phd requirements yale

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Graduate & professional study.

Yale offers advanced degrees through its Graduate School of Arts & Sciences and 13 professional schools. Browse the organizations below for information on programs of study, academic requirements, and faculty research.

Graduate School of Arts & Sciences

Yale’s Graduate School of Arts & Sciences offers programs leading to M.A., M.S., M.Phil., and Ph.D. degrees in 73 departments and programs.

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The Yale School of Architecture’s mandate is for each student to understand architecture as a creative, productive, innovative, and responsible practice.

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The Yale School of Art has a long and distinguished history of training artists of the highest caliber.

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Yale Divinity School educates the scholars, ministers, and spiritual leaders of the future.

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The David Geffen School of Drama graduates have raised the standards of professional practice around the world in every theatrical discipline, creating bold art that engages the mind and delights the senses.

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The Yale School of Engineering & Applied Science is at the cutting edge of research to develop technologies that address global societal problems.

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The School of the Environment is dedicated to sustaining and restoring the long-term health of the biosphere and the well-being of its people.

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The Jackson School of Global Affairs trains and equips a new generation of leaders to devise thoughtful, evidence-based solutions for challenging global problems.

Yale Law School hones the world’s finest legal minds in an environment that features world-renowned faculty, small classes, and countless opportunities for clinical training and public service.

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School of Management students, faculty, and alumni are committed to understanding the complex forces transforming global markets and building organizations that contribute lasting value to society.

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Yale School of Medicine graduates go on to become leaders in academic medicine and health care, and innovators in clinical practice, biotechnology, and public policy.

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The Yale School of Music is an international leader in educating the creative musicians and cultural leaders of tomorrow.

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The Yale School of Nursing community is deeply committed to the idea that access to high quality patient‐centered health care is a social right, not a privilege.

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The School of Public Health supports research and innovative programs that protect and improve the health of people around the globe.

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The Faculty of Arts and Sciences is composed of the departments and academic programs that provide instruction in Yale College and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

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A number of our centers and institutes offer additional opportunities for graduate and professional study.

Department of Mathematics

Requirements for the ph.d. degree.

In order to qualify for the Mathematics Ph.D., all students are required to:

• Complete eight term courses at the graduate level, at least two with Honors grades.
• Pass qualifying examinations on their general mathematical knowledge;
• Submit a dissertation prospectus;
• Participate in the instruction of undergraduates ;
• Be in residence for at least three years;
• Complete a dissertation that clearly advances understanding of the subject it considers.

All students must also complete any other  Graduate School of Arts and Sciences degree requirements  as they appear in the Programs and Policies bulletin.

The normal time for completion of the Ph.D. program is five to six years. Requirement (1) normally includes basic courses in algebra, analysis, and topology.  Students typically complete the eight-course requirement by the end of their third year.  The Honors grades of (1) must be achieved within the first two years.  A sequence of three qualifying examinations (algebra and number theory, real and complex analysis, topology) is offered each term.  All qualifying examinations must be passed by the end of the second year.  There is no limit to the number of times that students can take the exams, and so they are encouraged to take them as soon as possible.

The dissertation prospectus should be submitted during the third year. 

The thesis is expected to be independent work, done under the guidance of an adviser. This adviser should be contacted not long after the student passes the qualifying examinations. A student is admitted to candidacy after completing requirements (1)–(5) and obtaining an adviser.

In addition to all other requirements, students must successfully complete MATH 991a, Ethical Conduct of Research, prior to the end of their first year of study. This requirement must be met prior to registering for a second year of study.

Master’s Degrees :

The M.Phil. and M.S. degrees are conferred only en route to the Ph.D.; there is no separate master’s program in Mathematics.

M.Phil.   Please refer to the Graduate School Degree Requirements

M.S.   A student must complete six term courses with at least one Honors grade, perform adequately on the general qualifying examination, and be in residence at least one year.

