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Eberly College of Arts & Sciences Department of Biology
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Research

Curious about life? So are we

Our state-of-the-art research facilities, interdisciplinary collaborations, and commitment to conservation and medical advancement make the Biology Department at West Virginia University a dynamic hub for discovery. 

Research and teaching excellence are at the heart of what we do. Since 2023, our faculty and students have been awarded over $22 million in research funding and published more than 80 peer-reviewed articles. Each year, undergraduate students engage in this hands-on research alongside our faculty. 

Research Highlights

A small sampling of the diversity of subjects includes:

  • Unlocking Regeneration – Christopher Arnold Lab – Investigating how conserved Hox genes control whole-body regeneration in planaria, laying groundwork for future breakthroughs in tissue repair.

  • Forests as Climate Solutions – Steven Kannenberg Lab & Edward Brzostek Lab – Studying how Appalachian forests store carbon and benefit local communities, offering insight for climate policy and conservation.

  • From electric fish to electronic gadgets – Gary Marsat Lab  – Advancing knowledge in the study of sensory systems with the potential to improve technologies used by the human body’s five senses, ranging from hearing aids to cameras. 

  • Healing Forest Soils – Edward Brzostek Lab – Long-term research shows how recovering from decades of acid rain is reshaping nutrient cycles and microbial life in our region’s forests.

  • Advancing Neuroscience Tools – WVU Biology & Neuroscience Collaborators – Helped bring cutting-edge super-resolution imaging to WVU, empowering research on brain function and disease.

  • Orchid Evolution Uncovered – Craig Barrett Lab – Using historical herbarium collections to map genome changes in rare, non-photosynthetic orchids, shedding light on plant evolution.

  • Soil Microbes & Climate Change – Ember Morrissey Lab – Linking specific soil microbes to carbon storage, improving predictions of how soils respond to a warming world.

  • Rethinking Bioenergy – Edward Brzostek Lab – Showing when bioenergy crops truly reduce greenhouse gases by considering underground microbial activity.

Research Areas

Our faculty are leaders in their fields, expanding knowledge and leading groundbreaking discoveries. Research activity spans the full range of biological organization, from neurobiology to ecosystems. Many faculty members actively participate in interdisciplinary research programs, including chemistry and forensics. Our research spans across six areas:

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Exploring the chemical realm inside cells to understand the genetic and molecular bases of cellular processes.

Bioinformatics, Genetics, Genomics & Evolutionary Biology

Developing new techniques to enable a deeper understanding of complex biological systems.

Cell & Developmental Biology

Delving into how organisms grow and develop at cellular and embryonic levels.

Ecology

Investigating how organisms interact with their environments, from local to global scales.

Neurobiology, Behavior & Physiology

Studying the physiological drivers of behavior with implications for human health.

Plant Science

Conducting research vital to agriculture, ecology, and environmental resilience.

Eric Horstic: At the Cutting Edge of Neuroscience

"We are moving ever closer to understanding at one level just how we as organisms operate and respond to the world that we live in and two how we can tackle and make headway against a wide range of debilitating devastating diseases."

— Eric Horstick

Eric Horstick, West Virginia Network for Functional Neuroscience & Transcriptomics (WV-NFNT), STaR Division: Science, Technology & Research

The Department of Biology faculty are leaders in their fields, expanding knowledge and leading in groundbreaking discoveries. Research activity spans the full range of biological organization, from neurobiology to ecosystems. Many faculty members actively participate in interdisciplinary research programs including chemistry and forensics.

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Biochemists and molecular biologists study the chemical realm inside cells to understand the genetic and molecular bases of cellular processes. Biochemistry and molecular biology together have grown to encompass virtually the entire spectrum of science, from physics and chemistry to biology and medicine. Researchers in these fields study life on every level, from individual molecules to mammals.

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Faculty Researchers

Bioinformatics, Genetics, Genomics and Evolutionary Biology

Genomics and bioinformatics researchers develop new techniques, including experimental protocols and data analysis algorithms to enable a deeper understanding of complex biological systems. The field is entering a new and exciting era; rapidly improving “next-generation” DNA sequencing technologies now allow for the routine sequencing of entire genomes and virtually any targeted set of DNA or RNA molecules.

Bioinformatics, Genetics, Genomics and Evolutionary Biology Faculty Researchers

Cell and Developmental Biology

Cell biology and developmental biology are interdependent fields of biomedical research, with advances in one field pushing the boundaries of the other in the pursuit to understand the biological processes that underlie cellular function and embryonic development. Cell and developmental biology are leading discovery in the biological and medical sciences.

Cell and Developmental Biology Faculty Researchers

Ecology

Ecology is the branch of biology dealing with the relations and interactions between organisms and their environment.

Ecology Faculty Researchers

Neurobiology, Behavior and Physiology

Behavior is adaptive and determinant of survival, both at individual and species level. Understanding the physiological basis of behavior is produced requires a multidisciplinary approach that is ultimately of great benefit for human health.

Neurobiology, Behavior and Physiology Faculty Researchers

Plant Science

Plant science researchers address the world’s agricultural, ecological and environmental needs.

Plant Science Faculty Researchers

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