D.V.M./M.S. in Comparative Biomedical Sciences

• Introduction
• Program
• Application Procedure
• Eligibility Criteria and Selection
• Tuition, Fees, and Stipends
• Student Advisory Committee
• Degree Requirements
• Curriculum
• Course Descriptions
• Program Faculty
• Research Areas
• Contact Information

Introduction

There is a need for researchers in the field of veterinary medicine and Biomedical Sciences to participate in academic as well as corporate based research in the fields of animal and human health. As we enter the 21st century, it is crucial for members of the veterinary profession to acquire the scientific skills and technical training together with the conceptual framework to participate both as independent researchers and collaborators to meet the projected research needs in biomedical sciences associated with veterinary medicine. This master's program is designed train bright and highly motivated veterinary students to conduct carefully designed, hypothesis-driven biomedical research in a productive and active research setting that uses a range of animal models. A longer-term objective is to make this training experience (1) a foundation for career involvement in research and (2) to stimulate intellectual growth and productivity within our academic environment at Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine (TCSVM).

This new combined 5-year DVM/MS program offers DVM students at Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine the opportunity to gain intensive training in biomedical research within one of the program faculty laboratories funded by the National Institutes of Health, the United States Department of Agriculture, or the National Science Foundation. Students take a year off from the veterinary curriculum to train intensively in biomedical research with a faculty mentor. This program is supported by a NIH training grant from the National Center for Research Resources and by Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University.

Students spend 15 months gaining research training in the biomedical sciences, working towards their Master's degree. Training begins in June after completion of either the 1st, 2nd or 4th year of veterinary school and continues through August of the following year. Students enroll in a limited number of courses and spend the majority of their time conducting research on an approved thesis topic.

Program

The Director of the Master's program (Robert S. Bridges) administers the Master's component of the combined DVM/MS program in Biomedical Sciences with the assistance of the Master's Program Committee (MPC) in the Department of Biomedical Sciences, the program faculty, the Graduate Studies Manager, and the Graduate Studies Committee.

All students applying to the Master's program are required to have completed veterinary course work in physiological chemistry, physiology, immunology, and developmental bio. These courses are transferred into the program upon matriculation into the DVM/MS program and constitute 17 of the 35 credit hours required to complete the degree. Depending upon the individual student's research area, he or she may be required to audit an additional course (e.g. parasitology, neuroscience).

During the fall semester, students take two mini-courses entitled "The Fundamentals of Animal Research I and II" that examine issues relevant to animal and laboratory research. Topics addressed in these coursee include (I) research methods and design plus statistical analysis and (II) research ethics. The courses meets weekly for 2 hours and are team-taught by program faculty. Each semester, students also enroll in a course entitled "Research" that is evaluated by the student's mentor.

Over the training period, all trainees participate in the weekly laboratory meetings with their mentors and in the departmental journal club. They also attend the monthly seminar series offered by the Department of Biomedical Sciences as well as selected lectures that supplement their training. Numerous seminars of interest are also offered through the University of Massachusetts Health Science Center in nearby Worcester.

Application Procedures

Students applying to TCSVM may indicate an interest in thi sprogram at the time of application. This interest is used to identify students who would be likely particpants. Students apply to participate in this program by February 1 of either their 1st, 2nd or 4th years of veterinary school. Applicants select a mentor (Program Faculty) and prepare a research proposal that is submitted to the DVM/MS training and graduate program committees for assessment. Applications for admission to the DVM/MS in Biomedical Sciences are available in the Admissions Office, or from the Graduate Studies Manager, Maryann Miller, or the Program Director, Dr. Robert S. Bridges. A printable form of the application can also be downloaded (Download Application).

Eligibility Criteria

The eligibility criteria for potential trainees include the following:

1. Students must have successfully completed at least one year at TCSVM and be full-time students.
2. Students must be citizens or non-citizen nationals of the United States or have been lawfully admitted for permanent residency.
3. Students must be in good academic standing at TCSVM.

Selection

Three students are admitted each year to the DVM/MS program. Selection is based upon a number of criteria, including the following:

1. Research proposal
2. Letters of Evaluation
3. Academic standing at the veterinary school (i.e., TCSVM transcript is required)
4. Other information taken from original application for admission to TCSVM (i.e., transcripts and GRE scores)

Applicants are notified of acceptance into the program by March 15th of that year and begin training in June.

