Harvard Integrated Life Sciences
Virology is a member of the Harvard Integrated Life Sciences (HILS) alliance. The HILS alliance is composed of 13 PhD programs of study across three Harvard faculties—Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, and Harvard Medical School. Being a HILS student provides academic and research flexibility, including options to take courses, do laboratory rotations, and even choose a dissertation advisor from across the HILS PhD programs, subject to specific program requirements and lab availability.
HILS Enrichment Programs
DRB is an interdepartmental community that provides innovative training in developmental and regenerative biology, ranging from the role of development in evolution to the regulation of stem cell actions in the treatment of disease. Mentoring and other activities prepare students for scientific careers in academic, clinical, and industry settings. Learn More
The Harvard Graduate Program in Bacteriology (GPiB) welcomes students into a 50-year tradition of microbiological research at Harvard Medical School and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The program is centered in the Department of Microbiology (Micro) at HMS and the Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases (IID) at HSPH. GPiB students are members of a collaborative and supportive scientific community of more than two dozen Harvard bacteriology labs studying the fundamental mechanisms of bacterial cell and molecular biology, bacterial pathogenesis, and the microbiome. Students from any the Harvard Integrated Life Sciences graduate programs who join a GPiB-affiliated lab are eligible to join the GPiB. Learn More
The Harvard Infectious Diseases Consortium (IDC) is an affiliation of students, fellows, faculty, staff, and other members of the Harvard and Boston community who share an interest in understanding infectious diseases and their effects on people and societies. IDC is co-hosted by the HSPH Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases and the HMS Department of Microbiology. We aim to build community between infectious disease researchers at Harvard and to connect trainees to educational and career opportunities in infectious disease. Learn More
Cancer Biology is an interdepartmental community formed in collaboration with faculty at Harvard Medical School, the Dana Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, and at Harvard University. LCB brings together students interested in pursuing cancer-related research and provides curriculum emphasizing topics relevant to cancer biology, including: signaling, basic cell biology, disease pathology, and translational research. Additional activities provide opportunities for students to extend their studies and community beyond the classroom and thesis laboratory. Learn More
MMB is a dynamic, interdisciplinary community focused on understanding biochemical, biophysical, and cellular mechanisms at the molecular level. The community seeks to enhance peer learning and faculty mentoring through a series of student work-in-progress presentations. This provides an opportunity for students to extend their breadth of knowledge and community beyond their coursework and thesis laboratories. MMB also facilitates professional development of student members through travel awards and an annual MMB symposium. Learn More
Provides curriculum and activities fostering a broad and deep understanding of genetic and genomic research. Membership in the Program in Genetics and Genomics (PGG) is open to all Harvard HILS students. There is no formal application process for admittance. Any interested student should email the Program Director, Scott Kennedy, kennedy[at]genetics.med.harvard.edu. More information here.
HILS Certificate Programs
HILS certificate programs allow students to become a member of more specialized communities that come together through shared intellectual interests. The rigor and commitment of these concentrations vary considerably, from no formal requirements to an additional application process with course requirements that yield a certificate. Students may join one or more concentrations or none at all. Open to all HILS students.
The Leder Human Biology and Translational Medicine (LHB) Program provides PhD students with a working knowledge of the fundamentals of human biology and disease, through a series of courses designed to enrich their training in translational science. The program aims to demystify the culture and practice of medicine, facilitating future collaborations between clinicians and basic scientists. Students who successfully complete the LHB Program will receive a certificate in Human Biology and Translational Medicine with their PhD. Learn More
The Therapeutics Program (TGP) focuses on pharmacology, toxicology and drug discovery, emphasizing research in both HMS labs and in real-world internships. A goal is to train investigators in systems pharmacology and in strategies for developing novel therapeutics. Explored are mechanisms of drug action, reasons for clinical failures, and development of new compounds and applying them in preclinical and clinical studies to improve the treatment of disease. Learn More