Stony Brook University

MS Program
The master’s of science degree program in biomedical sciences (physiology and biophysics track) aims to provide students with a biomedical foundation towards their professional education and career goals in medicine and research. We seek to ready our students for entry into and success in medical and dental programs, research staff scientist positions in laboratories and industry, teaching careers at the undergraduate college level or furthering graduate study leading to a PhD degree. Our program offers two to four semesters of training in cellular and systems-level physiology, membrane biophysics, experimental design, data analysis and commonly used laboratory techniques in integrative physiology. We provide a heavy emphasis on pathophysiology and clinical case-based learning and usea team-based classroom design practiced in medical schools. Elective coursework in physiology and biophysics, biomedical engineering, neuroscience, molecular and cellular biology and pharmacological sciences complements and expands on the core training and meets the individual needs of each student.

PhD Program
The Department of Physiology and Biophysics offers a program of study leading to the PhD degree. Our faculty’s broad interests provide diverse research opportunities ranging from systems physiology, to translational cancer research and single molecule biophysics. Our goal is to instruct students in the use of quantitative methods to study complex physiological problems of relevance to human health and disease.

The department's principal areas of research specialization are:

• ion channel and gap junction biophysics with emphasis on cardiology and vision;
• intracellular and intercellular signaling mechanisms in cancer and neurobiology;
• physiology at the cellular, organ and intact animal levels with emphasis on transgenic models of disease; and
• fluorescence microscopy with the largest concentrations of microscopy equipment at Stony Brook University.

Our curriculum is based on a foundation in human physiology with additional advanced courses in statistical methods, biochemistry and the physical chemistry of biomembranes. Through elective coursework in applied mathematics, genetics, neurobiology or journalism, students can tailor their training to their career goals. Students from our program have gone on to careers in academic and industrial research, government service and law.