M.Sc. in Biological Sciences

The Institute partners with nearby Dominican University in San Rafael to offer a Master of Science degree program in biological sciences that’s the first of its kind in the United States. Students enrolled at Dominican complete their research-intensive laboratory requirements at the Buck Institute. The program trains students for scientific careers focused on biomedicine, including understanding the aging process and detecting, preventing, and treating age- and metabolic-related conditions such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, cancer, stroke, and osteoarthritis.

The Buck was a pioneer in research on aging, and now we’re a global leader in the field. We opened our doors in 1999, becoming the world’s only research institution singularly focused on the biology of aging, yielding insights into age-related diseases before they start. We hire scientists from various disciplines to attack the problem from all sides because the answers we’re after won’t come from a single field. To enhance our process, we worked with world-renowned architect I.M. Pei to create a campus that literally would not allow our researchers to work in silos.

Our mission is to end the threat of age-related disease for this and future generations. We believe it is possible for people to enjoy their lives at 95 as much as they do at 25, and to achieve that, we’re seeking a more comprehensive understanding of the biology of aging itself.