Opportunities for Discovery at Einstein

Our 200+ Graduate Division faculty investigators are a dynamic mix of longtime knowledge leaders and younger scientists recruited from top-level institutions around the world. Einstein ranks near the top in NIH awards per principal investigator among U.S. medical schools

 

 

 

 

Focus Areas

Aging

Figuring out how to age well—that is the research mission at our Institute for Aging Research. Aging is the major risk factor for developing most adult-onset diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease. As a Ph.D. candidate, you will explore the biology of aging from genetic and cellular angles and will prevent effects of aging in animals.

Cancer

The burden of cancer on the community is vast and devastating. Ph.D. candidates have the opportunity to do research at the Albert Einstein Cancer Center, in the departments of oncology, surgery, radiation oncology, and epidemiology and population health, and in numerous other basic and clinical science programs to help improve human health and the care of afflicted patients.

Cardiovascular Diseases

Heart disease is the world’s number-one killer, and the Wilf Family Cardiovascular Research Institute aims to change that. Ph.D. candidates in our institute do life-saving research that furthers our understanding of the biological basis of heart disease including heart failure, heart attacks, atherosclerosis, congenital heart disease, arrhythmias/sudden cardiac death and hypertension.

Clinical Investigation

Our Ph.D. in Clinical Investigation track will prepare you to conduct research that will improve the health and welfare of society using clinical and translational research methodology. The program is open to Einstein Ph.D. and M.D./Ph.D. students—especially those with a passion for math, computer science or study design—and is supported by Einstein’s Institute for Clinical and Translational Research.

Diabetes

At our Diabetes Research Center, we pool our resources and brainpower with Mount Sinai and other area medical schools to fight diabetes and conduct related studies in obesity, metabolism and endocrinology. A second center at Einstein, the Center for Diabetes Translational Research, recently received NIH funding.

Infectious Diseases

From identifying risk factors for resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Africa to developing novel therapeutics for systemic fungal diseases, our investigators are advancing what we know about infectious diseases and the pathogens that cause them. We conduct our studies through hands-on field work that supports basic science research as well as clinical trials.

Stem Cell Research

Stem cells: They’re the holy grail of medicine, able to develop into different cell types and serve as a renewable source of replacement cells in many disorders, diseases and conditions. At our Gottesman Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, we study stem cell biology, encourage collaborations and innovations by bridging scientific fields, and translate basic science discoveries into new therapies.

Research Departments

Anatomy and Structural Biology

Let our faculty guide you as you take your science to the next level in cell and molecular biology through a deeper understanding of cell membranes, RNA trafficking, metastasis and beyond. Our researchers have developed fluorescent proteins and cell and animal models for sophisticated analyses of cell structure and function. Images from Einstein’s Biophotonics Center reveal—in astonishing detail—the molecular glitches that cause conditions such as cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease.

Biochemistry

Everything we do keeps the endpoint in view: combating human disease. To get there, we study antibiotic design, gene function, protein folding and dynamic motion, and more. You’ll learn about the principles behind the chemical and physical properties of biological molecules through coursework, lab work and independent research.

Cell Biology

Research in the department of cell biology focuses on understanding molecular mechanisms of gene regulation in eukaryotic cells. Our goal is to comprehend the normal regulatory mechanisms and how they are disrupted in diseases, especially cancer. Using mammalian cells, yeast, viruses, fruit flies and transgenic mice, we are investigating mechanisms of DNA replication and repair, control of the cell cycle and apoptosis, roles for transcriptional regulation and chromatin structure in gene expression, RNA processing, intracellular trafficking, membrane fusion and budding, mechanisms of generating antibody diversity, and the functions of cell surface sugars.

Developmental and Molecular Biology

Join one of our 20 research groups, where we study complex biological systems using drosophila, zebrafish, mice and human cell culture. Cutting-edge techniques reveal cell and tissue polarity, protein processing and trafficking, stem cell fate decisions and cellular signaling in human disease (such as cancer and obesity) and aging.

Genetics

Graduate students interested in genes and their function will find a home in our department, which has become a driver of bench-to-bedside research and offers many opportunities to collaborate across departments, including clinical departments. Resources in the department include well-developed research programs with invertebrate model organisms, a Center for Epigenomics, single cell technology and advanced computational genomics support.

Microbiology and Immunology

Diseases caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi and other parasites bring disability, socioeconomic instability or death to millions of people. Our mission is to understand the biology of pathogens, their host organisms and the interactions between them—critical to developing new drugs and vaccines.

Molecular Pharmacology

Our research studies major diseases such as cancer, diabetes and obesity. We also have programs in toxicology, neurodevelopment, and the pathophysiology of aging. A major interest is the mechanism of drug action, and the signaling systems that are the targets of most drugs. Our faculty utilize genetic studies in mice, flies and worms, genome-wide analysis of chromatin regulation and gene expression, biochemical studies on critical signaling proteins, as well as advanced physiological experiments on aging in parabiotic animals.

Neuroscience

In your research with us you will examine nervous system organization and function from multiple scientific perspectives using a number of state of the art techniques. You may cross paths with colleagues examining behavior, electrophysiologists, cellular and molecular neurobiologists, and systems and computational neuroscientists. Though department life centers on the lab, you’ll stay connected through annual departmental retreats, student organized grant review sessions, works-in-progress presentations, weekly seminars, journal clubs, pasta nights and mini-courses.

Pathology

Our dynamic field connects the dots between molecular/biological approaches and disease processes. We offer you a chance to do state-of-the-art research in cancer, Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, immunology, vascular disease, neuro-AIDS, molecular genetics and infectious diseases, among others. Studies often include a clinical component.

Physiology and Biophysics

Physiology is one of the oldest disciplines in medical science, and biophysics is one the newest. With both, our job is to determine the chemical, physical and mathematical basis for biological activity. We apply the latest sophisticated technology and tools of the physical sciences to solve significant problems and develop new strategies for pharmaceutical intervention.

Systems and Computational Biology

How do the higher-level properties of complex biological systems and traits materialize from interactions among their parts? Our mission is to answer this question by developing concepts and employing tools coming from mathematical physical and computational sciences. We aim to advance our understanding of complex biological systems, the evolution of life’s diversity and everything in between. It’s all connected.