Pathology Graduate Program Handbook Circulated v2

2021-2022

University of Utah M&I |Graduate Program 2021-2022 2

INTRODUCTION & WELCOME

Congratulations and welcome to Utah! We are excited that you have chosen the Microbiology & Immunology (M&I) PhD program at the University of Utah for your graduate studies and are happy to welcome you as a new member of our Division! The Division of Microbiology and Immunology (M&I) embedded within the University of Utah School of Medicine Department of Pathology was established in the early 1970s. Faculty research programs span all aspects of immunology and infectious diseases. The Division of M&I is under the direction of the Division Chief Brian Evavold, PhD We have compiled this handbook to help you navigate our M&I Graduate program. We hope that you will find some useful information to help you successfully complete the M&I PhD program. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or for any additional information you need. * Please note, an updated version of the program handbook is released in the fall each academic year. Any policy changes made to this handbook apply to all students moving forward. Any changes in graduation or course requirements apply to the incoming class and subsequent classes. Students are responsible for knowing the requirements of the current year’s handbook and ensuring they comply with all requirements that apply to them.


TABLE OF CONTENTS Page I. MICROBIOLOGY & IMMUNOLOGY GRADUATE PROGRAM OVERVIEW 6

1. Division of Microbiology & Immunology (M&I) 6 2. M&I Graduate Program Staff 6 3. Student Representatives 7 4. M&I Graduate Program on the Web 7 5. University of Utah Graduate School 7

II. M&I GRADUATE PROGRAM FACULTY 8 III. ADMISSION TO M&I GRADUATE SCHOOL 10

1. Admission Requirements and Procedures for New Students 10 2. Admission Timeline 12 3. Admission of Transfer Students from Inside of the University of Utah

12

4. Admission of Transfer Students from Outside of the University of Utah

13

5. Admission of International Students 13 IV. ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE 14 V. PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS AND CURRICULUM 14

1. General Requirements 14 2. Required Courses 15

a. Required Courses for Bioscience (MB/ BC ) Students 15 b. Required Courses for Directly Admitted Students 17 c. Required Courses for MD-PhD Students 18 d. Required Courses for All Students 21

3. Elective Courses 22 4. Laboratory Rotations 23 5. Selection of an advisor 24 6. Dissertation Committees 25

a. Committee Formation 25 b. Committee Meetings 26

7. PhD Preliminary Exam 27 a. Examination Overview 27 b. Goal 27 c. Timeline for Completion 28 d. Examination Committee 29 e. Role of the Thesis Advisor 29 f. Format and Structure of Written Proposal 30 g. Examination Day Procedure 31 h. Scoring and Outcome 32

i. Appealing the Outcome of the Preliminary Exam 33


7. Seminars 34 a. RIP 34 b. M & I Departmental Seminars 34

VI. WRITING, DEFENDING AND GRADUATION 35 1. Dissertation Format 35 2. Publication Expectations 35 3. Defense (Oral Exam) 36 4. Dissertation Checklist 36

VII. TUITION, STIPENDS AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT 37 1. Stipend 37 2. Health Insurance and Health Care 38 3. Other Work 39 4. Residency Requirements 39 5. Financial Aid 40

VIII. TIME OFF 40 1. Vacation 40 2. Leave of Absence, Family/ Medical Leave 40

a. University Graduate Student Leave Policy 40 b. Family Leave Policy for M&I Division 41 c. Extended Graduation Timeline 41 d. Medical Leave Policy 41

IX. CHANGING TO A MASTERS DEGREE 42 X. DISMISSAL FROM THE PROGRAM 42

1. Voluntary Leave 42 2. Termination 43 3. Checkout Procedures 44

XI. GRIEVANCES AND CONFLICTS 44 1. Conflicts within the Laboratory 44 2. Conflicts with the Thesis Advisor or Dissertation Committee 45 3. Grievances Regarding the Course or Graduate Program 45 4. Appealing the Outcome of Preliminary Examination 45

XII. IMPORTANT FORMS & LINKS 45 1. Forms 45 2. Links to Important Websites 45

XIII. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION & RESOURCES 46 1. Departmental & University Resources 46

a. uID and Email 46 b. Key Card, Keys, Safety 46 c. IT Services 47 d. Paycheck 48 e. Mailboxes, Copying Machines 48 f. Getting Around Campus 48


g. Parking & Public TransportationPass 49 h. Housing 49 i. J. Willard Marriot Library 49

2. General Career Resources 49 a. Professional Societies 49 b. Scientific Meetings and Travel Assistance 50 c. Scholarship and Fellowship Opportunities 50 d. Special Opportunities for Highly Qualified Students from Underrepresented Minorities

50

e. What is Next? 51 3. Thesis Writing Support 51

a. Writing Center 51 b. Marriot Library Graduate Student Resources 51 c. Grammarly AI writing Assistant 51 d. Thesis Office 52

4. Student Resources & Support Groups 52 a. Mental and Physical Health Resources 52 b. Childcare 53 c. Diversity Resources 53 d. International Student Resources 53 e. Women Resources 54 f. Veteran Resources 54 g. Disability Resources 54 h. Feed U Food Pantry 54 i. Financial Wellness Center 54

5. Social and Recreational Activities 55 6. Research Policies & Training Resources 55

Lab Training Classes 55

XIV. 2020/2021 ACADEMIC CALENDAR 56


I. MICROBIOLOGY & IMMUNOLOGY GRADUATE PROGRAM OVERVIEW 1. Division of Microbiology & Immunology (M&I) The Division of Microbiology and Immunology (M&I) in the University of Utah School of Medicine Department of Pathology was established in the early 1970s by past chairman Ernst Eichwald, MD. Dr. Eichwald, an internationally recognized clinician/scientist who recruited a group of faculty to Utah with shared interests in better understanding the immunological mechanisms underlying graft infection and transplantation tolerance. Shortly after its creation, the Division was granted graduate degree-granting status from the state of Utah and continues today to provide high quality education and research experience to qualified students seeking a PhD in microbiology and immunology. The Division of M&I is under the direction of the Division Head Brian Evavold, PhD. 2. M&I Graduate Program Staff

Email Phone

Director of M&I Graduate Studies

Tracey J Lamb, PhD

[email protected]

801-213-2097

M&I Executive Committee Matt Bettini, PhD

Jessica Brown, PhD Brian Evavold, PhD Keke Fairfax, PhD Aaron Petrey, PhD

[email protected]

[email protected] [email protected]

[email protected] [email protected]

801-213-8560 801-585-2131 801-585-9689 801-581-5980 801-581-4390

M&I Director of Diversity Keke Fairfax, PhD

[email protected]

801-581-5980

M&I Seminar Director Scott Hale, PhD

[email protected]

801-587-1885

M&I Public Relations Vanessa Redecke, MD,

PhD

[email protected]

801-587-1885

M&I Program Administrator Kim Springer

[email protected]

801-213-3717


3. Student Representatives The student representatives are elected by the student body to facilitate communication between the Students and the Director of Graduate Studies and the executive committee. Student representatives serve as an additional resource for students, are a voice for the student body that can act as liasons between students and faculty and are also active in organizing social acitivies.

Name/ Lab Email & Information

Mike Faust Evavold lab

[email protected] https://bioscience.utah.edu/prospective/life_of_a_graduate_student/Mike.php

Arevik Ghazaryan O’Connell lab

[email protected] https://bioscience.utah.edu/prospective/life_of_a_graduate_student/Arevik.php

4. M&I Graduate Program on the Web The website for the M&I Graduate Program can be found at: https://medicine.utah.edu/pathology/microbiology-immunology/phd-program/ Information regarding seminars, students, faculty and their research and career-orientated resources, as well as links to all forms that are required by students at different points of their PhD degree, can be found on this website. The latest news from the M&I graduate program can also be found on the M&I Twitter handle @UofUMandI. 5. University of Utah Graduate School General University of Utah Graduate Student Resources, Events, Policies and Support Services can be found at https://gradschool.utah.edu/ Whilst every effort has been made to make the guidelines laid out in this handbook as accurate and complete as possible, University policies may be subject to change without notice, and students have a responsibility to keep themselves up-to-date on these University Graduate School policies.


II. M&I GRADUATE PROGRAM FACULTY

Name Research Interest Lab Website Contact

Anna Beaudin, PhD

Associate Professor

Fetal hematopoiesis and immune function

https://medicine.utah.edu/faculty/mddetail.php?f

acultyID=u6029933 [email protected]

Ellen Beswick, PhD

Associate Professor

Cytokine biology in inflammation and

cancer


acultyID=u6019258 [email protected]

Maria Bettini, PhD

Associate Professor

Regulatory T cell function in

autoimmunity

https://medicine.utah.edu/pathology/research/la

bs/maria-bettini/ [email protected]

Matthew L. Bettini, PhD Associate Professor

Neonatal tolerance and thymocyte development


bs/matt-bettini/

[email protected]

Jessica Brown, PhD

Associate Professor

Fungal biology


bs/jessica-brown/

[email protected]

Allison Carey, MD PhD Assistant Professor

Bacterial genetics and bacterial

genomes

https://healthcare.utah.edu/fad/mddetail.php?physicianID=u6032843&nam

e=allison-f-carey

[email protected]

Kim Evason, PhD MD PhD Assistant Professor

Liver tumorigenesis

https://uofuhealth.utah.edu/huntsman/labs/evaso

n/

[email protected]

Brian Evavold, PhD

Professor T cell activation


bs/brian-evavold/

[email protected]

Keke Fairfax, PhD

Associate Professor

Immunomodulation by helminth infection

and maternal immunity


bs/keke-fairfax/

[email protected]

Allie Grossman, MD PhD Assistant Professor

Mechanisms of cancer progression

and clinical interventions for

cancer


bs/allie-grossmann/

[email protected]

Hans Haecker, MD PhD Professor

Innate immunity and inflammation


bs/hans-haecker/

[email protected]


J. Scott Hale, PhD

Assistant Professor

Epigenetic control of T follicular helper cells


bs/scott-hale/

[email protected]

Peter Jensen, MD

Professor Antigen presentation

https://bioscience.utah.edu/faculty/molecular-

biology-faculty/jensen/jensen.php

[email protected]

Tracey Lamb, PhD

Associate Professor

Malaria immunoopathogenes

is


bs/tracey-lamb/

[email protected]

Daniel Leung, MD MSc

Associate Professor

Diarrhoeal diseases, MAIT cells and oral

vaccines

https://bioscience.utah.edu/faculty/leung/

[email protected]

Patrice Mimche, PhD

Assistant Professor

Organ fibrogenesis


acultyID=u6010440

[email protected]

Matthew Mulvey, PhD

Professor

Bacterial Pathogenesis


bs/matt-mulvey/

[email protected]

Ryan O’Connell, PhD

Professor

Role of non-coding RNAs in inflammation


bs/ryan-oconnell/

[email protected]

Aaron Petrey, PhD

Assistant Professor

Inflammatory processes mediated

by platelets


acultyID=u6027310

[email protected]

Vicente Planelles, PhD

Professor HIV


bs/vicente-planelles/

[email protected]

Vedran Radojcic, MD

Assistant Professor

Transplant immunology

https://bioscience.utah.edu/faculty/radojcic/index

.php

[email protected]