Doctoral Programs

Doctoral programs in accounting, financial economics, marketing, operations, and organizations and management.

The Doctoral Program gives students unparalleled expertise in management. Candidates work under Yale SOM's distinguished faculty, learning side by side with diverse and accomplished scholars.

Deadline: December 15

The application deadline is December 15 of the year in which admission is sought.

Specializations

Students focus in one of the core disciplines of management, developing in-depth knowledge and pursuing their own research interests: Accounting , Finance , Marketing , Operations , or Organizations and Management .

Application for admission to the Doctoral Program in Management is made through the Yale Graduate School.

Students take foundational PhD-level courses in their areas of specialization, and then choose from a course list that spans the university, drawing from some of the best academic departments in the world.

The program's small size allows senior faculty to take an active role in preparing each student for the job search.

• Guidance for International Students
• PhD/Master's Application Process

If you are an international applicant to a PhD or Master's degree program, you have the same general requirements as all other applicants.

Note: Applicants to a non-degree program, including Exchange Scholars , Visiting Assistants in Research , and Visiting Students , should visit the relevant page for information about admission to those programs.

Bachelor's Degree or International Equivalent

All entering students must have earned a bachelor's degree or its international equivalent prior to enrolling at the Graduate School. You may submit an application before receiving your degree, or while your degree is still in progress, as long as the degree will be completed prior to matriculation.

Some countries grant an undergraduate or bachelor's-equivalent degree in three years. In such cases, completion of a three-year degree will meet the application requirement.

English Language Testing (TOEFL/IELTS)

TOEFL or IELTS is required of almost all applicants whose native language is not English.

If you have received (or will receive) an undergraduate degree from a college or university where English is the primary language of instruction, you are exempt from the English Language Test requirement and are not required to submit the TOEFL or IELTS. You must have studied in residence at the undergraduate institution for at least three years to qualify. No exemptions are made on the basis of an advanced degree (e.g., MA/MS or PhD) from any institution. For more information, please see Standardized Test Requirements .

Although the Graduate School does not have test minimums for admission, individual departments may have a minimum requirement and will use these scores when they review your application. Please check with the department or program to which you are applying to see if it has a minimum requirement. The Graduate School requires incoming doctoral students who received a score of 25 or below on the TOEFL Speaking section or a 7.5 or below on the IELTS Speaking section to participate in a Summer English Language program at Yale in August prior to matriculation. These students are required to demonstrate English proficiency before they are permitted to teach.

Entry Term/Intake

All PhD and Master's students begin their studies at Yale in the fall term. No spring term entry is permitted. Application for admission to any of the Graduate School's programs begins in the summer or fall of the academic year prior to the one in which you propose to matriculate. Please submit your application by the program deadline .

Visa Questions and Processing

The Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS) serves as the immigration adviser for all entering international students and their accompanying family members. Beginning in March, OISS will contact you with the necessary visa and immigration information if you have accepted Yale's offer of admission.

GPA and GPA Conversion

You may self-report a GPA and GPA scale in the “Academic History” section of the application. Please do not convert or recalculate your GPA. If your college or university does not report or compute a GPA, you should omit it.

Translations

All academic records and letters of recommendation uploaded to your application must be in English or accompanied by an English translation.

Fee Waivers

International students are eligible to request a fee waiver .

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Department of Physics

You are here, apply to the yale physics phd program.

The Yale Department of Physics welcomes applications to our matriculating graduate class of 2024 beginning around August 15th, 2024. The General GRE and Physics GRE scores are Optional for applications received by the December 15, 2023, submission deadline.

We recognize the continuing disruption caused by COVID-19 and that the hardship of taking GREs falls unequally on individual students. We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment for all; therefore, we do not require these standardized tests for admission to our program. All applications are reviewed holistically, and preference will not be given to students who do or do not submit GRE scores.

Frequently Asked Physics Questions General Application Questions Application Fees and Fee Waivers* Accommodations for Applicants Facing Extenuating Circumstances

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Department of History

Ph.d. programs.

