The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences
Catalyzing excellence in interdisciplinary life science research
VISION
A Penn State community where premier scientists work in diverse and interdisciplinary teams to tackle humanity's biggest challenges.
MISSION
We propel research excellence and inspire our diverse community of scientists to harness the transformative potential of life sciences research and innovation. By catalyzing this excellence, we evolve and advance traditional research paradigms, creating a dynamic space for curiosity, discovery, and interdisciplinary partnership in life sciences.
CULTURE
We integrate Penn State resources with a nimble mindset. Ever flexible, we leverage these resources in creative ways that extend our reach across the entire university system. We value innovation, risk-taking and have a growth mindset. We build and support diverse teams of faculty, staff, and trainees, knowing that they will be able reach higher than any individual could on their own.
HUCK DEPARTMENTS
7 Intercollege Graduate Programs
We immerse students in an environment built on interdisciplinary collaboration—with unparalleled access to state-of-the-art facilities. That is why we consistently recruit outstanding people from across the globe. Programs include: Bioinformatics and Genomics; Ecology; Integrative and Biomedical Physiology; Master of Biotechnology; Molecular, Cellular and Integrative Biosciences; Neuroscience; and Plant Biology
11 Core Facilities
We house ~$45 million of instrumentation and provide services to 300 research groups each year. Cores include: Biomolecular Interactions; Cryo-Electron Microscopy; Fermentation; Flow Cytometry; Genomics; High-Field MRI; Metabolomics; Microscopy; Proteomics and Mass Spectrometry; Cell Culture; Transgenic Mouse; X-Ray Crystallography and Scattering.
30 Research Units (Institutes & Centers)
Our academic teams cut across dozens of departments at Penn State, engaging an unsurpassed variety of disciplines in life sciences research via our Centers and Institutes. Key topics include infectious disease modeling, ecology, biotechnology, plant science, neuroscience, structural biology and oncology; genome sciences; insect biodiversity; microbiomes, among others. Given the breadth of life sciences research at the Huck, it would be difficult for anyone not to find a good match for their area of expertise and research interest. Want to join a Huck Institute/Center? Sign up here! Links to an external site.
While we encourage all life sciences interdisciplinary research, we prioritize the following seven thematic areas:
Future Foods
Ensuring access to nutritious food in a changing world requires an integrated approach across genetics, microbiology, animal and plant biology, agroecology, and human nutrition. Huck researchers are pioneering strategies to support the production of healthy and diverse foods, including leveraging emerging technologies and controlled environment agriculture, and studying how diet influences human health from metabolomics to movement. We aim to empower farmers with better tools and families with science-based information that supports health across the lifespan.
Health for Life
The health of plants, animals, and humans is shaped by exposures throughout life—from microbes and contaminants to diet and social conditions. These exposures can have lasting effects on immunity, cognition, and metabolism, even across generations. Our researchers are developing holistic strategies that improve life-long health by working with stakeholders across the biological, environmental, and socio-cultural spectrum.
Emergent Intelligence in Organisms
Organisms—from microbes to humans—show remarkable abilities to sense, remember, and adapt. Intelligence emerges through networks of genes, cells, and neural systems, even in organisms without brains. Huck investigators are exploring how organisms integrate signals and past experiences to make decisions, aiming to understand cognition, promote brain health, and inspire bio-informed computing and AI design.
Engineering Resilient Ecosystems
Healthy ecosystems rely on complex interactions among organisms and their environment. Stressors like pollution, disease, and invasive species can disrupt these systems. Our researchers are using a wide range of tools, from genomics to civil engineering, to protect and restore ecosystems—on farms, in forests, and in cities—through partnerships with conservationists, agencies, and communities.
Cross-Cutting Research Themes
Translational Science & Public Impact
Huck scientists are transforming biological insights into real-world tools and strategies. Our scientists accelerate vaccine and drug development, drive innovations in sustainable biotechnologies, and improve disease forecasting with integrated data. Our work promotes science-informed public policy and delivers practical solutions—from improving crop resilience to preventing ecosystem collapse—benefiting people and the planet.
Life at All Scales
We explore biology from molecules to ecosystems—how proteins and RNA control gene expression, how viruses enter cells, and how species are distributed across landscapes. Our teams develop AI-driven sensors to detect physiological changes and environmental shifts. These tools enhance our ability to monitor health and biodiversity, revealing vital connections across living systems.
