FSU Biology - Biology In London

Biology In London Summer 2025

Biogeography in London BSC 4933 with Dr. Scott Steppan
Infectious Diseases in Society Throughout the Ages BSC 4933with Dr. Marie Charrel-Dennis

Scroll down for more details about the 2025 courses and program.

Program Discription

The Biology in London Program offers classes that are designed to take advantage of the London environment, from historical locations relevant to the development of the fields covered in the classes to world-renown institutions and museums, several of which can provide behind the scenes access. Each student will take two upper-division classes that contribute to satisfying either required courses or the electives graduation requirement. This summer, two courses required for the major will be offered sequentially – Biogeography and Infectious Diseases. Studying abroad has many special benefits for students, from increasing cultural awareness, to unique learning opportunities, and personal and professional development.

The Biology in London Program takes advantage of the London environment, from historical locations relevant to the development of the fields covered in the classes to world-renowned institutions and museums, several of which can provide behind the scenes and hands-on access. Each summer students will take two upper-division classes that contribute to satisfying required courses or elective graduation requirement. By utilizing London and its resources directly in the class (via field trips to museums, centers, and historical sites), students engage in a much more immersive and enriching experience. Class sizes are small; we expect 22-30 students. In addition to the excursions for the class, students in the program will participate in the numerous social activities with the Broad Curriculum students. These include a trip to the theater, weekly day trips to locations in and around London, Friday night pizza dinners, and a weekend (3-day) trip to another region of the UK, such as Bath, York, or Liverpool (all covered in the general fees).

Biology in London is designed to satisfy degree-requirements for biology majors, but other life sciences majors and non-majors are welcome to enroll. The pre-requisites include successfully passing BSC 2010/L & BSC 2011/L and CHM 1045/L & CHM 1046/L by the conclusion of the immediately-preceding Spring semester (although it is advantageous to complete them by the preceding Fall). The London program classes will be taught in two sequential four-week sessions, which this year will be June-July.

FSU International Programs has full details on the Program here.

Courses for Summer 2025

Infectious Diseases in Society Throughout the Ages: BSC 4933. Advances in modern Biology and Medicine over the last 200 years have been nothing short of astonishing: germ theory, antibiotics development, characterization of nucleic acids and their use in modern molecular medicine. However, recent events, such as COVID-19, SARS or Ebola outbreaks, have reminded us that the world is still at risk for epidemic and pandemics. London has been a site of many epidemics through time and these events have shaped the city structure, the British society and the public health response. These outbreaks have also led to numerous scientific discoveries by British scientists. The environmental and historical parameters that have enhanced the morbidity and mortality of these epidemics as well as the public policies, scientific discoveries and societal changes that have taken place as a result of these past events will be focus points of this class. Studying the past is a key to understand the future. The overarching goal of the class is to discuss the relative influence of infectious diseases in society and how it leads to cultural and societal changes. Topics related to medicine, culture, ethics, public policy, and human health will be covered. Excursions to specific locations where seminal events occurred and to museums offering targeted guided walking tours and collections will be correlated to discussions, presentations and a collaborative project.

Instructor: Dr. Marie Charrel-Dennis is a teaching faculty in the Biological Science Department. She studied innate immunity and the development of immune response in newborns in response to bacterial infection. Her interests revolve around the topics of medicine, immunology, and the interaction between the human body and the myriad of microbes our body encounter throughout our lifetime. Dr. Charrel-Dennis completed her PhD at University College London and looks forward to using London as a classroom for learning about how infectious disease epidemics shape society.


Biogeography in London: BSC 4933. Biogeography is the study of the distribution of plants and animals, the reasons for those distributions, and how their patterns can provide insight into both the biology of those organisms and the history of the Earth. Topics range from meteorology to speciation, diversity gradients, island biogeography, and historical (evolutionary) biogeography. The class will capitalize on the unique setting of London where many of the early developments in biogeography took place, in particular emphasizing the contributions of natural history collections to our understanding of biodiversity. Students will conduct assignments at — and participate in excursions to — the Natural History Museum, Kew Botanical Gardens, and other collections, involving both public exhibits and behind the scenes tours to their vast collections.

Instructor: Dr. Scott Steppan is an evolutionary biologist and biogeographer who studies the phylogenetic history, biogeography, and morphology of very diverse groups of animals, especially rodents, but also bivalves, fish, and others; whatever looks interesting. In addition to a PhD in evolutionary biology from the University of Chicago, he has a MA in geography, and even dabbled in social and behavioral geography at San Diego State University and UC Berkeley. He has previously taught this course in 2022 as well as a specialized course in London on natural history, evolution, and natural history museums. Dr Steppan loves the London experience and especially working with the great staff at the FSU London Study Center.


Financial Support:
There are many sources of financial support for students studying in London. These include:


Fees:
The fees for 2025 have not been finalized yet. But they will include:

  • All registration costs
  • Housing
  • Instruction
  • Course excursions
  • The full Broad Curriculum social program, (two weekend trips, six or more mid-week day-trips, three to four plays)
  • Welcome dinner and farewell tea
  • London transport pass
  • Scheduled group pick-up at airport
  • Full time academic and administrative support
  • Health insurance.
  • Fees do not include round-trip international airfare, passport, entry visa, food (outside social activities as noted), books and supplies, personal travel/activity/ spending money, university-assessed fees (e.g., per credit hour technology fee).

Donate to the scholarship fund to help support furture students. If If you are fortunate enough to be on the other side of the financial equation, we have established a scholarship fund to help students cover the costs of studying abroad, the Biology in London Scholarship Fund. This is a needs-based fund to make it possible for motivated students to participate who might otherwise not be able to. For more information go to https://give.fsu.edu/fund/f09466


Biological Science advising office: advisor@bio.fsu.edu and https://www.bio.fsu.edu/undergrad/advising.php


Program Coordinator: Dr. Scott Steppan (steppan@bio.fsu.edu)
Contact Dr. Steppan for any general questions about the Program.

Or you can contact Nadya Rosario at ngrosario@fsu.edu who is our Program Manager at IP.


Past Biology in London Offerings:

  • 2024: Cell Structure and Function BSC 3016 (Dr. Scott Stagg) and Eukaryotic Diversity PCB 3134 (Dr. Kevin Dixon)
  • 2023: Genetics (Dr. Jim Fadool) and Human Physiology (Dr. Deborah Fadool)
  • 2022: Biogeography (Dr. Scott Steppan) and Infectious Diseases Throughout Space and Time (Dr. Marie Denis)