UMass Boston

Research & Impact

Research

The Department of Biology at UMass Boston is a broad, integrative department with faculty research across a wide spectrum of the life sciences. Faculty in the department compete for external funding, win major grants, publish in top scientific journals, and mentor Ph.D., Masters, and undergraduate students. Their research spans many biological and biomedical sciences disciplines, including (but not limited to): molecular, cellular and developmental biology; neurobiology; evolutionary biology; genetics; ecology; computational biology and bioinformatics; and cancer biology. Faculty and students in the Department of Biology work on research relevant to global environmental change, human diseases, crop sciences and sustainability, and many other problems with the potential for translational impacts on human well-being.  The many active research laboratories of the department also provide abundant opportunities for undergraduate students to get involved in research and gain valuable technical preparation for graduate and professional schools or the life sciences workforce.

Information about specific faculty research programs can be found at links to faculty web pages.

Departmental Achievements

Nantucket Field Station

For information, visit the Nantucket Field Station webpage. 

NatureServe

NatureServe is a non-profit conservation organization whose mission is to leverage the power of science, data, and technology to guide biodiversity conservation and stewardship. The NatureServe Network of 1,000 conservation experts in every state and province are trained in our core methodologies, so that our scientific data is decision-quality, objective, and credible. Our scientists turn those data into maps, models, and metrics that document and predict species and ecosystem distributions, evaluate threats, assess extinction risks, document trends, and identify priority conservation areas. Using cloud technology, integrated applications, and compelling visualizations, we deliver the best available data and the expert knowledge needed to maintain species diversity and sustain healthy ecosystems.

The staff located at UMass Boston oversee the data exchange program with the NatureServe Network, as well as focusing on maintaining our core zoology data.

NatureServe’s partnership with UMass Boston supports opportunities for academic collaboration on biodiversity informatics. NatureServe and NatureServe’s Network of member programs provide opportunities for undergraduate engagement in work in collecting, managing, and harnessing data on species and ecosystems at local, regional, and global scales.

For up-to-date information about NatureServe and our current projects, visit our website.

 

NatureServe Staff

Margaret Ormes,
Director, Science Information Resources
Margaret.Ormes@umb.edu

Nicole Sears,
Associate Zoologist/Information Scientist
Nicole.Sears@umb.edu