Quick Program Facts
Degree Programs: MS, PhD
PhD Application Deadlines: December 15
MS Application Deadline: July 15
The goal of the PhD program is to produce graduates who are well founded in the principles of organ system and cellular physiology, able to perform original research of high quality in specialized areas of physiology and to become competent teachers of physiology. Our students train for a career in research and teaching at colleges, universities or professional schools, or in government or industrial laboratories. The MS program is tailored to the needs of students whose goals are admission to medical and dental school, careers in the biomedical industry or advancement to doctoral programs. Students in both programs can pursue research in cardiovascular, cellular, gastrointestinal and renal physiology or neurobiology. Students benefit from close individual interaction with faculty mentors.
PhD students enter through the PhD Program in Biomedical Sciences (PPBS) where they learn fundamentals of biomedical research, including research methods and experimental design, data analysis and critical thinking. After entering the PhD program in physiology, students take courses in cellular and molecular physiology and basis of disease and conduct original thesis research under the direction of a faculty mentor. PhD students participate in supervised teaching under the guidance of their faculty mentor to develop communication and teaching skills.
Students in the MS program in physiology take courses in cellular and molecular physiology and basis of disease and conduct thesis or project research under the direction of their faculty mentor.
PhD and MS students conduct original research and publish their findings in exciting research areas, including:
- acid and base transporters in the kidney and eye;
- regulation of renal and gastrointestinal ion channels;
- molecular and cellular mechanisms of Parkinson’s disease;
- stem cell biology;
- molecular and cellular mechanisms of prostate cancer initiation and progression;
- neuron-glia interaction in the pathophysiology of cognitive impairment in neuropsychiatric disorders;
- molecular mechanisms of thermal transduction and pain;
- computer modeling of cellular and molecular properties of cardiac arrhythmias;
- synaptic and epigenetic mechanisms for neurodevelopmental, psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases;
- mechanisms of functional and structural cardiac remodeling in heart disease;
- synaptic interactions between the neocortex and thalamus;
- thalamic mechanisms underlying learning and memory;
- mechanisms of obesity and metabolic syndrome mediated cardiac arrhythmias; and
- learning and memory in the young versus the old.
PhD students typically receive a full-tuition scholarship, a living stipend and medical/dental insurance.
MS student tuition is $471 per credit hour for New York State residents and $963 per credit hour for nonresidents. MS students can apply for federal and state financial aid.
Our graduate students typically come directly from a four-year college program, where they have majored in biology, chemistry, or engineering. However, some students enroll after working in industry or non-academic experiences.
View career outcomes for those who earned PhD or MS degrees in physiology in our programs.
The Buffalo Niagara region is a major metropolitan area with a diverse blend of communities, each with its own distinct character. We are known for our welcoming nature and our spirited loyalty. The area boasts a reasonably priced housing market.
Program contact:
Kara Rickicki, Assistant Director of Academic Administration
rickicki@buffalo.edu