Training Independent, Creative and Collaborative Scientists

We educate the next generation—those who will discover cures and advance science

How to Apply
 

About Us

The St. Jude mission—to advance cures, and means of prevention, for pediatric catastrophic diseases—resonates throughout the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. We welcome students into three programs. Each program creates a pathway into becoming a scientific leader, an independent and creative thinker who can advance cures: 

We focus on teaching basic scientific principles and connecting these to current scientific research. Our faculty includes basic science researchers, data scientists, public health leaders and expert clinicians.  

Meet Our Faculty>

“Our reputation for scientific and clinical excellence has been achieved by following a simple formula–hiring the best researchers and providing them with the best facilities. We used the same simple formula to create the Graduate School, which boasts a graduate faculty of internationally renowned investigators.”

Stephen White, DPhil 
Emeritus 
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences

 

  1. PhD in Biomedical Sciences

    Pursue doctoral research with top basic and translational faculty. St. Jude has superb programs in pediatric oncology, infectious diseases, genetic and blood disorders, drug discovery and international medicine.

  2. MS in Applied Biomedical Data Sciences

    Develop a multidisciplinary skillset that allows you to lead and partner in biomedical research initiatives as a data science expert.

  3. MS in Global Child Health

    Learn to apply systematic, scientific and evidence-based approaches to facilitate delivery of timely, comprehensive and effective health care programs to children who need it most.

  4. MS in Clinical Investigations

    Gain the skills needed to not only develop and implement independent new clinical research but also to critically appraise the clinical research of others. 

Image of Marlo Thomas Center

Our Home: The Marlo Thomas Center

The Graduate School is housed on the St. Jude campus in the Marlo Thomas Center. This educational center was built in 2014 to provide a space for researchers and students to collaborate, learn and work together. 

The Graduate School is a custom-designed, 4,600-square-foot space. It contains private study carrels for first-year students, a state-of-the-art teaching facility and administrative offices. There is also a student lounge equipped with a kitchenette, games and large-screen television. 

The Biomedical Library and Spaces for Meeting and Teaching

In addition to the Graduate School, the Marlo Thomas Center also contains an auditorium, a lecture hall, meeting rooms, a large atrium and the Biomedical Library. The library is conveniently located adjacent to the Graduate School, maintains an extensive journal collection, and provides easy access to 4,800 electronic journals, 2,600 e-books and several databases. In addition, the library maintains an in-house collection of reference books and journals.

State-of-the-art videoconferencing capabilities enable faculty, staff and students to share ideas, discoveries and clinical information with experts and colleagues at other institutions. With more than 400 seats, the auditorium features folding desktops and outlets for electronic devices. The lecture hall seats 68 in a semicircle, giving it a stadium feel. The auditorium and lecture hall are powered by technologies that support the hosting of scientific conferences, academic lectures, institutional seminars, meetings and symposia.

Spaces for Conversation, Discussion and Brainstorming

Seating areas are interspersed throughout the Marlo Thomas Center to foster idea-sharing. Inviting colors and comfortable couches encourage small, informal gatherings. 

Additionally, huddle rooms and meeting rooms, which are distributed throughout the Center, are custom designed to support informal and impromptu brainstorming sessions and discussions. These rooms contain high-definition monitors, cameras and wall-mounted interface panels that allow users to control the technology settings and interact with remote participants.

  1. Mission

    The mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is to advance cures, and means of prevention, for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment. The St. Jude Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences drives this mission by educating the next generation of biomedical researchers to probe the molecular basis of disease, develop novel therapies and train medical professionals to advance global health for children with catastrophic diseases.

  2. Vision

    A premier graduate school that promotes scholarship, innovation and discovery, and develops inspired graduates who become global and transformative leaders in basic and translational research, clinical research, or child health and health policy.

  3. History

    The St. Jude Graduate School officially launched November 2015. The school represents a major milestone in the history of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (St. Jude). 

    Training biomedical scientists has always been a key component of the hospital’s mission. Hundreds of postdoctoral fellows, medical students and clinical fellows contribute to ongoing patient care and research every year. Graduate student training has also been an educational priority, historically occurring through affiliations with other schools and colleges.

    St. Jude leadership recognized that the world-class faculty, research and facilities at St. Jude represent the perfect environment for elite graduate training, particularly in translational medicine. This idea continued to evolve over the years, and in June 2015, the hospital’s Board approved the school’s establishment.

    The subsequent development of the school has been rapid. The Tennessee Higher Education Commission officially approved the school in November 2015; St. Jude created a Board of Trustees and Advisory Board and recruited a highly experienced staff in 2016. With the infrastructure and curriculum update, the inaugural class arrived on campus July 2017.

Organizational Chart

From Basic Science to Translational Research

Matthew Bell talks about his grad school experiences with his mentor, Stephen Gottschalk, MD, Bone Marrow Transplantation & Cellular Therapy chair and grad school faculty member. 

Explore Our Science

The St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences is authorized for operation as a postsecondary educational institution by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission. In order to view detailed job placement and graduation information on the programs offered by the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, please visit http://www.tn.gov/thec/bureaus/student-aid-and-compliance/postsecondary-state-authorization/authorized-institutions-and-data.html.

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