Department of Biophysics

UW-Madison has developed and maintained a strong tradition in cutting-edge molecular biophysics. In 1964, the University established a non-departmental Ph.D. Degree Program in Biophysics aimed primarily at undergraduate physics and chemistry majors. In 1965, an NIH Biophysics Training Grant was awarded; it continued until the phase-out of NIH training programs in the 1970s. The Training Grant component was funded again beginning in 1989 through the present. Thus the UW Biophysics Graduate Degree Program (BGDP) and the NIH-funded Molecular Biophysics Training Program (MBTP) share a parallel history over some 40 years. In the past decade, the combination of the BGDP and the MBTP has nucleated dramatic growth in molecular biophysics on the UW campus, paralleling the international growth of the field. From an original group of 5 trainers in 3 departments (1965), the MBTP now includes 28 faculty members affiliated with 11 departments that span four colleges. The majority of the MBTP trainers have tenure homes in the departments of Biochemistry (College of Agriculture and Life Sciences), Chemistry (College of Letters and Science), and Physiology (Medical School).