The Committee on Molecular Metabolism and Nutrition (CMMN) is a dynamic and interactive research unit of the University of Chicago, offering interdisciplinary doctoral training in the molecular basis of biological processes as they relate to metabolic homeostasis, nutritional status and human disease. The Committee is centered on the graduate program, and has a main focus on training of graduate students. Faculty members, a mixture of basic scientists and clinical researchers, have primary appointments in a variety of departments at the University, and join the Committee for the express purpose of interacting, training, teaching and mentoring graduate students. Students enter the graduate program through the Committee rather than through an individual department, and students can train in the labs of faculty members associated with a variety of clinical sections and basic science departments.
Student thesis project can thus comprise basic, clinical and/or translational research. The flexibility and diversity of options for graduate training coupled with the strong attention paid to the timely progression of each graduate student are the principal strengths of the Committee. Faculty research expertise covers the majority of metabolism from various angles using biochemical, physiological, clinical research, cell and/or molecular biological approaches. A mixture of nationally recognized senior faculty and dynamic junior faculty provide a stimulating and supportive environment designed to guide graduate students through course work and research training.
State of the art equipment, resources and expertise are all readily available for a graduate student in CMMN to conduct an exciting and successful research projects. The Committee works closely with the federal government sponsored Diabetes Research and Training Center, Digestive Disease Research Core Center, Training Program in Digestive Diseases and Nutrition, and the Clinical Research Center sponsored by a Clinical and Translational Science Award from the NIH, to offer a broad array of choices for research topics. There is also a very close affiliation of the CMMN with the newly established Kovler Diabetes Center (that has an NIH funded Diabetes Research and Training Center (DRTC) associated with it) as well as at the Digestive Disease Core at the University of Chicago that conducts cutting edge diabetes, digestive disease and obesity related research.