The Molecular and Cellular Biology concentration emphasizes the intersection of modern research in cellular biology with medicine and society. It is rooted in the investigation of biological processes based on the study of molecules and their interactions in the context of cells and tissues, and in understanding how the vast information context of the genome orchestrates the behavior of the cell. MCB is therefore ideally suited for students who wish to study molecular and cellular processes at the heart of both normal physiology and disease. It focuses on fundamental principles of modern biology at the hub of nearly all life science sub-disciplines, and integrates many different methodologies ranging from chemistry and genetics to computer science and engineering, as well as fundamental concepts in physics and mathematics.

MCB graduates will be informed citizens who can understand and evaluate the impact of new research discoveries in the life sciences, discoveries that are unfolding at a breathtaking and accelerating pace. Both courses and programs that promote interactions with faculty members link basic, mechanistic insights with human disease and show how the study of disease leads to fundamental biological discoveries. Graduates of the MCB concentration will stand poised to pursue a wide range of careers, including biological and medical research, public and global health, science policy, law and intellectual property, business, education, and science writing.