The Center for Disease Dynamics brings together students and faculty from multiple graduate programs across the life sciences, quantitative sciences, and interdisciplinary research areas. This page is designed to help prospective students quickly understand which academic home may be the best fit for their research interests.
How to think about your options
Students affiliated with the Center for Disease Dynamics typically enter through a graduate program that aligns with their primary area of study. In general, these options fall into three broad categories:
- Biological and biomedical sciences for students interested in pathogens, hosts, vectors, molecular mechanisms, and disease processes
- Quantitative sciences for students focused on modeling, data analysis, prediction, and computational approaches
- Interdisciplinary programs for students whose work spans multiple fields such as ecology, genomics, systems biology, and bioinformatics
Graduate Degree Pathways
Biological and biomedical sciences
These programs are well suited for students who want to study infectious disease from the perspective of organisms, mechanisms, and experimental research.
- Biology: Ideal for students interested in broad questions in organismal biology, ecology, evolution, and host-pathogen interactions.
- Entomology: Best for students focused on insect vectors, vector-borne disease, and the ecology or control of disease-transmitting organisms.
- Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Molecular Biology: A strong fit for students studying pathogens, microbial systems, molecular biology, and the biochemical basis of disease.
- Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology: Designed for students interested in plant diseases, environmental pathogens, microbial communities, and disease dynamics in natural or agricultural systems.
Quantitative sciences
These programs are a good match for students who want to use mathematical, statistical, and computational methods to study disease transmission, prediction, and intervention.
- Statistics: Appropriate for students interested in biostatistics, uncertainty, inference, and data-driven approaches to infectious disease research.
- Mathematics: Ideal for students developing or applying mathematical models to understand disease spread, system dynamics, and public health decision-making.
Intercollege Graduate Degree Programs
These programs support students whose research draws from multiple disciplines and who want a flexible academic structure.
- Ecology: A strong option for students studying disease in populations, communities, ecosystems, and environmental contexts.
- Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Biosciences: Well suited for students whose work spans molecular mechanisms, cell biology, physiology, and integrative disease-related research.
- Bioinformatics and Genomics: Best for students using computational biology, sequencing data, and genomic tools to study pathogens, hosts, and disease systems.
Which program is right for you?
The best graduate program depends on the main focus of your research:
- Choose a biological or biomedical science program if your work centers on lab-based, organismal, microbial, or vector-focused questions.
- Choose a quantitative program if your work emphasizes modeling, data analysis, or statistical and mathematical methods.
- Choose an interdisciplinary program if your research combines methods, concepts, or faculty from multiple fields.
Work with CIDD faculty across programs
One of the strengths of the CIDD is its cross-campus, collaborative structure. Students may be formally enrolled in one graduate program while working closely with Center-affiliated faculty, collaborators, and trainees across many disciplines.
Prospective students are encouraged to explore faculty research areas and identify the graduate program that best matches their academic background, methods, and long-term career goals.
Contacting Faculty
You do not need a faculty commitment to apply. However, we encourage you to contact faculty in advance if possible. Reaching out early can help you learn more about research opportunities, explore program fit, and identify potential mentors.
Faculty may also be able to answer questions about the program or suggest other researchers whose work matches your interests.
Please note: the Biology, Ecology, and MCIBS graduate programs require applicants to identify potential faculty mentors in their application.
Tips for Reaching Out
If you plan to email faculty, it can be helpful to review advice on writing a clear and professional introduction.
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