Vanderbilt University and the Vanderbilt University Medical Center have built a strong reputation as leaders in medical research and patient care throughout the nation over the course of its 150-year history. With 400 laboratories conducting cutting-edge research, Vanderbilt attracts the best and brightest researchers from all over the world. Reflecting our focus on high-quality research, Vanderbilt recently ranked first in the nation in the five-year growth rate of NIH-sponsored funding. The research activities of faculty affiliated with graduate programs range from fundamental basic science to patient-oriented clinical studies. The extensive interchange of scientific information, techniques, and equipment between investigators reflects the interdisciplinary nature and collaborative spirit of the scientific endeavor at Vanderbilt, which contributes to our strong research program.

Support is intentional at Vanderbilt. This includes support for our trainees, encompassing many aspects of training, from providing a collaborative research environment to nationally-leading career development and student support. The Office of Biomedical Research Education and Training was established in 1999 to aid and coordinate graduate education including the recruitment, admissions, and training processes for the biomedical sciences. Included in the BRET office are the Office of Career Development’s ASPIRE program. The philosophy of the BRET Office of Career Development ASPIRE Program is that career planning should begin on Day 1 of predoctoral or postdoctoral training at Vanderbilt through seminars and modules to generate diverse professional development training opportunities. The ASPIRE program also provides experiential learning opportunities through a robust internship program and strong employer relations. Students are further supported through the NIH funded, Initiative for Maximizing Student Diversity, which exists to increase the number of PhDs awarded to graduate students in biomedical research who are underrepresented in science.
Finally, students are supported through extensive access to mental and physical health and wellness programs as well as access to counseling services and our Associate Director of Trainee Well-Being. Providing well-rounded training and professional development contributes to the success of our students to graduation and beyond, as evidenced by diverse career outcomes.

Vanderbilt has two complementary umbrella programs aimed at fostering diverse, creative, and analytical thinkers, geared to tackle the quickly evolving world of research and technology: the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program and the Quantitative and Chemical Biology Program.
The Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences is a leading integrative biomedical graduate program, recruiting students with a strong biological background to pursue biomedical research. As a union between 11 participating programs, the IGP provides a strong foundational point for completing a biomedical dissertation. During the fall semester, IGP students take a course entitled Bioregulation aimed to teach the fundamental concepts of cell and molecular biology that underpin biological and biomedical research. As a complement to this didactic course in the fall, students meet in small peer learning groups  to learn how to read and critically evaluate the primary literature. Students do Python programming, and in the spring semester, course specialization begins by enrollment in a variety of elective courses and modules. Throughout the first year, IGP students attend “Becoming a Scientist” weekly, which focuses on topics related to professional development, wellness, and the scientific process. Finally, during this first year, students complete four research rotations in labs of their choosing, allowing exploration of a wide variety of training opportunities in the labs of hundreds of Vanderbilt research faculty. In May, students choose a mentor and home program or department.

Nashville, home to Vanderbilt University and more than one million residents, is a metropolitan city that proudly exudes all of the charm and hospitality expected from a Southern capital. The city offers the advantages of major U.S. cities, but holds unique distinction in being named one of the friendliest cities in America several years in a row. The downtown area and historic riverfront district, less than two miles from the Vanderbilt campus, boasts a lively night life with a plethora of restaurants, coffee houses, and music venues. The Tennessee Performing Arts Center, outdoor theaters and parks, the Frist Center for the Visual Arts, and the Schermerhorn Symphony Hall provide the city with a full range of outstanding cultural entertainment. Many students live within walking distance to campus as Vanderbilt is perfectly situated between the downtown and residential divide of the city.