The Northwestern University Life and Biomedical Sciences umbrella is comprised of two PhD programs - the Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences program (IBiS) on the Evanston campus, and the Driskill Graduate Program in Life Sciences (DGP) on the Chicago campus in the Feinberg School of Medicine.

The IBiS and DGP PhD programs offer a unique, flexible approach to learning and research through interdisciplinary education. Students in each program have the opportunity to explore different research areas in their first year of the program, through both lab rotations and courses.  Once settled in a thesis lab, students select a Research Cluster at the beginning of their second year.  The clusters bring together students, postdoctoral fellows, and faculty from across our two campuses and hospital affiliates for a unique and innovative experience that includes courses, seminar and lecture series, skill-building and other research and professional development opportunities. 

Students will participate in cluster programs during the remainder of their Northwestern experience.  The richness of faculty from multiple disciplines within each cluster fosters an unparalleled learning environment for students in Life and Biomedical Sciences.

Use the menu on the left to view Research Clusters and affiliated faculty lists.