Easier than you think!
Finding a Lab
The table below is a non-exhaustive list of opportunities for undergraduate students to do research with BSCD faculty and PIs, reported by the researchers themselves. Some of these opportunities may have been filled, some opportunities will have not been captured in this list. Scroll right to view the different categories and details.
If you are having trouble viewing this table, view it separately here:
Look under this table to see more info about how to approach PIs about these positions!
| Contact Information | Research Focus | Website | Paid | Volunteers | Work Study | Independent Study | Remote or In Person | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ada Weinstock | adaweinstock@uchicago.edu | Obesity, cardiovascular diseases and immunity | https://weinstocklab.owlstown.net/ | X | - | X | X | In person |
| Ahmed Hamimi | ahmed.hamimi@bsd.uchicago.edu | Cancer Imaging within the abdomen and pelvis | - | X | - | - | Remote, In person | |
| Alan Hutchison | Alan.Hutchison@uchicagomedicine.org | Diabetes and Glucose Metabolism in Liver Disease and Post-Liver Transplant - Machine Learning and Patient-facing Observational Trials | - | X | - | - | Remote, In person | |
| Alejandra Lastra | Alejandra.Lastra@bsd.uchicago.edu | Advanced Respiratory Care- Sleep Disordered Breathing | https://profiles.uchicago.edu/profiles/profile/24076233. Collaboration with Dr. Phillip LoSavio (ENT) research lab, regular open office hours on Zoom (3rd Fridays of the month 7- 7:50am). Email for link. | - | X | - | - | Remote, In person |
| Amittha Wickrema | awickrema@uchicago.edu | Blood research pertaining to cancer and non-cancer | https://med-faculty.bsd.uchicago.edu/Default/Details/7241 | - | X | - | - | In-person |
| Andrew Koh | akoh@uchicago.edu | Cell plasticity, Chromatin noise, Adaptation, Immunology | kohlab.uchicago.edu | - | X | X | - | In person |
| Anita Chong | achong@uchicago.edu | Immunology of Pregnancy and Transplantation rejection/tolerance | https://surgery.uchicago.edu/faculty/anita-s-chong-phd | X | X | X | - | in person |
| Anna Volerman | avolerman@uchicago.edu | Equity focused work that applies community engaged research and implementation science to reduce health disparities (asthma, mental health, community violence) as well as research to promote biomedical workforce diversity | X | X | X | - | Remote, In person | |
| Ashish Premkumar | premkumara@bsd.uchicago.edu | Clinical Research, Fetal therapy, prenatal diagnosis, second and third trimester abortion | https://obgyn.uchicago.edu/faculty/ashish-premkumar | - | X | - | X | remote and in person |
| Austin Wesevich | austin.wesevich@uchicagomedicine.org | Health Services Research | https://www.uchicagomedicine.org/find-a-physician/physician/austin-wesevich | - | X | - | - | Remote, In person |
| Barbara Kee | bkee@bsd.uchicago.edu | Transcription factor networks controlling natural killer cell development and and anti-tumor or anti-viral functions. | https://voices.uchicago.edu/bkeelab/ | X | X | X | - | In-person |
| Betsy Cliff | bqcliff@bsd.uchicago.edu | health economics | - | X | X | - | Remote, In person | |
| Bill Green | wgreen@uchicago.edu | Neuroscience, cell biology of neurons and synapses | X | X | X | - | In-person | |
| Camille DeMarco | camilledemarco@bsd.uchicago.edu | Infectious Disease, HIV | https://www.hivelimination.uchicago.edu/ | X | X | - | - | In person |
| Cathy Pfister | cpfister@uchicago.edu | marine ecology | https://pfisterlab.uchicago.edu/ | X | - | X | - | in person |
| Clifton Ragsdale | cragsdale.uchicago@gmail.com | cephalopod biology | https://ragsdalelab.uchicago.edu/ | - | - | X | - | In person |
