Welcome to The Biology Department

Biology is the fundamental study of life and living systems.  It is a field that is interdisciplinary by nature and constantly evolving.  The educational goals of our curriculum are to foster student excitement about biology and promote science, as a process and way of knowing, not merely content knowledge.  We offer a strong foundation in biology to prepare for diverse and successful careers and to enrich our students’ lifelong engagement with the world in all its diversity and complexity.

 


Carter lab awarded new grant

Associate Professor of Biology Matt Carter has been awarded a three-year, $427,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health. This grant will support Professor Carter’s investigation into the role of a relatively unexplored population of neurons in the parasubthalamic nucleus (PSTN) in appetite suppression. Professor Carter’s team will determine the upstream neurons that project to the PSTN, determine the hormones that stimulate or inhibit the PSTN, and determine if the PSTN is necessary for appetite suppression in a variety of conditions. Results from this research will provide new insights into how the brain regulates food intake and potentially yield novel therapeutic targets for the re-establishment of hunger in conditions of extreme loss of appetite.


 

Holland lab publishes new paper

The Holland lab has a new article in press on wallflower cardiac glycoside biosynthesis in the Journal of Biological Chemistry! The paper, titled “Identification of UDP-dependent glycosyltransferases in the wallflower cardenolide biosynthesis pathway,” features the research findings of current thesis student Owen Patrick ’25 and former thesis students Becca Brody ’22 and Jessie Hem ’21.



Dean lab publishes new paper

The Dean lab is excited to share that Lily Codd ’26, Ruben Constanza ’23, and Xavi Segel ’23 joined the Dean Lab to publish a genetic mapping study that grew out of the “Fly Lab” in BIOL202. The work, titled “purpleoid1, a classic Drosophila eye color mutation, is an allele of the t-SNARE-encoding gene SNAP29″, can be found at the following  link: https://www.micropublication.org/journals/biology/micropub-biology-001563


New NSF grant supporting research of Savannah sparrow songs

William Dwight Whitney Professor of Biology Heather Williams and Associate Professor of Mathematics Julie Blackwood have received a three-year National Science Foundation grant to support their research into the cultural evolution of Savannah sparrow songs, including how learning and improvisation can result in both change and stability within the songs of a population.


Gill Lab receives NSF award; continues research in Hopkins Memorial Forest

The Gill lab recently received a National Science Foundation grant to investigate how soil nitrogen supply influences the formation and protection of soil carbon in forests. The group will use stable isotopes to track the movement of decomposing plant material into different soil carbon fractions, and identify the microbial and biogeochemical processes that influence carbon retention and turnover. The funding will support research experiences for Williams students and new instrumentation for the lab. We are also excited to welcome a new research technician to support the lab in September! Many thanks to the awesome Williams Biology students who laid the groundwork for this project – Patrick Hodgson ’22, Aaron Stanton ’22, Angela Hsuan Chen ’23, Molly Fraser ’23, Maddie Annis ’23, Katharine Cook ’24, Dan Lee ’24, Joanie Cha ’24, Diya Pandey ’25, Parker Hartnett ’25, and Ariana Oppenheimer ’26.


News & Announcements

Accepting applications for two tenure-track faculty positions

The Biology Department at Williams College currently invites applications for two tenure-track positions at the rank of Assistant Professor, to begin July 2026. Please use the following links to view the current openings. The deadline to apply for either position...

TA applications for Fall 2025 lab courses now available!

Applications for a lab TA position in upcoming Biology Fall 2025 courses are now being accepted. The deadline to submit applications is Wednesday, May 7. Hiring decisions are made by lab instructors in mid-May and students will be notified by email.

Stratton Fellowship application available

The application for the Frederick Eugene Stratton 1871 Fellowship in Biology is now available for students interested in applying to be considered. The Stratton graduate fellowship in Biology is awarded each year to a senior from any Williams College Department for further...

Carter lab shares new paper published

The Carter lab recently shared a new paper published in Physiology and Behavior. Titled “Tachykinin-1-expressing parasubthalamic nucleus neurons are necessary for odorant-induced appetite suppression”, the paper is based on the thesis work of first author and William alum Zoe Kaegi...
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