From the Chair

Welcome to the Department of Biological Sciences at Vanderbilt!

Biological sciences is a diverse department within the College of Arts and Science that spans multiple areas of biology. Our mission is to carry out impactful research and to train the next generation of scientists. We are committed to supporting and respecting the equal and fair treatment of all persons, regardless of their race, socioeconomic status, disability, religion, culture, gender, or sexual orientation.

Our award-winning faculty are internationally recognized researchers in an array of disciplines; including molecular, cellular, and chemical biology, biochemistry, neuroscience, evolution, genomics, microbiology, and organismal biology. Our students and postdoctoral fellows receive broad training across these and other disciplines in addition to obtaining focused expertise in a specific area. Our trainees have a strong record of achievement and are successful at obtaining positions in academia, industry, and government.

The Department of Biological Sciences lies at the nexus of the College of Arts and Science and the School of Medicine. Our laboratories and administrative office are physically located at the intersection of the two schools and many of our faculty hold multiple appointments—a reflection of the overlapping and integrated research activities within our department. Consequently, students and faculty share resources and core facilities and participate in trans-institutional programs and centers, leading to informal and formal collaborations and synergistic research endeavors that provide our graduate and undergraduate students with a highly integrated and multi-disciplinary training experience.

When you are on campus we invite you to stop in, say hello, and check out our state-of-the-art research and teaching facilities.

Professor Brandt Eichman

Chair, Department of Biological Sciences