Tuition, Fees, and Stipends

The program is limited to three students per year. Tuition for this program is waived and a stipend is awarded to students pursuing a Master of Science degree in Biomedical Sciences. Full health insurance coverage is provided to each student enrolled in the program. Travel funds are also available to support student attendance and participation at national scientific meetings. Monies are also available to participants in the DVM/MS program for tuition assistance upon returning to their DVM training.

Student Advisory Committee

A Student Advisory Committee (SAC) is formed for each student upon his/her matriculation into the program. This committee is composed of a thesis advisor (primary mentor) who must be a member of the program faculty, as well as two other faculty members. Outside faculty are eligible for committee membership. The SAC committee members are selected by the Director of the Master's Program Committee based upon input from the primary mentor and members of the Master's Program Committee. Each SAC will meet with their advisee a minimum of every 4 months to evaluate student progress. Student grievance, ethical, or academic progress issues will be directed for review by TCSVM standing committees.

Degree Requirements

Successful completion of the Master’s Degree is dependent upon meeting the following criteria:

1. Successful completion of the 35-credit core curriculum maintaining good academic standing.
2. Active participation in laboratory meetings.
3. Attendance at departmental seminars and research colloquia.
4. Successful completion of hypothesis-driven laboratory research.
5. Submission and acceptance of a Master's level thesis or its equivalent. Thesis acceptability will be determined by the student's advisory committee.
6. Successful oral defense of the research.
7. Successful completion of veterinary degree requirements.

It is expected that students complete the degree requirements within 15 months. It is noted that the Master's program is part of a combined DVM/MS degree program. Therefore, the Master's degree is conferred at commencement only upon completion of all requirements for both the Master's degree and the DVM degree at Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. Under no circumstance will the MS degree be granted without the DVM degree.

Curriculum

The Master of Science program consists of a combination of classroom and laboratory work. The majority of classroom requirements are taken during the student's first year of veterinary school studies, whereas the period of laboratory training and research supported by our NIH training grant is provided during the student's leave from veterinary school. It is expected that students focus their efforts during their leave intensively on training in the laboratory. Overall this program provides uniformity in backgrounds and the foundation for student involvement in biomedical research in the 21st century.

Year 1:
August - May of 1st year of veterinary training
All students applying to the Master's program are required to have completed veterinary graduate level course work in biochemistry, physiology, immunology, and cell biology. These courses are transferred into the program upon matriculation into the DVM/MS program and constitute 17 of the 35 credit hours required to complete the degree.

• VET 102 - Physiological Chemistry (Dr. Engelking) - 4 credits
• VET 104 - Developmental Biology (Dr. Kumar) - 3 credits
• VET 109 - Immunology (Dr. Sheoran) - 3 credits
• VET 110 - Physiology (Dr. Engelking) - 7 credits

Year 2:
(Year 2 can be initiated after the 1st, 2nd or 4th year of veterinary school) June 1st - August 31st - begin research work in mentor's laboratory
In addition to the courses below, students may be required by their Student Advisory Committee (SAC) to audit a course (e.g. parasitology, neuroscience) during the research year, depending upon the individual student's background and training area. Courses 572, 573, and 574 are graded pass/fail. All other courses are graded A-F.

• VET 570 - Fundamentals of Animal Research I - Biostatistics (Dr. Mann) - 1 credit
• VET 571 - Fundamentals of Animal Research II - Ethics (Dr. Bridges) - 1 credit
• VET 572 - Journal Club/Seminars (Dr. Bridges) - 1 credit
• VET 573 - Lab Meetings (mentor) - 1 credit
• VET 574 - Readings in Special Topics (mentor) - 1 credit
• VET 575 - Research (mentor) - 4 credits
• VET 576 - Thesis Preparation (mentor) - 2 credits

Course Descriptions

VET 570 - Fundamentals of Animal Research I - Biostatistics - 1 credit; 2-3 hrs/wk; fall
This is an elementary course in statistics, designed to give an overview of the basics of statistical analyses, including probability theory, distributions, and hypothesis testing. It is a core course in the graduate curriculum, and as such the prerequisites are those for entry into the graduate program. Topics to be covered include probability and sampling theory, frequency distributions, and hypothesis testing. Some hands-on exercises using statistical software are also offered, but it is anticipated that more advanced applications will require additional instruction. It is the instructor's objective to familiarize students with central concepts and to save in depth discussion of methodologies for advanced courses, however when it is practical, students are encouraged to suggest topics for discussion and review. Same as PhD course 653.

