral Research and Dissertation 2 | 3 |
| Minimum Hours | 36 | |
- 1
Take twice for a total of 4 credits. Students matriculating prior to fall 2021—BIOC 712 (2 credits) and BIOC 715 (2 credits) is equivalent to taking BIOC 710 twice.
- 2
Students must take BIOC 994 twice for a minimum of 6 credit hours.
- 3
Students taking BIOC 662 as a core course may take BIOC 670 as one of their module courses and vice versa.
Milestones
The following list of milestones (non-course degree requirements) must be completed; view this list of standard milestone definitions for more information.
- Doctoral Committee
- Doctoral Oral Comprehensive Exam
- Doctoral Written Exam
- Prospectus Oral Exam
- Advanced to Candidacy
- Dissertation Defense
- Doctoral Dissertation Approved/Format Accepted
- Residence Credit
- Doctoral Exit Survey
- Doctoral Teaching Experience (Teaching assistant position)
- Doctoral Manuscript Submission (Published first-author or co-first authored manuscript prior to student's defense)
- Doctoral Intradepartmental Review (Annual Committee Meeting and individualized Development Plan submission)
Professors
Wolfgang Bergmeier, Adhesion Mechanisms of Platelets and Neutrophils
Brian Button, Mucus Biophysical Properties, Role of the Pericilliary Layer (PCL), and Mechanisms of Mucociliary Clearance in the Airways
Sharon Campbell, Structural Biology of Regulator Molecules in Cell Growth Control and Cell Adhesion
Charles W. Carter Jr., Protein Crystallography, Structural Polymorphism and Function
Xian Chen, Systems Cancer Biology and Immunology, Cancer Therapeutic Response, Protein-Protein Interaction Networks
Jean Cook, Cell Cycle Control in Human Cells, Cell Proliferation Dynamics, Genome Stability Control, Molecular Biology, Quantitative Single Cell Analysis
Henrik Dohlman, Regulators of G Protein Signaling, Mechanisms of Drug Desensitization
Zbigniew Dominiki, Epigenetics, Histone, Structural Biology, Cryo-EM
Jack Griffith, Research Structure of Telomeres: How They Control Cell Aging and Death
Hengming Ke, X-ray Protein Crystallography and Biochemistry
Krzysztof Krajewski, Core Director of High-Throughput Peptide Synthesis, Peptide Chemistry and Synthesis, Histone PTMs, Application of Peptides in Biochemical Assays
Brian Kuhlman, Protein Design, Protein Therapeutics, and Molecular Modeling
Andrew Lee, Protein Dynamics, Allostery, NMR Spectroscopy, Click Chemistry, Protein Biophysics, Thymidylate Synthase
Karin Leiderman, Mathematical Biology, Mathematical Modeling of Biochemical Systems, Especially Blood Coagulation, and Computational Biofluid Dynamics
William F. Marzluff, Biochemical & Genetic Analysis of Histone mRNA Processing & Histone Locus Body Formation in Drosophila
Saskia Neher, Lipoprotein Lipase, Heart Disease, Cryo-EM, Drug Discovery, Enzymology, ANGPTL4, Lipids, Structural Biology
Gary Pielak, Protein Biophysics Emphasizing Studies in Living Cells
Dale Ramsden, Chromosome Breaks, DNA Repair, Enzymes that Repair DNA, Targeting DNA Repair for Cancer Therapy, RNA in the Chromosome
Matthew Redinbo, Drug Discovery and the Gut Microbiome
Aziz Sancar, DNA Repair Enzymology and Genomics, Mammalian Circadian Clock, Control of DNA Repair by the Circadian Clock
John Sondek, Rho GTPases, Dbl-Family RhoGEFs, Phospholipase C Isozymes, Drug Discovery
Brian Strahl, Histone Modifications and Epigenetics; Core Techniques: Yeast Genetics, Peptide Synthesis, Peptide Arrays, Mammalian Cell Culture
Ronald I. Swanstrom, HIV, Pathogenesis, Replication, NeuroAIDS, Latency, Resistance
Cyrus Vaziri, Regulation of DNA Replication and S-Phase Checkpoints, and Post-Replication DNA Repair on Mammalian Cells
Qi Zhang, Molecular Basis of RNA Function
Associate Professors
Jill Dowen, Three-Dimensional Genome Organization and Gene Expression in Stem Cells and Cancer Cells
Gaorav Gupta, DNA Damage Responses, Genome Instability Pathways, Targeted Therapy and Breast Cancer
Silvia M Kreda, UNC Cystic Fibrosis Ctr./ Marsico Lung Inst.
Laura Lindsey-Boltz, DNA Damage, Checkpoint, Excision Repair
Pengda Liu, Cell Signaling, Cancer, mTOR, Akt, Post-Translational Modification, Protein-Protein Interaction
Rob McGinty, Mechanisms of Epigenetic Signaling
Silvia Ramos, RNA Binding Proteins, Gene Regulation, mRNA Decay, Hemato-Immunology, Mouse Models
Assistant Professors
Rick Baker, Structural Biology, Membrane Trafficking, Cancer Biology, Cryo-EM Methods Development
Rebecca Berlow, Intrinsically Disordered Proteins, Protein-Protein Interactions, Protein Dynamics and Allostery, NMR Spectroscopy, Structural Biology, Biophysics
Joshua Boyer, Molecular Basis of RNA Function
Venkata Chirasani, Director of R.L. Juliano Structural Bioinformatics Core, Modeling of Biomolecular Complexes, Molecular Dynamics Simulations, and Computational Drug Design
Justin Jensen, Biochemistry and Structural Biology of Anti-Phage Immunity
Guochun Jiang, Transcription of HIV, Epigenetics, NF-KappaB Signaling, HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorders, HIV Cure Strategies
Joanna, Kovalski, Post-Transcriptional Control of Gene Expression in Cancer
Robert Lee, Adhesion Mechanism of Platelets and Neutrophils, Thrombotic Disorders, Platelet Signaling, Platelet Transfusion, Anti-Platelet Therapy
Zhijun Li, Molecular Basis of RNA Function
Stuart Parnham, Director of UNC Biomolecular NMR Core
David Paul, Adhesion Mechanism of Platelets and Neutrophils, Thrombotic Disorders
Nikea Pittman, Instructor, Director of Undergraduate Studies, STEMM Education, Supportive Learning Communities, Undergraduate/Graduate Education
Christopher Selby, Instructor, DNA Repair
Clint Stalnecker
Chrystal Starbird, Receptor Signaling, Protein-Protein Interactions, Structural Biology, Crystallography, Cryo-EM
Joshua Strauss, Director of Cryo-EM Core, Cellular and Structural Biology, Biological Electron Microscopy, Cryo-Electron Microscopy
Tigist Tamir, Cancer Metabolism, Obesity, Diabetes, Cell Signaling, Metabolism, Redox Homeostasis, Phosphoproteomics, Metabolomics, Mass Spectrometry, Computational Modeling, Biochemistry
Christopher Travis, Director of Mac-in-Fac Core, Macromolecular Interactions
Ling Xie, Biophysical Studies
Professors Emeriti
Michael Caplow
Stephen G. Chaney
Stephen Crews
Ann Erickson
Beverly Errede
Barry R. Lentz
Gwendolyn B. Sancar
Arrel Toews
Thomas W. Traut
Greg Young
Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics
