Research Labs looking for Undergrads

Student working in lab at  mircoscope
students doing feild research with flowers

Remember: The best way to get into a research lab is to be proactive and contact faculty members you are interested in working with directly!

There are a multitude of other research positions available at KU that do not appear on this list. Be sure to do your own research and reach out to professors who have interests that align to yours.

Look for Labs in the Department of Molecular Biosciences

Look for labs in Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology

Find out more about Getting Involved in Research

Openings in Biology Labs

There are currently no known openings within Biology Labs.

Department of Molecular Biosciences

The Department of Molecular Biosciences is seeking 2-3 students to assist with general laboratory cleaning for vacated spaces. It will require ~10-20 hours a week and most likely for the fall semester, but could extend if more need is identified. Students will be paid for this effort ($13/hour). They can contact Scott Hefty (pshefty@ku.edu) for more information about the position. They should apply to the general UTA student pool (PDF).

 


Openings in Non-Biology Labs

The Lab of Luke Erber

KU School of Pharmacy - Medicinal Chemistry

  • Volunteer or Paid Position
    • Volunteer. 
  •  How many hours a week?
    • 12 hours/week. These hours are generally flexible to the student's availability.
  • How long will this position be available to the student?
    • We are looking for research assistants who can commit to at least one year in the lab.
  • What is the focus of your lab’s research?
    • Elevated levels of reactive metabolic intermediates lead to formation of toxic DNA-protein cross-links (DPCs) and are associated with cancer, diabetes and neurological diseases. We use biochemical and quantitative techniques to define DNA-protein interactions contributing to disease progression. In this work, students will use cell culture, biochemical assays, chemical biology tools, HPLC, and mass spectrometry to define formation and repair kinetics of DNA-protein cross-links formed by metabolic by-products. These quantitative approaches will be used to assess disease risk and therapeutic interventions to limit formation of DNA lesions. The projects provide students with essential training in biological chemistry as they learn to think critically to address questions of DNA damage.
  • What would a student be doing in your lab?
    • They will be assigned to on-going research projects headed by a senior lab member (e.g., postdoc or graduate student) and will receive training necessary to complete the work.
  • Is there an opportunity for independent research?
    • Students may be able to complete an honors thesis with Dr. Erber as their mentor with his approval.
  •  Is there anywhere for the student to go to find out more information about the position?
  • How should the student apply for the position?

 

The Lab of Kim Hyunjoon

Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry

Undergraduate Research Opportunity pharmchem.ku.edu/undergraduate-research-programApply by December 15th

• Immunotherapy and Vaccine (mRNA, protein, peptides)

• Nanomedicine (Drug and gene delivery)

• Oral delivery of biologics

My lab is interdisciplinary research group involving nanotechnology and immunology and accept students from biology, chemistry and engineering majors.

  • I am accepting 1-2 students to participate in summer research program
  • Students in junior years are encouraged to apply although sophomore students can participate.
  • Students can reach out directly to my email kimx@ku.edu

 

The Lab of Kelsie Forbush

Department of Psychology : Center for the Advancement of Research on Eating Behaviors (CARE)

  • Volunteer or Paid Position:
    • This position is for course credit (3 credit hours of PSYC 480)
  • How many hours a week?
    • 10 hrs/week, including required Friday 9 AM meetings
  • How long will this position be available to the student?
    • Minimum of 2 semesters (with opportunity to continue if desired)
  • What is the focus of your lab’s research?
    • The Center for the Advancement of Research on Eating Behaviors (CARE) conducts research to improve the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of eating disorders.
  • What would a student be doing in your lab?
    • Students would be involved in the daily conduct of research, such as reviewing eligibility for potential participants, contacting participants for study procedures, processing compensation, and coding quantitative and qualitative data. Students may also assist in participant recruitment, outreach on campus and online, and after their first semester, more advanced research tasks such as manuscript or poster preparation.
  • Is there an opportunity for independent research?
    • Students may be able to complete an honors thesis with Dr. Forbush as their mentor with her approval.
  • Is there anywhere for the student to go to find out more information about the position?
  • How should the student apply for the position?

 

The Lab of Cynthia Hunter

  • Volunteer or Paid Position
    • Volunteer and/or course credit
  • How many hours a week?
    • 6-10 hours/week, generally flexible to the students' schedule
  • How long will this position be available to the student? (Semester long, yearlong, etc.) 
    • 2 to 4 semesters. We are looking for research assistants who can commit to at least one year in the lab.
  • What is the focus of your lab’s research?
    • Research in the Speech Perception, Cognition, and Hearing Lab focuses on the neural and cognitive underpinnings of speech perception, particularly when listening conditions are difficult. We use electrophysiological and behavioral methods to assess how neurocognitive resources are allocated during speech perception, as well as the impact of effortful listening in areas such as multi-tasking ability and fatigue. Our participants include young and older adults with both normal hearing and hearing loss, with a particular focus on older adults with hearing impairment. The long-term goal of our research is to improve treatment of hearing loss through better understanding and diagnosis of the impacts of hearing loss and hearing healthcare on cognition.
  • What would a student be doing in your lab? 
    • Assisting with collecting electroencephalogram (EEG), hearing, and/or behavioral data from human participants. They would be paired with a more experienced research assistant and receive training needed to carry out the work.
  • Is there an opportunity for independent research?
    •  Students who have worked in the lab for one or two semesters may be able to complete independent work as an honors thesis or mentored project with Dr. Hunter with her approval.
  • Is there anywhere for the student to go to find out more information about the position?
    • Students may learn more about the lab at our website: spch-lab.ku.edu
  • How should the student apply for the position?
    • Interested students can email Dr. Hunter (c.hunter@ku.edu), including a resume, unofficial transcript, number of semesters they are interested in, and days/times they would be regularly available to work in the lab.

 

The Lab of Adam Smith

Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology

My research group routinely recruits undergraduate research assistants to volunteer around 15 hours a week. They will be assigned to on-going research projects headed by a senior lab member (e.g., postdoc or graduate student) and will receive training necessary to complete the work. We prefer to recruit students with 2-3 years left before graduation with the intention to retain them over that period of time. Ultimately, undergraduates are allowed to conduct independent research after sufficient training has been received. Our research group focuses on questions regarding the neurobiology of social behavior and stress. We utilize animal behavioral studies, advanced neuroscience and pharmacological methods, and computational neuroscience approaches to conduct this work. Students with backgrounds in neuroscience, biology, psychology, computer science, and related fields are encouraged to apply.

We currently have multiple positions available to start any time this semester.