The Department of Biology is an exciting group that has tremendous strengths in animal behavior (Brockman, C. and L. Chapman, Levey, Kimball, St. Mary), evolutionary genetics (Braun, Cohn, Miyamoto, Wayne), physiological ecology (L. Chapman, Evans, Guillette, Julian, Lilliwhite, McNab) and tropical biology (Bjorndal, C. and L. Chapman, Levey). The department also continues its historic strengths in quantitative and experimental ecology, and plans several additional new hires in the next two years.

In addition to the faculty available within the Biology Department, there are many excellent colleagues nearby. The Florida Museum of Natural History houses a number of excellent systematists. The McKnight Brain Institute boasts over 300 faculty and a state-of-the-art facility within view of our lab. In addition to the Brain Institute, the medical school includes the Center for Mammalian Genetics and the Gene Therapy Center. It offers a great many core facilities that will allow us to do transgenic manipulations, viral gene therapy, and a number of other techniques that are not accessible at many other institutions. UF has a Center for Biotechnology Research, which includes a lab devoted to ecology, evolution and conservation housed within our department. There is also a graduate program in the medical school, which is a source for additional coursework and an alternative graduate program to the one offered in Biology.