Genetics is an inescapable part of modern society it features in intellectual news articles and popular talk shows, in discussions of topics from health care to reproductive cloning, in conversations about how CRISPR genome modification will change life as we know it, to how much Neanderthal DNA you have. The major will enable students to bridge different sub-disciplines so that they will be best prepared for success in careers such as research, biotechnology, medicine/dentistry/pharmacy and public policy. The faculty advisors for the major interact closely with students, providing mentoring and career advice customized to individual students during their junior and senior years. These areas of biology have been undergoing significant transformation in recent years. This understanding will facilitate the development of new therapeutic approaches to cure diseases such as cancer and neurological disorders, and the exploration of new therapies through regenerative medicine. A thorough understanding of these disciplines is essential to uncover the causes of birth defects, of human diseases and of the developmental origins of disease. Developmental and Cell Biology Major: The disciplines of Developmental and Cell Biology examine the progression of gametes from before fertilization, through fertilization, and then throughout morphogenesis as the fertilized egg forms its organs and eventually becomes and adult organism, beginning the cycle again.