Welcome to the QCB
Quantitative and Chemical Biology is a transinstitutional first-year graduate program designed for students who wish to pursue a doctoral degree with a research focus at the interfaces between computational, physical, chemical, and biological sciences. Students entering QCB typically have earned undergraduate degrees in chemistry, physics, computer science, engineering, or mathematics.
Located in beautiful Nashville TN, Vanderbilt University is a premier research facility that ranks among the top institutions in the country with a unique infrastructure that encourages collaboration.
We encourage you to explore our website, and feel free to reach out and contact us with any questions you may have. We look forward to getting to know you!
About the QCB
The Quantitative and Chemical Biology program is designed to help prepare students to conduct insightful and creative research in the biological and biomedical sciences. Previous coursework in biology and biomedical science is not required for entry into the QCB program. The main goal of the QCB year is to expose students to various research environments available to them at Vanderbilt while providing them with foundational computational and statistical skills.
- The four 2-month long research rotations with faculty in the 11+ participating departments and programs the first year, prior to selecting a final research lab, are the main focus of the entire first year. These extended research rotations allow students to experience different research environments and scientific fields to choose from for their thesis research.
- Didactic coursework in the fall semester provides exposure the biological concepts needed to maximize their understanding of current research in chemical biology, structural and molecular biology, systems biology, and imaging sciences.
- Small group discussion complements the didactic training, critically analyzing the primary literature to fully understand the strengths and weaknesses of the major experimental approaches that underlie discovery-based science.
Entry into the Ph.D. programs in the Biomedical Sciences at Vanderbilt is designed to provide a personalized, flexible approach to accommodate a wide range of educational backgrounds and specific interests.
QCB is flexible and allows you the freedom to tailor your program for what you need to do your research. Students in QCB can pursue any research interest with mentors in the biomedical sciences: for example, computational genomics, functional genomics, biomedical and other types of engineering, as well as classic School of Medicine disciplines of Pharmacology, Biochemistry, Molecular Physiology & Biophysics and Cell & Developmental Biology.
That said, more than half of QCB students fall into one of these four scientific interest areas:
Is the QCB Program the Right Program for Me?
Applicants with a background and coursework in the quantitative sciences such as engineering, physics, chemistry, computer science or data science without many/any biology courses are a great fit for the QCB program. Biochemistry majors whose coursework is primarily chemistry are also a good fit for the QCB.
Applicants with a strong biology background are better suited for the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Biological and Biomedical Sciences; typically these are applicants with undergraduate majors/minors in biology, molecular and cell biology, genetics, and biochemistry.
Applicants with neuroscience training are also prepared, especially with research experience heavy on data analysis, informatics, chemistry, and genomic analysis as applied to neuroscience. Applicants with a more cell/molecular biology neuroscience background would be better suited to the IGP. Applicants with strong psychology backgrounds might find the Neuroscience PhD or Psychological Sciences programs more appropriate fits.
If you are still unsure, please contact our Director of Recruitment to discuss the best program for your PhD training.
What departments and programs are affiliated with the QCB?
There are 11 departments and programs affiliated with the IGP.
- Biochemistry
- Biological Sciences
- Cancer Biology
- Cell and Developmental Biology
- Chemical and Physical Biology
- Human Genetics
- Microbe-Host Interactions
- Molecular Pathology and Immunology
- Molecular Physiology and Biophysics
- Neuroscience
- Pharmacology
There are also faculty in Engineering, Chemistry, and Physics that have an affiliation with some of these programs. Please explore our website to learn more about the exciting, stimulating, and comprehensive training provided by the QCB. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us.
Application Deadlines
- Our online application for Fall 2027 opens August 1.
- Our Priority deadline is November 15.
- The Final Submission deadline is December 1.