Our Neighborhoods Within The City

The BBS program encompasses a network of research communities that include both basic science departments and interdepartmental programs at Harvard Medical School. We often compare these communities to neighborhoods within a larger city. Each one offers a tight-knit setting where faculty members and trainees with shared interests collaborate closely to advance research in their areas and engage in enriching training opportunities. Through this structure, BBS offers both the extensive range of research labs afforded by its scale and the sense of community typically found in smaller, specialized departmental programs. Below, you’ll find descriptions and links to learn more about these communities and the activities they organize to foster collaborative, stimulating, and supportive environments for conducting your thesis research. Please note that joining one of these communities is not required for admission.

BBS Supporting Departments

HILS-Wide Certificate Programs

HILS-Wide Enrichment Programs