Research Strengths

The UNC Department of Biology prides itself on the breadth of its research. In contrast to most other large universities that subdivide Biology into many smaller departments, we believe in a unified Biology department in which animal behavior, cell, development, genetics, evolution, ecology, plant, and organismal biology research are all conducted side-by-side. Our science is richer because this unified department structure facilitates interactions across disciplines, resulting in new approaches to long-standing questions. Our 56 research faculty represent a wide diversity of interests and expertise, and place a strong emphasis on maintaining the collegial environment necessary to promote interactions among labs. In this section of the website, we describe our primary areas of research strength in a way that highlights the large number of connections across labs and disciplines within the UNC Biology Department.