About
Biophysics at Notre Dame
Welcome to the home of the interdisciplinary biophysics research and education community at Notre Dame. Biophysics is an interdisciplinary field, bridging the knowledge gap between the disciplines of biology and physics. Biophysicists seek to discover the principles that describe patterns in life and makes predictions about biological phenomena. Biophysicists study life at every level – from atoms, molecules and cells, to organisms and environments. A recent gift from the William & Linda Stavropoulos Family Foundation has enabled us to coalesce these interactions under the umbrella of the new Stavropoulos Center for Interdisciplinary Biophysics.
Notre Dame has a long history of biophysics research and education, centered on understanding, preventing, and curing diseases and understanding the sensitivities of organisms to various environmental stressors. Reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of the field, our expertise is distributed across all departments in the College of Science. Biophysics is also found in the College of Engineering, including the Departments of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering and Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering. Biophysicists across the Notre Dame campus are linked by a shared commitment to understanding the fundamental forces that underlie biological functions. Interactions between biophysics faculty, students and postdoctoral researchers are facilitated by regular seminars, journal club get-togethers, cross-disciplinary coursework, laboratory rotation projects and collaborative research projects.
This unusually broad, interdisciplinary environment provides a fertile environment for training the next generation of biophysicists, including developing the knowledge, skills and communication tools necessary to collaborate with scientists and engineers in diverse fields. We are strongly committed to diversity in all its forms and strive to create a welcoming environment for all.
The department is closely allied with several other Notre Dame interdisciplinary centers and institutes, including the Radiation Laboratory, the Center for Nano Science and Technology, the Center for Sustainable Energy, Advanced Diagnostics and Therapeutics, the Harper Cancer Research Institute, and the Warren Center for Drug Discovery. These links underscore the central importance of biophysics to all forms of biomedical research and illustrate the ever-growing importance of interdisciplinary, collaborative research in order to push forward the frontiers of knowledge.
Please explore our graduate program and faculty research interests in detail, and do not hesitate to contact us with questions, comments, or to arrange a visit. We are passionate about biophysics research and education and are always looking for talented students, postdocs and faculty to join our team.
Alan Lindsay, Ph.D.
Associate Professor and Director, Biophysics Graduate Program