Chair's Welcome

Welcome! We aim to be one of the best integrative biology departments in the country. Our faculty, students, and postdoctoral scholars are engaged in research and teaching at the crest of modern biology using a diversity of organisms and modern approaches to gain the widest possible perspectives on biological organization and function. Evolution provides a unifying theme for the department, with research foci in biophysics, sensory neuroscience, developmental biology, evolutionary genetics, behavioral ecology, conservation biology, and ecology.

Our faculty and staff are committed to excellence in undergraduate and graduate education. We offer a broad range of courses in the undergraduate biological sciences major, especially in the areas of physiology and neurobiology, ecology and evolution, and conservation biology. Graduate students participate in the Biological Sciences (BISI) program with concentrations in Behavior, Ecology, Evolution and Systematics (BEES) or Physiological Systems (PHYS), as well as complementary interdepartmental programs, including Biophysics, Neurosciences and Cognitive Studies (NACS), Marine, Estuarine and Environmental Studies (MEES), or Conservation and Sustainable Development (CONS). Interdisciplinary training and research is encouraged and often enabled by long-standing relationships with scientists at nearby institutions, including the National Museum, the National Zoo, NIH, USDA and NCI.

Please explore this site to learn more about the people, programs, facilities, and educational opportunities that we offer and let me know if you would like additional information.