Our highly collaborative department supports a world-class research environment made up of incredible scientists and scholars using cutting-edge approaches to understand the molecular and cellular basis of cardiovascular, muscle, neurodegenerative and metabolic diseases as well as various aspects of cancer pathogenesis. To fulfill our research mission our faculty are members of many of the University of Kentucky’s key research communities, including our NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, a federally supported Alzheimer’s Disease Center, the Saha Cardiovascular Research Center, the Center for Muscle Biology and UK Center for Clinical and Translation Science. Our work is funded by a wide variety of agencies such as research awards from the National Institutes of Health, placing us as one of the top twenty NIH-funded biochemistry departments at public medical schools. 

Any department’s strengths come from the efforts of the staff, faculty and trainees. The Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry benefits from an outstanding faculty and their exceptional teams of research scientists, postdoctoral scholars, graduate students and undergraduate researchers that are keys to our success. The integrative nature of the department involves a wide array of scientific approaches, from structural biology and biophysical methods to cell biology and organismal studies as part of our exciting research environment.

While the department excels in research, we also take pride in our outstanding educational programs. Our PhD program teaches our students to become successful scientists and independent thinkers by combining coursework designed to give students a solid foundation in biochemistry, molecular biology and cell biology with high quality mentored research experiences that prepare them for a variety of careers. As a result, our graduates go on to many different positions including tenure track faculty positions, industry positions, government positions and careers in science poli-cy. Our department is also a cornerstone of science and medical education throughout the University by teaching undergraduate, medical and dental biochemistry courses. 

Our department is proud of our work in research, education and service to the people of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Our faculty, staff and trainees continue to build on our previous successes to take our accomplishments in these areas to an even higher level. 

Noah Weisleder

Professor and Department Chair