Biology | Department of Biological Sciences | College of Science & Mathematics | Wright State University

If you are about learning by experience as you explore the science of living things, Wright State’s Department of Biological Sciences is the place for you! Complete your undergraduate degree in one of our eight academic programs, then step up to the Master of Science program in biological sciences.

You can enjoy several experiential learning opportunities while traveling your path toward graduation and an exciting career in biology. Enroll in marine biology and enjoy fieldwork in Florida. Travel with your classmates to study the Amazon rainforest. Study abroad in Poland as part of an animal behavior course. Field-based internship sites include a bird sanctuary, big cat rescue program, zoos, and nature centers. Work with a faculty sponsor to produce a senior honors thesis as part of our honors research program.

An incredible variety of learning experiences await you at Wright State. Check out our website to find out more.

Areas of Research

Adenovirus biology
Algae-herbivorous fish interaction
Aquaporin transport in cryobiology
Biogeochemical cycling
Cell surface receptors
Cellular defense mechanisms
Cellular and molecular physiology
Chemoreceptor sensing
Chemosensitivity and effects of environmental temperature
DNA bioinformatics
Forensic DNA analysis
Freeze tolerance in amphibians
Freshwater fish and gastropod assemblage
Gene expression
Gene therapy

Genome integrity
HIV rev-microtubule interactions
Host-microbe interactions
Kidney function
Lou Gehrig's disease proteins cytotoxicity
Molecular genetics learning progressions
Natural selection influence on non-coding DNA
Nuclear organelles structure/function
Parasitic insects
Pedagogical content knowledge for scientific modeling
Plant responses to herbivores and pathogens
Protein glycosylation
Speciation genetics
Stem cell biology and regeneration in flatworms
Virus-cell interactions

Research in Biology

Undergraduate Degrees and Programs

Graduate Degree

Biological Sciences (M.S.)

Tanner Hudson

“The College of Science and Mathematics is a place where students are provided opportunities for success and a platform to chase their dreams. I am majoring in biological science with an applied physiology concentration and a pre-medicine focus. After completing my undergraduate degree, I plan to attend medical school. My current medical interests include sports medicine and oncology. I work as a learning assistant for general chemistry at Wright State. I am also a member of the Pre-Health Society, the Pre-Student Osteopathic Medical Association, and the Student Honors Association. I serve as a volunteer in the emergency department at Soin Medical Center. I have a passion for serving my hometown and do so as
often as possible.”

Isaiah Jordon

“I decided to pursue a career path in the sciences during my senior year of high school. My eye doctor, whom I’ve known and looked up to my whole life, took me under his wing and showed me the benefits of optometry and his love for the job. I knew this would be the path I would follow; it felt like the right decision and seemed almost like a calling.”

Department News

Wright State biologist Don Cipollini says research results on emerald ash borer may offer lessons on coronavirus

April 1, 2020

Cipollini says the coronavirus encounters a new habitat of humans lacking resistance, starts to infect people in a largely undetected fashion, spreads exponentially, peaks and then declines.