Harvard Biological & Biomedical Sciences PhD Program

Welcome to Harvard BBS!

The Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS) Program at Harvard offers Ph.D. training in the biosciences, built outward from core training in contemporary genetics, biochemistry, and molecular, cellular, and mechanistic biology. Under BBS, are interwoven research communities comprised of basic science departments and interdepartmental programs at Harvard Medical School. We think of these communities as our neighborhoods within the city. Each provides a close-knit environment where faculty and trainees with common interests work together to advance research in their field and participate in training activities tailored to the diversity of career trajectories for today’s PhDs. BBS combines the unparalleled choice of research lab, made possible by its unique breadth and depth, with the cohesiveness of shared-interest communities typical of smaller departmental programs.

Gordon Hall at Harvard Medical School

News & Research

Imaging Lipid Droplets: Insights Into Health and Disease

Specialized imaging technology allows members of the Harper Lab to make new discoveries about how lipid droplets support human health but can also contribute to metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases. Watch the video.
Harper Lab

New Mechanism of Antiviral Immunity Discovered

Researchers have figured out a missing piece of the puzzle of how human cells detect invading viruses and mount an immune response within an hour. This new insight into the mechanics of the battle between viruses and hosts could provide important clues...
DNA blob

How Cancer Cells Decide Their Fate

For 16 hours at a time, Galit Lahav peered into the microscope, watching and waiting. It was the early 2000s, and Lahav, then a postdoctoral fellow in Israel, was captivated by a conundrum that had long frustrated cancer researchers. Two cancer cells...
Galit

Meet the Leadership Team