GU, GMU to partner on biomedicine

Prince William campus chosen 'George Squared' aimed at a growing industry

George Mason and Georgetown universities have signed a letter of intent to open a joint biomedical program at GMU's Prince William campus next year.

Set to launch in the fall, the joint education initiative, known as George Squared, will feature a one-year program as well as a master's program focused on biomedical sciences. The program is being created, officials from the universities say, to meet the needs of the growing bioscience and health-care industries in the Washington area.

"Biological and biomedical sciences are projected to be top growth areas in the coming decades," said Adam Myers, associate dean for biomedical graduate education at Georgetown University Medical Center. "This growth will be driven by scientific developments related to the unraveling of the human genome, the aging of our population [and] increased concern about global infectious diseases."

The George Squared program will be open for up to 60 students. The Joint Certificate for Advanced Biomedical Science portion will launch first and be a 24-credit program. The master's program will begin in 2011 and consist of 40 credits. Students will apply for George Squared as they would to any other program offered at GMU.

Mason officials said the classes will focus on anatomy, biochemistry, human physiology, medical microbiology and molecular biology. The goal of the program is to prepare students for careers in biological, biochemical and medical bioscience industries, as well as for medical school.

Faculty from Georgetown and George Mason will teach the classes, though all will be held at Mason's Prince William campus, GMU Provost Peter Stearns said, noting that the universities will hire a few staff members to support the program.

Stearns said the two universities chose to open the program on the Prince William campus because it has lab space dedicated to the life sciences industry, including a new biocontainment lab, and is in the heart of Innovation @ Prince William Technology Park, a development that includes biotechnology and bioscience companies.

Although both universities already offer programs in the medical field, Stearns said, George Squared is attractive because it combines the assets of two institutions and uses new technology and curriculum guidelines that will "make the physician of the future somewhat different than the physician today."

George Mason's strength, for instance, is in the field of proteomics, which allows individual tracking of early stages of a disease, Stearns said. Georgetown, on the other hand, has a notable medical school and forte in clinical practice.

"Biomedical research and education today involve much more quantitative, computational and engineering capacity and expertise than in the past, and George Mason's expertise in those areas will nicely complement Georgetown's strengths," Myers said. "Georgetown is a top-tier research university . . . [and] with the robust biomedical education and research programs at Georgetown University Medical Center, there's a natural synergy between these institutions."

Officials at Mason said the cost to operate George Squared will be nominal and absorbed by tuition. In-state students pay $370 per credit hour for a master's degree and $313 per credit hour for an undergraduate degree at Mason. Next year's tuition costs won't be addressed until May, Mason officials said.