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Department of Biology

The Department of Biology is consistently ranked among the top departments in the world in terms of research and teaching in biology, possessing world-class strengths across the breadth of modern biological science research.

Sneezeweed (Helenium 'Sahin's early flowerer') in the Botanic Garden.

Sneezeweed (Helenium 'Sahin's early flowerer') in the Botanic Garden. Credit: Oxford University Images

Overview

The department’s research is organised into five sections:

  • Behaviour and Biomechanics
  • Ecology and Conservation
  • Evolutionary and Developmental Biology
  • Microbiology and Infectious Disease
  • Molecular Plant Biology

There is considerable overlap between these sections, with many members of the department working in more than one section, and many research projects that cut across section boundaries. Indeed, a key characteristic of the department is that it works as a well-integrated whole with collaborations developing naturally between researchers working on diverse topics.

Thinking of doing a postgraduate Biology degree at Oxford? Hear what the course has to offer from our current students.

The Department of Biology has research strengths spanning from evolution to ecology, behaviour to biomechanics, and development to disease. Researchers in the department work on wide range of organisms, including plants, animals and microbes. This diversity of research interests is reflected in the wide range of research facilities that are used by members of the department, including cell and molecular biology laboratories, controlled growth facilities, a field station with state-of-the-art facilities to study animal behaviour, ecology and plant physiology in the field, and unique plant collections. Many of our students also carry out field work overseas in locations ranging from the Amazon rainforest to the Antarctic.

Within the department are several research institutes, including the Edward Grey Institute (EGI), the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU), the Interdisciplinary Centre for Conservation Science (ICCS), and the Ineos Oxford Institute for Antimicrobial Research (IOI).

In 2025, the Department of Biology moved into the new Life and Mind Building. The Life and Mind Building provides state-of-the-art teaching and research facilities which are transforming the education experience for students, providing new laboratories and meeting spaces for undergraduates, postgraduates and researchers, as well as lecture theatres, specialised support laboratories and opportunities for public engagement with our research. The largest building project the University has undertaken, so far, the Life and Mind Building hosts the Department of Biology and the Department of Experimental Psychology as well as teaching for Biochemistry and Human Sciences. As such, the Life and Mind Building is a catalyst for the advancement of interdisciplinary science both at the University of Oxford and on a global platform, enabling biologists to benefit from synergistic interactions with many other cognate disciplines. 

Courses offered

The courses shown below are offered at postgraduate-level.

Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences (MPLS) Division

MPLS is proud to be home to some of the most creative and innovative scientific thinkers and leaders in academia, whose interdisciplinary research is tackling major societal and technological challenges.

Discover your future in the Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences (MPLS) Division at the University of Oxford.

The quality and impact of the division's work have been recognised by successive rounds of the national Research Excellence Framework and Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework exercises, and its departments frequently top the major higher education league tables. Its research is also regularly identified as one of the most significant recipients of grant funding in Europe.

The division’s 9 departments and interdisciplinary doctoral training centre span the full spectrum of the mathematical, computational, physical, engineering and life sciences, and undertake both fundamental research and cutting-edge applied work.

The MPLS Division has a vibrant and exciting research environment, offering frequent opportunities to share your research and engage with scientists working across the research spectrum. It has extensive links with other leading universities, research institutes, public sector bodies, business and industry, in the UK and abroad. Research at the interface between disciplines is strongly encouraged, both within the mathematical, life and physical sciences, and within the medical and environmental sciences.

Teaching is a major part of the division’s activities. It teaches around 7,300 students (including around 3,400 graduate students) and is playing a key part in training the next generation of leading scientists.

The division is striving to create and sustain an inclusive culture where diversity is valued and equity prevails, so that individuals of all backgrounds can fully contribute to its scientific community in a safe and supportive culture. All academic departments in the division hold Athena Swan Awards. Diversity matters and benefits everyone. Scientific and technological innovations change the world and everyone should have access to participate and engage in that change.

Further information