Program Focus and Outcomes

M-TRAM trains students to develop, implement, and / or lead the translation of research discoveries and clinical applications into biomedical innovations. Technology areas of focus include immunotherapy, gene therapy, vaccines, biomarkers, drug discovery, single-cell omics, and medical devices. 

Blending core medicine, technology, and business components, M-TRAM combines flexible classroom learning with hands-on, team-based clinical research, one-on-one mentoring by renowned Stanford faculty and investigators, and on-site biotechnology training.

By the end of the one-year program, students will have gained the problem-solving skills, competencies, and strategies to:

  • Apply clinical specimens to emerging technologies

  • Expand professional networks and career opportunities

  • Develop a full product development plan encompassing pre-clinical, clinical, manufacturing, and regulatory modules

  • Identify unmet medical needs

  • Develop medical hypotheses

  • Design pre-clinical and clinical studies

Curriculum Overview

M-TRAM’s rigorous interdisciplinary curriculum covers the translational landscape – from early-stage research through to full regulatory approval – and the strategies to develop, test, and implement novel biomedical solutions in both academic and industry settings. Faculty are leaders in their fields and are based in Medicine, Pediatrics, Radiology, Engineering, and other Stanford schools and departments, including Pathology, Surgery, Dermatology, Endocrinology,Epidemiology, Biomedical Informatics, and Chemical & Systems Biology.

The M-TRAM curriculum is comprised of: 

  • 45+ units of core science, biomedical technology, drug discovery and clinical study design courses spanning four consecutive quarters

  • Flexibly structured coursework, which allows students who are employed to work part time during the program’s duration

  • Clinical and research rotations in a hospital, research laboratory, or a biotechnology company
  • A summer biotechnology/biopharma industry internship designed to gain hands-on drug development experience, 
  • A faculty-mentored capstone research project in industry or academia

Required Courses

M-TRAM Approved Elective Courses

BIODS216 Gen AI and Medicine

Autumn

  

INDE209 - Analysis of Public Companies in the Life Sciences

Autumn

  

Essentials of Clinical Trials (Spectrum online)

Winter

  

CS337 AI-AssIsted Care

Autumn

  

RAD201 Introduction to Radiology

Autumn

  

MED227 Drug Development: Key Issues in Regulation, Benefit vs Risk, and Commercialisation

Autumn

  

CBIO240  Molecular and Genetic Basis of Cancer

Autumn

  

STRAMGT581 Leading Strategic Change in Healthcare

Autumn

  

BIOMEDIN201 Biomedical Data Science Student Seminar

Autumn, Winter, Spring

  

FRENLANG15, Intermediate French Oral Communication

Autumn, Winter, Spring

  

CME193 Introduction to Scientific Python

Autumn, Winter, Spring

  

CBS242, Drug Discovery and Development Seminar Series

Autumn, Winter, Spring

  

BIOE 374A/B, Biodesign Innovations

Winter/Spring

  

ME249 Designing Biomaterials

Winter

  

BIOMEDIN219, Mathematical Models and Medical Decisions

Winter

  

CS22A, The Social & Economic Impact of Artificial Intelligence

Winter

  

GENE229 How We Age

Winter

  

STATS195 Introduction to R

Winter

  

BIODS235 Best Practices in Developing Data Science Software in Healthcare

Winter

  

GSBGEN551 Innovation and Management in Health Care

Winter

  

EPI226 Intermediate Epidemiologic and Clinical Research Methods

Winter

  

BIODS251 - Causal Inference in Clinical Trials and Observational Studies

Winter

  

CSB240A A Practical Approach to Drug Discovery and Development

Winter

  

STRAMGT353 Entrepreneurship: Formation of New Ventures

Winter

  

BIOE396 Bioentrepreneurship Bootcamp

Spring

  

GSBGEN515 Essentials of Strategic Communication

Spring

  

CHEM283 Therapeutic Science at the Chem-Biology Interface

Spring

  

IMMUNOL275, Tumor Immunology

Spring

  

CSB245 Economics of Biotechnology

Spring

  

STRAMGT345, Impact: Taking Social Innovation to Scale

Spring

  

BIOE231, Protein Engineering

Spring

  

GENE231 AI for beginners

Spring

  

HRP276 Introduction to Law and the Biosciences

Spring

  

LAW3012 Law and Biosciences

Spring

  

BIOE450 Advances in Biotech

Spring

  
View M-TRAM Curriculum Components and Course Descriptions

M-TRAM Student Profile

  • Physicians and medical students
  • Recent college graduates
  • Graduate students
  • Academic research assistants
  • Biotechnology professionals
  • Business, legal, and medical professionals
I want to better the lives of those around me through innovative clinical applications. M-TRAM teaches effective translational research methods that I will utilize in my future career in medicine.

Chris Aboujudom, BS
M-TRAM Class of 2023

Applications for the 2026/2027 academic year will be available in September 2025.

Questions? Contact us!
mtramstudies@stanford.edu

Important Dates

May 29, 2025
M-TRAM research symposium and in-person New Students Orientation

Sept. 22, 2025
First day of classes at Stanford (M-TRAM program starts)

June 1-Oct. 9, 2025

  • Applications will be accepted for the 2026/27 Knight Hennessy Scholarship (KHS)
  • Apply here; deadline: Oct., 2025
  • KHS application is SEPARATE from the M-TRAM application: you must apply to both to be considered for the scholarship
  • More info about KHS


Sept. 2025-Jan. 2026
M-TRAM applications will be accepted for 2026/27

Dec, 2025 (tba)
M-TRAM info session webinar for prospective students 

Jan. 31, 2026
Applications due for 2026/27

April - May 2026
Admission decisions

 

 

Interested in Becoming an M-TRAM Industry Partner?

We welcome inquiries from biotechnology, pharmaceutical and other health care organizations interested in learning about opportunities to partner with M-TRAM: 

mtramstudies@stanford.edu