Matthew Rondina, MD

Associate Professor

Megakaryocyte and platelet regulation

https://bioscience.utah.edu/faculty/rondina/rondi

na.php

[email protected]

June Round, PhD

Professor

Functions of microbiota


bs/june-round/

[email protected]


III. ADMISSION TO M&I GRADUATE SCHOOL 1. Admission Requirements and Procedures for New Students All classes begin in the Fall semester. There are three ways to be admitted into the M&I Ph.D. program:

(a) through the interdepartmental Bioscience PhD Programs comprised of the Molecular Biology (MB) and Biological Chemistry (BC) programs (b) through direct admission (c) through the MD/PhD program

Koushik Roy, PhD

Assistant Professor

B cell biology

To follow [email protected]

Sankar Swaminathan,

MD Professor

Immunology and epidemiology of viral

diseases

https://bioscience.utah.edu/faculty/swaminathan/

swaminathan.php

[email protected]

Dean Tantin PhD

Professor

Development and Regulation of

Immune Responses


bs/dean-tantin/

[email protected]

Diane Ward PhD

Iron metabolism and membrane trafficking


bs/diane-ward/research.php

[email protected]

Janis Weis, PhD Professor Lyme arthritis


bs/janis-weis/

[email protected]

Melodie Weller, PhD

Assistant Professor

Autoimmunity


acultyID=u6010176

[email protected]

Andrew Weyrich, PhD

Professor

Nove functions of platelets in health

and disease

https://bioscience.utah.edu/faculty/molecular-

biology-faculty/weyrich/weyrich.

php

[email protected]

Matthew Williams, PhD

Associate Professor

T cell memory


bs/matthew-williams/

[email protected]


Admission through MB or BC allows students who have not yet decided to focus on immunology or microbiology to undertake a broad curriculum. This allows for exploration of topics other than those focused on immunology or microbiology. Direct admission to the M and I program is more suitable for candidates who are committed to follow a research path in the area of immunology or microbiology. The 1st year curriculum can be tailored to specifically provide an indepth education in this area of research.

(a) Admission through the Bioscience PhD Program [Molecular Biology (MB) or Biological Chemistry (BC) track] (https://bioscience.utah.edu/) The Bioscience PhD Program is an interdisciplinary program across 11 departments at the University of Utah. The first year curriculum is primarily focused on molecular studies and includes 3 rotations. Upon completion of the capstone exam at the end of the first year, students can be directly transferred into the M&I PhD program.

(b) Direct Admission To be directly admitted into the M&I Graduate Program the student should directly contact the laboratory of choice from amongst the Faculty of the M&I Graduate Program. With support from that Faculty member the student will then apply to the program. To be considered for admission, the student should submit the following documents to Kim Springer:

1. CV 2. Transcripts from undergraduate and, if applicable, any graduate degrees 3. Personal statement 1-2 pages in length outlining previous research

experience and detailing the drive to undertake a PhD in the lab of choice

4. Letter of recommendation / commitment from the PI of the chosen lab 5. 3 other letters of recommendation outlining aptitude for research

If deemed appropriate, the student will be interviewed by the Executive Committee of the M&I Graduate Program. Upon recommendation by the Executive Committee, a faculty vote for admission will follow. Applicants should have an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or more (exemptions are possible but rarely given). The process is competitive: The average undergraduate GPA of the last cohort of students accepted to the Pathology graduate program was above 3.5. (c) Admission through the MD/PhD program MD/ PhD students can apply for the M&I PhD program after successfully completing the courses for the first two years of Medical School, USMLE Step 1 and an on-topic Capstone Examination. MD/ PhD students can apply for the M&I PhD program after successfully completing the courses for the first two years


of Medical School. Students do 4 rotations (2 during the summer before starting medical school and 2 during the summer between 1st and 2nd year of medical school).

Once a lab has been chosen, they may then directly contact Janet Bassett to facilitate admissions. [email protected] 801-585-6408

Regardless of track, students must obtain the Admission to the M&I Graduate Program form signed by the mentor, the student, the Director of Graduate Studies for the M&I Graduate Program (Dr Tracey Lamb), the Division Chief of Microbiology and Immunology (Dr Brian Evavold) and, if applicable, the Chair of the mentor’s department if the mentor is an Adjunct member of the M&I Graduate Program with their primary appointment outside of the Department of Pathology. 2. Admission Timeline for Direct Admission Semester dates for 2021-2022 are

Fall - August 23rd, 2021 Spring - January 10th, 2022 Summer - May 16th, 2022

Students may begin any semester. We admit applications on a rolling basis. It takes anywhere from 2 months to 6 months to complete paperwork associated with admission. Therefore the start dates will depend on the completion of this process. While admission is preferred for a Fall or Spring start, Summer admissions are considered and under the approval of the Executive Committee. 3. Admission of Transfer Students from Inside of the University of Utah We will consider transfer applications according to the following policy:

1. Students who wish to transfer from inside of the University of Utah may apply directly to the Executive Committee and will require the support of a Faculty mentor from the M&I Graduate Program.

2. The student must submit a complete application that includes a personal statement of research interests, current CV, past transcripts (undergraduate and graduate) and the names of 3 references.

3. The material will be reviewed by the Executive Committee and the applicant may be interviewed by at least 2 committee members. References may be contacted at this stage.

4. If admission is granted by the Executive Committee, the Committee will assess the student’s previous coursework, whether credits can be transferred from the previous Graduate Program, and make recommendations regarding any further coursework that the student is required to complete


their PhD as a student in the M&I Graduate program. Passing of the Preliminary exam in the previous Department may be accepted in lieu of undertaking a separate preliminary exam, and will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

5. Student will complete a Recommendation for Change of Graduate Classification Form. https://registrar.utah.edu/handbook/graduateclassification.php

4. Admission of Transfer Students from Outside of the University of Utah We ask that students complete or resign from their current graduate program before being considered for admission into the M&I PhD program. We will consider transfer applications according to the following policy: 1. Students who wish to transfer from outside of the University of Utah may apply

directly to the Executive Committee and will require the support of a Faculty mentor from the M&I Graduate Program.

2. The student must submit a complete application that includes a personal statement of research interests, current CV, past transcripts (undergraduate and graduate) and the names of 3 references.

3. The material will be reviewed by the Executive Committee and the applicant may be interviewed by at least 2 committee members. References may be contacted at this stage.

4. If admission is granted by the Executive Committee, the Committee will assess the student’s previous coursework, whether credits can be transferred from the previous Institution, and make recommendations regarding any further coursework that the student is required to complete their PhD as a student in the M&I Graduate program.

5. Admission of International Students International Students who wish to apply to join the Pathology Graduate program will have to meet the following minimum requirements:

• Undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or more (exemptions are possible but rarely given).

• Proof of English language competency in line with University of Utah

policy. This should be 6.5 of higher on the International English Language Test (IELTS: https://www.ielts.org/en-us)

For more details please see: https://admissions.utah.edu/english-proficiency/


If accepted, the University of Utah Admissions Office will provide assistance in applying for an F1 student visa, required for study in the USA. This may take anywhere from 2-6 months. IV. ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE All graduate degrees offered by the M&I Graduate Program are granted by the University of Utah Graduate School. The Director of Graduate Studies and the Division Chief of the Microbiology and Immunology are assisted by the Executive Committee in the formulation of policy that falls within the regulation of the Graduate School, as well as the resolution of problems. In addition, appointment of student representatives who are students currently enrolled in the M&I Graduate Program affords a way for student concerns to be raised and discussed. The Executive Committee members oversee student progress and provide support and guidance to students as they work towards their PhD. In this capacity, the members of the Executive Committee are also responsible for ensuring all students are completing program requirements towards their degree. Administrative support related to the Graduate program, including assistance with course sign up, tuition and benefits, organization of Research-in-Progress seminars, scheduling of meetings with the Director of Graduate Studies and reimbursement for conferences and other research-related travel is organized by Mrs Kim Springer (801-213-3717; [email protected]). V. PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS AND CURRICULUM 1. General Requirements A summary of the general requirements for obtaining a PhD degree from the M&I Graduate Program are:

A) Obtain a grade of “B-” or better in all courses and a pass for laboratory rotations (if joining from the MB/BC program) and dissertation research

B) Choose a dissertation advisor C) Form a dissertation committee and hold annual committee meetings (bi-

annual meetings from year 5 onwards) D) Complete and maintain an Individual Deveopment Plan E) Pass the qualifying exam F) Write a grant application G) Submit a grant application, if eligible H) Attend and participate in the academic events of the program, including

seminars, thesis defenses and Research-in-Progress


I) Have at least 1 first author primary research paper accepted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal (2 expected)

J) Write, successfully defend and submit a dissertation K) Fulfill Graduate School requirements and NIH recommendations such as

undertaking training in research ethics and Teaching Assistant duty. The specific program requirements differ depending on whether you have entered the M&I Graduate Program via the Bioscience program (Molecular Biology (MB) / Biological Chemistry (BC)), the MD/Ph.D. program, or as a Directly Admitted student. 2. Required Coursework Classes are organized into the core curriculum and electives. The core curriculum provides you with a comprehensive background in essential areas that covers all required coursework, while the electives let you tailor your studies to your personal interests. a. Required Coursework for Bioscience (MB/ BC) Students

YEAR 1 Course Title Credits Semester

BLCHM 6050 Faculty Research Interest Seminars 1 Fall

MBIOL 7570 Research Ethics 1 1 Fall

BLCHM 6410 MBIOL 6410 Protein & Nucleic Acid Biochemistry 2 Half, Fall

MBIOL 6420 G3: Genetics, Genomes and Gene Expression 3 Fall

BLCHM 6400 Genetic Engineering 2 Half, Fall

BLCHM 6460 Protein Chemistry 2 Half, Fall

BLCHM 6450 Biophysical Chemistry 2 Half, Fall

MBIOL 6480 Cell biology 1.5 Half, Fall

BLCHM 7960 MBIOL 7960 Lab Rotation 1 & 2 2-3 Fall

BLCHM 6200 Critical Thinking in Research 2 1st Half, Spring

BLCHM 6300 Guided Proposal Preparation 2 2nd Half, Spring

VARIOUS Choose 3 Electives 1.5 - 3 each Spring


BLCHM 79670 MBIOL 7960 Lab Rotation 3 2-3 1st Half, Spring


PATH 7970 PhD thesis research credits 9 minus total course credits Fall

PATH 7880 Attendance and Participation in the

Department of Pathology Research in Progress

1 Fall

PATH 7150-001 Hypothesis design and Scientific Writing 1 Fall

PATH 7800 Ethical Implications of Racism in Science and Medicine (if not taken in Year 1) 1.5 Fall

PATH 7970 PhD thesis research credits 9 minus total course credits Spring



1 Spring

Elective 1 1.5 - 3 each



PATH 7970 PhD thesis research credits 8 Fall



1 Fall

PATH 7970 PhD thesis research credits 8 Spring



1 Spring

YEAR 1 The required courses are the first-year curriculum for either the MB or BC Program. See the first year curriculum requirements listed on the MB/BC Program website (http://www.bioscience.utah.edu). If a grade of less than a B- is earned in a core course, the student is required to retake the course and receive a B- or better before the end of the 2nd year.

