We’re one of the few programs in the country that trains in structure/function—where students learn at the molecular level and from the ground up to find the cause and cure of disease. In our program, students take the lead in their research and frequently collaborate with different labs. And the research? It’s cutting-edge in a supportive environment. See how we train the next generation of biochemists.

Considered the most prestigious award in the world, the Nobel Prize was given to two faculty in the Department of Biochemistry. In 2015, Dr. Paul Modrich received the Nobel in Chemistry for his mechanistic studies in DNA repair and in 2012, Dr. Robert Lefkowitz won the Nobel in Chemistry for his discoveries that reveal the inner workings of an important family of G protein-coupled receptors.

Dr. Brian Coggins is course director for the main undergraduate biochemistry class, which he teaches to 350-450 students per year. Outside the classroom, he designs and develops new methods and resources for biochemical education. Dr. Coggins received his undergraduate degree and PhD from Duke, where he worked with Pei Zhou to develop more efficient techniques for protein NMR data collection.