A Comprehensive Foundation for Modern Biomedical Research
As biomedical research moves forward in the 21st century, the lines between traditional scientific disciplines become less defined. Accomplished researchers must possess more than an in-depth knowledge of one specific field – they need a broad understanding of principles and techniques from disciplines across the biomedical sciences. Since 1992, graduate students at Vanderbilt have received a comprehensive educational foundation for a successful career in biomedical research through graduate study here at Vanderbilt University.
We have two biomedical PhD pathways that provide graduate training in multiple fields in the biological and biomedical sciences. We provide a personalized, flexible approach to accommodate a wide range of educational backgrounds and specific interests. We providie our students the strongest possible cross-disciplinary education, and we constantly update and modernize our topics, content, and approach to our curriculum.
Which Graduate Pathway is Right for You?
Students in both IGP and QCB have access to the same faculty for four research rotations, and choose to participate in the same 11+ departments and programs when choosing their research lab at the end of their first year.
The Quantitative and Chemical Biology pathway (QCB) is a good choice if you have a background mathematics, physics, chemistry, computer science, or engineering but limited biology instruction.
This Ph.D. track, multidisciplinary pathway is focused on hands-on training during extended research rotations for students who wish to pursue a doctoral degree at the interface of the computational, chemical, physical, and biological sciences. Many students in this program choose to work in interdisciplinary fields such as chemical biology, structural biology, imaging sciences, molecular and cellular biophysics, systems biology, pharmacology and biochemistry, among many others.
The Interdisciplinary Graduate Pathway in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences (IGP) is a good choice for applicants with a strong background in Biology. Undergraduate majors in Biology, Cell and Molecular Biology, and Biochemistry offer strong preparation for the IGP curriculum. Students in this program pursue several different research areas across multiple disciplines. Affiliated departments and programs are: Biochemistry, Biological Sciences, Cancer Biology, Cell & Developmental Biology, Chemical & Physical Biology, Human Genetics, Microbe-Host Interactions, Molecular Pathology & Immunology, Molecular Physiology & Biophysics, Neuroscience, and Pharmacology.
Our application for Fall 2027 opens on August 1, 2026.
The First Year QCB Pathway
The first year QCB Prathway is designed to emphasize research. QCB students enter their research rotations immediately in the first week of the program. The QCB curriculum is not focused on learning from textbooks, but rather learning by doing research. So if you enjoy reading primary research articles and spending time in the wet or dry lab doing research, the QCB curriculum is perfect for you!
Students have the flexibility to explore their research interests from the offerings of the 11+ participating departments and programs prior to choosing a laboratory for their dissertation research. Students rotate in four laboratories in their first year; at the end of that first year, students will join a department or program and become students in that department or program.
Information on faculty research can be found on the individual department and program websites, and the BRET Training Faculty can be found here. Faculty profiles may be incomplete, but you can learn more by investigating their pages in their departments.
Please visit the QCB pages to learn more.
You can also contact us with any questions you may have.