Red=MB Only | Blue=BC Only


YEAR 2 The required second year courses above plus elective courses and thesis research that total 9 credit hours/semester. If a grade of less than a B- is earned in a core course, the student is required to retake the course and receive a B- or better before the end of the 2nd year. YEAR 3 TO COMPLETION (ANNUAL REQUIREMENTS) The required courses above plus thesis research that total 9 credit hours/semester.

Attendance at Departmental Seminars and Thesis Defenses is expected throughout the all years of your enrollment in the M&I Graduate Program. b. Required Coursework for Directly Admitted Students





1 Fall


PATH 7800 Ethical Implications of Racism in Science and Medicine 1.5 Fall

MBIOL 7570 Scientific integrity and Ethics of Scientific Research 1 Fall







1 Fall





1 Spring




PATH 7970 PhD thesis research credits 8 Fall



1 Fall

PATH 7970 PhD thesis research credits 8 Spring



1 Spring

YEAR 1 The required courses above plus elective courses and thesis research that total 9 credit hours/semester. If a grade of less than a B- is earned in a core course, the student is required to retake the course and receive a B- or better YEAR 2 The required seconod year courses above plus 3 credit hours of elective classes and thesis research that totals 9 credit hours / semester YEAR 3 TO COMPLETION (ANNUAL REQUIREMENTS) The required courses above plus thesis research that total 9 credit hours/semester. Attendance at Departmental Seminars and Thesis Defenses is expected throughout the all years of your enrollment in the M&I Graduate Program. c. Required Coursework for MD/PhD students

YEAR 1 (MS1) Course Title Credits Semester


Lab Rotation 1 & 2 (4 weeks each) 0 Summer

MD ID 7300 Foundations of Medicine 17 Fall

MD ID 7101 Layers of Medicine I 1 Spring

MD ID 7001 Clinical Method I 3 Fall

MD ID 7310 Molecules, Cells, Cancer 8 Spring

MD ID 7320 Host and Defense 9 Spring

MD ID 7102 Layers of Medicine 2 3 Spring

MD ID 7002 Clinical Method II 5 Spring

MD ID 7500 Year 1 Assessment 1 Spring

UUHSC 6201 Foundations of IPE 0.5 Spring

YEAR 2 (MS2)

Course Title Credits Semester

Lab Rotation 3 & 4 (5 weeks each) 0 Summer

MD ID 7350 Metabolism & Reproduction 9 Fall

MD ID 7360 Circulation, Respiration, Regulation 12 Fall

MD ID 7103 Layers of Medicine 3 5 Fall

MD ID 7003 CMC 3 5 Fall

MD ID 7340 Brain & Behavior 9 Spring

MD ID 7370 Skin, Muscle, Bone, Joint 7 Spring

MD ID 7103 Layers of Medicine 4 1 Spring

MD ID 7003 CMC 4 5 Spring

UUHSC 6301 Interprofessional Telemedicine 0.5 Spring

YEAR 3 (GS1)

Course Title Credits Semester

Capstone Course and Examination 0 Summer

MBIOL 7570 Scientific integrity and Ethics of Scientific Research 1 Fall

PATH 7800 Ethical Implications of Racism in Science and Medicine 1.5 Fall






1 Fall

PATH 6000+ Graduate-level didactic course 1.5 - 3 Fall




1 Spring

PATH 6000+ Graduate-level special topics course 1.5 - 3 Spring

YEAR 1 In the summer before the fall semester of medical school, MD/Ph.D. students are expected to complete two four-week lab rotations. MD/Ph.D. students are also required to successfully pass the courses listed above and an End of Year One Assessment Exam. YEAR 2 In the summer before the fall semester of Year 2, MD/Ph.D. students are expected to complete two five-week lab rotations and an off-topic research presentation. MD/Ph.D. students are also required to successfully pass the courses listed above and USMLE STEP 1 (Board Examination). YEAR 3 TO COMPLETION (ANNUAL REQUIREMENTS) In the summer before the fall semester of GS1, MD/Ph.D. students are expected to join a lab and to successfully complete an on-topic Capstone Course and Examination. Students also must complete any graduate courses required by the student’s Thesis Advisory Committee in addition to those listed above. The required courses above plus thesis research that total 9 credit hours/semester. Attendance at Departmental Seminars and Thesis Defenses is expected throughout the all years of your enrollment in the M&I Graduate Program.


d. Required Coursework for All Students

• Cumulation of at least 20 credit hours of PATH 7970 (PhD Thesis Research). Each semester all students must complete 9 credit hours in total made up of classes and PhD thesis research. Over the summer students that used Tuition Benefit (TBP) in the Fall or Spring prior, will register for 3 credits of Thesis Research. Those that are on T32, F awards, or have exceded their TBP, or used XTB should check with Kim Springer prior to registering for Summer courses. IMPORTANT NOTIFICATION FOR ALL M&I GRADUATE STUDENTS Students are prohibited from taking classes for credit offered outside the University of Utah as part of their 9 credit hours. In unusual circumstances exceptions may be made for each course by petitioning the Executive Committee of the M&I Graduate Program.

• Teaching Assistant (TA) duty is required for one semester or two half-semester courses, regardless of the source of individual stipends, for all students who have entered the M&I Graduate Program. Available TA assignments can be obtained from Kim Springer for various courses offered by the departments who participate in the combined MB/BC programs. International students are required to successfully pass a SPEAK test and attend the International TA Program Workshop prior to fulfilling their TA responsibilities. MD/PhD students are not required to fulfill this TA duty requirement.

• Ethics Training An examination of research integrity and other ethical issues

involved in scientific research. Topics may include scientific fraud, conflicts of interest, plagiarism and authorship designation, and the role of science in formulating social policy. The MBIOL 7570 and PATH 7800 courses are designed for graduate students, post-docs and regular faculty in the sciences. These courses are mandatory for all M&I Graduate students, but students admitted from the MB/BC program are exempt if they have already taken these courses in their first year.

• After completing their qualifying exam, students are required to prepare a fellowship application and submit it to either NIH or NSF, if eligible.

https://www.nsfgrfp.org https://researchtraining.nih.gov/programs/fellowships/F31 The “PATH 7150-001: Hypothesis design and Scientific Writing” course will take students through mentored writing of an NIH F31 / F30 proposal that can be used to craft other grant applications. The deadlines for the NIH F31 and F30 Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Awards are April 8, August 8, and December 8 (MD/PhD students should apply for an


F30 fellowship). Submission processes will also be discussed. You will require a substantial amount of input from your PI in preparing this application. Cases in which an eligible student does not submit a predoctoral fellowship application should be presented in writing to the department’s Director of Graduate Studies by both the student and PI, and will be considered on a case-by-case basis to determine whether the student is permitted to continue in the program.

International students are not eligible for NIH or NSF fellowship support and they are exempted from this requirement. However, international students are encouraged to apply to other organizations, as can be found on the M&I Graduate school website.

Graduate Level Course Waiver/Exceptions: Students may request a waiver for courses for which they have had an equivalent. Waivers and Exceptions are subject to approval by the Executive Committee of the M&I PhD Program. 3. Elective Courses Electives are to be decided jointly by the student and the advisor. Students must take at least one additional graduate-level didactic course (numbered 6000 or above) other than a special topics course and at least one additional graduate-level special topics course (numbered 6000 or above). The specific course(s) must be approved by the student's Thesis Advisor and/or Thesis Advisory Committee. Courses numbered 5000-5999 may be taken for graduate credit with prior approval by the student's Thesis Advisor and/or Thesis Advisory Committee. In all cases students must receive a passing grade of B- or better. Elective courses might change from year to year. The following electives of relevance to the research carried out by the Faculty members of the M&I Graduate Program are currently available and listed below:

Course Title Department MBIOL6480 Cell Biology Molecular Biology MBIOL6410 Protein and Nucleic Acid Biochemistry Molecular Biology MBIOL6300 Guided Proposal Preparation Molecular Biology MBIOL6200 Critical Thinking in Research Molecular Biology MBIOL6420 G3: Genetics, Genomes, and Gene Expression Molecular Biology PATH7310 Host Pathogen Interactions and Human Disease Pathology PATH7330 Basic Immunology Pathology PATH7360 Advanced Immunology Pathology PATH7320 Topics in Immunology Pathology PATH7907 Immunity to Infectious Disease Pathology


4. Laboratory Rotations • Students entering the M&I program through the MB or BC program will

complete 3 lab rotations to help select a thesis mentor and lab. The rotations last for 6 weeks. Students are expected to spend about 20 hours/week in the rotation lab. There will be two rotations in the Fall semester and one rotation at the beginning of the Spring semester. Students choose a thesis advisor and lab at the end of the Spring semester. For your rotation, you may choose any of the M&I Graduate Program Faculty listed in section II. For help with choosing your advisor, you can contact your first-year faculty advisor assigned by the MB and BC programs upon starting at the University of Utah.

PATH7380 Biochemical Genetics Pathology PATH6410 Molecular Virology Pathology PATH6910 Noncoding RNAs and Immune Responses Pathology NEUSC6060 Neuroanatomy Neuroscience NEUSC6100 Visual Neuroscience I Neuroscience NEUSC6050 Systems Neuroscience: Functioning of the Nervous System Neuroscience NEUSC6010 Frontiers in Neuroscience Neuroscience NEUSC7750 Developmental Neurobiology Neuroscience NEUSC6040 Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience Neuroscience NEUSC7790 Light Microscopy and Digital Imaging Neuroscience BMI6115 Biomedical Text Processing Biomedical Informatics BMI6019 Bioinformatics in Practice: RNA-Seq Data Analysis Biomedical Informatics BMI6105 Statistics for Biomedical Informatics Biomedical Informatics BMI6030 Foundations of Bioinformatics Biomedical Informatics BMI5030 Foundations of Bioinformatics Biomedical Informatics BMI6106 Introduction to Probability and Statistics for Biomedical

Data Science Biomedical Informatics

BMI6018 Introduction to Programming for Biomedical Data Science Biomedical Informatics BMI6114 Applied Deep Learning in Biomedicine Biomedical Informatics BMI6060 Applied Computational Genomics Biomedical Informatics BMI6015 Applied Machine Learning in Biomedical Informatics Biomedical Informatics BMI6017 Computer Science Fundamentals Biomedical Informatics BMI7051 Data Science for Health I Biomedical Informatics BMI7052 Data Science for Health II Biomedical Informatics PHS7050 Statistical Practice Population Health

Sciences PHS7100 Epidemiologic Theory and Methods Population Health

Sciences PHS7040 Machine Learning Population Health

Sciences PHS7120 Molecular Epidemiology Population Health BIOL6500 Advanced Statistical Modeling for Biologists Biology H GEN6092 Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics Human Genetics


More detailed information on lab rotations and first-year curriculum for Bioscience Ph.D. students can be found here: https://bioscience.utah.edu/current_students/first-year.php

• Students entering the M&I PhD Program through direct admission do not

need to complete any rotations. You can choose any of the M&I Graduate Program Faculty listed in section II. Directly admitted students can contact the Faculty of the lab of choice to arrange to be considered for admission into the program. If you wish to rotate in a specific lab before committing, you will need to discuss this option with the Faculty of your selected lab and the M&I Director of Graduate Studies Tracey Lamb at [email protected]

• Students entering the M&I Ph.D. Program through the MD/Ph.D. program are expected to complete 4 lab rotations to help select a thesis mentor and lab. The two four-week lab rotations occur in the summer before the Fall semester of Year 1, and two five-week lab rotations occur in the summer before the Fall semester of Year 2. Students may do any number of rotations in other departments, as long as one rotation is with an M&I Graduate Program Faculty.

