Harvard Biological & Biomedical Sciences PhD Program

Gordon Hall at Harvard Medical School

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.

News & Research

Bruce Yankner’s Alzheimer’s Research Journey

Bruce Yankner has had a busy few months. In August 2025, his team published a study in Nature showing that lithium is a natural, biologically important element in the brain that has the potential to prevent or even reverse Alzheimer’s disease. The...
Bruce Headshot

Meet the Leadership Team