About Our Department

Why We Study Biology?

The question “what is life” has long puzzled human beings. Biology tries to solve this puzzle by analyzing life forms at the molecular, cellular and organism levels as well as by investigating their interactions with each other and with their environment. However, we are not merely trying to satisfy our philosophical curiosities but also to solve practical issues important for achieving widespread sustainability. From the history of science, it is easy to see that basic research in biology has not only contributed to the cultural and academic progress of human society but also contributed to social change through innovations in the fields of applied disciplines, such as agricultural, medical, and environmental technologies. Thus, there is no doubt that basic biology, of which the Department studies, plays a critical role in improving the welfare of humanity on Earth.

A Brief History of the Department

The Department of Biology was founded in 1922 as the first institute intended to provide biological research and education at Tohoku University, which was founded in 1907 as the third national university in Japan. Due to its diverse curriculum and quality of the faculty, our department is currently regarded as one of the best centers for basic biological sciences in Japan. Over the past 90 years of the department, over 2000 students have earned bachelor’s degrees in biology, and most of them have gone on to earn M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees. Alumni of the department have contributed to society through their activities as professors, teachers, researchers, engineers, generalists, and so forth in private companies and public institutes.

Mission

The educational mission of the Department of Biology at Tohoku University is to support scholarly endeavors in disciplines across a broad range of biologies from molecular and cellular biology to ecology and evolutionary biology, thereby cultivating future faculty members as well as professionals and generalists, who pave the way for a new era in life sciences and other fields.

Curriculum and Student life

The Department of Biology offers undergraduates students a broad range of learning opportunities so as to provide both a strong foundation in biology and a broad liberal arts education. The quality and diversity of education that we provide in the Department have improved continually through innovations in the curriculum and by attracting outstanding faculty. Currently, the faculty consists of 40 academic staff members, including 18 professors, whose research specialties cover molecular, cellular, individual, developmental, evolutionary and environmental biology. Each of the 40 academic staff members is responsible for teaching classes of a total of 40 biology undergraduates per grade and supervises the students during their individual research programs in a personal manner. In the student’s fourth grade, they have the opportunity to attend graduate-level classes in the Graduate School of Life Sciences at Tohoku University. We hope that you will find the learning in our department exciting, enjoyable and vital to your future career.

Access

The Department of Biology at Tohoku University is located in Sendai, a beautiful historic city full of greenery with a population more than one million. The main office of the department is housed in the Biology Building (H16) on the Aobayama Campus, which will be linked to downtown by a new subway line in 2015.

Message from the Chair

April 1, 2023

Welcome to the Department of Biology at Tohoku University! The Department of Biology is the center for research and education in basic biological sciences at Tohoku University. It has continually improved through innovations in the curriculum and by attracting outstanding faculty since its founding in 1922. Currently, it consists of around 18 laboratories, which cover a broad range of research from molecular, cellular, developmental and neural biology to genetics, ecology, evolutionary and conservation biology. The diverse number of disciplines and the quality of the faculty form the core of our educational mission. We are proud to offer undergraduate students an excellent foundation in biology. The curriculum includes high quality lecture classes, practical laboratory/field courses and a liberal arts program during the first three grades. During the third and fourth grades, all undergraduates carry out individual research projects for 3 semesters under the direct supervision of one of the professors from the faculty members. I encourage you to study our website to get a sense of the Department of Biology. I hope that you will choose the Department of Biology at Tohoku University and find learning here fun and exciting. If you have any questions about our department or programs, please feel free to contact us.

Ken-Ichiro Tsutsui

Professor and Chair
The Department of Biology
Tohoku University

History