• MD/PhD student will complete 4 rotations (2 during the summer before

starting medical school and 2 during the summer between 1st and 2nd year of medical school) prior to joining the M&I PhD Program

• Students will need to complete Environmental Health and Safety Online (EHSO) modules and training to begin working in a laboratory setting at the University of Utah. This training should be completed as directed by the PI of the rotation lab, and before beginning work in the lab. Most EHSO training will be carried over to subsequent rotations.

• Students who undertake rotation work based on human samples or with

involvement in animals should verify with the PI of the lab the requirements to be added to the laboratory Ethical Review (IRB) or Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) protocols before beginning lab work. Such permissions are lab-specific and this should be addressed at the beginning of each rotation.

5. Selection of an Advisor Once an advisor has been chosen, the student and the PI should download and fill out the Advisor-Advisee contract form. This form will also require the signatures of any Co-Advisors, the Director of Graduate Studies (Dr Tracey Lamb), the Division Chief of Microbiology and Immunology (Dr Brian Evavold) and if the Advisor does not have their primary appointment in the Department


of Pathology, also the Chair of the Advisor’s primary department. This form should be turned into the Program Administrator, Mrs Kim Springer ([email protected]; 801-213-3717) to be added to the student’s file. 6. Dissertation Committees a. Committee Formation A student is to select his / her dissertation committee by the end of the first semester in the program. DIRECTLY ADMITTED STUDENTS: You must form your committee within 1 month of joining the M&I Graduate program to help guide your choice of elective classes.

The duties of the committee include assisting the student in creating and executing an original, publishable research project, assisting in the preparation of an acceptable dissertation and administering the final oral examination (the dissertation defense). As such this committee is vital to the progress of the student.

Overall, you want to choose people who are available, reasonable and with whom you feel you could work well. Each advisor will have a different level of investment into how a student forms his or her committee. Consult with your advisor first for feedback and advice. Then consider people from both the perspective of those who will enhance your science / project AND those who will invest in your personal and professional development. You do not have to meet all the criteria below but these are some qualities to consider as you form your committee:

For scientific input, consider including: 1) An expert in your field specifically 2) An expert in your field more broadly 3) Someone up to date and interested in cutting edge methods and

technology 4) Someone whose lab has some kind of expertise that will benefit your

project.

For your personal and professional development, consider including: 1) Someone you rotated with or have interacted with in the past that you

seemed to have a personal interest in you and could be your advocate / ally if or when needed

2) Someone you feel comfortable talking to outside of committee meetings 3) Someone who is available for meetings (versus someone who is always

traveling or spread too thinly with administrative responsibilities) 4) Someone who has a good track record of working with students 5) At least some members familiar with program guidelines and requirements

to help keep you on track


Once you have spoken with your advisor and considered the above, please note the program does require you to meet these criteria:

1) 5 members total, including your advisor 2) Include 3 members of the M&I Graduate program 3) Include at least 1 member who is from outside of the M&I Department but

a faculty member at the University of Utah 4) No more than 1 Research Track Assistant Professor, if applicable (see table

below) 5) At least 4 members must be present to hold a meeting

After receiving all appropriate signatures students must turn in the M&I Graduate Program Request for Supervisory Committee form to the Program Administrator (Kim Springer; [email protected]; 801-213-3717) to formalize their committee selection. b. Committee meetings Committee meetings are to be held at least once per calendar year, including the final year of graduate study. A student must have at least 3 committee meetings prior to the dissertation defense. However, the committee may recommend more frequent meetings as needed to more closely monitor a student’s progress. In order to monitor a timely progression towards completion of the PhD degree; fifth year and beyond all students will have a minimum of two meetings per year. At least 4 of the 5 committee members must be in attendance at each meeting. Annual committee meetings are most conveniently held immediately after the Research-In-Progress (RIP) presentation, which each student prepares once per academic year. Students must incorporate and Individual Development Plan (IDP) which can be found at https://myidp.sciencecareers.org/?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1 Slides outlining the salient parts of the IDP should be included at the start of every thesis committee meeting as part of their presentation. Templates for these slides can be found on the M&I PhD Program website. This is an efficient way of outlining the student’s immediate and long term goals to the thesis committee, allowing timely advice in the key areas necessary for progression to completion of the PhD. Additionally, students must obtain signatures and compete the M&I Graduate program Committee Meeting Form at each committee meeting. Mentors should complete the Meeting Summary Form. Students and mentors should submit


these forms to the Program Administrator within 1 week following their committee meeting. **** These forms are required as documentation of each meeting**** 7. PhD Preliminary Exam a. Examination Overview The preliminary exam consists of two parts: 1. A written proposal based on the student’s thesis project. This proposal should

consist of 2-3 specific aims. At least one of these aims must be independently conceived and developed by the student and not based directly on any work proposed by or ongoing in the thesis lab.

2. An oral exam that includes defense of the proposal and general knowledge. “General knowledge” includes the thesis field of research and all coursework preceding the exam.

b. Goal The preliminary exam consists of an F31-style written proposal in addition to an oral presentation of this proposal to the student’s thesis committee. The goal of the preliminary exam is to determine whether the student is prepared for PhD-

M&I RESEARCH TRACK FACULTY

Name Research Interest Lab Website Contact

Xiao He MD PhD T cell activation

https://medicine.utah.edu/faculty/mddetail.php?

facultyID=u0547122

[email protected]

Elizabeth Kolawole

PhD

Effects of dietary fat on T cell activation


facultyID=u6012088

[email protected]

Baoyu Liu PhD T cell activation


facultyID=u6013182

[email protected]

Vanessa Redecke MD, PhD

Innate immunity https://medicine.utah.edu/faculty/mddetail.php?

facultyID=u6025546

[email protected]

W. Zac Stephens

PhD

Air pollution and microbial ecology


facultyID=u0210816

[email protected]

Warren Voth PhD

Non-coding RNAs and innate immunity


facultyID=u0030834

[email protected]

Zemin Zhou PhD

Antigen presentation and T cell activation

https://medicine.utah.edu/faculty/mddetail.php?facultyID=u0557060

[email protected]


level work, has the fundamental knowledge and skills needed to succeed in their thesis research, and that they have a sound thesis plan and project moving forward. The thesis committee will evaluate the student’s knowledge of his/her field, critical thinking skills and ability to formulate hypotheses, originality and creativity, and presentation skills. The student should prepare a presentation that would take 30 minutes to present without interruption for the oral portion of the exam. This presentation should summarize and defend the proposal and the student should be prepared for numerous interruptions. The student is expected to have substantial depth of knowledge in the thesis area, broadly defined. The examiners are interested in a student’s understanding of the concepts, assumptions, and limitations of their proposal and ability to address any questions/concerns, including designing additional experiments or revising existing ones. A key element of the oral examination will be an explanation and defense of the importance of the questions to be addressed, placement of these questions in the broader context of the field, and a logical presentation of how the proposed experiments will answer the questions posed. The student is expected to be well-versed in the relevant literature and broader areas, based on coursework taken. It is recommended that the student organize a mock oral exam involving other students and post-docs to practice in preparation for the questioning of the oral examination. The thesis advisor, mentors, and examiners may not participate in mock examinations. Students must obtain the M&I Graduate Program Qualifying Exam found on the M&I Graduate Program Website to present to their committee at the qualifying exam. This form, which includes the signatures of each committee member should be turned into the Program Administrator immediately following the exam. In the case that a student fails the exam, he/she will have 6 weeks to do a successful re-examination. A second failure results in dismissal from the program. c. Timeline for Completion The qualifying exam should be completed by the end of January of the student’s second year in the thesis lab (second year in graduate school for MB/BC entrants or Directly Admitted students and third year for MD/PhD students).

It is the student’s responsibility to perform the tasks associated with scheduling and preparing for the exam.

1. Select a these committee who will also act as the exam committee for the Preliminary Exam and schedule a date and room. The committee must be formed and the Graduate Program Administrator notified of committee membership by September 30th at the latest. The exam should be scheduled for no later than the 31st January.


2. Prepare the preliminary exam proposal. The preliminary exam period begins six weeks before the exam date. The student is expected to read, think deeply and broadly in his/her field and prepare his/her exam proposal. In addition to daily reading and writing, the student is expected to continue to complete lab and department responsibilities, including attending RIPs, seminars, defenses and lab meetings.

3. Send the Specific Aims page to the committee at least four weeks prior to the exam date. The student is expected to meet individually with each committee member to discuss the specific aims, particularly the student-derived aim(s) and revise the aim(s) based on committee feedback before submitting the final proposal.

4. Prepare for the oral exam and submit the final proposal. The proposal is due to the committee at least one week prior to the oral exam date. The student should prepare a presentation that would take 30 minutes to present without interruptions.

d. Thesis (Exam) Committee The exam committee should be the same as the student’s thesis committee (see section 5a). By the start of the exam, the committee will appoint a chair (other than the advisor). The chair will provide the final feedback to the student and write a short summary of the exam for the chair, thesis committee members, and M&I Graduate Program Administrator. e. Role of the Thesis Advisor The student is encouraged to consult with his/her thesis advisor during preparation for the exam about the concepts and principles of the study. The thesis advisor can have conversations with the student about specific aims and provide guidance and recommendations on the development of the experimental approach. However, the student is responsible for crafting of a document that speaks in his/her voice and the details of the proposal should be developed by the student. The thesis advisor should not read or edit the student's written proposal before the oral exam. The thesis advisor will be asked at the beginning of the oral exam to comment on how much of the proposal includes details and ideas synthesized by the student, rather than verbatim from the advisor and lab members. The thesis advisor is asked to confirm that the written document is the student’s own writing and does not include text from grants or papers. At least one of the Specific Aims should be entirely conceived and developed by the student. The thesis advisor is not allowed to participate in mock examinations in preparation for the oral exam.


f. Format and Structure of Written Proposal The proposal guidelines follow those of the NIH F31 Predoctoral Fellowship application. Applicants must describe a well-defined research project that is well-suited to his/her stage of career development and can be accomplished by the individual within the time-frame of the training period (3-5 years). The text of the written proposal must be the student’s original writing. Students may not use text from the thesis advisor’s previous grants or papers or any previous Prelim Exam by students in the laboratory. The thesis advisor, mentors, and examiners may not comment on the written exam before the oral exam. Content (excerpted from NIH NRSA F31 instructions): Specific Aims (1 page): Introduce the problem that will be addressed. List succinctly the specific objectives of the research proposed, e.g., to test a stated hypothesis, create a novel design, solve a specific problem, challenge an existing paradigm or clinical practice, address a critical barrier to progress in the field, or develop new technology. Summarize the experimental approach in Specific Aims (including at least one novel student-developed aim), where each aim reflects a major research goal. While specific aims can be interrelated, it is critically important that one aim not be entirely dependent upon another. Summarize the expected outcome(s), including the impact that the results of the proposed research will exert on the research field(s) involved.

