An exposure to the working techniques and interactions of the modern Biological Laboratory. Required of all first-year biology graduate students.

Two-hour, weekly discussion of recent advances in biology; attend biology seminars, interact with seminar speakers, explore the philosophy and practice of science, and learn skills in oral and written research presentation. Prerequisite: Fourth-year DMP in Biology.

In this course, new transfer students will get to know the scientists and research going on in the Biology Department. We'll read scientific papers and participate in weekly departmental seminars. Together, we'll identify the many ways in which new transfer students can be part of the scientific community at UVA. We will engage with resources that will promote your success as a student of biology and help you navigate the paths to turn your degree into a meaningful career.

Independent wet-lab or dry-lab research, under the supervision of a University of Virginia faculty member who does not have primary affiliation with the Biology Department, with emphasis on learning basic experimental approaches and techniques. See Biology Department website for application instructions. Instructor permission required; prior completion of BIOL 2100 or BIOL 2200 strongly recommended. 

Independent wet-lab or dry-lab research for Biology majors, under the supervision of a University of Virginia faculty member in the Department of Biology, with emphasis on learning basic experimental approaches and techniques. Instructor permission required; prior completion of BIOL 2100 or BIOL 2200 strongly recommended.

This course introduces students to foundational and modern neuroscience research techniques through laboratory investigations. Neuroscience is explored at the molecular, systems, and behavioral level. Topics covered include neuroanatomy, electrophysiology, biopotentials, development, histology, and microscopy. An emphasis is placed on structure-function relationships, experimental design, and application of techniques in research.

Introduction to experimental methods in neural development research using zebrafish as a model system. Lectures focus on vertebrate nervous system development and teratogens. Labs build skills in brightfield and fluorescence microscopy, morphological and behavioral analysis, and histology. Course begins with guided inquiry labs and progresses to student-developed scholarly research projects, culminating in presentations of novel research findings.

Why do some diseases become global pandemics, while others die out? What happens to a food web when a species goes extinct? What roles do different organisms have within a social network? How does the structure of brain networks relate to cognitive function? Networks are all around us; we just need to learn to see them. This course will introduce network analysis as a tool for answering fundamental and applied questions across biological disciplines. Coding experience is strongly recommended.

The process of speciation is fundamental to understanding life's diversity, with implications for how we study evolution, how we define species in nature, and the processes by which they form. In this course, we will explore models of adaptive and non-adaptive speciation and how we test and distinguish among these processes. We will explore examples from biological systems in nature, including syntheses of broad knowledge gained about the speciation process from studying each group of organisms.

This course is the final semester of Independent Research for participants of the Biology Distinguished Majors Program. During this semester, students will complete their laboratory investigations, ultimately presenting the sum of their work in a written thesis. Prerequisite: Instructor Permission