VET 571 - Fundamentals of Animal Research II - Ethics - 1 credit; 2-3 hrs/wk; fall
The importance of following the principles of scientific integrity and ethical research are stressed by each mentor and are formally presented in a series of talks within our course on the "The Fundamentals of Animal Research II - Ethics." Topics covered include (1) Values in Science, (2) Conflict of Interest, (3) Publications and Openness, (4) Error and Negligence in Science, and (5) Misconduct in Science. Emphasis will be placed on how falsification and suppression of data can undermine the integrity of the scientific process and can lead to missed opportunities to discovery of scientific truths. To encourage scientific integrity, trainees are mentored regularly and emphasis is placed on creative research rather than publications per se. Trainees discuss possible reasons why published results might not be able to be reproduced. Invited speakers are queried regarding the importance of ethical conduct in scientific research. Same as PhD course 654.

VET 572 - Journal Club/Seminars - 1 credit/semester; 1-2 hrs/wk; year
Students, along with faculty members, participate in a weekly journal club in which they discuss a paper from the current literature. The emphasis is on critical analysis, identifying the reasons that the research is significant, and understanding how the findings extend current knowledge. Students take this course both semesters of the MS program. In addition, students are required to attend the department seminar series. These seminars take place throughout the year and are part of the training experience, providing an opportunity to develop communication skills and present ideas. Same as PhD courses 601 and 602.

VET 573 - Lab Meetings - 1 credit/semester; 1 hr/wk; year
All students attend and participate in weekly laboratory meetings scheduled by their mentor or research groups. Students are expected to present plans or results of projects to laboratory members at these meetings.

VET 574 - Readings in Special Topics - 1 credit/semester; 1-2 hrs/wk; year
This course focuses on important topics within the field of research study. Each student meets weekly with their mentor to discuss relevant research papers in their area of study.

VET 575 - Research - 4 credits/semester; 20-40 hrs/wk; year
Students spend the majority of their training time working in the laboratory, conducting research studies relevant to their research topic and hypotheses. Data is analyzed and interpreted in light of the test hypotheses. One objective of the research is to have students present their findings at scientific meetings and prepare their studies for publication.

VET 576 - Thesis Preparation - 2 credits; summer
Students write their thesis during June and July and defend it orally by August 15. The thesis must consist of an abstract of the project, a general introduction to the research problem within the field of study (current and pertinent references should be included in this section), and a body of the thesis that consists of specific experiments, methods, results, and a general discussion that relates the experimental finding to existing literature and the state of the field. Acknowledgements and references should be placed at the end of the thesis.

The thesis should be submitted in final form to the thesis examination committee a minimum of 2 weeks prior to the thesis defense. The thesis defense should occur in July or early August in time to permit any final revisions. The thesis examination committee can approve the thesis as is, approve it with revisions or reject the thesis. Two copies of the final version of the approved thesis must be submitted to the program director by August 15.

Program Faculty

Twenty faculty are members of the Master training program. These individuals and links to their web pages are provided. A brief description of the areas of training is noted below.

Research Areas

Students may choose to do their master's training in one of the following research areas:

Biotechnology & Molecular Pharmacogenetics (Drs. Alcivar-Warren, Court & Sarkar): This research area combines molecular biological and genetic technology in basic and applied areas to investigate the control of aquatic animal health (shrimp), the genetic engineering of endangered species, drug metabolism and pharmacodynamics in domestic animals, and gene expression in muscle. Specific studies examine (a) genetic diversity in wild Penaeus monodon shrimp, (b) the regulation of mitochondrial DNA and genetic polymorphism in horses, and (c) the molecular determinants of UGY function, and (d) the regulation of gene expression in muscle cells.

Cardiovascular Biology (Dr Kudej): Dr. Kudej is a clinical researcher whose research focuses in the area of cardiovascular physiology. He uses the woodchuck as an animal model in studying heart function as it relates to resting states such as hibernation.

