The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology is committed to providing a wide array of educational opportunities from the undergraduate to the postdoctoral level. The department consists of research-active primary and secondary faculty members who have received national and international recognition. Faculty supervise post-doctoral fellows, graduate students and undergraduates in active research programs that are well supported by grants from the NIH, NSF, ACS, AHA, and other agencies. Iowa's biochemistry programs are focused on students as individuals and are designed to develop creative researchers, effective physicians and health professionals, and superb teachers.
The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology is within the Carver College of Medicine. Although the department is primarily housed on a single floor within the Bowen Science Building (BSB), several laboratories are also located in the adjacent Medical Education and Biomedical Research Facility (MERF) and the new Pappajohn Biomedical Discovery Building (PBDB). Laboratories in all locations are spacious and interconnected, allowing for frequent interactions and easy use of shared equipment. Bowen Science Building also houses the basic science departments of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Microbiology, Pharmacology, and Physiology and Biophysics. Researchers in all departments benefit from shared core facilities.
Undergraduate Program
The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology offers BA and BS degree programs. Both provide students with a variety of exciting educational opportunities and a strong foundation for many career paths. Students acquire a thorough and diverse background in contemporary biochemistry, utilize excellent research facilities, and are taught by a research-oriented faculty. Current faculty research interests include biochemistry, molecular, cellular, developmental, computational and structural biology, and model systems genetics.
Graduate Program
The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics is one of the nation’s largest university-owned teaching hospitals and ranks in the top ten in funding for public medical schools. Graduate students have the opportunity to be guided by internationally recognized faculty and postdoctoral students as well as utilize cutting-edge research facilities. Apply to the Biochemistry PhD program here.
Postdoctoral Program
Postdoctoral Fellows are an integral part of the research environment in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Each fellow plays an important role in our research mission. In addition, fellows help supervise graduate and undergraduate students, present at the Annual Retreat and weekly workshop series, and meet with seminar speakers. University of Iowa was recently ranked in the elite list of best places to work among U.S. academic institutions ranking number one among our peer institutions in the CIC (i.e., Big Ten plus University of Chicago) and making it an ideal location for postdoctoral fellows. Interested individuals are encouraged to contact faculty directly.