A new academic and research partnership between the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) and the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute will allow graduate students to apply for and complete research on the hepatitis B virus (HBV) and liver cancer with some of the top biotechnology researchers in the country, according to a UPenn press release.  

The affiliation will offer both full- and part-time students enrolled in the university’s new master of chemical sciences program the opportunity to be mentored by top liver disease scientists. The program will allow students to work in the lab and also help advance the institute’s mission to find a cure for hep B.

Under the partnership, UPenn students will be able to complete their capstone research projects at the Blumberg facility in Pennsylvania, where an on-site supervisor will show them how to work on advanced therapies for treating and curing HBV.

Established in 2003 by the nonprofit Hepatitis B Foundation, the Blumberg Institute is an independent research center devoted to combating liver disease, with a focus on biotech and collaborative research. The new partnership with UPenn is slated for students interested in pursuing careers in hepatitis research, as well as those already working within the pharmaceutical and chemical industries.

For more information about UPenn’s Master of Chemical Sciences program, click here.