Imagine studying the sexual reproduction process of fruit flies to gain a better understanding of the causes of human disorders such as infertility and Down Syndrome. Genetics is the study of heredity, how the characteristics of living things are transmitted from one generation to the next. As an undergraduate, you'll conduct research with renowned scientists with a goal of understanding and contributing to advances in genetics of humans and model organisms. Many research areas focus specifically on identifying genes that cause diseases in humans. Areas of instruction include Mendelian, molecular, evolutionary, statistical and mathematical genetics. You'll not only learn the terms, concepts, and theories underlying the field of genetics, but you'll also be able to use what you have learned to critically analyze published research as well as conduct your own research. Many of our students are authors on papers published in leading scientific journals.