The Department of Biochemistry is recognized for its research and education. As part of a commitment to continuing this tradition of excellence, the department provides a graduate program that integrates opportunities for cutting-edge creative research and study. The current areas of focus involve:

  • Computational Biology

  • Nucleic Acids & Gene Expression

  • Cell Signaling

  • Membranes

  • Proteins & Enzymology

  • Chemical Biology

  • Molecular Biophysics

  • Structural Biology

  • Systems Biology

The current Biochemistry faculty include a Nobel Laureate, three members of the National Academy of Sciences, three Howard Hughes Investigators, a Howard Hughes Early Career Scientist, three NIH MERIT Awardees, three former NIH Career Development Awardees, an NSF CAREER Awardee, two former Guggenheim fellows, a former Pew Scholar, a former Beckman Young Investigator, two former Searle Scholars, and two University Distinguished Professors. 

In the past several years the Biochemistry faculty has averaged a total of approximately 50 papers in scholarly journals. These papers overwhelmingly include graduate students and post-doctorates as coauthors. Biochemistry has a vibrant graduate program and participates in three NIH-funded training grants, which support PhD training for current students. Approximately 60% of the recent PhD graduates go on to perform postdoctoral research and most graduates end up with a position in academia or in the biotech and/or pharmaceutical industry. 

Research in Biochemistry laboratories is currently supported at a level of $440,000/yr per lab. The largest sources of funding are the National Institutes of Health, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the National Science Foundation, Departments of Energy and Defense, and many others.

The Biochemistry Department of University of Colorado at Boulder offers a world-class interdisciplinary research environment in a beautiful mountain setting.