Research Strategy (6 pages): Organize the Research Strategy in the specified order using the instructions provided below. Start each section with the appropriate section heading —

Significance and Approach We strongly suggest including figures as appropriate; to increase the incentive for the student to create figures, these will not count towards the page limit. Figures can (but are not required to) include the student’s own preliminary data as well as data from the laboratory. If the student includes data from a lab member/collaborator, these data must be appropriately attributed and the student should obtain permission from the person who generated the data (if unpublished). The student should also consider including figures that show predicted experimental outcomes as well as a graphical abstract or diagram that illustrates aspects of the models or hypotheses being tested to help orient the reviewers to the design of the study. If the student presents predicted experimental outcomes, these data should be in cartoon format and should NOT be made from photoshopped images of real gels, microscopy pictures, etc. This restriction applies to the oral presentation slides as well. These figures should be clearly labeled as predicted and not actual experimental outcomes. • Significance

Introduce the problem or question that will be addressed in this study


- Provide a review of the field that explains the importance of the problem or critical barrier to progress in the field that the proposed project addresses. - Explain how the proposed project will improve scientific knowledge, technical capability, and/or clinical practice in the relevant research fields. - Describe how the concepts, methods, technologies, treatments, services, or preventative interventions that drive this field will be changed if the proposed aims are achieved.

• Approach Describe the overall strategy, methodology, and analyses to be used to accomplish the specific aims of the project. - Describe how the data will be collected, analyzed, and interpreted - Discuss potential problems, alternative strategies, and benchmarks for

success anticipated to achieve the aims - If the project is in the early stages of development, describe any strategy to

establish feasibility, and address the management of any high-risk aspects of the proposed work.

• Bibliography and References Cited (no page limit) Cite published experimental details in the Research Strategy section and provide a bibliography of any references cited. Each reference should be formatted according to NIH standard guidelines. This is a good time to learn to use available citation software such as Endnote. The bibliography should be formatted using the “NIH” output style and must list all authors and full titles of the articles. Students should be especially careful to follow scholarly practices in providing citations for source materials.

Page Formatting Font: Arial 11 point in the main text. Font in figures and figure legends should be Arial 9 pt font. Spacing: Single Spaced Margins: 0.5 inch page margins on all sides. Language: Formal Scientific American English. Avoid jargon. If terms are not universally known, spell out the term the first time it is used and note the appropriate abbreviation in parentheses. The abbreviation may be used thereafter. g. Examination Day Procedure The student should schedule the exam for two hours. Once the committee has gathered, the student will be asked to leave the room. The committee will then:

1. Decide who will serve as the exam committee chair-person. The chair must be someone other than the thesis advisor.


2. The thesis advisor should report on the extent to which the proposal includes details and ideas synthesized by the student, rather than verbatim from the advisor and lab members.

3. The thesis advisor is asked to confirm that the written document is the student’s own writing and does not include text from grants or papers.

4. The thesis advisor is asked to confirm that one of the Specific Aims was entirely conceived and developed by the student.

5. Discuss the student's overall record, particularly any deficiencies that might need special attention in the oral questioning.

6. Discuss the written proposal and identify any weaknesses that should be pursued in oral questioning.

The chair will then invite the student to return to the room and ask the student to begin the prepared 30-minute presentation. During the presentation the committee can interrupt the student with questions about the proposal, general knowledge related to the topic proposal, or general knowledge in broader fields. At the conclusion of the presentation and questions the student will be asked to leave the room. The exam committee will discuss the student’s performance and decide on a recommendation (pass, conditional pass, or fail). The thesis advisor can stay in the room to help relay content and advice from the committee’s discussion to the student, but the thesis advisor should remain quiet unless asked for input by the committee. The student will be asked to return to the exam room and will be told the results of the exam. The committee chair and committee members will give the student feedback on their performance, including suggestions for how to improve their knowledge base and skill sets. h. Scoring and Outcome It is the responsibility of each specific Thesis Committee to decide whether it is in the best interest of the student and the department for the student to advance to candidacy and continue with their thesis research. The successful completion of a PhD dissertation requires substantial commitment of time and resources on the part of the student as well as the thesis advisor, faculty and institution. The student will be evaluated based on several criteria outlined in detail on the Preliminary Exam scoring sheet including knowledge of their field, critical thinking and the ability to formulate hypotheses, originality and creativity, and writing and presentation skills. Possible outcomes:

1. Pass: The student receives a full pass if the committee feels that they have performed well on all aspects of the exam and are qualified to work towards a doctorate.


2. Conditional pass: If a student performs well overall, but exhibits a significant deficiency in one area, the committee may require additional work in that particular area. This could include additional coursework, rewriting the proposal, or an additional oral presentation.

3. Fail: If a student fails the Prelim Exam, the committee feels that they were severely deficient in one or more aspects of the exam. The student has the right to retake the exam within a 4-6 week time frame. However, if the committee thinks that the deficiencies are such that the student is unlikely to pass the second time, they will say so. For the second exam the student will receive either a full pass or fail. If the student fails the second exam, the exam committee will pass that information onto the Graduate Committee and recommend termination. This recommendation must be approved by a vote of the entire Graduate Committee and all appeals must go through the Graduate Committee.

Successful completion of the Preliminary Exam qualifies the student to proceed with the Ph.D. degree and is regarded as: (1) Assurance to the faculty of the Division of Microbiology and Immunology that the student is ready, or at least sufficiently developing in the ability to: (a) Envisage and formulate a specific scientific problem

(hypothesis and experiments, not an approach nor a long-term research project)

(b) Express a research problem concisely in writing (c) Effectively present and defend these ideas orally before a

selected examining group.

(2) Assurance of sufficiency of basic background information. Demonstrated areas of deficiency in the background of the student may be filled in by any of several means (courses, examinations, tutorials, etc.).

After the Preliminary Examination the Chair of the Thesis Advisory Committee will prepare a meeting summary, including progress to date and specific recommendations for future studies. This document will be circulated to all Thesis Advisory Committee members for comments and clarification, with the final version given to the student and a copy placed in the student’s file. This document can be reviewed at the next committee meeting. i. Appealing the Outcome of the Preliminary Examination The outcome of a preliminary examination can be appealed via a meeting with the Pathology Graduate Program Executive Committee. A majority vote will decide the outcome of the appeal.


8. Seminars a. Research in Progress Seminars (RIP) Students are required to participate in weekly Research-In-Progress meetings (each Monday at 12 noon) where they present their ongoing research to other predoctoral students, postdoctoral fellows and Pathology Faculty typically once a year. Guidelines for RIP are as follows: 1) The first RIP for each student will be in Spring of the first year in the thesis lab

(Year 1 for Direct Admit Students; Year 2 for MB/BC entrants and Year 3 for MD-PhD students).

2) RIP seminars will begin in September of each academic year 3) Students will be assigned a date to present their research and confirm

attendance availability by their advisor and committee members 4) Students must send their RIP title to the Program Administrator no later than 1

month before their talk. This allows the Program Administrator to maintain the program website calendar and prepare announcements for each month’s presenters

5) Any changes to the RIP schedule must be arranged by the student with another student in their class year. This change must be made no later than four weeks before their scheduled RIP, have the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies with notification of any change provided to the Program Administrator.

6) Students within their last year of the Program are required to present a RIP. If a student has a set defense date in the same semester he/she/they is scheduled to present a RIP he/she/they is not required to present this final RIP.

Email announcements for RIP will be sent out on the morning of the presentations at the latest. b. M&I Departmental Seminars Attendance at weekly Department of Pathology seminars is a requirement for M&I Graduate Students. These are generally held on Fridays at 12 noon throughout the academic year. Students may meet guest speakers at lunches and dinners associated with the seminar and students are encouraged to participate in scientific discussions. Additionally, there will be one student-invited speaker each year. The current 4th year students will be responsible for this speaker’s visit.


VI. WRITING, DEFENDING AND GRADUATION 1. Dissertation Format The University requires that "the candidate must be regularly enrolled for three or more credit hours during the semester in which the final oral examination is taken." The format of the dissertation must be approved by the dissertation committee before you begin writing. A copy of the dissertation in final form must be submitted to all members of the committee before the defense date can be set. The defense must be at least two weeks after the committee receives the final written copy. The written dissertation must conform to the University of Utah Graduate School Guidelines which can be found on the Graduate school website (https://gradschool.utah.edu/thesis/). In general, this will consist of an original account of the background, approach, experiments and conclusions of your dissertation research. Published papers written by the student may be reformatted as chapters of the dissertation, but an original introductory chapter (review of the literature) and concluding chapter must be added. The final chapter (~10 pages) should not simply summarize the conclusions made in the dissertation but provide a scholarly discussion how these conclusions advance the field of study. The dissertation must indicate which figures and tables are based on data generated by the PhD candidate. 2. Publication Expectations Publications are an important part of the training and success of the students graduating from the M&I Graduate Program. It is expected that students will have multiple publications (two first-author primary research publications, review article from introduction chapter, and additional collaborative works (eg. co-authored publications) accepted in peer-reviewed journals at the time of their dissertation defense. However, the number of accepted papers only serves as a guideline for signaling the student’s progress for defense and should not be considered as the sole requirement to secure permission to defend. Students at this point must convince their committee and the M&I Graduate program that they are operating at the independent level of a postdoctoral scientist. In order to obtain permission to defend, students should convince their committees that they have intellectually mastered their field and generated an original body of work that advances knowledge within that field. In extenuating circumstances, a student and his or her PI may petition the M&I Graduate Program Executive Committee for permission to defend with less than 2 first-author primary research papers, however it will not be permitted for students who have not successfully published a single first author peer-reviewed primary research paper: Students are required to have one first author peer-reviewed research publication accepted prior to defending their thesis. Exceptions: In the event a student is unable to meet the first authorship rule, the student and the student’s Thesis Advisory Committee may request a waiver. The waiver request shall be in writing and directed to the Executive Committee of


the M&I PhD Program. The letter shall be signed by the student and Principal Investigatoor, and by at least three additional members of the Thesis Advisory Committee. This request must justify the need for the waiver and describe the significant role the student has played in writing and managing the authorship and publication process.

Waiver Application Review Process: After a formal discussion, the Executive Committee of the M&I PhD Program may approve the application for waiver by simple majority of the full committee. If the student’s Principal Investigator should be a member of the Curriculum and Progression Committee, the mentor shall be recused from the discussion and the vote. 3. Defense (Oral Exam) The final oral examination (dissertation defense) is scheduled by the student with the approval of their dissertation committee. The student should coordinate with Kim Springer to schedule the date and reserve the auditorium for the defense. The defense is public and anyone attending may ask questions. The presentation should last about 60 minutes. After the public presentation, the audience is dismissed and the dissertation committee will further question the candidate. The success of the defense is determined by majority vote of the dissertation committee. 4. Dissertation Checklist The following checklist must be completed in order to obtain your PhD degree, otherwise you will need to reapply. Before your defense:

� File: Dissertation committee Form � File: Application for Candidacy � File: Application for Degree in the semester in which you will defend (if

filed after the graduate school deadline a fee will be due. Check the Grad School calendar to be sure you make the deadline for the semester you intend to graduate (https://gradschool.utah.edu/thesis/calendar/)

� Complete and submit the M&I Graduate program Defense Notification Form no less than two weeks before your dissertation defense date. This allows the Program to confirm that you completed all requirements prior to your defense. This form, along with your defense flyer and program should be submitted to the Program Administrator (Mrs Kim Springer ([email protected]; 801-213-3717) no less than two weeks before your defense date.