The Department of History’s doctoral degree program seeks to train talented historians for careers in scholarship, teaching, and beyond the academy. The department typically accepts 22 Ph.D. students per year. Additional students are enrolled through various combined programs and through HSHM.  All admitted Ph.D. students receive a  full  financial aid package  from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. 

History of Science and Medicine

The  Program in the History of Science and Medicine  (HSHM)  is a semi-autonomous graduate track within the Department of History. HSHM students receive degrees in History, with a concentration in the History of Science and Medicine.  There is a separate admissions process for students interested in the History of Science and Medicine. For more information, please see the  HSHM website . 

Combined Doctoral Programs

Joint ph.d. programs.

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School of Public Health 2023–2024

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M.D./Ph.D. Program Requirements

All M.D./Ph.D. students must meet with the director of graduate studies (DGS) in Public Health if they are considering affiliating with Public Health. Students in this program are expected to meet the guidelines listed below in the time frame outlined. The DGS must approve any variations to these requirements.

One term of teaching is required. If students are approved by the DGS to teach beyond this requirement, they can be compensated. In the rare instance teaching beyond the requirement is approved, the student will only be allowed to serve as a TF10. If a student has served as a teaching fellow elsewhere on campus, this experience may be counted toward the requirement. DGS approval is required to waive the teaching requirement on the basis of previous Yale teaching experience.

Rotations/Internships

Students should do two rotations/internships with potential advisers in Public Health. The purpose of these rotations/internships is to learn research approaches and methodologies and/or to allow the student time to determine if the faculty member’s research interests are compatible with the student’s research interests. These rotations/internships are usually done during the summer between the first and second year of medical school course work. In some cases, students may need to defer this requirement until the summer after the second year after taking certain courses and/or completing readings in order to possess the background necessary for a successful rotation/internship.

Required Course Work

M.D./Ph.D. students are generally expected to take the same courses as traditional Ph.D. students. Departmental requirements vary; therefore, students should confer with the DGS and/or their Ph.D. adviser.

Timeline for Qualifying Exam

Students generally will take medical school courses in years one and two. Students can take Public Health courses during this time, if scheduling allows. Once affiliated with the Public Health program, students will complete all course requirements for the department. This generally takes a minimum of two terms but can take up to four terms after affiliating with Public Health. The qualifying exam is commonly completed after the fourth term of affiliation with the Ph.D. program in Public Health but can sometimes be done earlier with approval of the Ph.D. adviser and DGS.

Prospectus Timeline

Following completion of the qualifying exam, students should focus on the prospectus, which must be approved by the Public Health Graduate Studies Executive Committee (GSEC) before the end of the student’s sixth term as an affiliated Ph.D. student in Public Health.

Admission to Candidacy

To be admitted to candidacy, students must: (1) satisfactorily complete the course requirements for their department as outlined in Departmental Requirements , achieve grades of Honors in at least two full-term doctoral-level courses, and achieve an overall High Pass average; (2) obtain an average grade of High Pass on the qualifying exam; and (3) have the dissertation prospectus approved by the GSEC. All M.D./Ph.D. students must be admitted to candidacy before the start of the fourth year in the Ph.D. program (i.e., before the start of the seventh term).

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Department of Political Science

Graduate Program

Yale’s Ph.D. program has a strong historical record of producing leading scholars in the field of Political Science. (Please note: The department does not offer a stand-alone MA in Political Science. Information about the Jackson Institute MPP in Global Affairs .) Many Yale graduates have also had successful careers in government, politics, non-profit organizations, and the private sector. This historical strength is matched by a strong faculty deeply engaged in training current graduate students to succeed in contemporary Political Science.

