Research that Matters
Systems Biology
Modern biology is increasingly defined by complexity. Whether we are studying brain function, immune responses, development, ecosystems or disease, we are no longer looking at single genes or isolated pathways. We are trying to understand how networks of molecules, cells, tissues, organisms and environments interact — across time and scales — to produce health, behavior, adaptation and dysfunction. Systems Biology provides the conceptual and quantitative framework to do exactly that: it integrates data-rich discovery with predictive modeling, linking experiments, computation, statistics, engineering-inspired approaches and AI-enabled analysis to reveal principles that cannot be seen through reductionist approaches alone.
Established in April 2026, UCI Department of Systems Biology creates a dedicated home for pioneering work that spans genomics, neuroscience, microbiomes, immunology, development, evolution, ecology, bioengineering and data science. It will catalyze new collaborations and accelerate the translation of fundamental discoveries into solutions for society. The department expands education opportunities to gain the skills that will define the next generation of biologists:
- fluency in quantitative and computational approaches
- experience working with complex datasets and modeling
- training at the intersection of biology, mathematics, computer science, and engineering
- preparation for careers across academia, biotechnology, medicine, public health and beyond
Just as importantly, Systems Biology training will help our students learn to ask and answer the kinds of questions that matter most today — questions that require connecting mechanisms to outcomes and translating insight into prediction and intervention.
Faculty
Core disciplines integrated to solve complex biological systems
Choice for first-generation freshman students applying to UC
Rank for Forbes magazine’s list of America’s Best Value Colleges
Rank for Healthiest College in the West according to Greatist
Arthur D. Lander, M.D., Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor and Chair
Department of Systems Biology
adlander@uci.edu
949-824-1721
A Message From the Department Chair
The Department of Systems Biology was launched in 2026 to provide a home for biology research and teaching with a uniquely modern perspective. We believe biology is built out of complex dynamical systems, which cannot be fully understood just from the workings of their component parts. We manipulate, analyze, and model those systems using methods we borrow from Mathematics, Statistics, Engineering, and Computer Science. We often use large “high-dimensional” datasets, which we gather using the latest tools of genetics, genomics, proteomics, etc. Because the Systems approach can be applied to almost any subfield of biology, we are academically diverse: we study everything from evolution to cancer to cell structure to neurodegenerative disease, and much, much more.
The breadth of our academic mission encourages us to look for cross-cutting concepts in biology, such as the idea that common “design” principles underlie how biological systems are structured by natural selection. Although our faculty belong to several graduate programs, many of us participate in and draw Ph.D. students from the pan-campus program in Mathematical, Computational and Systems Biology, which provides training that aligns closely with what we do. As a new department, our contributions to undergraduate teaching are still taking shape, but we plan on providing new offerings for Biological Sciences students that focus on computation; modeling and simulation; data science; and AI.
We are excited by what we believe our new, highly interdisciplinary department can offer to the Dunlop School, the scientific community, and the larger world—a world in which we all increasingly must understand and manage complex systems.