The Biology Department strives to embody the motto of Brandeis University: Truth unto its innermost parts, by pushing forward the frontiers of knowledge in the Biological Sciences and engaging undergraduate and graduate students in innovative, collaborative ways of learning about and discovering new aspects of the natural world, and applying our knowledge to real-world problems. <br><br>We see our research and educational goals as being intertwined, with our undergraduates, graduate students and postdocs learning from and playing an integral role in the success of our internationally recognized research programs. Whether students/postdocs are learning in a classroom or a laboratory, they will acquire the knowledge and skills to independently analyze a problem, create and defend a hypothesis, design and carry out experiments, critically and quantitatively analyze data, and build models to explain biological processes. We actively connect this learning to the development of lifelong skills that enable our students to analyze and act on real-world issues in both science and non-science areas. We value collaborative learning and community over competition and seek to help students/postdocs discover their talents and passions as they move into their chosen careers.