The department promotes an understanding of biological processes through the study and analysis of structure-function relationships. The research problems that interest members of the faculty are diverse, including cellular differentiation and development explored in a variety of biological systems, neuroscience, molecular biophysics, biomolecular structure, and quantitative biology with an emphasis on computer-graphic representations of biological structures. This diversity creates a lively atmosphere in the department that provides a stimulating environment for the training of scientists with a variety of backgrounds.