The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences has been training many of our nation’s finest scientists for more than four decades and inspiring them to translate their discoveries into effective treatments for human diseases.
Today, Mount Sinai is a leader in bringing “big data” to biomedical sciences, both in our laboratories and in our classrooms. By connecting with the Icahn Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology, the Graduate School has developed innovative courses that teach students how to use the new frontier of computational genomics in the laboratory setting. Many of our most devastating diseases are due to complex changes in our genes and how they interact with our environment. Our students learn how to embrace this complexity.
In the past year, we have developed and expanded courses specifically designed to teach young scientists how to work in teams, how to brainstorm to solve difficult questions, and how to transfer their knowledge to the private sector. Through courses such as “QED” (quod erat demonstrandum), “Translating Science,” and “Translational Neuroscience,” we are inviting lecturers from around the country to teach students how to achieve success in bringing therapeutics to the clinics.
Working with the Center for Technology, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship, students learn how to start their own companies, navigate the interface between law and science, and bring ideas to the marketplace. The Graduate School is preparing to formalize this approach through a new PhD track: Design, Technology, and Entrepreneurship. This will represent another first in a series of innovative training tracks at Mount Sinai, where students in our Master of Science, PhD, and combined MD/PhD programs will be formally trained in the new world of applied science. Such educational innovation will keep Mount Sinai at the forefront of training new scientists whose knowledge will lead to breakthroughs in the treatment of disease.
Mount Sinai’s proud history of breaking new ground continues today with discoveries in areas such as enzyme replacement therapy and the use of stem cells to model disease. Our students are inspired by Mount Sinai’s history and the important roles our alumni continue to play in advancing innovation.
Dr. John H. Morrison is the Dean of Basic Sciences and the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. He is also a Professor of the Department of Neuroscience, and the Willard T.C. Johnson Professor of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine.
This article was first published in Inside Mount Sinai.