Department of Biology

The faculty of the Department of Biology have embraced the motto of Georgetown University, 'A Student-Centered Research University', by providing an environment rich in research experiences for both graduate and undergraduate students.

This is an exciting time for the sciences at Georgetown University. The New Science Center is rapidly rising next door, with plans to occupy that space in the Summer of 2012. The new space will house all of the Biology faculty currently in the Reiss Science Building, and will provide enhanced opportunities for collaborative research and teaching. The New Science Center will also permit faculty growth in all the science programs at Georgetown.

In addition to new space, the department is excited to add Prof. Janet Mann as a faculty member in the department. While Prof. Mann has had a joint appointment in the department for many years, Biology is now her official home within Georgetown. We are also eagerly awaiting the arrival of Dr. Shweta Bansal. Dr. Bansal will be joining the department this Spring, after completing post-doctoral work at Penn State University. She adds an exciting new dimension to our global health research interest group, using informatics tools to better understand disease transmission dynamics.

Research in Biology is supported by grants from federal agencies including the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, US Department of Agriculture and the US Department of Defense, as well as by private foundations including the National Geographic Society and Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Last year the department received over $4 million in research support, continuing to accelerate its receipt of such awards.

You can learn more about our fantastic faculty and their research, our graduate and undergraduate programs offering B.S. degrees in Biology, Environmental Biology, Neurobiology and the Biology of Global Health on these pages of our web site, or by contacting us.

-Steven Singer

Chair of the Department of Biology

Department Available Positions

Biology in the News

In a recent article published in the Georgetown University Medical Center News, four researchers in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology are featured for their work on the viruses hepatitis B, C, and D.

Hepatitis Affects Everyone, Everywhere

Kudos to Professor Janet Mann and graduate student Eric Patterson, whose study on dolphins' use of marine basket sponges as a foraging tool was published in the July 20 issue of the online journal PLoS ONE. News of this exciting discovery has now spread far and wide, with articles appearing in such media outlets as Wired Science, Science Magazine, and even The New York Times!

The New York Times    Wired Science   Science Magazine   AnimalWise  Machines Like Us    California Academy of Sciences  

Check out the recent article from Georgetown News, which highlights the Georgetown-Hughes Summer Research Scholars Program (funded by Howard Hughes Medical Institute).

Summer Research Program Immerses D.C. Youth in Sciences

Congratulations to Professor Heidi Elmendorf, who was recently honored by the Georgetown College Academic Council for being voted by her students as a professor who has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to undergraduate teaching.

College Academic Council Honors Professors

The New Science Center at Georgetown University will be a state-of-the-art research and teaching center for Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. Ground has been broken and construction is projected to be completed in 2012.

Supporting a new place for science at Georgetown – and for Georgetown in science

The sciences are a core element of Georgetown's liberal arts education, where innovative programs address social issues and build leaders in science research, policy, and education.

Forging a Georgetown Scientist

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News from Georgetown College