AI to Action
Today’s data-rich world enables unprecedented insights across the life sciences. Huck researchers integrate large-scale data—from genomics to wearable tech—to uncover mechanisms behind biological and societal challenges. Our researchers are turning complex data into actionable strategies to address fundamental processes and global issues, from cell biology to public health.
SEED FUNDING
We have implemented internal funding mechanisms that empower bold, innovative researchers to fearlessly test out their most novel, unproven, and exciting research ideas. Our seed funding encourages innovative thinking, interdisciplinary collaborations, and thoughtful planning for sustainability beyond the lifetime of the award. Contact: bng10@psu.edu
HUCK CATALYSIS
We incentivize collaboration and harness interdisciplinary expertise to craft competitive, large-scale, and complex grant proposals. As part of Huck-Catalysis, we provide high-level guidance and mentorship, course buyouts (or equivalents), and seed funding to plan and build teams ready to tackle big scientific challenges that require interdisciplinary collaborations. Contact: ckantor@psu.edu
Huck Leadership
Christina Grozinger Links to an external site. Director, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences; Professor of Entomology
Huck Executive Team
Leadership overview Links to an external site.
Primary Strategic Goals
- Attract and retain a diverse community of the best and brightest faculty, staff, graduate students, and postdocs by providing an inspiring, inclusive working environment equipped with best- in-class facilities and instrumentation
- Fund bold and transformative research in the life sciences at Penn State through internal seed grant programs that spur new and promising innovations
- Contribute to the growth of the high-tech STEM economy by facilitating discoveries in biotechnology and training the next generation of research scientists and technologists
- Build upon Penn State’s reputation as a global leader the areas covered under the Interdisciplinary and Cross-cutting research themes Links to an external site.
- Advance Penn State’s capacities to comprehensively map and assess factors that interactively affect the health of plants, animals and people across natural ecosystems and the built environment
- Expand Penn State’s capacities in biomedical research through strategic internal partnerships with Engineering, Social Sciences and Data Sciences, as well as external partners in the field
- Continually improve administrative processes to foster healthy levels of innovation and risk-taking while maintaining security and stability across departments
New faculty may want to contact the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences to:
- Learn about core facilities and seek guidance on instrumentation use - contact Dr. Craig Praul
- Find out about Huck strategic initiatives, funding cycles, expectations, type of support. - contact Dr. Camelia Kantor
- Engage with the Huck Graduate Programs - contact program directors Links to an external site.
- Engage with Huck Institutes & Centers - contact Institute/Center Directors of interest Links to an external site.
- Communicate newsworthy stories about Huck research to key audiences - contact Cole Hons
Top 5 Items Faculty Should Know About the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences
Relevant Programming for New Faculty
Huck hosts or co-hosts a lot of events in collaboration with Colleges, other Institutes, or external collaborators. Many such events are being organized through our network of Institutes and Centers Links to an external site.. You may find detailed information or submit your own Huck event information for broad outreach by checking the Huck Calendar of events. Links to an external site.
Specific to new faculty! Huck organizes an annual New Life Sciences Faculty welcome event (March/April) open to all full-time tenure line and non-tenure line faculty in the life sciences or with life science research touchpoints. Invitations go out by email in February/March and the event takes place at the Millennium Cafe (Materials Science Building). As it is very difficult to identify all the new hires (we usually reach out to all the Deans for support), people may be missed. If you did not receive an invite by end of February, please reach out to bng10@psu.edu.
The Life Sciences Symposium Links to an external site. takes place every year (May, in the Smeal College of Business Building). The free event (registration needed) is a great opportunity to learn about the wide range of life science research going on at Penn State, discuss your own research, volunteer as a judge, and make connections across the life sciences to promote interdisciplinary research collaborations. Check Huck announcements.
Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences Fun Facts
Huck “Institutes” is plural because it includes over 30 Institutes and Centers.
Huck is the only Penn State interdisciplinary institute with a graduate program.
Huck was founded in 1996 to promote research and training in the life sciences at Penn State.
Huck’s strength is building the convergence of biological, engineering, and material sciences.
Huck is endowed through a $20 million pledge made in 2007 from longtime benefactors J. Lloyd, the retired chairman of Merck & Co. and Dorothy F. Huck. his wife.
Additional Resources and Contact Information
Resources
Contact Information
Huck contact page
Links to an external site.
Administrative office location: Huck Life Sciences Building, 4th floor, 401 suite.