One of the Department’s strengths is substantive and methodological pluralism—there is no single “Yale way,” and our students and faculty are motivated by a range of questions in and across the subfields of Political Science. At the same time as we acknowledge this diversity of interests, the Department’s curriculum is designed to ensure students have adequate opportunities to master the core tools of contemporary social science research, including a four-course sequence in quantitative methodology and research design (statistics), a two course sequence in formal theory, courses on experimental design, implementation, and analysis, and a training program in qualitative and archival methodology.

The Department also offers training in five substantive subfields: American Politics, Comparative Politics, International Relations, Political Economy, and Political Theory. In each of these subfields, faculty regularly teach courses that expose students to both the foundational work in these areas and current active research topics. In many subfields, this training takes the form of formal or informal “sequences,” for example Comparative Politics I and II are taught each year. These classes are supplemented by topical seminars on selected and advanced topics.

In addition to regular courses, the Department and affiliated institutions (in particular, the MacMillan Center and the Institution for Social and Policy Studies) host a variety of (near-)weekly workshops in which outside speakers and Yale affiliates present and discuss work. These workshops provide a unique opportunity for students to observe the work of leading scholars, as well as to develop their own research in conjunction with faculty and student review. Information about these workshops is available here.

Students will also take two courses as a cohort. The first, Introduction to Politics, is for all Ph.D. students in their first semester. The second, Research and Writing, spans the second year and is centered on students producing a publishable quality research paper prior to embarking on the dissertation. Students in Research and Writing present their final paper in the Department’s mini-APSA conference in April.

About eighteen students enter the Ph.D. program each year. The total number of students in residence at any one time, including students working on their dissertations, is approximately 100, of whom about 40 are taking courses.

The Director of Graduate Studies for the Political Science Department is Hélène Landemore . Professor Landemore’s DGS office is located in Room 234  in Rosenkranz Hall, 115 Prospect Street. To contact Professor Landemore or sign up for DGS office hours, email her at dgs.polisci@yale.edu .

The Graduate program registrar is Colleen Amaro.  Her office is located in Room 230 in Rosenkranz Hall, 115 Prospect Street. She can be contacted by email at colleen.amaro@yale.edu .

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The mentorship and support I’ve received through the Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS (CIRA) as a predoctoral fellow has been invaluable and was a big factor in my decision to attend YSPH.

PhD in Social and Behavioral Sciences

The Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS) Department aims to understand and improve health equity, both domestically and globally. SBS provides instruction in the theory and methods of the social and behavioral sciences that emphasize individual, interpersonal, community, and structural influences on health, illness, and recovery. The primary emphases are focused on (1) understanding the psychosocial, behavioral, community, and societal influences on health in the general population, with a focus on those who are disadvantaged; and (2) creating multilevel interventions that eliminate barriers to health, from infancy to old age. The SBS curriculum takes an interdisciplinary approach and focuses on integrating methods from epidemiology and the social sciences, training scientists with a broad skill set that allows them to answer a host of complex research questions. The department has numerous research strengths including in HIV/AIDS, aging health, community engaged health research, maternal child health, mental health, health equity and disparities, and stigma prevention and health.

This program does not require General GRE test scores.

Learn more about the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences

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The Economic Consequences of Climate Change: An Interview with Nobel Laureate William Nordhaus

William Nordhaus and Lint Barrage (PhD ’13)

What are the economic consequences and opportunities of climate change? How do you integrate economic analysis with the science of climate change?

These questions are at the heart of Nobel laureate William Nordhaus ’s career, and in research released this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), he and coauthor Lint Barrage (PhD ’13) present new findings from the updated DICE-2023 model, with major implications for global climate policy.

The DICE model (the Dynamic Integrated model for Climate and the Economy) is one of the first integrated assessment models or IAMs . This approach provides policy-relevant insights into global environmental issues through quantitative descriptions of key processes in human and earth systems. IAMs model the climate problem from end to end, from economy to emissions to atmospheric chemistry to climate dynamics, then on to impacts such as sea-level rise, wildfire, and health impacts, and finally closing the loop by including policies to bend the curve of CO2 emissions. The outputs of these models play a key role in understanding key relationships and formulating efficient policies to slow or reverse the trends.

