Department of Biological Sciences

A woman in glasses with trees in the background
In a pair of studies, ecologist Jessica Stephenson found that both animals and humans instinctually hunker down in small groups when infection looms—but that impulse can come with a price.
An instructor displays how to use a device for a pupil
A new set of guidelines, a lab manual and multiple groups at Pitt are working to reduce bias in academic science and increase diversity in STEM fields.
Gurudev Dutt in a red shirt, holding a piece of electronic equipment
From mailing circuit boards to students’ homes to rolling 80 containers of duckweed down Forbes Avenue, lab instructors got creative in the shift to online learning.
Grace McHale in a gray shirt in front of stained glass.
The University of Pittsburgh once again is among the nation’s top institutions for producing Fulbright students, breaking its own record with 14 students—who are now alumni—earning the prestigious scholarships for international study, teaching and research projects.
Lettuce seedlings in net cups in the hydroponics system
Students across the University are coming together at a hydroponics club to grow and share produce and gain hands-on experience with sustainable agriculture.
A strawberry poison frog, color morph red, sits on a leaf in a forest
Animals that seek mates and fight rivals that resemble their parents could be setting the stage for the formation of a new species, research from Pitt biology graduate student Yusan Yang and associate professor Corinne Richards-Zawacki indicates.
young woman with pigtail braids holding a bee house
After taking an environmental studies course focused on developing impactful sustainability projects in the community, a group of undergraduates installed seven bee houses across the Pittsburgh campus.