Personal Statement From Dr. Mark Brown
Post-doctoral Fellow, Dr. Patricia Johnson, Dept. of Microbiology, UCLA, Los
Angeles, CA.
I remember trying to decide where I should apply to graduate school. Checking out the faculty members on the graduate program web sites and reading a few of their papers is always a good way to start. I found the research in the Graduate Program in Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology impressive and decided to apply to the school. When I arrived the faculty and students were friendly and made a genuine effort to make me feel welcome. Having worked as a technician in industry I expected to find focused yet somber scientists, a common staple of industry. Instead I found scientists who where focused but also passionate about science. This same enthusiasm is evident in their students and the work that they perform. When I interviewed at other schools, I found a lack of interest by the faculty in their students and generally, their program.
There are other benefits to the Pharmacology Graduate Program at Stony Brook that influenced my decision to join the program. One is the award of the NIH training grant, funding that allows students in their early years to focus on their research without having most of their time consumed as a teaching assistant. Another benefit of the Pharmacology program is the collaboration with faculty and facilities at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) and the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. This has allowed me to do my thesis research in the lab or Dr. Walter Mangel at BNL researching viral and bacterial proteases.
Finally, I was surprised at the level of commitment the faculty has to the students. Faculty members are always willing to take time out of their schedule to meet with students and give encouragement and advice.
Like many other programs, Pharmacology boasts a rigorous and
comprehensive curriculum, including courses in seminar speaking and grant writing,
in an effort to develop students into scientists.