Department of Biological Sciences

3/4/21

Our curriculum provides students broad and deep training at the cutting edge of modern biology through a learn-by-doing philosophy. Our approach to teaching cross-disciplinary life sciences prepares students for today's accelerating pace of discovery in biological sciences.

2/23/21 We invite you to apply to the program

Our faculty are global leaders in FoxG1 research

11/2/20

Two UB scientists work to find a cure for daughter's rare disease. These neurobiologists and parents are now global leaders in FoxG1 research.

WGRZ-TV News Broadcast

We cultivate an active community of inquiry

5/4/18

Faculty teaching and research connects academic programs and experiential labs to cultivate an active community of results-oriented inquiry.

10/4/19 Learn more about our research

Our faculty 'lead with the lab'

5/4/18

The instructional philosophy, 'lead with the lab', allows our students to develop critical thinking skills while providing broad, deep, state-of-the art training in all life science disciplines.

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UNDERGRADUATE FELLOWSHIP APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN. APPLY HERE ON OR BEFORE APRIL 23, 2021.

HUB: REGISTER FOR SUMMER UNDERGRADUATE COURSES

APPLY TO ONE OF OUR UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS

APPLY TO ONE OF OUR GRADUATE PROGRAMS

COVID-19 Dashboard — UB Planning and Response

2021 Online Events

Spring Seminar Series Thursdays, 4:00 p.m.

Members of the UB community can log-in to access the Zoom link.
For people outside UB, please contact Laura Rusche (lrusche@buffalo.edu) to access the online seminars.

April 8: Dr. Angels Almanar, Associate Project Scientist, UC San Diego, Complexity in Cell-Surface Adhesion Proteins as a marker of human brain maturity.

April 15: Dr. Khalid Alam, Stemloop, Inc., Controlling the Central Dogma to Build Point-of-use Biosensors.

April 29: Dr. Derek Taylor, UB Biological Sciences, RNA virus-host interactions: insights from paleovirology.

May 6: Dr. David Moore, Baylor College of Medicine, Regulation of liver energy balance by nutrient sensing nuclear receptors.

Spotlight

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Vincent Lynch publishes a study to show how a gene called HAND2 may impact timing of labor
3/4/21
The journal eLife, published a study that illuminates how a gene called HAND2 may have a hand in the timing of human labor. Vincent Lynch, assistant professor of biological sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, led the study with first author Mirna Marinić, a postdoctoral researcher in the University of Chicago Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy. Co-authors included Katelyn Mika and Sravanthi Chigurupati AbbVie, both from the University of Chicago. The research news story was featured in the UB Alumni magazine, AtBuffalo.
American Academy of Microbiology has elected Gerald Koudelka into its 2021 Fellowship Class
3/5/21
The American Academy of Microbiology has elected Professor Gerald Koudelka, PhD, into its 2021 Fellowship Class. The Academy is the honorific leadership group within the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), one of the largest life science societies in the world. Learn more.
Lindqvist lab uses ancient DNA to trace prehistoric dogs
3/4/21
“This all started out with our interest in how Ice Age climatic changes impacted animals’ survival and movements in this region,” Lindqvist explains. “Southeast Alaska might have served as an ice-free stopping point of sorts, and now — with our dog — we think that early human migration through the region might be much more important than some previously suspected.” Read the news story by Charlotte Hsu.

Department News

Student and Alumni Highlights

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Two recent alumnae recognized by the 2020 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program
3/31/21
The Department of Biological Sciences is pleased to announce that two recent alumnae have received recognition from the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships Program. During their time at UB, both were part of our Honors Program run by Dr. Jessica Poulin.
Nicole Wong wins UB Graduate School’s Excellence in Teaching Award
5/18/20
The Department of Biological Sciences is pleased to announce that Nicole Wong has won the University at Buffalo Graduate School's 2020 Excellence in Teaching Award for Graduate Teaching Assistants. Wong is currently a PhD candidate based in the lab of Dr. Matthew Xu-Friedman, who serves as her mentor. Wong was sponsored for the award by Dr. Lara D. Hutson, Clinical Associate Professor Director of Undergraduate Studies.
Long Shen, PhD (2003), works on tools to increase COVID-19 testing capacity and afford better patient management, and yield critical data to aid in the recovery from the pandemic
1/5/21
UB Biological Sciences Alum Long Shen, PhD (2003), is a founding partner of KSL Biomedical. Drawing upon scientific and medical training in Xiamen University, China and the University at Buffalo, USA, he has performed as translational biomedical research innovative scientific program leader for over 15 years in academic programs and private industry. Dr. Shen has made significant contributions to the identification of novel biomarkers for the early diagnosis of autoimmune disease and associated B-cell lymphomas. Dr. Shen has authored more than 25 peer-reviewed publications in high impact research journals and is co-inventor on a number patents in this field. Read the research news article by Charlotte Hsu.
Kathleen Ohman wins ASA Award for Undergraduate Student Research in Acoustics
11/8/19
The Acoustical Society of America (ASA) has named Kathleen Ohman the winner of the Robert W. Young Award for Undergraduate Research in Acoustics. The ASA is the premiere international scientific society in acoustics, dedicated to increasing and diffusing the knowledge of acoustics and promoting its practical application. Ohman, a Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors student, studies the effects of blast-induced traumatic brain injury on mouse vocalizations.
Biological Sciences majors win 2020 SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence
1/5/21
Congratulations to Megan Dwyer, Katherine Eaton, and Kathleen Ohma. Our Biological Sciences majors are among the winners of the 2020 SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence, the highest honor the State University of New York bestows upon its students. The annual award recognizes and honors students who have best demonstrated and been recognized for integrating academic excellence with accomplishments in the areas of leadership, athletics, community service, creative and performing arts, campus involvement or career achievement.

Research Areas

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Ecology and Evolution
5/4/18
Our research concerns plant evolutionary biology; molecular phylogenetics and population genomics; chromatin and gene expression; genome stability; and the genetics of aquatic invertebrates.
Plant Science
5/4/18
Faculty research focuses on photosynthesis, plant evolution, plant genomics, gene regulation, environmental remediation, and the metabolic engineering of pharmaceutical compounds.
Genetics
5/4/18
Geneticists investigate biological processes by examining the phenotypic consequences of altering genes. Our faculty study how information encoded in DNA is interpreted to produce functional proteins.
Animal Models
6/6/18
Faculty study essential biological processes with particular relevance to the understanding of animal life.
Fungal Biology
5/4/18
Our faculty study cell biology and signalling pathways that are used by filamentous fungi and budding yeast to adapt to their environments. Our research uses yeast as a model organism to study the mechanisms of gene expression.
Neuroscience
5/4/18
Our faculty study a variety of model systems using electrophysiology and imaging techniques to understand sensory signalling and the cellular processes underlying important neuronal disorders.
Microbiology
6/6/18
Microbiology faculty study microorganisms including viruses, bacteria, and protozoans.
Cell and Molecular
5/4/18
Cell and Molecular faculty study the regulation of protein expression, from transcription to translation to post-translational modification.
Genomics
5/4/18
Faculty study evolutionary change using a variety of techniques capitalizing on recent advances in genomics methodology and the evolution of viruses, plants, fish, and humans.
Signaling
5/4/18
Signaling faculty study cellular communication and the intracellular pathways that regulate activity. These faculty use a wide range of model organisms and techniques to examine a diverse array of signalling pathways involved in hormonal regulation, sensory transduction, and cell growth and metabolism.

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2021 Online Events

Spotlight

Student and Alumni Highlights

Research Areas

UB Biological Sciences In-the-News

Department of Biological Sciences