| David Meltzer | hospitalistresearch@bsd.uchicago.edu | Social/behavioral and health | - | X | X | - | In person | |
| David Satzer | dsatzer@uchicago.edu | Neurosurgery, neuromodulation, epilepsy, intracranial EEG | https://profiles.uchicago.edu/profiles/display/47773818 | - | X | - | - | In person |
| David Zemmour | zemmour@uchicago.edu | T cell immunology, single cell and spatial genomics, human and mouse, physician-scientist | zemmourlab.uchicago.edu | X | X | X | X | in-person or remote |
| Ellie Heckscher | heckscher@uchicago.edu | Motor circuits--development, evolution, function | https://heckscherlab.uchicago.edu/ | - | X | - | - | In person |
| Emily Rogalski | erogalski@uchicago.edu | Neurobiology, Clinical Research, Aging, Dementia, Alzheimer's, Primary Progressive Aphasia, SuperAging | https://haarc.center.uchicago.edu/ | - | X | X | X | In person |
| Emma Brett | ebrett@bsd.uchicago.edu | Substance use (tobacco, alcohol, cannabis),behavioral and pharmacological interventions, cancer prevention and health equity | https://voices.uchicago.edu/brettbreathelab/ | - | X | - | - | In person |
| Esra Tasali | etasali@uchicago.edu | Sleep Medicine and Diabetes, Obesity , Cardiovascular Disease- Clinical Translational Research | X | X | X | - | Remote, In person | |
| Geoffrey Greene | ggreene@uchicago.edu | breast cancer, steroid receptors, drug discovery | https://benmay.uchicago.edu/faculty/geoffrey-greene-phd | X | - | X | - | in person |
| Hae Kyung Im | haky@uchicago.edu | Statistical genetics and genomics | hakyimlab.org | - | X | - | - | In person |
| Heather Whitney | hwhitney@uchicago.edu | Computer-aided diagnosis of medical imaging (including AI, phantom development and evaluation, collaboration with clinicians on clinical tasks) | https://whitneylab.uchicago.edu/ | - | X | - | - | In person |
| Hena Patel | henapatel87@gmail.com | Cardiovascular disease in women; cardiac imaging | - | X | - | - | Remote, In person | |
| Hening Lin | linh1@uchicago.edu | drug discovery, biochemistry, cell signaling, immunology, cancer | voices.uchicago.edu/lingroup | - | X | - | - | In person |
| Ilaria Rebay | irebay@uchicago.edu | signaling networks, cell fate specification, morphogenesis, Drosophila development | https://voices.uchicago.edu/rebaylab/ | - | - | - | X | in person |
| Janane Rahbani | janane.rahbani@bsd.uchicago.edu | Cancer Biology and Metabolism | https://jananerahbanilab.com/ | X | X | X | - | In person |
| Jean Toby Greenberg | jgreenbe@uchicago.edu | plant-microbe interactions, plant signaling, genome editing | https://micro.uchicago.edu/program/faculty/jean-greenberg | X | X | X | - | In-person |
| Jignesh Unadkat | jignesh.unadkat@bsd.uchicago.edu | Clinical Research in Plastic Surgery, Hand Surgery | Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery | Department of Surgery | The University of Chicago | - | X | - | - | In person |
| Jocelyn Malamy | jmalamy@bsd.uchicago.edu | Wound healing in a jellyfish model system | https://voices.uchicago.edu/jocelynmalamylab/ | - | X | X | - | in person |
| Joel Voss | joelvoss@uchicago.edu | Cognitive, computational neuroscience of human memory and brain stimulation | https://cnoir.bsd.uchicago.edu/ | - | X | X | - | In person |
| Joseph Franses | joseph.franses@bsd.uchicago.edu | Liver cancer microenvironment and metastasis | https://voices.uchicago.edu/franseslab/ | - | X | - | X | |
| Jon Staley | jstaley@uchicago.edu | Mechanism and Regulation of Pre-mRNA Splicing, Evolution, Cellular & Molecular Biology, Cancer Biology, Genetics / Genomics, Bio-Chemistry, Computational Biology | https://voices.uchicago.edu/staleylab/ | X | X | X | X | In person |
