D ISCOVER R ESE ARCH R EP O RT 2018
Impacting Scientific Research in the Century of Biology (l-r) Faculty members David Bowling, Julie Hollien, Denise Dearing, Michael Shapiro, and Leslie Sieburth will help lead the new School of Biological Sciences.
W
e live in the Century of Biology.
Advances in research techniques and imaging
than 50 research-active faculty who are conducting
Form follows Function The new School administration consists of a
technology over the past 20 years have enabled
groundbreaking work in areas such as plant
Director, an Associate Director, and three Division
remarkable breakthroughs in genetics, neuroscience,
biology, ecology, genetics, physiology, neuroscience
Heads. The three research divisions include: Cell
and biophysics. Scientists can now investigate cellular
and molecular biology,” says Denise Dearing,
and Molecular Biology; Genetics and Evolution; and
structure and function with atomic resolution.
Distinguished Professor and Director of the School of
Ecology and Physiology.
“Entire new research fields, such as genomics, have developed that allow scientists to ask questions
Biological Sciences. “To support these research efforts, our faculty
“This new organization provides a useful change in governance,” says Leslie Sieburth, Associate
we never considered possible,” says Leslie Sieburth,
have, in the past year, secured more than $17 million
Director of the School. “Faculty members are grouped
Professor of Biological Sciences.
in federal funding – this funding helps to fuel Utah’s
into three areas based on their primary research
economy. Our faculty collaborate with more than
interests. This allows each of the three sections to be
step forward in its continuing mission to educate
200 graduate students, postdocs, technicians,
fairly cohesive, which helps in making decisions and
and train students and to propel scientific research
research associates and, importantly, undergraduate
establishing long-term goals for the unit.”
in the 21st century by establishing a School of
research students in the pursuit of advancing our
Biological Sciences.
understanding of the biological world,” says Dearing.
In July, the College of Science took a landmark
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“Our new School of Biological Sciences has more
The heads of each division have responsibilities related to the members of their section such as
