Prospective DBG Graduate Students
We are receiving many inquiries about PhD studies in the DBG and appreciate the interest in our group. I cannot respond to all email inquiries because I am on sabbatical, but let me list the traits of successful applicants to our lab to better inform candidates about their chances:
A. All the applicants have good grades, but at SEAS you probably need to have a GPA >3.5 to be competitive
B. Successful applicants usually have 2+ years of research experience and their name on an abstract or paper. For applicants with industrial experience, the applications are looked at a bit differently….the important thing is that you first lab experience is not in graduate school….and that by the time you get here, you know your way around a lab.
C. Generally, the typical BME curriculum is not adequate preparation for graduate studies in engineering at Harvard. Extensive coursework in mathematics, mechanics (fluid and solid), and control theory is looked upon favorably. I want to stress that partial differential equations should be a course you take before matriculating at SEAS.
D. Your application to Harvard should state specifically which laboratories you are interested in working in, listed by name of the PI. Its the only way to make sure your application is reviewed by a PI.
E. If you email me, send me your CV with your references listed. I do my own checks and if you look like a match, I will call you for a phone interview and I will call your references…so have their contact information on our CV.
I hope this helps and good luck in your applications!
Prof Parker
What's New
Congratulations to Dr. McCain!! April 28th, 2013
Congratulations to Dr. Megan McCain who has accepted a position as Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Southern California! She will arrive in LA to start building her laboratory at USC in Jan 2014. Congrats to Professor McCain!!
Welcome to the DBG!! April 17th, 2013
Welcome to the DBG!! April 15, 2013
The DBG would like to welcome Roza Mahmoodian, who joins us as a postdoctoral fellow from Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Lab for Material Chemomechanics, under the direction of Professor Krystyn J. Van Vliet. We also welcome Hyojin Ko from Sogang University in Korea as a visiting student. The DBG is excited to have both joining the group! Welcome.
Images from the DBG April 17th, 2013
Ventricular cardiomyocytes from neonatal rats can be cultured on substrates coated with extracellular matrix proteins anisotropically. These cardiomyocytes can grow according to spatial cues provided by proteins attached to a substrate. Soft-lithography allows for customizable, micron-scale protein patterns to be “stamped” onto a substrate. This allows for building tissues that more closely resemble their orzanization in vivo. This image shows cardiomyocytes aligned to 10 micron wide lines of fibronectin separated by 10 micron wide lines of fibronectin at a lower concentration.
Photo by Borna Dabiri
Disease Biophysics Group Postdoctoral Fellow Positions January 18th, 2013
The Disease Biophysics Group at Harvard University invites applications for a number of Postdoctoral Fellow positions open for projects pertaining to building microscale models of diseased organs. The project requires the assembly of engineered, human microtissues in microfluidic devices that can be interrogated for the genetic, morphological and functional indicators of health, disease, and injury.
The Disease Biophysics Group is a multidisciplinary research group based in the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, the Wyss Institute for Biologically-Inspired Engineering, and the Harvard Stem Cell Institute.
Candidates with experience in neuronal cell biology, striated and smooth muscle tissue engineering, the cardiac valves, and experimental models of diabetes are encouraged to apply. Applicants are expected to hold a doctoral degree in engineering, physiology, or cell biology and have a proven record of high quality publications.
Application Procedure
The application will be assembled as single pdf file: cover letter describing research interests and goals, CV, research statement, a full list of publications and up to three examples of first author papers, and a list of no less than three references with contact information. Please note that all requirements for the doctoral degree must be completed prior to the start date. The application should be sent to:dbg-postdoc@seas.harvard.edu
Full consideration will be given to all applications received by February 15, 2013; applications received thereafter will be considered until the positions are filled.
Harvard University is an equal opportunity employer. Women and underrepresented minorities are particularly encouraged to apply.
Congratulations to Benjamin Potter and Calla Glavin for receiving Honorable Mention December 12th, 2012
The DBG congratulates Benjamin Potter and Calla Glavin for receiving Honorable Mention for their poster titled, “Effect of Polymer and Solvent Properties on Nanofiber Morphology in Rotary Jet-Spinning” at the 2012 Materials Research Society Fall Meeting Poster Competition. The poster competition was held on Monday November 26, 2012 at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston.
Both Ben and Calla were summer interns in the DBG mentored by graduate student, Holly M. Golecki. Ben and Calla are currently cadets at the United States Military Academy at West Point.
WELL DONE!!