All trainees are required to complete three core courses and one elective course in the first three years of graduate training. In addition, all trainees will be required to take a course in the ethical conduct of research. The required biophysics courses include an introductory-level first-year course and two advanced graduate-level courses, which may be completed in either the second or third year. The introductory core course requirement can be fulfilled in the first year on either the Evanston or Chicago campuses. A complete listing of the core and approved elective courses can be found below. Trainees are also required to participate in biophysics related activities including the monthly Biophysics Club, Seminar Series, and Journal Club.

Core Courses

• Molecular Biophysics (IBiS 401) or Macromolecular Structure and Function (IGP 465)
• Biophysical Methods for Macromolecular Analysis (IBiS 409)
• Fundamentals of Macromolecular Crystallography and NMR (IBiS 408), Chemistry and Biology of Molecular Machines (IBiS 405) or Quantitative Biology (IBiS 410)
  

Ethics Course

• Ethics in Biological Research (IBiS 423) or Science & Society (IGP 495)

Electives

IBiS

• Biochemistry (Biol Sci 301)
• Principles of Biochemistry (Biol Sci 309)
• Physical Biochemistry (Biol Sci 321)
• Bioinformatics: Sequence & Structure Analysis (Biol Sci 323)
• Protein Structure & Function (Biol Sci 361)
• IBiS Special Topics (IBiS 455) — Recent examples include:
  • Folding Dynamics and Protein Machines (Widom & Matouschek)
  • Protein Folding and Trafficking in the Cell (Lamb & Morimoto)
  • Biology and Chemistry of Metal Ion Receptors (Rosenzweig & O'Halloran)
  • Structural Biology of DNA-centric Processes-Transcription, Replication, Recombination, and Repair (Mondragon & Radhakrishnan)

IGP

• Molecular Basis of Drug Action (IGP 420)
• Advanced Topics in Drug Discovery (IGP 425)
• Receptors and Effectors (IGP 435)
• Structural Basis for Signal Transduction (IGP 466)
• Molecular Mechanisms of Carcinogenesis (IGP 480)

Chemistry

• Thermodynamics (Chem 342-1)
• Quantum Mechanics and Spectroscopy (Chem 342-2)
• Kinetics and Stastical Thermodynamics (Chem 342-3)
• Physical Biochemistry (Chem 356)
• Organic Chemistry of Drug Design and Drug Action (Chem 397/415)
• Spectroscopy (Chem 411)
• Bioorganic Chem (Chem 414)
• Bioinorganic Chem (Chem 435)

Chemical & Biological Engineering

• Advanced Thermodynamics (ChBE 404)
• Introduction to High Polymers (ChBE 361)
• Transport Phenomena in Living Systems (ChBE 371)
• Surface Science & Colloid Chemistry (ChBE 489-1)
• Applied Molecular Modeling (ChBE 451)

NUIN

• Fundamentals of Neuroscience (NUIN 401)
• Neural Plasticity (NUIN 447)
• Sensorimotor Integration (NUIN 452)
• Instrumentation for Neuroscience (NUIN 455)
• Computational Methods in Neuroscience (NUIN 460)
• Cellular and Molecular Basis of Information Storage (NUIN 470)
• Nerve Excitation and Synaptic Transmission (NUIN 475)
• Neural Control of Movement (NUIN 480)