Whether you’re harnessing the healing properties of microbes or conducting research in the fight against the Zika virus, understanding how microorganisms affect the body’s immune system can position you for an important career in the health, medicine and biotechnology fields.
In our program, you’ll study how bacteria, viruses and other pathogens interact to help and hinder the body’s ability to fight illness. You’ll pair deep knowledge of the biomedical sciences and disease systems with hands-on, student-centered laboratory projects designed to test your technical and problem-solving capabilities. The expertise you gain prepares you for a career as a researcher in a medical lab as well as with pharmaceutical and biotech companies.
We give you the tools to understand and respond to the current issues facing the scientific and health care communities, from the effects of MRSA and other antibiotic-resistant bacteria to the rapid spread of E. coli and other food-borne illnesses in restaurant chains. This major also gives you the option to enroll in the premedical studies program, which fulfills many prerequisites for graduate medical, physician assistant, dental and physical therapy programs.
A two-semester research experience, performed in a lab setting under the guidance of a faculty mentor, culminates in a formal presentation of your findings. Third- and fourth-year students also may have the opportunity for internships and part-time summer work in regional biotech and pharmaceutical firms, as well as government labs.
