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Karl Boehme, Ph.D.; Samantha Kendrick, Ph.D.; Mark Manzano, Ph.D.
Graduate School’s GPIBS Program Offers Varied Paths into Biomedical Research
| The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Graduate School is home to 12 programs leading to doctoral degrees. One of the largest and most expansive of those is the Graduate Program in Interdisciplinary Biomedical Sciences (GPIBS).
“GPIBS offers students the opportunity to pursue doctoral training in a wide range of disciplines across the basic sciences,” said Graduate School Dean Sean Taverna, Ph.D. “This exciting multidepartmental program prepares our graduate students for productive future careers in science by encouraging mechanistic understanding of important biomedical questions.”
GPIBS comprises seven tracks of study in the following fields:
• Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
• Cancer Biology
• Cell Biology and Physiology
• Microbiology and Immunology
• Neuroscience
• Pathobiology
• Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Experimental Therapeutics
Karl Boehme, Ph.D., professor in the College of Medicine Department of Microbiology and Immunology and the director of the GPIBS program, explains its origins.
“GPIBS is our primary biomedical sciences Ph.D. program. It was formed about 10 years ago by taking the graduate programs from the basic science departments and merging them into an umbrella program,” Boehme said.
“Previously, if you entered into a specific departmental program, you were going to remain a student in that department, and that’s good if you know for sure that’s what you want to do,” he continued. “We discovered that an increasing number of students had broader interests, and it made sense to combine them all into one program and give students options.”
GPIBS students complete a core curriculum during the fall semester of their first year.
“The first semester is kind of like a mini tryout. Students spend five weeks in three different laboratories, and it gives them flexibility in deciding which track they want to pursue,” said Boehme.
A faculty member from the various UAMS colleges serves as director for each track.
Samantha Kendrick, Ph.D., associate professor in the College of Medicine Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, is the director of the Cancer Biology track.
“My role is to support both students and faculty by ensuring a cohesive and high-quality training experience in the context of the broader interdisciplinary program.” she said. “I advise students on coursework, help them navigate lab rotations and mentor selection, and provide guidance on how to complete degree requirements. For faculty, I serve as a point of coordination to align training expectations, facilitate student-mentor interactions, and maintain and develop curriculum and training opportunities to remain current and impactful.”
Mark Manzano, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, is the co-director of the Microbiology and Immunology track.
“We get to wear many hats in supporting students throughout their graduate training. For newer students, we help identify appropriate research mentors and guide them through coursework and other GPIBS requirements. For more advanced trainees, we provide individualized guidance to help shape their training plans in alignment with their career goals,” he said. “We work with the students, the mentors, and other faculty to connect students to professional development opportunities on or off campus that can further enhance their training.”
The GPIBS program has proven to be an important part of UAMS’ research mission and is beneficial to students.
“The program structure exposes trainees to multiple scientific perspectives, fosters cross-departmental collaboration, and equips students with a broad, integrative understanding of their research problems, which is essential for success in their future careers,” said Manzano.
“In my almost eight years of serving as a graduate faculty in the GPIBS program, I have seen how the program offers significant advantages for students pursuing careers in biomedical science by providing a highly interdisciplinary training environment,” Kendrick added.
“We have a lot of talent in the state of Arkansas, and we want to keep as much of it at home as we can,” Boehme said. “If you like science and think you might want to do it for a career, a program like GPIBS allows you to explore that.”
For additional information regarding admissions or questions about the process email graduateadmissions@uams.edu, call (501) 686-5456, or visit the Graduate School GPIBS Program Page.