Research

Research in the Department of Biology spans the entire breadth of biology: from ecology and evolution to molecular, cellular, and developmental biology. Our research is supported by a wide array of funding sources, including NIH, NSF and the Welch Foundation.

Many departmental faculty members actively participate in campus-wide interdisciplinary graduate research programs, including Genetics & Genomics, Neuroscience, Molecular and Environmental Plant Sciences, and Ecology & Evolutionary Biology.

Biological Timing

Deb Bell-Pedersen

Bell-Pedersen Profile | Bell-Pedersen Lab Website

Molecular genetics and genomics of circadian clocks and signaling pathways in fungi

David Earnest

Earnest Profile

Neurobiology of mammalian circadian rhythms and their regulation by light-dark signals

Isabella Farhy

Farhy Profile | Farhy Lab Website

Astrocyte-neuron communication; Mechanisms of synapse development and function; Astrocyte function; Role of astrocytes in mood disorders

Lawrence Griffing

Griffing Profile

Structure and biochemical organization of cells; membrane trafficking

Paul Hardin

Hardin Profile | Hardin Lab Website

Molecular biology of biological clocks in Drosophila; behavioral neurogenetics; transcriptional regulation.

Yuchao Jiang

Jiang Profile | Jiang Lab Website

Detecting structural variants, assessing intratumor heterogeneity, interrogating genome-wide DNA damage and repair, and deciphering cellular heterogeneity by single-cell omics approaches.

jeff jones

Jeff Jones

Jones Profile | Jones Lab Website

Understanding the genes, neurons, and circuits regulating circadian rhythms in behavior and physiology

jeff jones

Jeff Jones

Jones Profile | Jones Lab Website

Understanding the genes, neurons, and circuits regulating circadian rhythms in behavior and physiology

Alex Keene

Keene Profile | Keene Lab Website

Neural regulation of behavior in flies and fish models

Wanhe Li

Li Profile

Uncovering mechanistic links between emotional states, biological timing, sleep, and development of chronic diseases using interdisciplinary approaches.