At your defense bring the following forms:


� Report of Completion of Requirements for Degree to be signed by ALL dissertation committee members and the M&I Graduate Program Director

� A copy of the Approval Sheet – this is the face page of the PhD dissertation that each student prepares. The Approval Sheet is to be signed by the advisor and all members of the dissertation committee.

� A stack of programs to make available to your audience the day of your defense.

After your defense Please see the Graduate School’s Degree Completion page for instructions and a checklist of documents you will need to submit with your dissertation to graduate school. (https://gradschool.utah.edu/thesis/thesis-submission-procedure/)

3. Checkout Procedures All data generated during the PhD belongs to the PI of the lab upon completion of study and before leaving the department. All notebooks and data shall be retained by the advisor. The student is responsible for turning in all keys issued in their name. The keys must be returned to the Pathology main office (JMRB 1100), not to the research advisor. The student must also provide information to the M&I Graduate Program Administrator such as forwarding addresses and future affiliation. This information is important to the department for tracking purposes. Access to uMail, CIS and other system is removed the day of the termination date. This is in accordance with University of Utah Policy 4-004. Before termination occurs, employee should:

o Update home address in CIS o If home address changes after termination, please inform HR (Mark Malcolm:

[email protected] or Destiny Gomez: [email protected])

o Download required paystubs, 1095-C forms, and W-2s, as access is lost the day of the termination date. Please call Campus HR Solutions Center @ 801-581-7447 if assistance is required.

VII. TUITION, STIPENDS AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT 1. Stipend • Each student making satisfactory progress will receive a stipend ($29,130 for

the 2020-2021 academic year, $29,714 for the 2021-2022 academic year) plus full coverage of tuition expenses. Stipend levels are set by the MB/BC Umbrella program in consultation with the Vice Dean for Research. Support is provided by research advisors, training grants and other sources. The


Faculty also encourage and assist students in obtaining individual stipend support from extramural sources such as federal agencies and private foundations.

• Students whose tuition is paid by a training grant must register for 3 or 9 credit hours as instructed by the administrator of that training grant.

• Students whose tuition is paid by a grant obtained directly by the student must register for 3 or 9 credit hours according to the instructions of the individual award.

• Students whose tuition is paid by their Thesis Advisor (due to expiration of disqualification from their other funding sources) should only register for 3 credit hours of Pathology 7970 (Thesis Research) each semester; this will maintain the student's full-time status.

• In addition, each directly admitted student or outside transfer student will receive $1000 one-time starting allocation at the beginning of the course. That money can be used freely.

2. Health Insurance and Health Care • Students will receive medical, dental and vision insurance coverage through

the United Healthcare University of Utah Student Health Insurance Plan and the EMI Health dental/vision insurance. https://gradschool.utah.edu/tbp/insurance-information/

Dependent coverage is eligible at no cost to the student. If a student’s dependent is a University of Utah student whose department offers the University of Utah Health Insurance, the M&I Program does not enroll nor cover the cost of the dependent insurance (co-ordination of benefits).

• All international students on F and J visas will be automatically enrolled in the

University of Utah Student Health Insurance Plan. If you already have an equivalent or better insurance plan you may apply for a waiver of the University's insurance requirement. https://studenthealth.utah.edu/international-students/index.php

• All University of Utah students, their spouses, and dependents are eligible for

discounted care at the Student Health Center. The Student Health Center offers: • Full service primary health care • Preventive and Well Care • Women's Health and Family Planning • Pediatric Care Services • SHAC HIV/STD Testing & Counseling Clinic • Immunizations • Travel Clinic • Low Cost TB Tests


• Sports Medicine

The Student Health Center is located at: 555 Foothill Dr. Level 1 Salt Lake City, UT 84112

Phone: 801-581-6431 Fax: 801-585-5294 For more information, operating hours and appointments see https://studenthealth.utah.edu/

• For after-hours care you can visit one of the University's urgent care centers. They are open all day and in the evening 7 days a week and treat non-life-threatening illnesses. You do not need an appointment. You can just walk in and will be seen as quickly as possible. https://healthcare.utah.edu/primarycare/urgent.php

For assistance with Health Benefits Please address any queries to Kim Springer ([email protected]; 801-213-3717). 3. Other work

Financial support is provided only to full-time students working toward the PhD degree. Stipend and tuition fellowships are awarded to allow students to devote full-time to the graduate program and complete the requirements for the PhD degree in as short a time as is consistent with adequate training and research progress. It is not permissible for a student to work at another job, nor to be enrolled in another educational program. Student loans are available in cases of financial hardship. https://financialaid.utah.edu/ Teaching Assistant roles are permitted as they are required as part of the student’s coursework. However these positions are not generally paid positions.

4.Residency Requirements The residency requirements are as follows: • Be a U.S. citizen or have been granted permanent resident, asylum, or refugee

status in the US. • Have proof of physical presence in Utah for one year. • Have proof of Utah driver’s license, voter registration, and vehicle registration if

applicable. • Have completed 40 hours of graduate coursework.


Students are required by the Graduate School’s Tuition Benefit Program to apply for residency in the State of Utah as soon as they have completed 40 credit hours of coursework (5 semesters) at the University of Utah. Students are required to complete the Residency Reclassification Application by the deadlines listed on Admission’s website: https://admissions.utah.edu/apply/residency/

5. Financial Aid Graduate education and research are, by necessity, largely self-motivated processes, and the distraction of outside employment can interfere with the ability of students to prepare satisfactorily for their future professional careers. If additional income is absolutely necessary, students are encouraged to consider the possibility of low-interest student loan and should consult with the financial aid office. https://financialaid.utah.edu/ VIII. TIME OFF Students are required to schedule absences with their PI. Unscheduled absences or excessive vacation, holiday or leave time may result in a reduction of your stipend and/or possible suspension from the program. 1. Vacation The course of study and graduate stipend you receive are based on a 12-month commitment. Graduate students are permitted a maximum of two weeks of vacation time each year, excluding holidays. 2. Leave of Absence, Family/ Medical Leave Students may request Leave of Absence as well as Family Leave according to the guidelines as follows: a. University Graduate Student Leave Policy Graduate students may request up to one year of leave (uncompensated) for any of the following reasons:

a. Serious health condition of student or family member b. Parental leave c. Military service d. Other compelling reason, with permission of the department.

This leave requires that a student submit a leave request form signed by the student’s committee chair and department head or director of graduate studies. This can be found at the following link


https://registrar.utah.edu/handbook/leave.php Student and PI should also notify Kim Springer of this leave request. b. Family Leave Policy for M&I Division Family leave policy: • Students who are the primary caregivers to a new child may take up to 12

weeks paid leave following the birth or adoption of a child. This leave depends on caregiver status but is independent of sex, gender, gender identity, etc.

• Students shall sign a “family leave request” form and return a copy to the Graduate Student Coordinator and the advisor. This document reaffirms that the student is the primary caregiver of the child and estimates leave dates. This form shall be filed at least 30 days prior to the anticipated start of leave when possible.

• Students may choose to divide the leave time with a co-parent when both parents are students in the Microbiology and Immunology Division but the total amount of paid leave taken by both students will not exceed 12 weeks combined.

• Students on NIH training grants may take up to eight weeks paid leave. An additional 4 weeks paid leave will be covered by the Microbiology and Immunology Division.

• Students are protected against harassment and bias stemming from pregnancy or parenting status.

c. Extended Graduation Timeline • Students on family leave will receive an extension on all major graduation-

related clocks by the amount of time a student is on leave. This includes an extension of the committee meeting deadlines, the requirement that committee meetings 2-3 times per year starting in year 5, and postponing journal club or research in progress talks if scheduled during parental leave.

• Students on family leave shall also obtain an extension of their tuition waver, which covers 12 semesters, total, but does not require that those semesters be consecutive. It is the student’s responsibility to obtain this tuition waver extension by contacting the Molecular Biology Program Office after informing the advisor of the student’s intention to take family leave.

D. Medical Leave Policy • Students who experience a medical condition need accommodation as

recommended by their medical providers shall contact both their advisors and Krista Pickens, the Title IX Coordinator for the University of Utah ([email protected]). The Title IX Coordinator will work with students,


faculty, and administration to determine what accommodations are reasonable and effective.

• Students shall work with advisors to ensure that they take any additional biosafety procedures to ensure their safety when performing their routine work.

Graduate students are not covered by the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) according to the University’s Human Resources Department. According to the University’s Title IX coordinator, family leave policy must be gender neutral. This is different from medical accommodation due to pregnancy, childbirth, or a related secondary condition, which is covered by Title IX and the Americans with Disabilities Act. A student can choose not to disclose the medical reason behind the request for pregnancy-related accommodation and an advisor is not legally allowed to determine whether a request is reasonable accommodation or not. Consult the Title IX Coordinator or the Center for Disability Services (https://disability.utah.edu/). IX. CHANGING TO A MASTERS DEGREE In the event that a student chooses not to complete the requirements for a PhD he/she may apply for a Masters Degree. The student should discuss this decision with the Director of Graduate Students for the M&I Graduate Program before making any concrete plans. Award of Masters Degree will require that: 1) the student successfully completes 2 years of thesis work; 2) passes the qualifying examination and 3) that the student completes a written thesis that is approved by the thesis committee. The student is required to defend a thesis in a final oral examination that will be comprehensive in scope. The examination is public and anyone attending may ask questions. The student is expected to have achieved a high degree of expertise in their chosen area, but the scope and depth of the Masters thesis is expected to be significantly less than that of the PhD dissertation. A Recommendation for Change of Graduate Classification Form should be be completed and submitted as instructed at the following link: https://registrar.utah.edu/handbook/graduateclassification.php X. DISMISSAL FROM THE PROGRAM 1. Voluntary Leave A student who wants to leave a research group shall give the faculty advisor 30 days written notice outlining the reasons for leaving the group. During the 30 days, the experimental work shall be brought to a point where it could easily be passed on to a new person. All notebooks and data shall be returned to the advisor before the student becomes supported by another faculty member. A student who changes research groups is obligated to notify the M&I Graduate


Program Administrator and Director of Graduate Studies of the move. At this time, the student shall also reconstitute the student’s thesis committee if necessary, e.g. if they have switched primary research areas. 2. Termination If a faculty advisor is dissatisfied with the research effort or progress of a student, the advisor shall make every effort to communicate to the student the concerns he/she may have about the level of quality of the research performance. If the deficiencies persist, the faculty advisor must identify to the student in writing the unsatisfactory aspects of the student’s research performance and allow the student a reasonable time (at least 30 days) to correct the deficiencies. The written notification can take the form of a write-up from a post-thesis committee meeting or a separate letter. A copy of the document shall be sent to members of the student’s thesis committee, the M&I Graduate program Administrator, and Director of Graduate Studies. If the deficiencies are corrected in the probationary period, the faculty advisor shall notify the student, the M&I Graduate Program Administrator, and Director of Graduate Studies in writing that the student is no longer on probation. If the deficiencies persist at the end of the formal probationary period, it is the prerogative of the research advisor to terminate the student/advisor research relationship. Faculty shall discuss the termination process with the Director of Graduate Studies and the Executive Committee. The termination procedure is as follows: The Faculty must provide written documentation to students about unsatisfactory progress on thesis projects. HR Liaison will coordinate with the Principal Invesitigator and notify the student in writing, giving reasons for the dismissal, indicating a formal termination date (must be at least 15 days after the delivery of the notice). During this time:

§ The faculty mentor must provide salary support to the student while they actively seek a new thesis lab or position. If the student cannot find a new thesis lab within this timeframe or if they go to a different department or position, they will be dismissed from the M&I Graduate program.

