A student researcher in a lab coat examines a small sample tube under blue light while standing beside a microscope in a biology lab.

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Explore life from molecules to ecosystems—and learn science by doing it. At the University at Buffalo, biological sciences students gain hands-on experience through labs, research and close faculty mentorship from the very start. Whether you’re interested in human health, the environment, genetics or discovery-driven research, you’ll build real scientific skills and explore paths that match your interests. If you’re curious about how life works and want a degree that keeps your options open, biological sciences at UB is a strong place to begin.

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Department News

  • Gokcumen receives Meyerson Award for Undergraduate Mentoring
    3/14/25
    The Department of Biological Sciences is pleased to announce that Professor Omer Gokcumen is the recipient of the President Emeritus and Mrs. Meyerson Award for Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching and Mentoring for 2025. Dr. Gokcumen, a faculty member since 2013, was acknowledged for having "consistently been a shining light of undergraduate mentorship" in the department. A common remark among his mentees was the “warm energy of the lab” that made students feel "part of his team”. He was also noted for "fostering critical thinking, interdisciplinary collaboration, [and] inclusivity”.  The award was presented to Dr. Gokcumen, March 12, 2025,  at the UB Mentoring Awards Breakfast.
  • NYT features Gokcumen's study on how humans evolved to eat starch
    12/26/25
    A study co-led by UB finds the gene for starch-digesting saliva may have first duplicated more than 800,000 years ago, seeding the genetic variation that shapes our modern
  • FOXG1 Research Center's opening celebration
    12/26/25
    Hope and love aren’t often mentioned in the same breath as scientific research, but they’re the foundation of UB’s FOXG1 Research Center.

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