Department of Genetics
The Department of Genetics is a basic science department focused on advancing knowledge of the molecular genetic mechanisms that govern normal and abnormal cellular processes. Areas of emphasis include mapping and identifying new disease loci, and the use of genetically amenable systems to identify critical steps in development, differentiation, proliferation, cell death, DNA repair and chromosome maintenance and segregation. These are important biological processes that contribute to normal homoeostasis and that are often usurped by malignant cells.
The faculty and the department have a strong commitment to graduate education. The faculty belong to the Genes and Development and the Human Molecular Genetics graduate training programs which are part of the UT Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. Currently 28 graduate students and 26 postdoctoral candidates are in training. An NIH training grant in the Molecular Genetics of Cancer is in its 30th year of funding and supports five pre-doctoral students and four postdoctoral fellows. Prestigious Odyssey fellowships support our best postdoctoral scholars, of which we have two in the department. Training is bolstered by the Blaffer Research Seminars and the Genes and Development annual retreat.
The Department of Genetics is located in the new George and Cynthia Mitchell Basic Sciences Research Building at the world renowned M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, in the heart of the Texas Medical Center. The knowledge gained in our pursuit of basic mechanisms of cell survival, proliferation and death is shared with our clinical colleagues as we strive toward Making Cancer History®.