The School of Life Sciences has an international reputation for excellence, as judged by the quality of its programmes, the calibre of its faculty and the excellence of its students. The School has a formidable reputation for fundamental and applied research and has received a 5-rating in every national research assessment exercise conducted. This research excellence has major benefits for students who are able to acquire first hand experience in research skills, using state-of-the-art equipment with expert guidance.

Our expertise extends over a wide range of disciplines including: Biochemistry, Ecology and Epidemiology, Microbiology, Molecular Cellular biology, Physiology, Plant Sciences, Neurosciences, Structural Biology and Virology. Each academic in the School is actively involved in novel research and works within one of four Thematic groups: Controlling Infections, Integrating Cellular Systems, Redesigning Plants, and Shaping the Environment.

Undergraduate Research

Undergraduates contribute to the research output of the School in two main ways.

Vacation Research projects: during their three years at Warwick, students have the opportunity to apply for and obtain research experience during the vacations, when they can work alongside PhD students, technicians and postdoctoral staff in our research laboratories. These vacation projects attract a variety of bursaries including the Warwick URSS scheme.

Final Year Projects: during the final year of their degree courses, undergraduates have an opportunity to apply the knowledge they have acquired to a research project that forms part of the final year assessment. In both scenarios, the research carried out by our students is novel and may contribute to work that is published in the scientific literature or provide the basis for future new and exciting research.