Welcome to the Department of Biology and Biochemistry at the University of Houston. Our mission is to lead in scientific research and education, maintaining our status as a flagship department at our university. We strive to create an environment where innovative and dynamic faculty and students can reach their highest potential, and our graduates are well-prepared for their future endeavors. We are committed to excellence in educating the next generation of scientists and enhancing scientific literacy among the general public.

Our department boasts 48 tenure-track faculty, 11 instructional faculty, and 16 research faculty, making us one of the largest departments on campus. We offer both undergraduate and graduate degrees in Biology and Biochemistry, serving nearly 3,000 undergraduate majors and supporting nearly 150 graduate students from around the globe. Additionally, we have numerous postdoctoral fellows contributing to our research missions.

Our faculty are conducting cutting-edge research spanning a wide range of topics, from fundamental basic research to clinical applications. Key areas of focus include Structural and Computational Biochemistry; Genomics and Gene Regulation; Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine; Cancer Biology, Immunology, and Therapeutics; Behavior; Evolutionary Genetics; Experimental Molecular and Microbial Evolution; and Community Ecology. Our faculty attracts nearly $18 million in external grants annually, primarily from the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation, as well as other federal agencies and private foundations. Our research is published in prestigious journals such as Nature, Science, and PNAS. Our faculty members serve on national and international advisory panels and editorial boards and have received multiple awards for research and teaching excellence.

Whether you are considering joining us as a faculty member, postdoctoral fellow, student, or donor, we hope you find the information on our site helpful and accessible. For more details about the work of individual faculty members, please feel free to contact us.

Shaun Xiaoliu Zhang, M.D., Ph.D.