His dissertation was titled "Discovery of Mature MicroRNA Sequences within the Protein-Coding Regions of Global HIV-1 Genomes: Predictions of Novel Mechanisms for Viral Infection and Pathogenicity."

The Offspring's Dexter Holland is now Doctor Dexter Holland, after graduating from the University of Southern California on Thursday (May 11) with a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology.

Holland announced the news in a blog post on The Offspring website that he wrote from a tour stop in Charlotte, North Carolina. In it, he explained that he had been pursuing his Ph.D. years ago but put his studies on hold when his band began touring more. Holland went back to school a few years ago and recently finished his 175-page dissertation titled "Discovery of Mature MicroRNA Sequences within the Protein-Coding Regions of Global HIV-1 Genomes: Predictions of Novel Mechanisms for Viral Infection and Pathogenicity." You can read it here.

"I am interested in virology and wanted to contribute in some small way to the knowledge which has been learned about HIV and AIDS," Holland wrote. "This terrible disease remains a worldwide epidemic - over 35 million people worldwide are currently infected and living with the HIV virus. Over one million people a year die from this disease.

"My research is not meant to be a cure or even an immediate step toward a cure, but I believe that by adding to the vast amount of information that we've learned about HIV in the last 30 years or so, we'll get there. Toward that end, I'm going to continue to do research, and you'll probably see some of my research papers get published here and there over the next few years."

The Offspring is currently touring and Holland said new music should be out soon.