General Catalog 2002-2003
Posted March 1, 2002

Mailing Address: 15 North 2030 East, EIHG 533 Room 1400, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-5330 

Web Address: www.bioscience.utah.edu/. 

E-mail: barbara.saffel@path.utah.edu/. 

Program Director, Charles B. Grissom, Ph.D. 

Faculty

Forty-one faculty from several basic science departments participate in research, education, and administrative aspects of the program. All have active research programs in fields related to biological chemistry. 

Graduate Program

The Interdepartmental Graduate Program in Biological Chemistry is an admissions and teaching program for students interested in a Ph.D. degree in one of the biochemical sciences (biochemistry, biology, chemistry, medicinal chemistry, oncological sciences, or pharmaceutical chemistry). The program does not offer a degree, but rather admits students to a first-year graduate program without requiring an initial commitment to a particular departmental degree program. 

After one year, students arrange to do thesis work with a specific faculty member and enter the degree program of that member's department. Admission to the selected degree program is automatic, assuming satisfactory academic performance and selection of a thesis adviser. 

Degree. Ph.D. in biochemistry; biology; chemistry; medicinal chemistry; oncological sciences; or pharmaceutical chemistry. For additional details about the Ph.D., see the Graduate Information section of this catalog. 

Areas of Specialization. Structure and function of proteins and nucleic acids, mechanisms of enzyme catalyzed reactions, structures of complex biological molecules, design and synthesis of drugs, drug delivery, chemical synthesis of enzyme inhibitors and natural products, metabolic pathways and regulation, mechanisms of protein degradation, mechanisms of genetic recombination, neurochemistry. 

Special Admission Requirements. Applicants must submit scores from the general portion of the GRE. Also required are three letters of recommendation and a statement of career interests. Prior research experience is strongly recommended. 

Promising students will be invited to visit the University (travel costs paid by the University). Applications are due January 15 for entrance to the program the following August. 

BLCHM Course Descriptions