One important finding is that international climate policy has set ambitious goals but has failed to establish an architecture for implementation…Additionally, we estimate that current policies will lead the global mean temperature increase (above pre-industrial levels) to pass the 1.5 °C target later in this decade, while without major policy changes, the globe will surpass the 2 °C goal of the Paris Accord by mid-century.” - William Nordhaus

The original DICE model was developed and published at Yale in 1992 and is the most widely used climate-change integrated assessment model. The US and other governments employ it to calculate the social cost of carbon, as well as create consistent scenarios and evaluate policies and uncertainties. The new study updates the 2016 DICE model with revised treatments of the carbon cycle, damages, discounting, and also includes results on the Paris Accord and temperature-limited scenarios.

Among the key findings from the new study, the authors note that both current policies and the extended Paris Accord fall far short of limiting global warming to 2 °C. They also highlight the substantial economic stakes at play in global climate policy: in the efficient scenario, where climate change policies maximize economic welfare according to the principles of cost–benefit analysis—they estimate a net present value of economic benefits of around $120 trillion.

Journal Publication

In the Q&A below, author and Nobel laureate William Nordhaus discusses the key findings and implications of this new research.

What are the major new findings today? What are the major surprises?

One important finding is that international climate policy has set ambitious goals but has failed to establish a realistic architecture for implementation. This is seen in the “price of carbon” (or the cost to polluters of emitting CO2 into the atmosphere) that is far below the level necessary to reach international goals. We estimate that a global carbon price of $80 per ton of CO2 would be necessary to reach the goals of the 2015 Paris Accord. Yet, the World Bank estimates that the current global price is only a tiny $3 per ton.

Additionally, we estimate that current policies will lead the global mean temperature increase (above pre-industrial levels) to pass the 1.5 °C target later in this decade, while the globe will surpass the 2 °C goal of the Paris Accord by mid-century without major policy changes. All this might not be a big surprise – perhaps alarm is a better word. Professor Barrage and I emphasize that it is critically important to recognize how countries’ climate policies fall so far short of their rhetoric and goals, and this is borne out by the recent release of DICE 2023.

What does this new study say about the “social cost of carbon”?

This critical measure (“SCC” for short) is the most important single economic concept in the economics of climate change. It designates the current and future damages caused by an additional ton of carbon dioxide emissions or its equivalent. The SCC has become a central tool used in climate change policy, particularly in the determination of regulatory policies that involve greenhouse gas emissions. The SCC has been used by the US government in rules that provide more than $1 trillion in benefits. Integrated models like DICE are essential to the calculation of the SCC and have been used by many governments in their formulation of climate policies.

We estimate that the SCC is around $80 per ton of CO2 in today’s dollars. With about 5 billion tons annually of emissions, this represents a debit of about $400 billion for the US economy (out of a total output of $28 trillion). This is a useful finding because it shows again how inadequate climate policy is because current carbon prices are so far below our estimates of SCC. The figure below shows alternative estimates of the SCC from the publication.

Figure 4 from the article shows the relationship between the social cost of carbon and the discount rate for different scenarios of the DICE-2023 and several other models. 

What suggestions for climate policy emerge from your work?

Looking at the landscape of climate policy, we see three necessary aspects of an effective policy.

The first , mentioned above, is that countries need to raise carbon prices sharply to provide appropriate incentives for the private and public sectors to reduce emissions. This cannot be done overnight, obviously, but we need to move forward with this critical step as soon as possible. Here in the United States, there is an unusual opportunity because major tax provisions expire next year, and we face the need to either raise income taxes substantially or find other revenue sources. This would be a good time to replace the scheduled increases in income taxes with taxes on carbon emissions.

