REU Site: Cell and Molecular Visualization at Brandeis University

Brandeis University, Waltham MA

Investigators

Abstract

This REU Site award to Brandeis University, located in Waltham, MA will support the training of 10 students for 10 weeks during the summers of 2017- 2019 in biological research employing modern cell and molecular visualization techniques. This program, encompassing over 50 faculty in the Life Sciences, will introduce undergraduate students to a broad range of topics concerning biological structure and function. Students will conduct full-time research guided by their mentors and will participate in weekly lunch seminars, which will include faculty research presentations and professional development activities such as panel discussion with students and postdoctoral fellows from the Greater Boston area concerning careers in biotechnology, research, education, and policy. There will be group discussions of ethical issues and mentoring in science. Students will write a synopsis of their summer project, with feedback and editing, and will participate in a capstone symposium including poster presentations. Participants will be selected from a nation-wide pool based on academic record, recommendations, and potential for research in biology and should be current freshmen, sophomores or juniors at a college or university. It is anticipated that a total of 30 students, primarily from schools with limited research opportunities, will be trained in the program which welcomes students from underrepresented groups in science. Training will take place in a supportive and interactive environment, and the participating faculty have a strong record of mentoring undergraduates in research and publishing with student co-authors. Students will have an opportunity to interact with scientists with diverse interests, at different stages in their careers, to learn how research is done. Many students will present their work at scientific conferences. A common web-based assessment tool used by all REU Site programs funded by the Division of Biological Infrastructure will be used to determine the effectiveness of the training program. Students will be tracked after the program in order to determine their career paths. Students will be asked to respond to an automatic email sent via the NSF reporting system. More information about the program is available by visiting http://www.bio.brandeis.edu/undergrad/summerResearch/ or by contacting the PI (Dr. Susan Lovett at lovett@brandeis.edu) or the co-PI (Dr. Paradis at paradis@brandeis.edu).