Biophysics (BIPH)
Graduate Degree Program
College: Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences
Abstract
The Biophysics Program in the Institute for Physical Science and Technology offers Ph.D. degrees in Biophysics. It is affiliated with the College of Computer, Mathematical and Natural Sciences, and the College of Engineering. Doctoral degrees are offered.
The Maryland Biophysics Program aims to train graduate students in the use of theoretical, computational, and experimental methods to gain quantitative insights into biological systems. The post genomic era is bringing tools for unprecedented characterization and control of living systems. To fully harness these tools for quantitative insights in biology, biomedicine, and bioengineering requires expertise from a number of disciplines. Thus our program includes faculty from Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Materials Science and Bioengineering. The Biophysics Program is open to students with undergraduate degrees in chemistry, physics or biology as well as students with majors in mathematics, computational science or engineering. Because student backgrounds are diverse, we tailor the curriculum to suit the needs of the individual.
Research areas include Membranes and channels, Theory of molecular machines and motors, Cell mechanics, Motility and the cytoskeleton, Theoretical studies of protein and RNA folding and aggregation, Single molecule biophysics, Theory of hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions Scattering Techniques in RNA and Polymers Protein Structure, Nonlinear dynamics and biophysics of biological regulation, Mechanisms of allostery and protein assembly. The core courses that include but are not limited to Statistical Mechanics, Chemical Thermodynamics, Biophysical Chemistry, Membrane Biophysics and Cell Biology, constitute the basis for further specialization.
Financial Assistance
TAships, RAships, Fellowships, arrangements for support from the National Institutes of Health.
Contact
Sergei Sukharev
Professor and Biophysics Program Director
3216 Biology-Psychology Building
4094 Campus Drive
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742
Telephone: 301.405.6923
Email: sukharev@umd.edu
Souad Nejjar
Program Coordinator
2123 Institute for Physical Science & Tech
8108 Regents Drive
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742
Telephone: 301.405.9307
Email: snejjar@umd.edu
Website: http://www.marylandbiophysics.umd.edu
Courses: BCHM BIOE BIOL BIPH BSCI CHEM ENMA PHYS
Relationships: Chemical Physics (CHPH), Chemistry (CHEM), Materials Science and Engineering (ENMA), Physics (PHYS)
General Requirements
- Statement of Purpose: In addition to the questions requested by the Graduate School, applicants should include content, both backwards and forwards looking, about their interests in the University of Maryland’s Biophysics Ph.D. program
- Transcript(s)
- TOEFL/IELTS/PTE (international graduate students)
Program-Specific Requirements
- Letters of Recommendation (3)
- Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
- CV/Resume
- Publications/Presentations
Students dedicated to a career in experimental or theoretical biophysics are sought.
For more admissions information or to apply to the program, please visit our Graduate School website: https://gradschool.umd.edu/admissions
Application Deadlines
| Type of Applicant | Fall Deadline |
|---|---|
| Domestic Applicants | |
| US Citizens and Permanent Residents | 15 Jan |
| International Applicants | |
| F (student) or J (exchange visitor) visas; A,E,G,H,I and L visas and immigrants | 15 Jan |
Other Deadlines: Please visit the program website at http://www.marylandbiophysics.umd.edu
Eleven of the eighteen faculty run experimental laboratories. Multiple experiments are conducted at the same time with graduate students working on the experiments. A Biophysics Seminar is run on the average of once a week, generally given by visiting scholars. For those students electing to take the Seminar for credit, one credit is offered, and these students must sign in each week. Faculty form three-person committees to mentor students, as mentioned above. Symposia consisting of about six nationally and internationally known scholars are conducted once a semester on various topics. These are well attended by students, postdocs, faculty and visitors from local institutions such as NIH and Johns Hopkins.
