About
Welcome to the website of the Integrated Biomedical Sciences (IBMS) graduate program at the University of Notre Dame. The IBMS program is a cross-departmental PhD program that organizes research and training thematically rather than according to traditional departmental structures. Students in the program have the opportunity to engage in cutting-edge research occurring across the campus of the University of Notre Dame.
Research and training in the IBMS program is organized into eight clusters. The scale of research represented in the clusters ranges from the molecular to the organismic. The cross-departmental nature of the program facilitates interdisciplinary studies in areas such as biophysics, bioinformatics, and chemical biology and permits translational studies such as the development and testing of new drugs and drug therapies.
A key aspect of the IBMS program is that unlike traditional PhD programs, students apply and are admitted to the program, rather than a department. New students spend their first academic year performing three successive research rotations, chosen by each student from any of the 60 participating laboratories. After the end of their first academic year, students are able to select an advisor from any of the participating faculty, regardless of the department in which the faculty are appointed. Students remain in the IBMS program and maintain their affiliation with their chosen Research and Training cluster throughout their tenure at Notre Dame.
A primary goal of the IBMS program is to develop students with a broad range of experience and the confidence and capacity to cross disciplines and explore new avenues in their research. As biomedical science becomes ever more interdisciplinary, those scientists best equipped to reach across boundaries and incorporate new ideas will make the greatest impact.
Students in the IBMS program have the opportunity to access resources across the Notre Dame campus. In addition to research facilities, cores, and specialized equipment, this includes courses and seminar series in fields ranging from biochemistry to global health. Students also have access to all of the outstanding research facilities at Notre Dame, as well as Indiana University School of Medicine - South Bend.