§ If the student receives stipend support from the advisor, then the funding may be terminated no earlier than the date specified on the termination notice. If the student receives support from another source, it is incumbent on the student to identify a means to secure continuity in funding.

§ The student is obligated to turn over to the advisor all materials (notebooks, equipment, data) related to the advisor’s research in a manner that will allow the advisor to continue the work. If these materials are not turned over by the termination date, any pay from a new research director or department may be held in escrow until the above obligation is met.


§ An understanding shall be reached between the student and advisor regarding unpublished data and shall be made in writing. The advisor is not required to specify what will and what will not be deemed worthy of an authorship but must state clearly the criteria that will be used to ascribe authorships.

§ Appeals by the student shall be made to the Director of Graduate Studies and the Microbiology and Immunology Division Chief, Brian Evavold. Students may also seek mediation from the Health Sciences Ombudsman or another resource. In special circumstances faculty may request immediate dismissal of a student from the Graduate School due to behavioral, academic, professional, or ethical misconduct. In such an event, the procedures outlined in the “Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities” shall be followed. (https://regulations.utah.edu/academics/6-400.php)

§ The student is able to contact the Graduate School for Mediation in accordance with the above University policy.

§ Dematriculation: In the unusual case that a student fails to make satisfactory progress toward the timely completion of a graduate degree, the faculty may consider dematriculation of the student from the program.

3. Checkout Procedures All data generated during the PhD belongs to the PI of the lab upon completion of study and before leaving the department. All notebooks and data shall be retained by the advisor. The student is responsible for turning in all keys issued in their name. The keys must be returned to the Pathology main office (JMRB 1100), not to the research advisor. The student must also provide information to the M&I Graduate Program Administrator such as forwarding addresses and future affiliation. This information is important to the department for tracking purposes. Access to uMail, CIS and other system is removed the day of the termination date. This is in accordance with University of Utah Policy 4-004. Before termination occurs, employee should:

o Update home address in CIS o If home address changes after termination, please inform HR (Mark Malcolm:

[email protected] or Destiny Gomez: [email protected])

o Download required paystubs, 1095-C forms, and W-2s, as access is lost the day of the termination date. Please call Campus HR Solutions Center @ 801-581-7447 if assistance is required.

XI. GRIEVANCES AND CONFLICTS 1. Conflicts within the Laboratory Conflicts within the laboratory should be brought to the attention of the PI the first instance. If this is not possible, or if this does not solve the problem, the


student can confidentially approach any faculty member of their thesis committee or the Pathology Graduate Program to discuss strategies for resolving the conflict. 2. Conflicts with the Thesis Advisor or Dissertation Committee In the first instance the student should approach any members of their dissertation committee to discuss any significant problems with the Thesis Advisor. If this is not possible, the student can confidentially approach any member of the Pathology Graduate Program Executive Committee to discuss any conflict with the Thesis Advisor. Any issues with the Dissertation Committee can be discussed with any members of the Pathology Executive Committee and the Director of Graduate Studies, as desired, to determine strategies for addressing the issue. 3. Grievances Regarding the Graduate Program The Director of Graduate Studies (Dr Tracey Lamb) or any member of the Pathology Graduate Program Executive Committee can be approached about any grievances related to the Graduate Program, including coursework. 4. Appealing the Outcome of the Preliminary Examination The outcome of a preliminary examination can be appealed via a meeting with the Pathology Graduate Program Executive Committee. A majority vote will decide the outcome of the appeal. XII. IMPORTANT FORMS & LINKS All forms can also be found on our website: https://medicine.utah.edu/pathology/microbiology-immunology/phd-program/ 1. Forms

• Advisor-Advisee Contract • M&I Graduate Program Request for Supervisory Committee form • IDP slide templates • Committee Meeting Form- STUDENT • Meeting Summary Form – PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR / MENTOR • M&I Graduate Program Qualifying Exam Form

2. Links to Important Websites M&I Graduate Program website

https://medicine.utah.edu/pathology/microbiology-immunology/phd-program/


Graduate school website

https://gradschool.utah.edu/

Bioscience PhD program https://bioscience.utah.edu/ Online Thesis Submission https://gradschool.utah.edu/thesis/ Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities

http://regulations.utah.edu/academics/6- 400.php

Financial Aid https://financialaid.utah.edu/

University graduate student leave policy

https://registrar.utah.edu/handbook/leave.php

The Center for Disability Services

https://disability.utah.edu/

eTutoring and the Online Writing Lab

https://writingcenter.utah.edu/graduate-services/e-tutoring.php

Marriot Library Graduate Student Resources

https://www.lib.utah.edu/services/education/gradstudents.php

Center for Student Wellness https://wellness.utah.edu XIII ADDITIONAL INFORMATION & RESOUORCES 1. Access to departmental & University resources a. University ID (uNID) and Email Once you are admitted to the university, you will receive a university ID (uNID) included in your admissions letter. If you are a new student, log into the Campus Information Services (CIS) account at cis.utah.edu using the University ID (UNID) and default password (which is your birthdate in MMDDYY format). Your will be able to change the password under settings. In the CIS system you can register for classes, access your university email, view grades, and more. All students will receive access to UMail, a free university email account on the Microsoft Office 365 platform. To log in:

- Sign in with your [email protected] email address and your uNID password

- You may be prompted to verify your identity with Duo 2FA

b. University ID Card, Keys, Security Every student will receive a University ID Card/Badge (UCard). The UCard will give you access to buildings and entitles you to privileges at the Campus Stores, Campus Library System, Cafeterias, Sporting Events, and Campus Recreation.


The UCard also provides free access to public transportation (buses and TRAX). Just tap your card to ride. UCards can be obtained through the Hospital Office (B016 ACC) Monday - Friday 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM. https://ucard.utah.edu/ Keys to your lab and general lab space (eg. tissue culture rooms) can be obtained from the administrative office located on the ground floor of the EEJ building (room 1100). Contact Mark Malcolm or Destiny Gomez for keys and badge access (Mark Malcolm: [email protected] or Destiny Gomez: [email protected])

Please remember that: • University keys may never be duplicated • You must turn in keys at the end of your graduate studies

After hours, weekends and holidays you can only enter the building using your UCard on the card readers located on the outside doors. Please be aware of your surroundings. You should never allow any unauthorized person access to a university facility. We all share the responsibility of keeping our facility safe. Offices and labs should generally be locked any time they are not occupied. If you need to make a police report, you can call the University of Utah Police at 801-585-2677. The University offers a U’s SafeRide program or a courtesy escort (Main campus: 801-585-2677; University Hospital: 801-581-2294) to get around campus. Facilities Emergency Line in case of a water leak, power failure, or hazardous spill call 801-581-7221. In case of an emergency call 911 immediately. c. IT Services The University of Utah Information Technology (UIT) lists many links to useful resources and information for graduate students. https://it.utah.edu/help/it_guides/new_student_guide.php The Department of Pathology provides its own IT services through Path-IT (https://medicine.utah.edu/pathology/about-us/path-it.php). Path-IT can be reached either by email at [email protected] or by phone at 801-585-0961 during regular hours. Emergency on-call information for Path-IT can be found on https://pulse.utah.edu/site/path-it/Pages/Home.aspx After hours you can also contact the Campus Help desk at 801-581-4000, option 1 or email them at [email protected].

• Listserv A program listserv has been established by Path IT to facilitate the distribution of notices and seminars as well as relevant information on meetings. All M&I Graduate Students and Faculty are subscribed by the Program Administrator


when they join the program. As second, separate student listserv is also maintained to distribute information pertaining to the students. Please attend the information from these listservs.

• University networks Wired connections are available in student housing, computer labs, and office areas. The campus also has four wireless networks: UConnect, UGuest, ULink, and eduroam.

• UConnect is a secure connection requiring a valid uNID login. Most users can visit onboard.utah.edu to connect a device.

• UGuest is an unsecured, open-access network for visitors with limited bandwidth.

• ULink is the university’s wireless network for Internet of Things (IoT) devices, such as PlayStation, Xbox, Roku, Chromecast, etc.

• Eduroam allows students, researchers, and staff from participating institutions to obtain internet connectivity across campus and when visiting other participating institutions.

d. Paycheck / Stipend Student stipends are paid by direct deposit on a monthly basis. The first paycheck is normally desposited within 6 weeks of starting.

U of U employees are paid on the 7th and 22nd of each month. Work performed from the 1st - 15th is paid on the 22nd, work performed from the 16th - end of month is paid on the 7th of the following month. If the 7th or 22nd falls on a weekend or holiday, payday is the business day before. If you have set up Direct Deposit, your paycheck will be deposited by noon on pay day. If you have not set up Direct Deposit, a paper paycheck will be mailed by U.S. mail to the address specified in your HR record.

For those students on a T32 training grant or an F award, you will be paid on the 1st of each month for the duration of support. Taxes will not be not deducted. You are responsible for your own taxes. e. Mailboxes, Copying Machines Mailboxes and Copying machines can be found in the Pathology Administrative Office (room 1100) on the ground floor of the EEJ building. f. Getting around Campus • Shuttle Service The University of Utah offers a free shuttle system that can transport you around campus. The Shuttle service operates Monday through Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. To find the nearest location and time of the next shuttle either check


the Shuttle Tracker at www.uofubus.com or download the UofU Shuttles app from the app store. • SafeRide SafeRide offers a free and safe transportation service for students at night who need a ride to their parking lot, to their housing area, or to a different building on campus. SafeRide service operates Monday through Friday from 6:00 p.m. to 12:30 a.m and can be reached at 801-585-6471. https://commuterservices.utah.edu/safe-ride/ or call.

g. Parking & TRAXX pass Parking on Campus requires a parking permit. Commuter Services restrict students to obtaining a “U” permit”: https://commuterservices.utah.edu/permits/?fwp_permit_type_ddown=8 h. Housing The University of Utah offers various housing options for single students and families through University Student Apartments (USA), Housing & Residential Education (HRE) or Off Campus Accommodation. For more information and to apply please see https://housingoptions.utah.edu/graduate-housing/ i. Willard Marriot Library The Marriot Library offers Graduate Student (Level I – Room 1180A) and Family Reading rooms (Level 3- Rom 3400). • The Graduate Reading Room is a quiet study room that only Graduate

Students have access to. For access, please submit the Graduate Student Reading Room Access Form https://lib.utah.edu/pdf/1918_Graduate-Student-Reading-Room-Access-Form.pdf. Once approved you will be able to access the room using your UCard. No electronics, but food and drink are allowed. Lockers can be rented at the Information desk on level I.

• The Family Reading Rooms are meant for students, staff or faculty with children. They have a lactation room and family restrooms with changing tables.

