Mathematical/Computational Biology - grad school

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When preparing to apply to graduate schools, the discussion focuses on selecting programs that align with an applied math major's interest in mathematical and computational biology. The individual has a tentative list of schools, including UCSF's Integrative Program in Quantitative Biology, UCSD's Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, and Duke University's Math and Computational Biology & Bioinformatics programs. Insights from a previous visitor to UCLA's computational/statistical biology program highlight the importance of having a biology background, as programs often require some foundational knowledge in biology despite being math-centric. The individual has completed a year of general biology and a summer internship in genetics and computational biology, indicating a foundational interest in the field. They seek advice on specific areas or courses that may enhance their application.
ptolema
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I'm getting ready to apply to grad schools, and I'm having a hard time choosing schools to apply to. I'm an applied math major, and I'm really interested in mathematical/computational biology. I don't necessarily want to study math in grad school, but I'm open to math programs with a more interdisciplinary approach. So far, I have this tentative list:

UCSF - Integrative Program in Quantitative Biology
UCSD - Bioinformatics and Systems Biology
Duke University - Math
Duke University - Computational Biology & Bioinformatics

Can anyone offer advice/suggestions to help me decide which to apply to?
 
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Hey there. Computational/statistical bio is a very neat program. I met some UCLA faculty in that program about a year ago before I applied to grad school just to learn what's it's like - a family friend is a professor there. I ended up going for physics elsewhere, but I learned a lot from visiting.

Do you have at least 1 or 2 bio classes? All the staff mentioned that even though it's math based, you have to have a bio background of sorts or at least demonstrate an interest in it. That stopped me from applying for it. The work is very cool though to say the least.

Edit: the faculty were all very nice there.
 
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UChicago has some faculty you may be interested in (likely not, but may as well mention them) - Aaron Dinner, Jonathan Weare and Greg Voth.
 
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F=qE said:
Hey there. Computational/statistical bio is a very neat program. I met some UCLA faculty in that program about a year ago before I applied to grad school just to learn what's it's like - a family friend is a professor there. I ended up going for physics elsewhere, but I learned a lot from visiting.

Do you have at least 1 or 2 bio classes? All the staff mentioned that even though it's math based, you have to have a bio background of sorts or at least demonstrate an interest in it. That stopped me from applying for it. The work is very cool though to say the least.

Edit: the faculty were all very nice there.

I do have some bio classes (1 year of general biology) and a summer internship involving genetics and computational bio. I've also picked up some bio from sitting in on classes and video lectures. Is there a particular area/course that they prefer?
 

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