Department of Biology

The Biology Department has 22 faculty, about 900 undergraduate majors, and over 70 graduate students and post-docs. Our faculty take an integrative approach to biology, encompassing all levels of biological organization from molecules to ecosystems. Our Department is committed to excellence in both research and teaching, and we strive to provide a rigorous, balanced education in Biology for all our students. We share our offices and laboratories with Physics, Chemistry and Environmental Science Departments in Science Building 1 and 2. This close proximity with other disciplines helps foster interdisciplinary research at Portland State University. Teaching and research laboratories are further supported by the Herbarium, Invertebrate and Vertebrate Museums, extremophile DNA and microbial culture collections, an aquatic organism rearing facility, greenhouses and an electron microscope facility.

Planning to visit? We are located in SB2 rm 246 between SW Mill and Montgomery on SW 10th Ave. For directions, see the PSU campus map. If you don't find what you need here, please contact the department.

Recent News

The Forbes-Lea Endowment Fund winners have been announced:

1. Robert K. Richardson (MS, Ruedas) for his proposal, titled: Phylogeny of night stalking tiger beetles
2. Sean Powers (PhD, Lutterschmidt) for his proposal, titled: Role of neurogenesis in temperature-induced reproductive behavior
3. Gregory Kluthe(MS, Hillman) for his proposal titled: The Contribution of Relative Ventricular Mass to Cardiac Performance in Amphibians: Getting to The Heart of Terrestrial Metabolism
4. Matthew R. Holdgate (MS, Duffield) for his proposal, titled: Have Trunk, Will Travel:  Using Movement Data to Improve the Welfare ofAsian and African Zoo Elephants
5. Dan Hassumani (MS, Buckley) for his proposal, titled: The CCAAT/enhancer binding protein and it's response to hypoxia in the zebrafish, Danio rerio

Julia Ruppell (PhD Murphy) was awarded a Fulbright scholarship for her research in ecology of crested gibbons in Laos. 

Dr. Lisa Weasel was selected for the  University Civic Engagement Award for Excellence in Community-based Research.

Just Published: Interspecific Comparisons of Lymph Volume and Lymphatic Fluxes:Do Lymph Reserves and Lymph Mobilization Capacities Vary inAnurans from Different Environments?

OHSU has a new summer internship opportunity. Click here for details:
OHSU Clinical Genetics Internship

Catherine Dayger (PhD Lutterschmidt) has been awarded the 2011-2012 Elsa Jorgenson Scholarship from PSU.