The second step is to replace the flawed international architecture on climate policy with a structure with carrots and sticks for incentivizing countries to participate in strong policies. I have called this the “climate club” to suggest a structure of pricing policies along with penalties for countries who do not participate. The flawed structure of current international agreements is a major reason why so little progress has been made to curtail carbon emissions to date.

The final step is to recognize that a policy of decarbonizing our economies will require major new technologies – ones that are only in the laboratories or at small scale – and that these need strong government fiscal support. Examples of such technologies are advanced renewables, negative-emissions technologies, and futuristic technologies such as fusion, advanced nuclear, and superconducting networks.

The most important support would be government subsidies for fundamental and applied research on green energy technologies. It is striking how little governments have recognized the importance of this aspect of climate policy. Major countries today provide only $40 billion of support for green energy R&D. This is less than half of the money that companies in the United States devote to research and development in pharmaceuticals. We do not have a prayer of reaching our climate goals without strong government research support.

These three steps are hardly revolutionary in concept, but they are awesomely challenging politically. They are the best chance for the community of nations to prevent the growing threats to humans and the global environment of rapid climate change.

The modeling behind DICE-2023 sounds like a major enterprise. Are these models complex to code and calculate?

The models themselves are relatively small compared to many scientific studies (you can see some representative code below). But they have a particularly complex structure because they are “optimization models,” which means that they solve for the least-cost or highest-value path of the variables.

If you excuse a little excursion into geekiness, I will explain a bit more. The simplest version of DICE has 1475 variables and 1381 linear and nonlinear constraints.

Solving this problem would not have been remotely possible without modern mathematics, software, and hardware, but today’s PCs can solve it in only 1.3 seconds. One interesting feature is that the solution is so fast and robust because of the development of an algorithm known as “linear programming,” by Yale economist Tjalling Koopmans, for which he won the 1974 Nobel Prize in Economics.

What has been Yale's role in the development of integrated models like DICE?

Yale has been in the forefront of integrated climate-economic modeling for decades. Contributors to earlier DICE-related studies over the years have been Yale scholars such as Robert Mendelsohn and Ken Gillingham at the Environment School and Economics Department faculty such as Tony Smith (Chair of Economics) and Sam Kortum . Yale-derived work has pioneered DICE spinoffs, such as multi-region versions, ones introducing uncertainty, approaches with research and development, and learning by doing.

I would emphasize, however, that each new study and every passing year reveal new complexities and challenges. A world aflame with wildfires, and New Yorkers sheltering from record-setting pollution from Canadian fires, are the surprises that await us in the years ahead if unchecked warming continues.

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Chinese artist dai xiang draws on classical song dynasty work to engage contemporary social problems.

In February 2024, Chinese artist Dai Xiang presented his “New Qingming Scroll” (2014) at Yale in a long-awaited visit to Yale’s Council on East Asian Studies that had been postponed since 2020. 

His scroll, an elaborate photographic composite measuring nearly 40 feet long, is a modern recreation of the Song-dynasty scroll “Along the River During the Qingming Festival (Qingming Shanghe Tu),” which was painted around 1,000 C.E. The conceptual photographer spent three years taking the more than 10,000 photos that would be used in the project, which involved building sets, and sourcing actors, costumes, and props for the more than 30 different scenes depicted. The scroll was last displayed in China in 2019.

“Dai Xiang’s new Qingming scroll uses the landscape in the Song-dynasty Qingming scroll as a backdrop for multiple real-life incidents that occurred between 2009 and 2011, when he began his photo montage,” explained Valerie Hansen, Stanley Woodward Professor of History at Yale and an authority on the original scroll.

She said, “The Song-dynasty scroll is remarkably positive and shows a bustling city with very few problems—it is quite likely that it was painted for the emperor—but Dai’s scroll captures abuses of power by Communist party officials, police, and real estate developers.”

