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    Multidisciplinary program to train the next generation of biomedical scientists.

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    Vibrant biomedical research campus situated in the beautiful Sonoran Desert Ecosystem.

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    Collaborative research environment harnessing leading-edge technology and training.

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    Probing the mysteries of human health and disease.

A multidisciplinary PhD program focused on outstanding scholarship in the fields of immunobiology, molecular biophysics, and cell biology

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Over 50 Faculty and 20 PhD Students

The Cellular and Molecular Medicine (CMM) and Immunobiology (IMB) graduate programs have merged to create a new PhD program called the Graduate Program in MOLECULAR MEDICINE (GPMM). The GPMM at the University of Arizona is an interdepartmental, multidisciplinary training program fosters the development of scientists and educators who are prepared for lifelong participation in research and other intellectual pursuits. With an emphasis on bridging basic and translational science, Molecular Medicine students receive advanced training in the theory and practice of biomedical science. There are opportunities to investigate human health and disease ranging from biophysical studies at the atomic level, to modeling critical cellular process in tractable systems, to clinical research. The exposure and skills that students acquire prepare them for careers in biomedical research (including academia and the biotechnology industry), science education, journalism, and public policy.

Cell Biology

Cell Biology

To provide students with a foundation for understanding the cellular underpinnings of human health and disease, while advancing the field through hands-on, cutting-edge research.

Medical Biophysics

Medical Biophysics

Apply quantitative multi-disciplinary approaches to molecular and integrative biology with a goal to understand the biophysical basis of health and disease mechanisms, identify drugable targets and contribute to Precision Medicine.

Immunobiology

Immunobiology

Advance the insights into the rules of engagement that determine the outcome of host-pathogen interactions to develop future therapies for infectious, autoimmune and malignant diseases.

News

Dr. Julie Ledford publishes in AJRCCM (December 19, 2018)

Julie Ledford, PhD - an Assistant Professor in CMM - together with colleagues in the Department of Medicine and the Asthma and Airways Disease Research Center recently published their study entitled “Club Cell Secretory Protein Deficiency Leads to Altered Lung Function” in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. While Club Cell Secretory Protein 16 (CC16) has been described as a serum biomarker for obstructive lung diseases, a distinct mechanism of action for CC16 has remained elusive. This translational study used data from the birth cohort of the Tucson Children’s Respiratory Study (TCRS) and examined the relation of circulating CC16 levels with pulmonary function and responses to bronchial methacholine challenge from childhood up to age 32 years. In parallel, the study set out to comprehensively examine pulmonary physiology in mice sufficient or deficient in CC16. It was discovered in both mouse and man that deficits in CC16 significantly impaired lung function and increased sensitivity to methacholine. In addition, CC16 deficient mice had increased collagen deposition, smooth muscle thickness and elevated gene expression of factors associated with lung remodeling. Findings in mice support the clinical observations that decreased CC16 levels in serum correlate with worse lung function by providing the first line of direct evidence that lack of CC16 in the lung results in dramatically altered pulmonary function and structural alterations consistent with enhanced remodeling.


Dr. Donata Vercelli is elected first female secretary general of the International Allergy Collegium (November 7, 2018)

Donata Vercelli, MD, Professor of Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the UA College of Medicine and Associate Director of the Asthma and Airway Disease Research Center at the University of Arizona Health Sciences, has been elected the first female secretary general of the Collegium Internationale Allergologicum. Founded in 1954, the Collegium is a group of distinguished international physicians and scientists who study the emerging field of allergy and clinical immunology. Dr. Vercelli has been a member of the Collegium for more than 25 years. As the organization’s new secretary general, she eventually will advance to the position of president after serving as the organization’s Vice President. Dr. Vercelli officially was inducted into her leadership position in early October at the Collegium’s 32nd symposium in Mallorca, Spain.


Congratulations to Vivian / Thuy-­Vi Nguyen! NIA R21 grant application that received a 6 percentile


Dr. Balazs Kiss publishes in PNAS (October 19, 2018)

Balasz Kiss, PhD – a CMM postdoctoral scholar in Dr. Henk Granzier's lab - and colleagures recently published a study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) about the role of nebulin, a giant sarcomeric, actin-binding protein found in skeletal muscle. Using X-ray diffraction, it was found that thin filaments are threefold more extensible in nebulin-knockout living muscle. Kiss and colleagues conclude that loss of nebulin's physiological function impairs other thin filament regulatory proteins and interferes with force generation - therefore, nebulin acts to stiffen thin filaments and is responsible for generating physiological levels of force.