The structural and quantitative biology concentration brings together two areas of study whose combined force has become the next wave in research. If you love biology and you love computers, this is the place for you!
Our students and faculty employ a combination of approaches found in a variety of traditional disciplines. They analyze molecular and anatomical structures, and examine and model cellular organization, gaining insight into how biological components work together to form systems that sustain life,.

In our Structural Biology focus area, we study everything from the structure of molecules to the structure of bones, utilizing novel investigative strategies together with state of the art research instrumentation such as NMR, Mass Spectroscopy, and gene arrays.

On a molecular level, high-throughput biomedical methodologies are now producing vast quantities of DNA and protein sequence information. We are translating these “blueprints” into three-dimensional structures. This forms a basis for exploring the molecular defects leading to disease as well as developing new drugs.
Our biomedical imaging focus area is geared to solving specific problems, especially in human medical imaging, seeking to improve medical care through advances such as making 3-D sense of 2-D images and automating medical image analysis.

In our computational and theoretical biology focus area faculty and students approach biomedical sciences by combining computational computer science methods with biological theory. The goal is to describe biological processes, extract information from large databases, and deduce biological structures. Students have access to state of the art computing resources and algorithms, and interact closely with colleagues producing relevant experimental observations.

If your interest is in modifying or even assembling organisms with special properties, then cellular dynamics and engineering is for you! Students and faculty analyze, create and model cellular sensors and regulatory circuits as well as synthetic and degradation pathways. They focus on finding biological answers to practical environmental, biomedical, and pharmaceutical problems. This research area spans the study of individual cells, organ interactions, and entire organisms.

Biomedical research is increasingly cross disciplinary, and Structural and Quantitative Biology is integral to this approach. As a result, our graduates are well prepared for exciting, high demand Biomedical careers in academia, medicine, and industry. Please feel free to take a look at our other areas of concentration or select contact.