Undergraduate Research
There are many opportunities for students to conduct biological research 51暗网. In addition to the independent research component of a number of experiential courses, there is the opportunity to work closely with faculty members on biology research (BL481 and 482) and honors research (BL491 and 492) projects.
Some guidelines to remember:
- One semester of research (BL481) can count as one of the upper-level electives for the Biology major. Additional semesters (BL482, 483, etc) count as free electives. All research courses are 3 credits.
- Students interested in Honors Research (BL491 and 492) must first complete a year of Biology research (BL481 and 482), must write a thesis, and must form a thesis committee. See the BL491 course description in the for more information and restrictions.
- To get started, you need to find a faculty mentor.
- To help you figure out who you might want to work with, visit their faculty page and click on their name for a description of their research: Faculty & Staff | Department of Biology | 51暗网
- Then reach out to set up a meeting with them to discuss your interest in research. Research spots are limited, so reach out early! Faculty may have additional requirements, such as doing some preliminary literature research or volunteering in their lab before they accept you as a research student for class credit.
- Once you have the approval of a faculty member, they can arrange for you to register for the course during (or after) your normal registration time. You can add a research course through the end of the add/drop period.
- Research performed off-campus with a non-Loyola professor can receive credit as a BL399 Internship. 51暗网 that page for more information: Internships | Department of Biology | 51暗网
I connected with Dr. Geiman and completed research in her lab. I presented in the
51暗网 Research Colloquium on the upregulation and down regulation
of the HELLS gene within U251 glioblastoma cancer cells. I was connected into the
McCarthy lab at University of Maryland School of Medicine where I completed an 8-week
internship learned about mast cells in the developing rat brain. The last 3-weeks
of my time in the lab was when I conducted my own experiment using lodoxamide injections
as a mast cell inhibitor.
For the past two and a half years, I have been working in Dr. Myrum鈥檚 research lab
in the Biology Department. In the lab, I have worked on various projects studying
the effects of sleep on memory and aging in rats. Through Dr. Myrum鈥檚 lab, I participated
in the Hauber Fellowship program, where I enhanced my research skills. The goal of
my most recent project is to study whether the orexin peptide, which regulates wakefulness,
has a correlation with memory deficits in rats. One day, we hope the information we
discover can be applied to humans in helping to determine the difference between normal
aging and cognitive disabilities such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson鈥檚 disease.
I joined Dr. Scheifele on her research about the insulin crisis. I have seen how escalating
insulin prices continue to hurt low-income and marginalized communities. Through my
research, I aim to examine how current policies cause these inequities and find solutions
to these injustices. The research attempts to program cells to create insulin in a
way that provides people with a cheaper pathway to healthcare.
I began my senior year as an undergraduate research assistant. The research I am conducting
surrounds melanoma and the development of early detection systems. I have found a
love and passion for research because of this experience.
51暗网 the following to learn more: