Focus Groups

Faculty trainers and students are arranged in thirteen research Focus Groups based on common scientific interests and strengths of the Program. The Focus Group structure allows students to explore the breadth of research across campus while accessing the expertise of each individual trainer. The Focus Group categories are: cancer biology, cell adhesion & cytoskeleton, cellular & molecular metabolism, developmental biology & regenerative medicine, immunology, membrane biology & protein trafficking, molecular genome biology of microbes, physiology, plant biology, RNA biology, systems biology, transcriptional mechanisms, and virology. Due to the diverse nature of most research areas and the cross-fertilization among Focus Groups, many faculty and students participate in the activities of multiple Focus Groups and most CMB faculty trainers have designated more than one Focus Group affiliation. The Focus Groups, while not formalized by departmental assignments, function through the participation of students and faculty at regular presentations, and by the participation of the faculty on Thesis Committees of many students in the group.