PhD in Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
Pathology, the study of disease, integrates all aspects of biomedical science to further the understanding of disease processes and develop methods for diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of disease. The PhD in Pathology & Laboratory Medicine is for students who want to participate in breakthrough scientific research and contribute to the advancement of biomedical knowledge, learning how diseases work at a mechanistic level. Graduates will be prepared for postdoctoral fellowships, science writing, running a lab as a principal investigator, and shaping science policy at the government level.
Our department focuses particularly on cancer, immunologic, inflammatory, and neurologic disorders. We have a strong and diverse faculty composed of core and joint members who offer multiple research and training opportunities in experimental pathology.
Current foci of research by departmental faculty and students include:
The development of the brain
Disorders of brain development and normal aging
Effects of nutrition on the developing brain
Disorders of cell cycle and cell signaling in the pathogenesis and progression of cancer
Normal and abnormal immunological responses to infectious agents and environmental toxins and to other stimuli
The neuroscience of Alzheimer's disease
Traumatic brain injury
The pathogenesis of asthma
Development of immunotherapies for cancer and infectious diseases
Prospective applicants to the PhD program in Pathology must enter via the Program in Biomedical Sciences (PiBS). This program emphasizes interdisciplinary training for the first year, after which time students will be free to transition into one of the doctoral programs offered by the Department of Pathology.
Program in Biomedical Sciences (PiBS)
The Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine participates in the Program in Biomedical Sciences (PiBS), which offers training toward the PhD degree by integrating the foundations of interdisciplinary biomedical research with focused investigation and preparation for career advancement.
In the first year, PhD students will participate in the Foundations in Biomedical Sciences (FBS) core curriculum as well as have the opportunity to select elective courses focused on area-specific interests. Additionally, trainees will engage in laboratory rotations, journal clubs, and research seminars. Trainees will work closely with a faculty advisor in the development of an individual plan that will be tailored to serve specific research and professional goals. After selection of a laboratory, students will join the program/department with which the mentor is affiliated and continue advanced studies towards candidacy.
For more on how to apply, please visit our website.
Program Overview
The doctoral program is broadly based, offers research training in both basic and clinical investigations of disease, and encourages students to integrate the two areas where appropriate in their doctoral research. The core curriculum provides course, seminar, and laboratory opportunities for students to learn the pathogenesis, morphology, and cell and molecular biology of human diseases and laboratory techniques used to study them.
Laboratories of faculty in the department and other faculty in Graduate Medical Sciences provide opportunities for doctoral dissertation research in many aspects of the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of disease.
September 2025
School of Medicine
72 East Concord Street,
BOSTON,
Massachusetts,
02118, United States
Applicants who have completed all requirements for a baccalaureate degree from a recognized college or university.
The minimum score range requirement for TOEFL is 90-100,depending on the program, with a minimum of 20 in each section.
*There may be different IELTS requirements depending on your chosen course.