The BioFrontiers Institute at the University of Colorado Boulder: Innovators without boundaries

A unique interdisciplinary community of scientists driven by the mission of improving global health and welfare through collaborative, boundary-pushing bioscience. Our science brings together physicists/ computer scientists/ mathematicians/ chemists/ engineers/ biologists in one building to solve complex problems. 

 

Who we are

We span 11 different academic departments across two colleges (A&S and CEAS) but are united in our collaborative approach to solving the big problems facing society. We believe that a diverse and inclusive team is essential to achieving our scientific mission.

 

What we study

We are intentionally diverse in our research questions, which broadens our reach and cultivates an adaptable, resilient scientific community. Several focus areas are degenerative diseases, computational biology, infectious diseases, regenerative biology, and Down syndrome. Learn more about our research

 

Building the next generation

We are training the next generation of scientists, through our Interdisciplinary Quantitative Biology (IQ Bio) PhD program and our Computational Biology undergraduate minor. IQ Bio attracts students from diverse educational backgrounds unified by a common passion for quantitative biology. 

 

Our impact

We are committed to translating our discoveries into societal impacts: half of our faculty have founded one or more companies, one has started a non-profit foundation to facilitate lay participation in science, and many serve on the boards of other institutions, foundations, and enterprises. Among our 21 core faculty members, we count 1 Nobel Prize winner, 2 Waterman Award winners, 1 L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science awardee, 5 AAAS Fellows, 4 National Academy members (one of whom is in all 3 academies), and 3 National Academy of Inventors members.

 

 

Director

Roy Parker
Roy Parker
Director, BioFrontiers Institute • Distinguished Professor • Cech-Leinwand Endowed Chair of Biochemistry
Biochemistry

Chief Scientific Officer

Leslie Leinwand
Leslie Leinwand
Chief Scientific Officer, BioFrontiers Institute • Distinguished Professor • Professor, Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology • CU Denver School of Medicine

Associate Directors

Natalie Ahn
Natalie Ahn
Distinguished Professor • Associate Director, BioFrontiers Institute • Alumni (Investigator, 1994-2014), Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Biochemistry
Kristi Anseth
Kristi Anseth
Distinguished Professor • Tisone Professor • Associate Director, Head Academic Leadership, BioFrontiers Institute • Alumni (Investigator, 2000-2017), Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Chemical and Biological Engineering