Our mission is to reveal the secrets of nature and to educate the next generation of science innovators.
Research
We use innovative tools in our research to reveal fundamental biological processes that are common to all life on Earth. Our faculty focus on model systems that allow us to query the most basic of questions about nature, whether they be at the molecular level, at the level of a cell or organism or in development of clinical application of new human disease therapies. We have a diverse group of research interests including cancer, neurobiology, heart development and disease, plant development, evolutionary biology, cell signaling, gene expression, RNA biology, genetic networks and systems biology, and genome stability. For more details, we encourage you to browse our faculty research here.
Education
We offer student-centered educational experiences for undergraduate and graduate students. The Molecular and Cellular Biology faculty teach over 550 undergraduate majors. In addition, we teach courses available for general education of all students of any major. We also train masters and doctoral level students. We aim for students to develop a deep understanding of current ideas and problems in molecular and cellular biology. At the same time, we build foundational skills in logic, reasoning, self-expression and communication-skills relevant to any career. Throughout our coursework, we emphasize active learning and problem-solving skills. We encourage interdisciplinary pursuits and are committed to providing hands-on and intellectually challenging experiences in research labs. Our goal is to prepare students for creative futures in the pursuit of scientific discovery, science education, or as knowledgeable representatives of science in society.