Dominican University of California in San Rafael has partnered with the Buck Institute for Age Research to launch the country's first master's program in biological sciences focused on age research.
The program, which will be administered by Dominican, debuts in fall 2008 and is designed to prepare students for careers as researchers in labs focused on understanding the aging process as well as detecting, preventing, and treating age - related conditions such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, cancer, stroke and arthritis, a university press release stated.
The new Master of Science program in Biological Sciences will incorporate the Buck Institute's expertise in age research and age - associated disease with Dominican's expertise in science education and training.
"The emphasis on age research due to this institutional collaboration will attract both national and international students," said Joseph R. Fink, Dominican president. "The program not only enhances independent inquiry - based learning, but also addresses some of the most important issues facing our society."
"Participating in this graduate program is an important milestone for the Buck Institute," said James Kovach, president and COO of the Buck Institute. "We are committed to training the next generation of scientists who will focus on the intersection of aging and chronic disease, and this program will be an essential part of that effort."
While existing graduate level programs in aging are gerontology - based and focus on various aspects of social sciences including psychology, the Dominican/Buck master of science program is unique in emphasizing scientific research on aging and age - associated diseases in the areas of chemical and biological sciences, said Sibdas Ghosh, chair of Dominican's Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.
Twenty - four of the research - based program's 36 units will involve lab work. Students will work in Dominican's new $20 million Science Center as well as at the Buck's newly opened Larry L. Hillblom Center for the Integrative Studies of Aging. Buck Institute faculty members participating in the program will receive adjunct faculty appointment at Dominican.
Students will be trained in interdisciplinary research encompassing a variety of integrated fields, including genetics, biochemistry, molecular biology, age - associated disease, and technological disciplines such as genomics, proteomics, protein interaction and bio - informatics, university officials said.
The Buck Institute is the only independent research facility in the United States to focus solely on aging and age - related conditions.
