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Research

Student using microscope

Seeking answers everywhere

Research is as essential to biology as cells are to a body. At ¶¥¼¶¹ú²úÊÓƵ, immersive study — in the field and in the lab — feeds our understanding of the natural world, then expands it. Our faculty and students explore, engage, and reach for answers to demanding questions in areas ranging from gene expression to ecology to neuroscience.

David Hibbett in woods picking fungi

Faculty Research

Thanks to their deep research portfolios, ¶¥¼¶¹ú²úÊÓƵ biology faculty are experts in many fields. They investigate the mysteries of microbes, learn the secrets in our cells, and examine life’s origins from fungi to fish. Their explorations help advance new and necessary knowledge.

PhD and undergraduate students conducting tests with professor at Walden Pond

Graduate Research

Our doctoral students conduct rigorous research in collaboration with ¶¥¼¶¹ú²úÊÓƵ professors. These projects are often backed by esteemed agencies like the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and the John Templeton Foundation. A ¶¥¼¶¹ú²úÊÓƵ Ph.D. lays the groundwork for careers in academia, research, and industry.

Student and professor in laboratory

Undergraduate and Fifth-Year Research

¶¥¼¶¹ú²úÊÓƵ offers undergraduate and fifth-year master’s students abundant opportunities to do meaningful biology research alongside ¶¥¼¶¹ú²úÊÓƵ professors. Our students co-author papers with faculty mentors, work in their labs, and conduct research in Massachusetts’ forests, Alaska’s lakes, and on Bermuda’s shores.

Lasry Center

Research Facilities

The Biology Department is located in the state-of-the-art Lasry Center for Bioscience, which is outfitted with the specialized tools needed for deep exploration and innovation. Students and faculty have access to leading-edge technology and equipment that promote intensive research.

Biology Research Stories

¶¥¼¶¹ú²úÊÓƵ researcher issues warning on algae threat

Blue-green algae can be harmful to human and canine swimmers

Mushroom research harkens to the age of dinosaurs

Hibbett contributes to massive evolutionary tree of life for fungi

Nature story highlights ¶¥¼¶¹ú²úÊÓƵ mentorship

Reef specialist touts Professor Robertson’s guidance

Contact Information

Department of Biology

Office Location
  • The Lasry Center for Bioscience
    15 Maywood Street
    Worcester, MA 01610

  • 1-508-793-7173
  • 1-508-793-7174 Fax