VCU Biological Complexity

Life is complex and the advent of the ‘omic’ technologies is revolutionizing biological and biomedical research. Though almost all researchers accept this truism, very few scientists are in the position or have the resources to apply complexity-based technologies to their basic and applied research. A few institutions – Harvard, the University of Michigan, Stanford, Cornell - like the Center have begun to adopt these complexity-based approaches. However, none of these other institutions have moved as aggressively as the Center to integrate mathematical, computational, and biological approaches to study life systems. The Center has not only converted and coalesced over 70 existing biological and biomedical investigators at VCU, it is very actively recruiting new investigators who have already accepted that this brand of science has ‘more bang for the buck’ than traditional hypothesis generated research. Thus, the Center is at the forefront of this exciting and dynamic new approach to biological science.