2. Career Resources a. Professional Societies It is recommended that you join at least one professional society. Many have trainee membership categories that do not cost more than $50 per annum in dues. However, several offer additional sources of travel funding or funding that can be applied for travel to other labs to learn specific techniques. Additionally,


several of these societies hold annual meetings you can attend to present your research to a wider audience within your chosen field of research. Some of the more popular societies joined by M&I Graduate students are:

• American Association of Immunologists https://www.aai.org/ • American Society for Microbiology https://asm.org/ • American Society for Virology https://asv.org/ • American Society for Parasitology https://www.amsocparasit.org/ • Mycology Society of America https://msafungi.org/ • American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene https://www.astmh.org/

b. Scientific Meetings and Travel Assistance Students should visit the Graduate School website for guidelines on how to apply for Support Funds to attend Scientific meetings from the Graduate School. https://gradschool.utah.edu/current-students/graduate-student-travel-assistance-award/ The School of Medicine awards The John Weis Memorial Award. The Award is given on a competitive basis, with selection by a committee of faculty members in the Molecular Biology Program. This Award recognizes outstanding graduate achievement by a student who exemplifies John’s creative and original approach to science and life at the University of Utah. It will provide either stipend support for research by an outstanding PhD or MD student, or one or more travel awards to support student participation in a scientific meeting or course. As a requirement for applying for these funds, students should present their work at the conference in order to be eligible to apply. https://medicine.utah.edu/pathology/microbiology-immunology/john-weis-award/ c. Scholarship and Fellowship Opportunities • You can find a list of external at Scholarship and Fellowship Opportunities at

https://gradschool.utah.edu/tbp/external-opportunities/ • The University also offers an institutional subscription to Pivot, a

comprehensive funding database that allows you to search for funding worldwide in any discipline. In addition you can sign up to receive weekly funding alerts to your specifications. https://research.utah.edu/pivot/index.php

d. Special Opportunities for Highly Qualified Students from Underrepresented Minorities • Emerging Diversity Scholars Fellowship


This fellowship offers financial support to promising underrepresented graduate students who have successfully completed their first-year of fulltime graduate studies. https://gradschool.utah.edu/diversity/emerging-diversity-scholars-fellowship/ e. What is Next? The question of which direction a student’s career will take following completion of the PhD should arise early and become increasingly important as training progresses. It is never too early to consider career options. Students receiving a PhD usually take a postdoctoral research position to acquire additional techniques and expertise to further prepare for an independent research career. Such postdoctoral training is usually essential for a career in academic research. Some students take permanent positions in industrial or government laboratories such as ARUP immediately after receiving the PhD degree. Others enter additional advanced degree programs such as medical school, or seek careers in teaching, administration of science funding, policy or editorial positions in scientific journals. Career objectives can best be realized through careful planning. All members of the faculty stand ready to advise students on career options, and students are encouraged to seek this advice at any time during their training. In addition, the University of Utah’s Career Center offers valuable resources to help you succeed at any stage of your career, from beginning you PhD to job applications. https://careers.utah.edu/graduate-students/ 3. Thesis Writing Support a. Tutoring and the Online Writing Lab eTutoring and the Online Writing Lab are free services available to all graduate students at the U. You can submit your writing to the Writing Lab online and receive feedback from a graduate tutor in approximately 48 hours. You can submit your writing at any stage of the writing process. Submissions may include drafts of your acadmic work (papers, thesis/dissertation chapters, conference proposals, etc.), and you can ask tutors specific questions about your project. https://writingcenter.utah.edu/graduate-services/e-tutoring.php b. Marriot Library Graduate Student Resources The Marriott Library offers Graduate Student Socials and Dissertation and Thesis Writing Boot camps. See https://www.lib.utah.edu/services/education/gradstudents.php for more information and registration.


c. Grammarly AI Writing Assistant The Graduate School has purchased a subscription which provides free access to Grammarly Premium software to all University of Utah graduate student. Grammarly is an AI writing assistant that helps edit text documents and improve writing skills. https://gradschool.utah.edu/grammarly/ d. Thesis Office If you are planning to submit your thesis soon, the thesis office is now offering a bi-annual workshop for formatting issues and questions. During these workshops the thesis editors offer hands-on formatting help to make sure that the thesis submission runs smoothly. https://gradschool.utah.edu/thesis/events/ 3. Student Resources & Support Services a. Mental and Physical Health Resources Graduate School can be a stressful time on your body and mind. Be sure you are taking care of yourself. Student resources can be accessed at https://advising.utah.edu/student-resources.php Useful contacts include: • The Center for Student Wellness provides students with necessary resources

and support to be physically, emotionally, and mentally healthy. They offer wellness education, trainings and workshops, victim-survivor advocacy services and support, STI/HIV testing for students, and student involvement opportunities. Student Life Center, Ste. 2100, 801-581-7776 https://wellness.utah.edu

• The Student Counselling Center provides help with personal problems and

self-understanding. UCC staff provide FREE brief therapy for eligible students experiencing personal or interpersonal distress. Counseling services are confidential. Most individuals meet with their counselor every other week for a 50-minute session, for a specified period of time. They also offer couples and various group counseling sessions. 201 S 1460 E, Rm 426 Student Counselling Center , Student Services Building, 801-581-6826 https://counselingcenter.utah.edu

• The Student Health Center provides low-cost medical care and student

health insurance options. Madsen Health Center, Level 1, 555 Foothill Blvd., 801-581-6431 https://studenthealth.utah.edu


• The Employee Assistance Program is an additional source of assistance: https://www.hr.utah.edu/benefits/eap.php

For after-hours emergencies, contact the 24/7 UNI Crisis Line: 801-587-3000 b. Childcare • The University of Utah offers families five full-day child care centers, one preschool

program, one Head Start program and summer camps. The University of Utah Center for Child Care and Family Resources also assists University students in finding quality child care services off campus and near your home. https://childcare.utah.edu/

c. Diversity Resources • The University of Utah Graduate School Diversity Office offers a

comprehensive guide to social activities, fellowships, academic support, lists of Graduate Student Organizations at the University and multicultural activities in Salt Lake City. https://gradschool.utah.edu/diversity/

• The University of Utah also has an active chapter of (Society for

Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science). https://uofuhealth.utah.edu/sacnas/

• The University of Utah Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion oversees the following entities across the entire University of Utah: the American Indian Resource Center; Black Cultural Center; Center for Ethnic Student Affairs; Dream Center; LGBT Resource Center; Office for Health Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion; and Office for Inclusive Excellence. Additionally, the office provides information and hosts events to help fostering more awareness, advocacy, and action of diverse faculty, students, and staff. https://diversity.utah.edu/

d. International Student Resources • The International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS)

ISSS offers its services to international students, scholars, and alumni. The can help and advise on immigration and visa issues, employment authorizations, obtaining social security cards, taxes and anything else that will help you to adjust your new life in the US. ISSS can be contacted by email at [email protected] or by phone at 801-581-8876 Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. For more information, please see https://isss.utah.edu/


• English for Academic Success (EAS) Graduate Programs University of Utah's EAS offers various classes, workshops and tutoring to help international graduate students to improve their academic English skills. https://linguistics.utah.edu/certificates-and-programs/eas/graduate/index.php

e. Women Resources The Women’s Resource Center (WRC) at the University of Utah serves as the central resource for educational and support services for women. They offer a variety of support groups, workshops and monthly Graduate Students meet ups. https://womenscenter.utah.edu/ f. Disability Resources The Center for Disability & Access provides accommodations and services to students at the University of Utah whose condition significantly impacts their ability to function in the academic setting. https://disability.utah.edu/ g. Veteran Resources The Veteran Support Center (VSC) aims to enhance the individual and academic success of veterans, service members, and their family members who attend the university. Some of the VSC services include Scholarships and Financial Aid Assistance, VA benefits and health services counseling, free computer and printing resources, free tutoring and peer support, as well as a lounge, study area, refreshments, veterans’ events, and “SWAG” (U Vet clothing and gear). https://veteranscenter.utah.edu/

h. Feed U Food Pantry If you are in need of food assistance you can pick up food and hygiene products at the Feed U Food Pantry located in the basement level of the A. Ray Olpin Union building. New clients will need to present their UCard and are required to fill out a basic demographic form that can be found at the food bank. No proof of income is required, though they ask that clients remain mindful of others who also use the pantry. https://union.utah.edu/resources-spaces/feed-u-pantry/visitor-information/

i. Financial Wellness Center The Financial Wellness Center provides access to accredited counseling services, financial education and workshops, tax preparations and plenty of online resources to help you achieve financial success. You can receive financial coaching on budgeting, paying off debt, opening retirement accounts, saving for a car, buying a house, your credit score and much more.


https://financialwellness.utah.edu/

4. Social and Recreational Activities • A number of M&I departmental social activities are organized throughout the

year, including gatherings to celebrate the Holidays and outings to see select sporting events, like the Salt Lake City Bees! These events are normally organized by the student representatives.

• Campus events can be found at https://events.utah.edu/ • Campus Recreation Services

The Campus Recreations Services provides a wide range of programs and activities ranging from Outdoor activities (eg. variety of outdoor trips, from day trips/clinics to weekend and week adventures, rock climbing, canyoneering, mountain biking, backpacking, hiking, cross-country skiing, backcountry touring, ice climbing, whitewater rafting/kayaking, flatwater trips, canoeing or SUPing), discounted ski lift tickets, trip planning resources, to aquatics, climbing facility, fitness classes, intramural sports and Sport Clubs to personal fitness, clinics and events, and much more. https://campusrec.utah.edu/

If you need any equipment they also offer gear rental for indoor and outdoor gear from rackets, canoes, skis and camping gear in the Student Life Center. Indoor: https://campusrec.utah.edu/member-services/equipment-rentals.php.

For outdoor adventures visit https://campusrec.utah.edu/programs/outdoor-adventures/rental/index.php

Twice a year, typically in Spring and Fall, the Campus Recreations Services offer a used gear sale https://campusrec.utah.edu/programs/outdoor-adventures/used-gear-sales.php

• Campus Connect

Campus Connect provides you with information on campus events and Student Organizations you can join. https://getinvolved.utah.edu/

5. Policies & Training Resources • The University of Utah Policies and Regulations are listed at the University of

Utah Regulations Library. There you can find general university policies as well as specific policies related to research, academics as well as other information, such as procedure guidelines and forms. https://regulations.utah.edu/


• There are several University-required lab training classes to assure safety of all

personnel working in laboratories. It will depend on your research topic and the lab environment which classes you will have to enroll in. Your research lab and mentor will help you determine which classes you will need and how to enroll. The most common classes are Bloodborne Pathogens Training, Animal Training and Radioactivity Training.

XIV. 2020/2021 ACADEMIC CALENDAR https://registrar.utah.edu/academic-calendars/ Key dates FALL SEMESTER Class schedule and Registration Dates available: Monday March 29th 2021 Registration begins: April 12th 2021 Classes begin: August 23rd 2021 Last day to add without permission code: August 27th 2021 Last day to withdraw from classes: October 22nd 2021 SPRING SEMESTER Class schedule and Registration Dates available: September 27th 2021 Registration begins: November 4th 2021 Classes begin: January 10th 2022 Last day to add without permission code: January 14th 2022 Last day to withdraw from classes: March 4th 2022 SUMMER SEMESTER Class schedule and Registration Dates available: Monday February 7th /14th 2022 Registration begins: March 21st 2022 Classes begin: May 16th 2022 Last day to add without permission code: May 20th 2022 Last day to withdraw from classes: June 24th 2022

Pathology Graduate Program Handbook Circulated v2

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