
Advance the biosciences
University Priority
Innovation in the biosciences is essential to helping us live longer and healthier lives.
²ÝÝ®´«Ã½ scientists and researchers deliver cutting-edge treatments and cures through their pathbreaking work in synthetic biology, chemistry, cancer research, public health and more.
With collaboration across schools, campuses and partners such as ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½ Medicine, a significant percentage of the University’s research enterprise is dedicated to the biosciences. This page provides a snapshot of the transformative work taking place at ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½.



Lurie Cancer Center is one of only 57 NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers, a founding member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network and a Lead Academic Participating Site in the National Clinical Trials Network. Its strengths include a hematopoietic stem cell transplant program that performs 350+ transplants annually, Illinois’s first and only proton therapy center and OncoSET, a pioneering precision-medicine program.

²ÝÝ®´«Ã½â€™s researchers make breakthroughs that advance healthcare for everyone.
With an emphasis on translational medicine, our physician-scientists and engineers are at the forefront of research and discovery.



McNally researches genetics of cardiovascular and neuromuscular disorders and studies genetic mechanisms responsible for inherited human diseases.
Learn about ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½â€™s leadership in the biosciences.
See ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½â€™s new developments in support of this priority.

The body can notice stress before the conscious brain — and that’s no lie

New devices mimic complex brain signals, point to more energy-efficient computing

From insects to birds to mammals, communication signals follow a common tempo

New study finds some cultivated flowers can support bees and butterflies

The microbiome produces scents that trigger aggression in mice

New system generates oxygen, sustaining drug-producing cells for weeks