Research areas

Our world-leading research community is working to solve pressing global challenges: food security, disease, health and medicine, ageing, energy, and mitigating the biodiversity crisis. We're proud to have come in the top five nationally in the REF 2021 in terms of the quality of our research.

Image of a flying long tailed tit
Long-tailed tit, photographed by Billy Clapham during his Masters research project with Professor Ben Hatchwell on the wild study population in the Rivelin Valley, Sheffield

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

We're driven by our curiosity to understand how the natural world has evolved and operates. Together we work to answer fundamental questions in ecology, conservation, and evolutionary biology, addressing key global challenges facing biodiversity and humankind.

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Zebrafish head
Head of a two-day-old zebrafish, one of the key model organisms used in our research. The red stain highlights neurons in the developing central and peripheral nervous systems. Image credit: Stone Elworthy, Sarah Baxendale and Nick van Hateren.

Development, Regeneration and Neurophysiology

We examine how a single cell can give rise to an entire organism, the biology of stem cells and regeneration, and how sensory inputs are detected and processed in the nervous system.

Development, Regeneration and Neurophysiology

Avidocin - artist's impression
An antimicrobial nanomachine killing a C. difficile cell. The Avidocin-CD nanomachine has bound to the S-layer (green) on the cell surface and contracted to drive the harpoon-like nanotube core through the cell envelope, killing the bacterium.

Molecular Microbiology: Biochemistry to Disease

We're working on the machinery of microbial life. We explore microbes all the way from their fine molecular structure to their interactions with human hosts and the diseases they cause.

Molecular Microbiology: Biochemistry to Disease

Cancer cells

Molecular and Cellular Biology

We aim to understand the fundamental processes that underpin life. This allows us to find out what goes wrong in disease, discover new ways for therapeutic intervention and design new biotechnologies. Using a combination of basic and applied science, we address major global health challenges, from cancer and aging to infectious disease.

Molecular and Cellular Biology

scientific images of plant cells

Plants, Photosynthesis and Soil

We study plants and soil, and their interactions with the environment across all scales, from fundamental mechanisms that underpin photosynthesis and development through to interactions with other organisms and climate. Our research tackles global challenges in climate change, clean energy and manufacturing, and agricultural and urban sustainability.

Plants, Photosynthesis and Soil

Students examining animal jaw bones from reference collection

Archaeology

Covering Bioarchaeology and Funerary Archaeology, our research is conducted by a vibrant community of doctoral students, post-doctoral researchers and permanent staff members.

Archaeology

Collaborate with us

Whether you want to outsource an entire research project or ask for advice or consultancy from one of our scientists, there are lots of different ways to collaborate with us.

Get in touch

Seminar series

Our seminar series represents the wide range of research interests within the school and are presented by experts in particular areas.

Upcoming seminars