Digestive Diseases (Drs. Anwer & Webster): The overall emphasis of this research area is to gain further insight into cellular and molecular mechanisms of hepatic and gastrointestinal diseases. Current studies include: (a) cellular mechanisms of programmed cell death in hepatocytes and in hormonal regulation of hepatic bile formation, (b) the regulation of hepatic bile acid transport by second messengers and protein kinases, and (c) the role of pH and calcium in bile acid-induced hepatotoxicity.

Infectious Diseases (Drs. Balaban, Donohue-Rolfe, Mukherjee, Sheoran, Shoemaker, Skelly, Tzipori & Widmer): This research area supports, among other projects, two major multidisciplinary research initiatives: (a) Cryptosporidium parvum, one of the important opportunistic infections that complicates AIDS, and (b) E. Coli 0157:H7, a pathogen responsible for outbreaks of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) in children and hemorrhagic colitis in children and adults. The C. parvum program includes studies on the molecular basis for attachment and invasion, cellular mechanism of disease including newborn calves, and immunological and host risk factors contributing to persistence of infection in the immunodeficient host. This research also involves the development of strategies for control of the disease in patients with AIDS, genetic finger-printing, and genetic methods of detection of C. parvum oocytes in waterborne outbreak of disease. Investigations on E. Coli include study of the molecular mechanism and pathogenesis of the disease, development of attenuated candidate vaccines for prevention of meat contamination, and pursuit of therapeutic reagents for prophylaxis for children. Other projects examine the transmission and biological basis of lyme disease.

Neuroscience and Behavior (Drs. Bridges, Byrnes & Mann): The major emphasis of this research area is to understand the role of neurotransmitters, hormones and opiate peptides in maternal behavior, the secretion of pituitary hormones, and behavioral problems in animals. Research in Dr. Bridges laboratory focuses upon the physiological events underlying pregnancy and lactation that impact both behavioral as well as endocrine and neurochemical responses and functions in adulthood. In one project, studies are ongoing using the rat as an animal model to delineate the role of the neural prolactin-like system in both the onset of maternal behavior and in maternal memory. A long-term goal of this collaboration is to determine underlying biological processes associated with reproductive-related illnesses, such as postpartum depression and neglect. The second project (Dr. Mann's) examines the specific involvement of one area of the brain, the ventromedial hypothalamus, that is key to the establishment of maternal behavior. This project will help define neural pathways that underlie the regulation of maternal behavior. A third project (Bridges & Byrnes) examines developmental aspects of neuroendocrine functions in females. Using a combination of endocrine, neurochemical, and behavioral approaches, the effects of single and multiple pregnancies on brain dopamine functions are being investigated. The implications of these studies include both psychiatric, endocrine, and other health disorders.

Nutrition (Dr. Freeman): Dr. Freeman is a clinical researcher interested in the effects of nutrition on cardiac function and animal health (dogs and cats). Dr. Freeman has both a PhD in nutrition and a DVM from Tufts. Her studies focus upon nutritional modulation of cardiovascular diseases and nutritional support in critical care.

Oncology (Dr. Leav): This research area includes studies ranging from the basic mechanism of oncogenesis to evaluation of various cancer treatment modalities. Currently, projects include the investigation of the mechanism of hormonally-induced carcinogenesis of the rat prostate.

Reproductive Biology (Drs. Ayres, Bridges, Byrnes & Xu): This research area combines developmental and molecular biological technology in basic and applied areas to investigate the physiological control of mammalian reproduction. Specific studies in this program include (a) the production of transgenic laboratory and domesticated (e.g. caprine and porcine) species, to generate desired physical attributes, cell surface epitopes, secretory (milk) peptide production, and increased gonadotrophin production, (b) the role of hormones in maternal behavior, (c) the effects of reproductive experience on neuroendocrine functions in female mammals (see Neuroscience area for greater description of these latter two projects), and (d) molecular and genetic regulation of sexual differentiation.

Respiratory Physiology (Dr. Hoffman): Dr. Hoffman is a DVM with research interests in respiratory physiology. Using the horse as an animal model, his research has focused upon animal models for asthma as well as normal respiratory function in the horse.

Contact Information

For additional information or questions about this program, contact:

• Dr. Robert Bridges, Program Director for the DVM/MS in Biomedical Sciences
• Maryann Miller, Graduate Studies Manager
• Rebecca Russo, Director of Admissions