Using AI to overcome the language barrier and discuss the scroll in English, Dai explained that because he studied the ancient scroll so carefully when preparing his new Qingming scroll, he noticed many details previously overlooked by art historians, specifically the moments of averted disaster. He argued that, contrary to the general consensus, he believes the original scroll reflects moments of crisis under the overall prosperity in the Song Dynasty. Dai used his interpretation as a jumping-off point for his portrayal of contemporary social problems in China, including food contamination, cyber security threats, rising housing prices, and environmental degradation. 

“Dai’s selection of a Song-dynasty frame for his critique of modern Chinese society reveals how important the past is in today’s China,” Hansen said. Dai’s visit also allowed Yale students in Professor Hansen’s seminar, “Song-Dynasty China (960-1276): Modern Before Europe?”, to explore the interaction between China’s past and present more deeply.

“As an Irishman, I knew nothing about Chinese history before taking Professor Hansen’s class,” said Joe Thames ’25. “Therefore, the modern Qingming Scroll opened my eyes to issues in the country and various aspects of Chinese culture in the context of this history course. Dai Xiang was very helpful in pointing out features of the old scroll and explaining how this inspired the new one.”

“On my first look at the Qingming scroll, I did not realize that it had political motivation,” said Annie Citron ’25. “However, Dai Xiang’s scroll illuminates the political nature of the original scroll. I found Dai’s scroll interesting because it gave me insight into Chinese politics and scandal of the early 2000s that I would have not had.”

View the photo gallery.

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Steven Reilly, PhD

Contact information, lab location.

• TAC S340 The Anlyan Center 300 Cedar Street New Haven, CT 06519

Mailing Address

Yale School of Medicine

PO Box 208005

New Haven, CT 06520-8005

United States

Research & Publications

Appointments.

Steven Reilly received his B.S. in Biology from Carnegie Mellon University in 2009. Motivated by the rapid emergence of new technologies to map the full epigenomes, he joined Jim Noonan's Lab in the Genetics Department of Yale School of Medicine. There he built gene regulatory maps of the developing human, rhesus, and mouse cortex to identify changes underlying unique aspects of human brain morphology and cognitive abilities. Steve received his Ph.D. in 2015 and then joined the laboratory of Pardis Sabeti at the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT to interrogate the function of genetic variants at the intersection of natural selection and human disease. As evolutionary adaptive genetic variants have been shown to underlie diversity in disease risk and morphology across human populations, the lens of evolution remains a powerful, yet underutilized method for understanding human biology He is specifically interested in furthering our understanding of non-coding variation, the main cache of human genetic diversity. The has created novel machine-learning methods to predict the subset of human variants under selection that are functional, and experimental methods to characterize variants in a massively parallel fashion. Steve has developed endogenous CRISPR perturbation methods and synthetic DNA technologies coupled with genomic readouts to directly assess the cellular phenotypes of non-coding alleles. Steve joined the Yale Department of Genetics as an Assistant Professor in September, 2021.

The Reilly lab develops and applies new high-throughput experimental approaches to interrogate the genome, such as non-coding CRISPR screens and the Massively Parallel Reporter Assay. Computationally, we also develop machine-learning approaches to predict the functions of these CRE perturbations. Together with these new tools, we use evolution as a powerful lens for characterizing genomic signals of positive selection that impact modern human phenotypes and diseases.

The lab has three main foci:

• Developing new, large-scale experimental screens to perturb CREs, and new computational tools to model their function
• Identifying evolutionary adaptive alleles likely impacting modern human phenotypes
• Applying these functional genomic tools to phenotypically interesting loci important for human disease and evolution.

Education & Training

• Postdoctoral Fellow Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT (2021)
• PhD Yale, Genetics (2015)
• BS Carnegie Mellon, Biology (2009)

Honors & Recognition

Departments & organizations.

• Center for RNA Science and Medicine
• Computational Biology and Biomedical Informatics
• Janeway Society
• Molecular Cell Biology, Genetics and Development
• Yale Center for Genomic Health
• Yale Combined Program in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS)