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Success in research demands creativity, the ability to think critically and mastery of technical skills. Although it is often said that one “cannot teach creativity,” it certainly can be encouraged and rewarded. As for critical thinking and technical skills, these are acquired through a carefully structured curriculum that emphasizes learning from original research papers and hands-on laboratory experience rather than summaries usually found in textbooks. In all cases, the training program in our graduate program at is highly individualized so that each student has the freedom to pursue their own scientific interests with respect to their unique academic history. There is, however, a fundamental base of knowledge in the life sciences (cell biology, biochemistry, systems physiology) that provides a strong foundation for advanced study. Course work in these areas constitutes the core curriculum.
The University of Minnesota is an internationally recognized research university located in the heart of the “Twin Cities.” The University of Minnesota “Twin Cities” campus is actually located on two campuses: one in Minneapolis which is home to approximately 40,000 students, and the other in St. Paul which has approximately 7,000 students. This combination of a large campus with graduate programs in biomedical research, the humanities, business, law and the arts, with incredible lifestyle offered in the Twin Cities, results in a vibrant environment for graduate study in any field.
The University of Minnesota is internationally recognized for its research programs in basic and translational cardiovascular medicine and science. Below is a summary of those programs as well as resources available particularly relevant to the success of our graduate program.
1) Cardiovascular Sciences and the Lillehei Heart Institute (LHI):
The LHI is a premier heart institute focused on cardiovascular genomics, cardiogenesis, cell therapies, personalized medicine, heart failure, vascular biology, myocardial regeneration, and device design for treatment of cardiovascular diseases. The University of Minnesota has made an outstanding institutional investment in infrastructure and faculty support for the LHI totaling more than 20 million dollars for faculty support, faculty recruitments, and core research.
In addition to the biomedical research at the University of Minnesota, the Twin Cities is home “Medical Alley” which includes more than 250 biomedical research companies. We are also home to the top 3 largest biomedical device companies in the world; Medtronic, Boston Scientific and St. Jude. Several of our faculty are actively collaborating with these companies in an effort to develop novel therapies for the treatment of disease. This combination of research with the Academic Health Center and the surrounding biomedical research community is truly unique in the world and provides students with incredible opportunities for their career development.
The Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul are an exciting place to live and study – in fact, Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP) ranked 5th in the nation for Overall Quality of Life, and is consistently ranked in the Top 5 nationally for Bicycle Riding, Jobs Available, Literacy, Music Venues, and Fun. We’ve got great sports teams here, both national teams and those at the U of MN, and we’re home to a huge variety of restaurants, bars, and cafes to head to before or after a game. Dinkytown is the neighborhood adjacent to the Minneapolis UMN campus, and it’s a popular destination for undergrads, grad students, as well as faculty. If that isn’t enough to pique your interest, then just take note of this: in 2010 MSP was ranked the #1 “Most Relaxed” city in the country of over 40 metro areas surveyed. So, no matter what you like doing, your life is definitely going to be a lot less stressful while you’re here.