AREA OF PATHOBIOLOGY
University of Missouri-Columbia
201 Connaway Hall
573-882-6550
GENERAL INFORMATION
The Pathobiology Area Program is designed to prepare students for advanced professional careers in universities and colleges, research institutes, public health, hospital laboratories and industrial research. The broad scope of the program and its organization across departments creates an atmosphere for meaningful interdisciplinary dialogue between graduate students and faculty. Furthermore, it increases availability of advisers, committee members, facilities and equipment for doctoral candidates. A PhD candidate may choose a plan of research to take advantage of a wide range of interests and specialties in pathology and microbiology. Facilities are available that are suitable for advanced research in pathology, microbiology, and molecular biology. A wide range of equipment for advanced molecular biological procedures is available. Specialized equipment includes thermal cyclers, electron microscopes, chromatographic equipment, spectrophotometers, ultracentrifuges, electrophoresis apparatuses, liquid scintillation and radioisotope counters, ultramicrotomes, and a radiometric blood gas analyzer. Various stipends are available, including teaching and research assistantships and postdoctoral fellowships.

Most of the student's program and examining committees shall be from the area faculty. Under the guidance of a program committee, a course of study is individually designed to fit each student's academic background, experience, and objectives. Courses normally suggested for completion include statistics, biochemistry, molecular biology, advanced microbiology and advanced pathology. Courses may be chosen from one or more departments, as decided by the program committee, but shall constitute a definite plan of education for research or scholarly investigation in some particular aspect of microbiology or pathology. The final examination covers mainly the dissertation.

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
To be accepted into the area program, a student should have completed mathematics through college algebra, 10 hours of chemistry including organic, 10 hours of biology and five hours of physics. The PhD degree requires 72 credit hours of work including a minimum of 15 credits of upper level graduate course work inclusive of research credits. The students must pass a written and oral comprehensive examination in the area of study, and write, present and defend a dissertation which embodies the results of original and significant investigation by the candidate. The master's degree or a professional college degree (MD or DVM) may be accepted for admission instead of the minimal CPA stipulated for admission., if the applicant attained a minimal CPA or 3.0 (A = 4.0) in graduate courses. Prospective graduate students must submit GRE general test scores to be considered for admission to the area. A qualifying examination administered may be required for admittance by the doctoral program.

AREAS OF STUDY
Bacteriology; DNA and RNA analysis; electron transport systems in tissues; epidemiology and pathogenesis of avian and mammalian disease (companion animal, food-producing animal and spontaneous disease of laboratory animals); host cell-pathogen relationships; immunology; membrane transport systems; molecular biology; oncology; parasitology; ultrastructure; and virology.

FACULTY
The PhD Area Program in Pathobiology is jointly staffed by faculty from the departments of Biological Sciences (College of Arts and Science), Molecular Microbiology and Immunology (School of Medicine), Pathology (School of Medicine), and Veterinary Pathobiology (College of Veterinary Medicine). A complete list of active faculty members is available here. The Bylaws of the Area of Pathobiology are also available for review.