<p>Hi,</p>
<p>I am a pure math major who has done computational biology research as an undergrad (along with pure math research). I often find that the work is either completely biological, or completely statistical. Does anyone know of any programs in between? As in, you get to take pure math courses but you get to do biology (mostly genetics/genomics) as well?</p>
<p>So bioinformatics is too “statistical”?</p>
<p>you’re probably going to have to take some bio classes as well-- and you’re going to want to look for interesting professors. But I would look into biophysics programs, since they tend to be more math based and have relatively flexible course-work</p>
<p>I know what the OP means. You want to do modeling/simulation but you actually want to understand the biology.</p>
<p>Systems biology (genetic circuits) has a lot of this type of work. Biophysics programs vary in focus. Some seem to heavy on sys bio, others are more focused on structural biology. Then again, I’m not sure what the “pure math” courses are… Proving stuff is fairly rare in biology.</p>
<p>I know that in some neuroscience departments, research can be done entirely on the computer (called computational or quantitative neuroscience, or a variation) by building “neurons” or systems through math and computer science. Students take the normal sequence of graduate neuroscience classes because they need the advanced knowledge of the field, and then, as an elective, they take quantitative biology. I don’t know the best places for this kind of research, but I’d guess MIT, Carnegie Mellon, and Berkeley simply because of their reputation for quantitative studies.</p>
<p>PhD programs don’t emphasize courses the way an undergraduate education does. You gain advanced breadth in the field through courses, but you achieve depth through your research. Most programs will allow you to supplement your knowledge with relevant courses – for instance, you could probably take a couple of graduate level math courses – but don’t expect to take many courses beyond those required to pass the general exams. </p>
<p>As you know, computational biology is more computer science than pure math, although obviously you need to know math to do advanced work in computer science.</p>
<p>Princeton’s QCB program comes to mind. </p>
<p>[Graduate</a> Program in Quantitative and Computational Biology - Home](<a href=“http://www.princeton.edu/qcbgrad/]Graduate”>Graduate Program in Quantitative and Computational Biology | Lewis-Sigler Institute) </p>
<p>And UCLA’s biomathematics graduate program. </p>
<p>[UCLA</a> Biomath > Science Links > Biology and Math Links](<a href=“http://www.biomath.ucla.edu/links.php]UCLA”>http://www.biomath.ucla.edu/links.php)</p>
<p>Momwaitingfornew is right. You should not be tethered to a department or degree program because it sounds like it “fits” your studies. My advisor isn’t even in my department, for example, and such things are encouraged because they know that disciplines do not have defined edges. Most degree programs, at least at GT, are structured so that you only have to take a few courses from your “home” department. I myself have taken more courses outside my department than in.</p>
<p>Try to find people you want to work with, instead of finding a degree program you want.</p>
<p>^^^ Exactly – although you should decide what you want your degree in. If you get a PhD in Computer Science (with a specialty in bioinformatics), you will have a different set of opportunities than if you did the same research for a PhD in Biology. Your core courses will be different as well.</p>
<p>I would check out Princeton QCB, Harvard Systems Biology + Biophysics, Berkeley Biophysics, UCSF biophysics (ipq?), and Stanford Biophysics. Also maybe Rockefeller. If you want to do neuro then Columbia and UW biophysics.</p>
<p>Additionally, most bioinformatics/computational biology programs have faculty/curriculum overlap with the people doing biophysics or systems biology (ie, not entirely dry lab work). There are a zillion comp bio grad programs, though. Almost everywhere you’d expect there to be a good program has one. For instance, Harvard BBS recently started [this</a> Genetics and Genomics training program](<a href=“Harvard Biological & Biomedical Sciences PhD Program”>Harvard Biological & Biomedical Sciences PhD Program) which looks to be something you’d be interested in.</p>
<p>^^ If want you want to do is math (ie modeling), then you don’t want a compbio grad program. Compbio is mostly genomics and protein folding etc, not pure math.</p>
<p>Princeton’s program looks really nice. I think my concerns are as so:</p>
<p>I truly enjoy pure math. However, when I read what professors are studying and I begin reading papers I do not see much of what I know from both my classes and my research. It seems as if the research I’ve done at REUs and the classes I have taken do not compare to what I see on professors’ websites.</p>
<p>I want to see results and applications of my mathematics. This is what led me into picking up a second major in applied math. (My school’s departments are extremely split). However, it seems like the PhD in applied math is, for the majority, focused on numerical analysis which I don’t find particularly interesting. </p>
<p>I have always enjoyed genetics and worked for 3 years doing more biology based research and found genetics and genomics extremely interesting. I guess the programs which are mathematical biology are biology programs specific for students who have that quantitative mindset i.e. math, physics, comp sci, engineering majors. Is this correct?</p>
<p>Some bioinformatics/genomics-type programs can be in-between - you get lots of high-throughput data (or build a model) and analyze it/predict stuff/learn patterns on the computer, then validate your predictions/patterns in the wet lab, and do follow-up experiments. I wonder if it depends more on the specfiic lab you join</p>
<p>I am in a somewhat similar situation as you are. Although I did my undergraduates in pure biology, I find myself drifting more and more towards heavily quantitative (evolutionary) genomics. The problem is that most biology departments have their two or three odd faculties that do purely theoretical stuff, but this is obviously not enough to have an own graduate program.</p>
<p>You seem to know pretty well what you want to do, I’d therefore recommend you to contact some of the people that you did genetic research with, or look at some research papers that have really impressed you to get some names of potential advisors. Most programs should be flexible enough that you can take most of your courses in areas you are interested in. In my case I am ending up applying to programs as different from each other as integrative biology, human genetics and computational biology, even though what I intend to do everywhere is basically the same.</p>
<p>ec1234: I mostly agree. What I was saying, though, is that there is often a lot of faculty overlap and some schools don’t have a program that’s dedicated to systems biology or something. For instance, UCSD’s computational biology program contains all of their systems biology people (they recently changed the name to have “systems biology” in it, but before it was just bioinformatics, I think). The same goes for WashU (Computational and Systems Biology) and Duke (Computational Biology and Bioinformatics) and Yale (Computational Biology and Bioinformatics) and MIT (Computational and Systems Biology) and UCSF (they have a systems biology program, but all of those faculty are part of Bioinformatics afaik), and at Berkeley some are in the Bioengineering department. All of those programs have people doing systems biology and modeling work, but they also have people doing totally computational stuff.</p>
<p>the best work in quant bio often takes place outside of bio related departments. that being said, it doesn’t really matter what department you apply to within a certain school as long as you’re working with an advisor whose work suits your own interests.</p>
<p>Thank you for all the input.</p>
<p>Is the general consensus to apply to mathematically related bio programs like the ones mentioned?</p>
<p>apply to the programs with the highest acceptance rates if the above strategy fails.</p>
<p>Is there a place that records acceptance rates? Does anyone have a list?</p>
<p>Also check into UW-Madison programs as well. I know of professors there who teach both in math and biology depts, checking their depts could give you insights into pursuing your interests.</p>