The SUNY Stony Brook (SBU) School of Medicine in conjunction with Cold Spring
Harbor Laboratory and Brookhaven National Laboratory, sponsor a medical scientist
training program (MSTP) leading to both the M.D. and Ph.D. degrees. The purpose
of the MSTP, partially funded by a competitive grant from the National Institutes
of Health, is to train academic medical scientists for both research and
teaching in medical schools and research institutions. Graduates of this
program are equipped to study major medical problems at the basic level,
and at the same time, to recognize the clinical significance of their discoveries.
The program offers diversity and flexibility that permit the design of individualized
educational opportunities to meet the needs of students with a variety of
interests, backgrounds, and career goals. Medical training is provided by
the SBU School of Medicine. Research training is provided by the combined
faculties of SBU, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and Brookhaven National
Laboratory. Faculty research interests encompass:
AIDS
including molecular biology, virology, pharmacology and epidemiology
Biomedical engineering including stem cell therapy, nanotechnology,
biomaterials/biomechanics, biosensors,
bionanotechnology, medical instrumentation
and imaging, tissue engineering
and biomedical modeling
Cancer biology
Cell structure and function including organelle biogenesis, cell
cycle, differentiation, transformation
and extracellular matrix
Cellular, molecular and systems neurobiology
Cellular immunology
Computer graphics and molecular modeling
Developmental biology and genetics
Endocrinology including programs in diabetes and obesity
Enzymology
Genetic toxicology
Glycobiology
Lyme disease, bacterial pathogenicity
Mammalian vectors and gene therapy
Membrane biology and biophysics including ion channels, ion transport,
excitability and
cell-cell communication
Molecular biology and molecular genetics including DNA replication,
transcription,
regulation of gene expression, protein
synthesis and transport, oncogenes, molecular
immunology and hematology
Molecular Cardiology
Molecular virology with emphases on SV40, adenovirus, adeno-associated
virus, poliovirus, retroviruses, HIV
and poxvirus
Neuropharmacology
Signal transduction
Structural biology and physical biochemistry of proteins and nucleic
acids
Vertebrate morphology including systematics, paleoprimatology and
paleoanthropology
Vision research
REQUIREMENTS FOR COMPLETION
The MSTP at Stony Brook has two fundamental requirements. All
students (MSTP Fellows) must earn an M.D. and a Ph.D. The M.D.
is awarded by the SBU School of Medicine. MSTP Fellows must satisfy
both preclinical and clinical requirements established for all
M.D. candidates. The Ph.D. is awarded upon the recommendation
of an SBU graduate program. Accordingly, MSTP Fellows must participate
fully as members of a Stony Brook Ph.D. Program and fulfill all
Ph.D. requirements. These include courses, qualifying examination,
teaching practicum and the thesis research culminating in submission
and acceptance of a written doctoral dissertation. Both the M.D.
and Ph.D. programs of study are tailored, though, to meet the
needs and goals of the MSTP dual-degree track.
REQUIRED TIME
The average time required to complete both degrees is seven to
eight years. On occasion, an MSTP Fellow will finish in six years.
