Department of Biology

Welcome to the Department of Biology

Our renowned faculty has diverse research interests, including molecular, developmental, cell, ecological and evolutionary biology. Interdisciplinary by nature, we are housed amongst members of the Chemistry and Physics department in Regents Hall, a beautiful, state of the art science facility that opened in 2012.

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What's New

Congrats to Mariana Abarca from Ries Lab!
October 14, 2019
On Monday, our very own Mariana Abarca of the Ries Lab had her work featured as the editor's pick on the PLOS Responding to Climate Change page! In her article, she analyzes the responses of a butterfly to a variety of environmental cues.
Professor Janet Mann's research on dolphins in the Potomac featured in the Washington Post!
October 1, 2019
This week, researchers with the Potomac-Chesapeake Dolphin Project observed the extremely rare birth of a wild dolphin in the Potomac River, a river that has been historically too polluted for both humans and dolphins to swim in safely. Ever since 2012, when Georgetown Biology Professor Dr. Janet Mann first observed a dolphin in the river, the project has focused on understanding the interactions between residential populations of the river's dolphins as they escape a deadly Mid-Atlantic virus during the summer. Her research was featured in the Washington Post this week alongside the news of the observed dolphin birth, including her goals for the project and her Washington DC dolphin naming scheme!
Biology Professors Ride to Support MS Research
September 8, 2019
On Sunday, September 8th, three professors from the Biology Department biked as a part of Team Georgetown at the Bike MS ride, an event that raises money for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Professors Peter Armbruster and Steven Singer joined Professor Mark Rose, Chair of the Department, and the rest of Team Georgetown as they biked over 400 combined miles and raised more than $7,000 for the MS Society. As Rookie Team of the Year, these professors made an impact on the event and on the research of treatments for the disease.
Professor Peter Marra and Georgetown climate experts demand climate change action
September 6, 2019
Dr. Peter Marra, professor and researcher of Environmental Biology at Georgetown, joined other climate change experts at the university in emphasizing the danger that climate change poses to life on earth. In arguing for action on climate change, Marra invoked Pope Francis' Laudato Si' encyclical about the moral and spiritual importance of environmental justice. As an expert on the conservation of birds and other animals, Professor Marra's research makes it clear that habitat loss and climate change will cause irreversible damage to the world's ecosystems.