Biophysics
Department of Physiology and Biophysics
School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
124 Sherman Hall
South Campus
Buffalo, NY 14214-3078
Phone: 716.829.2738
Fax: 716.829.2344
Web: www.smbs.buffalo.edu/phb/
Email: pgy-bph@buffalo.edu
Harold C. Strauss
Chair
Shinpei Ohki
Director of Undergraduate Studies
About the Department
Biophysics programs are in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics. The biophysical sciences are a group of sub-disciplines in the biological sciences that apply the principles of physics and physical chemistry to the analysis of life processes at a quantitative and mechanistic level.
Degrees Offered
Undergraduate: B.S.
Concentrations: Biophysics (within the BS in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology)
Graduate: M.S., Ph.D.
About Our Degrees
Goals and Objectives
To educate well qualified students who can advance to graduate or professional studies and/or apply their skills in quantitative analysis of biological processes and phenomena in the private and public sectors.
Acceptance Information
Deadlines: Rolling
Acceptance Criteria
Minimum GPA of 2.0 overall.
Minimum GPA of 2.5 in science courses.
An adequate background to study biophysics; no specific course requirements are set for admission to the major.
Degree Requirements
See the Undergraduate Catalog.
Transfer Policy
If prospective majors have taken courses that may be equivalent to required courses of this department, they should contact the program director. Students must provide course descriptions and petition for acceptance of transfer courses as substitutes for required courses.
About Our Courses
For course descriptions, please see the Undergraduate Catalog.
About Our Faculty
One of our faculty members, Dr. Herbert Hauptman, is a Nobel laureate in chemistry for a method using X-ray crystallography analysis. Many of our faculty members specialize in studies of ionic processes and signal transduction mechanisms in nerves and synapses, cell membrane mechanics, cell-cell interactions, and intracellular vesicle trafficking processes. Some of them are associated with activities in the Neuroscience program, the Center For Single Molecule Biophysics, and the Toshiba Stroke Research Center, all of which belong to the UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.
Special Academic Opportunities
Participation in research projects at UB and Roswell Park Cancer Institute is available to upper-level undergraduates.
Extracurricular Activities
See the UB Student Association.
Complementary Programs and Courses
Minors that Complement the Biophysical Sciences
- Chemistry
- Computer Science
- Math
- Physics
Courses Outside the Biophysical Sciences that May Improve Employment Opportunities
- Computer Science
- Engineering
- Pharmaceutics
Advising Information
Students interested in the biophysical sciences should contact the program director for more information.
Career Information
Biophysicists study the physical principles of living cells and organisms, their electrical and mechanical energy, material transport across cell membranes, and related phenomena. They conduct research to investigate dynamics in such areas as seeing, hearing and motility as well as molecular structures; signal transduction and transmission in nerves and muscles; cell-cell and cell-substrate interactions; determination of the structures of biological macromolecules; damage to cells and tissues caused by x-rays and nuclear particles; and bioinformatics.
Skills gained in this program include:
- Research techniques
- Gathering and interpreting data
- Ability to utilize technology
- Combination of physical properties of the universe and the biological functions of living things
Career Choices
80% of biophysics graduates go on to graduate and/or professional school.
20% of biophysics graduates go on to find related employment.
Positions of employment include:
- Anatomist
- Anesthesiologist
- Aquatic biologist
- Biochemist
- Biomedical engineer
- Biophysicist
- Educator
- Environmental scientist
- Geneticist
- Geophysicist
- Health physicist
- Industrial health engineer
- Lab assistant
- Medical illustrator
- Medical physicist
- Medical or pharmaceutical sales
- Nuclear scientist
- Pharmacologist/toxicologist
- Physicist
- Psychology engineer
Work settings include:
Medical labs, hospitals, clinics, medical industry, government agencies, business, and industry.
Career Hints
Biophysics is a far more specific field, one which allows for more detailed research and employment. These skills are transferable, but a student should pursue a Biophysics degree if they are interested in continuing their education. Job opportunities center around place of work...one can be a researcher in a pharmaceutical lab, an engineer in industry, an inspector for government agencies, such as OSHA, or a science teacher in a high school. Employment depends on the individual's needs, values and skills.