The Institute of Arctic Biology is Alaska’s principal research and educational unit for investigating high-latitude biological systems. IAB also provides critical knowledge to policymakers for stakeholders to interpret, predict and manage biological systems through the integration of research, student education and execution of public policy in service to Alaska and the nation.

The institute’s research focuses on wildlife and conservation biology; ecology, biogeochemistry, ecosystems and modeling of Arctic landscapes; climate change; physiology; evolutionary biology; genetics; plant-animal interactions; and human health disparities, nutrition and physical activity using a community-based, participatory approach.

IAB administers several specialized research programs and associated facilities. These initiatives include Toolik Field Station, an internationally recognized interdisciplinary Arctic research station that annually hosts hundreds of scientists from around the world. The Bonanza Creek Long-Term Ecological Research program focuses on the long-term consequences of climate change and disturbance of boreal forests in Alaska. The Center for Alaska Native Health Research investigates health disparities in Alaska Native people. The Center for Transformative Research in Metabolism supports interdisciplinary biomedical research in an effort to study hibernation and metabolism to develop therapeutics to treat metabolic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, sarcopenia, and cardiovascular disease.  The Alaska IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence is a program that seeks to enhance biomedical research infrastructure in Alaska and fund research and student training focused on the intersection of health, disease and the environment in people and animals. The Alaska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, part of the U.S. Geological Survey, promotes research and graduate student training in the ecology and management of fish and wildlife. Other facilities include IAB’s research greenhouse, which provides a year-round environment for research and education. Additionally, the Core DNA Lab allows UAF to conduct research at the cutting edge of molecular analysis.

For more information, call 907-474-7640 or visit IAB's website.