Biology
Graduate Programs and Research Areas
The Department of Biology offers both the Master of Arts (MA) and the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees in five program areas: Ecology, Behavior & Evolution; Physiology, Endocrinology & Reproduction; Neurobiology; Cell & Molecular Biology; and Marine Biology. Each program area has unique strengths and suggested curricula. The department offers both master’s and doctoral degrees in Biology that emphasize independent research on the part of the student, as well as a non-research master’s degree. Biology faculty participate in three interdepartmental programs offering graduate degrees in Molecular Biology, Cell Biology & Biochemistry (MCBB); Neuroscience; and Bioinformatics.
The Biology Department programs include faculty active in research in the areas listed below:
- cell signaling and gene regulation
- biochemistry
- cancer biology
- microbiology
- endocrinology and reproductive biology
- developmental biology
- genetics
- metabolism and physiology
- systems biology
- cell and molecular neurobiology
- neuroendocrinology
- neurophysiology
- sensory neurobiology
- animal behavior
- tropical ecology
- ecology and conservation biology
- behavioral ecology and sociobiology
- evolutionary genomics
- molecular ecology and evolution
- marine biology
The graduate program is planned by selection of an appropriate sequence of courses in consultation with the major professor and advisory committee. However, training has been formalized in several programs and areas of specialization. Financial support is provided in the form of fellowships or traineeships from such federal agencies as NIH and NSF. Departmental teaching fellowships, assistantships, and University fellowships are available to qualified PhD students.
Further information is available from the department office, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215; 617-353-2432.
Programs
Several well-defined programs have been designed:
The Program in Cell & Molecular Biology includes courses and research opportunities in developmental biology, cell signaling and gene regulation, cancer biology, genetics, biochemistry, microbiology, physiology, and systems biology. Associated programs include the interdepartmental programs in Molecular Biology, Cell Biology & Biochemistry (MCBB), and Bioinformatics.
The Program in Ecology, Behavior & Evolution includes introductory and advanced coursework in the discipline and opportunities to pursue research with internationally recognized biologists in a broad array of subjects. Research strengths and focal research groups include animal behavior, behavioral ecology, socioecology, communication, molecular development and evolution, evolutionary ecology, conservation and global change biology, molecular ecology and phylogenetics, evolutionary genomics, population genetics, physiological ecology, ecological immunology, and population, community, and ecosystems ecology. The program is strongly integrative and has extensive linkage to other departmental and college research groups working in marine biology, neurobiology, endocrinology, biological anthropology, and environmental sciences. Model systems include temperate and tropical forests, microbes, cnidarians, social insects, amphibians, reptiles, fish, birds, and bats. Tropical research may be carried out in a pristine rainforest environment at the Tiputini Biodiversity Station in Ecuador, where an extraordinary diversity of programs can be studied in the field.
The Program in Neurobiology offers courses and research opportunities in areas of contemporary neurobiology, including: synaptic morphology and neurotransmission; neurodegeneration; genetic and hormonal control of neural development; sensory physiology, including retinal circuitry and neurochemistry; as well as olfactory processing and neuroendocrinology, specifically hormonal control of behavior. The organisms under investigation include crayfish, lobster, turtle, rat, mouse, and ferret. Biology faculty also participate in the interdepartmental PhD program in Neuroscience.
The Program in Marine Biology includes offerings on the Charles River Campus Boston University Marine Program and fieldwork in Belize. Research training is offered in animal behavior, sensory physiology, ecosystem ecology, and systematics of marine organisms.
Seminars Seminars, with and without credit, are held. Participation is expected throughout the predoctoral period.
Teaching Requirements The department requires two semesters of participation in teaching during a student’s graduate career as part of the Doctor of Philosophy degree.
Facilities for Training and Research
The department’s research laboratories are located in three buildings along Cummington Mall. Teaching laboratories are located in the adjacent Metcalf Science Center. In addition, the department has extensive research facilities: an aquarium room for experimental work on fresh and saltwater fish, a Laboratory Animal Care Facility, and environmental chambers. Specialized modern equipment is available for electron and confocal microscopy, DNA sequencing, tissue culture, and a variety of biochemical, physiological, and genetic applications. Field studies can also be conducted at the 900-acre Human Environment Institute at Sargent Center for Outdoor Education in Peterborough, New Hampshire.
Ancillary Facilities Through cooperative arrangements with affiliated scientists at other institutions—the New England Aquarium, Manomet Bird Observatory, and Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary—supplementary facilities may be available for graduate training and research.
Consortium of Graduate Schools Graduate students may cross-register for graduate courses at Boston College, Brandeis University, and Tufts University in consultation with their advisors and with written departmental approval. Procedures for cross-registration are outlined in the front section of this website.
