Criteria for selecting an MSP:

Students select an MSP based on a connection between their graduate expertise and an area of disease interest described in the MSP.  Students do NOT need to have a thesis research project specifically focused on human disease.  For instance, chemists, biochemists, and molecular/cell biologists may be focused on a very basic research question in the lab, but want to steer their career into a disease-related avenue.  These students should choose an MSP that most clearly defines the area of human disease where they desire to apply their knowledge.  A student with extensive biochemical knowledge studying cellular protein transport mechanisms could select virtually any MSP because their biochemical and cell biology background would serve as a strong foundation for mechanistic insights and therapeutic design.  Students who are currently focused on research related to one or more human disease are likely to select the MSP that includes the focus of this disease; however, a student might also want to select a related MSP if they want to be exposed to a new area during post-doctoral studies.  For instance, a student studying replication mechanisms of cytomegliovirus might select one of the infectious disease MSPs because they are interested in obtaining practical knowledge about the common bacterial and parasitic diseases of humans and what to understand the current state of research, diagnostics, and therapeutics in that field.  The most important criteria for selecting an MSP is having a strong interest in the topic and a background in research techniques that allow you to brainstorm about molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis and/or approaches to develop improved diagnostics/therapeutics.