Biological Sciences Division
Through field-defining research, basic scientists, translational scientists, and clinicians collaborate on discovery and innovations that create meaningful impact for our community and the world.
An engine of biomedical progress
In the Biological Sciences Division (BSD), researchers work across boundaries to answer the most urgent questions impacting human health. Biochemists and molecular biologists probe the function of molecules to understand what drives the behaviors of living systems. Geneticists draw insights from our genes to inform health outcomes and craft new approaches for precision medicine. Cancer researchers discover fundamental mechanisms of cancer development and progression to hone prevention strategies and develop effective therapies.
From neuroscience and cancer biology to microbiome research and therapeutics discovery, BSD investigators are accelerating the path from fundamental insight to real-world application. The breadth of BSD expertise and interdisciplinary collaborations across the University’s unified campus—where medicine and biology meet chemistry, physics, engineering, computation, public policy, and ethics—are shaping the future of human health, driving the next generation of discovery and impact.
Philanthropy will fuel leading-edge research, strengthen faculty excellence, and build the environments where the next generation of breakthroughs in human health will emerge.
Priorities
Your giving can support the following areas:
- Research funding to seed new projects, accelerate groundbreaking discovery, and advance personalized care
- Support for interdisciplinary endeavors that bring the full breadth of UChicago to bear on human health and discovery, including leading-edge initiatives in the Neuroscience Institute, Duchossois Family Institute, Therapeutics Discovery Institute, and Immunology Institute
- Endowed professorships, faculty scholars, and directorships to support and attract the best minds in medicine and the biological sciences
- Recruitment, retention, start-up, and training funds to sustain and foster world-class faculty
- Graduate student fellowships and postdoctoral training to foster the next generation of researchers pursuing fundamental discoveries in the life sciences
- Investment in advanced technologies, equipment, and research tools that improve patient care and accelerate medical discovery
- Laboratory infrastructure and shared research and patient care facilities, such as the AbbVie Foundation Cancer Pavilion and Hyde Park Labs, to provide researchers with the leading-edge resources and collaborative environments required for breakthrough science research and elevated patient care
Contact
UChicago Medicine and Biological Sciences Development
773.702.6565
givetomedicine@bsd.uchicago.edu
Featured News
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Two UChicago scientists elected to National Academy of Sciences
UChicago News
Professors Chuan He and Joseph Thornton are honored for their groundbreaking work in biochemistry and biology, respectively.
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Nanoparticle system shows promise for delivering mRNA to prevent type 1 diabetes
A new technology developed by UChicago scientists gives insulin-producing beta cells the ability to protect themselves.
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Building a hub to bring basic cancer research to patients
Biological Sciences Division
New Chair of the Ben May Department for Cancer Research, Jeffrey Rathmell, returns to UChicago for the next era of cancer discovery.
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The science of healthy aging
Biological Sciences Division
By reframing aging with a focus on resilience, UChicago researchers are unlocking clues that could help more people thrive later in life.
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Hyde Park Labs and UChicago Science Incubator launch
UChicago News
A new commercial space aims to turn research into real-world solutions and support deep tech startups.
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Neil Shubin nominated as next president of National Academy of Sciences
UChicago News
The renowned evolutionary biologist will lead the esteemed organization beginning June 2026.