Basic Science Departments The School of Medicine has four basic science departments engaged in world-class biomedical research. Home Research Research: Basic Science Departments Advancing the Field of Medicine Basic research in the School of Medicine, also called fundamental or preclinical research, typically involves basic biological, chemical and physical principles that support human biology. Basic science is important for the development of clinical research as it provides the building blocks upon which we understand physiological mechanisms and how they may be altered by disease, genetics or lifestyle. Anatomy & Neurobiology Biological Chemistry Microbiology & Molecular Genetics Physiology & Biophysics