The Biology Building is the home for Saint Vincent College’s widely-known pre-professional programs in the allied health professions including medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, occupational therapy, osteopathy, optometry, pharmacy, physical therapy, physician assistant, podiatry, and veterinary medicine. Since admission to graduate and professional schools is highly competitive, a pre-professional committee works with students throughout their four years of study to carefully plan their course of study and future goals. Placement into medical schools has averaged 70% of recommended students while admittance to other professional schools has been nearly 100%. Specialized laboratories are conducted here for cell and molecular biology including microbiology and molecular genetics, organismal biology including anatomy and physiology, and population biology including ecology, evolution and systematics. An intensive senior research program is designed to introduce undergraduates to all facets of developing and completing a research project. One of the Biology Department’s most famous graduates is Dr. Herbert Boyer, a native of nearby Derry, who is the cofounder of Genentech and the inventor of modern gene splicing technology. A $1 million gift from Dr. Boyer provides scholarships to Saint Vincent Biology majors annually.

Added to the Science Center in 1989, the Life Sciences Research Laboratory houses laboratories for student and faculty joint research with live animals, instructional rooms and research labs for students studying biology and psychology.

The Science Center is also the home of new programs in Bioinformatics and Biotechnology. Students can obtain a major of a minor in Bioinformatics and can obtain a minor or certificate in Biotechnology. Bioinformatics is an interdisciplinary field that combines aspects of computer science, biology, and biochemistry to address important questions in biology and medicine. Biotechnology encompasses a wide range of areas that intersect with biology, including technology development, industrial applications, and legal and ethical issues. These new programs will allow students to compete effectively for jobs and graduate programs in these emerging areas.