| Last Name | First/Middle Name | Graduate Faculty Status | Academic Credentials | Positions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aranda-Espinoza | Jose Helim | Full Member | B.S., University of Zacatecas, Mexico 1990; M.S., University of San Luis Potosi, Mexico 1993; Ph.D., University of San Luis Potosi, Mexico 1998. | Associate Chair, Bioengineering Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering Associate Professor, Bioengineering Associate Professor, Biophysics Affiliate Associate Professor, Materials Science and Engineering |
| Beckett | Dorothy | Full Member | B.A., Barnard College, 1980;Ph.D., University of Illinois-Urbana/Champaign, 1986. Ph.,D, something | Professor, Biochemistry Professor, Biophysics Professor, Chemistry |
| Briber | Robert M. | Full Member | B.S.,Cornell University, 1979; M.S., University of Massachusetts-Amherst, 1981; Ph.D., 1984. | Professor, Materials Science and Engineering Professor, Biophysics Professor, Chemical Physics |
| Butts | Daniel | Full Member | B.A., Oberlin College, 1994; Ph.D., University of California Berkeley, 2000. | Professor, Biophysics Associate Professor, Applied Mathematics & Statistics, and Scientific Computation Associate Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science Associate Professor, Biological Sciences |
| Colombini | Marco | Full Member | B.S., McGill University-Montreal, 1970; Ph.D., 1974. | Professor, Biological Sciences Professor, Biophysics |
| Dayie | Kwaku | Full Member | B.A. Physics,1990, Hamilton College; PhD., Biophysics, 1996, Harvard University | Associate Professor, Biochemistry Associate Professor, Biophysics Associate Professor, Chemistry |
| Feijo | Jose | Full Member | Professor, Biological Sciences Professor, Biophysics | |
| Fushman | David | Full Member | M.S., University of Kazan, 1978; Ph.D., University of Kazan, 1985. | Associate Director, Biophysics Professor, Biochemistry Professor, Chemical Physics Professor, Chemistry |
| Girvan | Michelle | Full Member | B.S., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1999; Ph.D., Cornell University, 2003; Ph.D., 2004. | Associate Professor, Applied Mathematics & Statistics, and Scientific Computation Associate Professor, Physics Associate Professor, Biophysics |
| Kanold | Patrick | Full Member | Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University, 1999. | Professor, Biological Sciences Professor, Biophysics |
| Klauda | Jeffery | Full Member | Ph.D. University of Delaware | Associate Professor, Biophysics Associate Professor, Chemical Engineering Graduate Director, Chemical Engineering |
| Levy | Doron | Full Member | B.Sc., Tel-Aviv University,Israel 1991 M.Sc., Tel-Aviv University,1994 Ph.D., Tel-Aviv University,1997 | Distinguished Scholar-Teacher, Applied Mathematics & Statistics, and Scientific Computation Distinguished Scholar-Teacher, Mathematics Professor, Mathematics Professor, Biophysics |
| Lorimer | George H. | Full Member | B.S., University of St. Andrews, 1965;M.S., University of Illinois-Chicago, 1968; Ph.D., Michigan State University,1972. | Distinguished University Professor, Biochemistry Distinguished University Professor, Biophysics Distinguished University Professor, Chemical Physics Distinguished University Professor, Chemistry |
| Losert | Wolfgang | Full Member | M.S., University of Munich, 1995; Ph.D., City College of New York 1998 | Professor, Physics Professor, Biophysics Associate Professor, Chemical Physics |
| Matysiak | Silvina | Full Member | Ph.D., Rice University, 2007 | Associate Professor, Bioengineering Assistant Professor, Biophysics |
| Papoian | Garegin | Full Member | B.S.,1994,Russian Academy of Science; Ph.D., 1999, Cornell University | Director, Chemical Physics Associate Professor, Biophysics Associate Professor, Chemistry |
| Scarcelli | Giuliano | Full Member | Assistant Professor, Biophysics | |
| Speer | Colenso | Full Member | Ph.D., University of California, Davis, 2010 | Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences Assistant Professor, Biophysics |
| Stroka | Kimberly | Full Member | Assistant Professor, Biophysics | |
| Sukharev | Sergei I. | Full Member | M.S., Russia, 1980; Ph.D., M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, 1987. | Director, Biophysics Professor, Biological Sciences |
| Thirumalai | Devarajan | Adjunct Member | M.S., Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur, 1977; Ph.D.,University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, 1982. | Adjunct Professor, Biophysics |
| Tiwary | Pratyush | Full Member | Ph.D., Caltech, 2012 | Assistant Professor, Biochemistry Assistant Professor, Biophysics Assistant Professor, Chemistry |
| Upadhyaya | Arpita | Full Member | B.E. & M.S., Birla Institute of Technology and Science, India, 1994; Ph.D., University of Notre Dame, 2000; | Associate Professor, Physics Assistant Professor, Biophysics Assistant Professor, Chemical Physics |
| Weeks | John D. | Full Member | B.A., Harvard University, 1965; Ph.D., University of Chicago, 1969. | Distinguished University Professor, Biophysics Distinguished University Professor, Chemical Physics Distinguished University Professor, Chemistry Affiliate Professor, Physics |