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Human Biology

Stanford
Program in Human Biology
School of Humanities and Sciences

An interdisciplinary approach to understanding human beings from biological, behavioral, social, and cultural perspectives.

Why Choose HumBio

Research Opportunities

Senior Synthesis

Director's Message

Dear Human Biology Alumni, Students, and Friends,

For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Will Talbot, and it is my privilege to step into the role of Director of the Program in Human Biology this fall. I look forward to leading our mission of providing extraordinary interdisciplinary education to a new generation of students. 

As we begin the new year, I invite you to explore all that the Human Biology community has to offer – from courses to advising to events such as our upcoming Reunion Open House. Our vibrant community is full of incredibly passionate and talented students, faculty, staff, and alumni who truly care about the program and one another. 

Here is to a great year ahead!

Best,
Will Talbot, PhD
Bing Director, Program in Human Biology 

News

“What is biodiversity?” Professor Rodolfo Dirzo poses the question to his Conservation Biology (HumBio 112) class, and hands shoot up confidently around the room.

This fall, as students returned to campus life, the Program in Human Biology proudly welcomed longtime community member  Dr. William Talbot as its new Program Director. For many in the Stanford community, Talbot is already a familiar face.

After two decades of service, achievements, and contributions to the Program in Human Biology and the greater Stanford community, Dr. Catherine “Cathy” Heaney, an esteemed professor of psychiatry and member of the Stanford Prevention Research Center, will retire from Stanford University at the end of the academic year.

When HumBio senior Peyton Klein ‘25 first stepped onto Stanford's campus as a freshman, the landscape of campus life and community looked a little different from what it had been. The world, including life at Stanford, had been reshaped by the COVID-19 pandemic, which thrust issues of mental health and social isolation into the spotlight.