The Ph.D. in Biomedical Science and Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering are offered through the Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering (GSBSE), which serves as the organizational framework within the state of Maine for interdisciplinary research and doctoral-level education in the biomedical area, including computational biology, bioinformatics, biophysics, bioengineering and nanotechnology, molecular and cell biology, neuroscience, and the molecular mechanisms of disease. The GSBSE contributes to learning and discovery on the “emerging frontier” of the biological, physical, clinical, and behavioral sciences, preparing new faculty, training scientists and engineers, and furthering Maine’s biotechnology and biomedical infrastructure.  

The GSBSE is a virtual graduate program drawing on the strengths of five institutions across the State of Maine. These include two academic institutions: the flagship campus of the University of Maine System, the University of Maine and the University of New England. It also includes three world-class research institutions: the Jackson Laboratory, the Maine Medical Center Research Institute, and the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory.

Students admitted to the GSBSE Ph.D. programs can choose a dissertation mentor from over 150 faculty located at any one of these world-class research and educational institutions after a year of laboratory rotations between three to four labs. Students and faculty within the program use distance learning platforms and video conferencing extensively.

During their first year, Ph.D. students complete four core classes, coursework relevant to his/her research topic as well as a variety of opportunities for collaboration and interdisciplinary research. Individual programs of study are developed for each student.

In addition to the two Ph.D. degrees, the GSBSE also offers a PSM in Bioinformatics.

More information on our program can be found on our website at: gsbse.umaine.edu.