biology.pitt.eduDepartment of Biological Sciences | | University of Pittsburgh

The University of Pittsburgh Pitt Home Dietrich School Find People Prospective Students Search this site Search Toggle navigation Search GOResearch Overview Biochemistry Cell Biology Computational Biology Developmental Biology Ecology Evolution Genetics Microbiology Molecular Biology Plant Biology Structural Biology Pymatuning Science Education Research Undergrad Research Graduate Overview MCDB Program E & E Program Hot Metal Bridge Program How to Apply Financial Support Courses Teaching and Teaching Minor Fellowships and Awards Career Development Life in Pittsburgh Diversity Our Current Students Our Past Graduates Docs & Forms Graduate Student Organization Undergraduate Overview Prospective Students Majors Courses Intro Research Labs Forms Advising Research & Internships Teaching Assistant Program Awards and Fellowships Careers & Postgraduate Education Past Grads Dept Honors Pedagogical Innovation People All Faculty Post-Docs Graduate Students Past Grads Staff Student Employment Info News Suggest a News item Events Upcoming Events Past Events Kohr Lecture Tousimis-Lauffer Distinguished Lecture Series K-12 Outreach Overview Gene Team In-Classroom Support Diversity Mentoring: A Path to Diversity CODIE Support & Research Opportunities Facilities Overview Microscopy Facility Cell Culture & Virus Labs Greenhouses Molecular Imaging Pymatuning Shared Research Support ServicesOverview Message From Our Chair Fiscal Office Main Office Donate Transformative World-class Graduate Training Focused mentoring, customizable training and cutting-edge research lead to successful graduates. Cutting-edge Innovative Research Dozens of laboratories perform cutting-edge research across the range of disciplines within Biological Sciences. Interdisciplinary Collaborative Environment In a broad-based Biological Sciences Department, your neighbors are all potential collaborators with unique and synergistic contributions. Interactive Diverse Community Experience the benefits of a diverse community of scientists and educators contributing their unique experiences and viewpoints. How to Apply: Graduate Program Undergraduate Majors Diversity & Inclusion Areas of Research Computational Biology Computational Biology faculty model the dynamics, structures, and evolution of macromolecules and biochemical reactions Learn More Genetics The Genetics faculty use model systems to define how gene function orchestrates cellular events and animal physiology Learn More Evolution Evolution at all levels of organization are studied by the faculty in evolutionary biology Learn More Structural Biology The Structural Biology faculty visualize how protein and nucleic acid complexes assemble and catalyze biological processes Learn More Microbiology Our Microbiology faculty study how pathogenic microbes and viruses infect and replicate in their hosts Learn More Molecular Biology Understanding events involving DNA, RNA, and protein factories” represent the focus of the Molecular Biology faculty Learn More Ecology Faculty in Ecology investigate how microbes, plants, and animals respond to their environments Learn More Developmental Biology The Developmental Biology faculty use model organisms to understand how genes coordinate events during animal development Learn More Biochemistry The Biochemistry faculty investigate the function of macromolecular protein and nucleic acid machines” Learn More Cell Biology Our Cell Biology faculty study the processes and diseases associated with intracellular organelles and cellular processes Learn More Computational Biology Genetics Evolution Structural Biology Microbiology Molecular Biology Ecology Developmental Biology Biochemistry Cell Biology News Department Graduate Student NSF fellowship winners announced Department Graduate Students Win Mellon Fellowships Dr. Ashman wins Humboldt Research Award Popular Destinations Follow us @PittBioSci Cool Pittsburgh Support Biological Sciences Research Programs Lee - Developmental genomics, stem cells How does a fertilized egg activate its first genes? Read MoreResearch Programs Brodsky - Protein quality control How are defects in protein folding controlled, and how can failure of this control result in disease? Read MoreResearch Programs Hainer - Gene Expression and Cell Fate What controls the production of non-coding RNAs from regulatory regions in mammalian cells? Read MoreResearch Programs Berman - RNA biology How do proteins interact with small RNAs and mRNAs to control gene expression? Read MoreResearch Programs Hatfull - Phages and tuberculosis How are phages the key to exploring the evolution of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and its viruses? Read MoreResearch Programs Levin - Evolution of immunity and pathogenesis Evolution of immunity and pathogenesis Read MoreResearch Programs Haney - Research Programs Kitzes - Quantitative Ecology and Conservation How are species distributed in the environment at different spatial scales? Read MoreResearch Programs Lawrence - Genome evolution What factors control the flow of genes within and among bacterial genomes? Read MoreResearch Programs Clark - The Clark Lab of molecular evolution & comparative genomics Research Programs Rebeiz - Evolutionary Development How do developmental networks evolve to generate complex morphologies? Read MoreResearch Programs Pipas - Viral Metagenomics, Viral manipulation of host systems How does virus SV40 causes tumors, and how do viruses inhibit host defenses? Read MoreResearch Programs Kohl - host-microbe interactions How do vertebrates’ intestinal microbiota mediate dietary, and thus niche, differences between species? Read MoreResearch Programs Kaplan - Transcriptional Control What controls transcription initiation in eukaryotes? Read MoreResearch Programs O’Donnell - Protein Trafficking & Cell Signalling What controls when proteins live or die? Read MoreResearch Programs Arndt - Transcriptional control How do cells control which genes are turned on when, and why, and by how much? Read MoreResearch Programs Boyle - Host-pathogen interaction How do intracellular parasites like Toxoplasma gondii invade and take over cells, and cause disease? Read MoreResearch Programs Cahoon - Host-pathogen Interactions How are proteins exported and folded in gram-positive pathogens? Read MoreResearch Programs Durrant - Computer-aided drug design How can computational tools be used to predict how proteins interact with potential ligands? Read MoreResearch Programs Ashman - Evolutionary ecology What are the ecological and evolutionary impacts of plant mating systems, and how do they change? Read MoreResearch Programs Hildebrand - Cell morphology How do protein complexes direct changes in cell shape during tissue morphogenesis? Read MoreResearch Programs Turcotte - Evolutionary Ecology How do ecological and evolutionary processes interact over very rapid timescales? Read MoreResearch Programs Carlson - Fertilization & Channels How does the fertilization of an egg cell immediately prevent further fertilization attempts? Read MoreResearch Programs Campbell - Drosophila development How does the interplay of multiple genetic regulators control organ development in Drosophila? Read MoreResearch Programs Richards-Zawacki - Ecology and Evolutionary Biology How does change in the environment affect the distribution of species in communities? Read MoreResearch Programs Stephenson - Disease ecology How do parasites and their hosts interact to impact disease transmission? Read MoreResearch Programs Chapman - Mouse development How are early transcriptional decisions made during the development of a mouse embryo? Read MoreResearch Programs VanDemark - Structural biology How can protein structure and function be dissected using x-ray crystallography? Read MoreResearch Programs Kiselyov - Ion channel function How do defects in particular ion channels lead to disease states? Read MoreResearch Programs Schwacha - DNA replication Professor Schwacha studies the Mcm2-7 complex, the...