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Biology Research

HHMI Summer Research Program  |   Senior Research  |  Faculty Research InterestsResearch is an essential part of the Biology program at  Harvey Mudd.  Every  student completes a year-long investigative senior project -- either a senior research thesis or a sponsored team design project in one of the Clinic programs.  While most Biology, Mathematical Biology, and Joint Chemistry/Biology majors choose to do a thesis, students in all of these majors have the option of being on a clinic team instead.  In addition to the senior project, many students do biology research during the summer.  Finally, many students start working in research labs prior to their senior year.  

HHMI Summer Research Program

We currently support several dozen research students each summer, funded mainly by the Biology Department's grant from the  Howard Hughes Medical Institute.   Other funding sources can include the Merck/AAAS Undergraduate Science Research Program, HMC’s Center for Environmental Studies, individual faculty research grants and three endowed departmental funds—the Emily H. Mudd, Munzer and William K. Purves summer research fellowships. Students sometimes continue their summer projects for their senior research.

Summer 2009 research  opportunities are now available!  Details:

Faculty Research Interests

All biology faculty maintain active research programs in diverse areas of biology.  Here is a brief list of faculty research interests; for more information see individual faculty web pages.

  • Prof. David Asai: Cell biology–dynein and microtubules (on leave 2008-2009)
  • Prof. Steve Adolph: Physiological & evolutionary ecology; mathematical biology
  • Prof. Anna Ahn: Neural control and mechanics of locomotion
  • Prof. Eliot Bush: Molecular evolution and computational biology
  • Prof. Rob Drewell: Gene regulation during development
  • Prof. Karl Haushalter: Chromatin structure and function (on leave 2009-2010)
  • Prof. Cathy McFadden: Marine population biology and molecular systematics 
  • Prof. Mary Williams: Plant developmental biology (on leave 2008-2010)

Biology Senior Research