| Jonathan Trujillo | jtrujillo@bsd.uchicago.edu | Cancer Cell-Intrinsic Mechanisms of Immunotherapy Response | - | X | X | - | In-Person | |
| Kaloyan (Kal) Tsanov | ktsanov@uchicago.edu | Metastasis, Genetics, Epigenetics, Tumor Microenvironment, Pancreatic Cancer, Gastric Cancer | https://profiles.uchicago.edu/profiles/display/53010247 | X | X | X | - | In person |
| Kay Macleod | kmacleod@uchicago.edu | Mitochondrial dysfunction in cancer | https://macleodlab.uchicago.edu/ | X | X | X | - | In person |
| Kenneth Bader | baderk@uchicago.edu | Immunology, Cancer Biology, Translational Medicine, Biomedical acoustics, translational resesarch, focused ultrasound therapies | baderlab.uchicago.edu | X | - | X | X | In person |
| Laura Dickens | ldickens1@bsd.uchicago.edu | Diabetes in pregnancy | - | X | - | - | Remote, In person | |
| Lauren Carley | lcarley@uchicago.edu | Plant ecology, evolution, and genetics | carleylab.uchicago.edu | X | - | X | - | In person |
| Lawrence Hunter | lehunter@uchicago.edu | computational biology / natural language processing | https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=58cKLg4AAAAJ&hl=en | X | X | X | - | Remote |
| Lilly Immergluck, MD, MS | limmergluck1@uchicago.edu | antibiotic resistance | data lab; basic science/micro lab | X | X | X | - | Remote, In person |
| Lin Shen | linshen@uchicago.edu | Immunology, TCR signaling, autoimmunity, immune tolerance | https://biologicalsciences.uchicago.edu/faculty/lin-shen | X | X | X | - | In person |
| Lindsay Schwartz | lindsay.schwartz@bsd.uchicago.edu | pediatric, adolescent, and young adult cancer; outcomes research | - | X | - | - | Remote, In person | |
| Lixing Yang | lixingyang@uchicago.edu | Cancer genomics | yanglab.me | X | X | X | - | Remote, In person |
| Marcelo Nobrega | nobrega@uchicago.edu | Genetics of human diseases | - | X | X | - | In person | |
| Marcos Sotomayor | sotomayor@uchicago.edu | Mechanotransduction, Computational and Structural Biology | X | X | X | - | In person | |
| Marcus Kronforst | mkronforst@uchicago.edu | Evolution, adaptation, speciation, genomics | https://kronforstlab.org/ | - | X | - | - | In person |
| Marion Henry | mcwhenry@bsd.uchicago.edu | Pediatric Surgery outcomes research | - | X | - | - | Remote, In person | |
| Mark Applebaum | mapplebaum@peds.bsd.uchicago.edu | Neuroblastoma, cancer biology | - | X | - | - | In person | |
| Megan Huisingh-Scheetz | megan.huisingh-scheetz@bsd.uchicago.edu | Aging and technology | https://profiles.uchicago.edu/profiles/display/39342 | - | X | - | - | Remote, In person |
| Micah Prochaska | mprochas@bsd.uchicago.edu | Red blood cell transfusion, Patient-reported outcomes, hospital medicine | - | X | X | - | ||
| Molly Erickson | merickson1@uchicago.edu | Cognition, psychosis, EEG | https://www.ericksonmapslab.com/ | - | X | - | - | In person |
| Myles Castro | myles.castro@bsd.uchicago.edu | HIV-related Research | https://www.hivelimination.uchicago.edu/ | X | X | X | - | Remote, In person |
| Narutoshi Hibino | nhibino@bsd.uchicago. | Cardiac and vascular tissue engineering, Bioprinting, Patient specific surgical simulation using virtual reality, augmented reality, and machine learning | hibinolab.com | - | X | X | - | Remote, In person |
| Nathan Schoettler | nschoettle@bsd.uchicago.edu | Asthma, immunology and genetics | https://voices.uchicago.edu/schoettlerlab/ | - | X | X | - | In person |
| Neil Shubin | nshubin@uchicago.edu | Evolution, Paleontology, Developmental Biology | X | X | X | - | In person | |
| Noah Mitchell | npmitchell@uchicago.edu | Morphogenesis / quantitative developmental biology | mitchelllab.uchicago.edu | X | X | X | - | In person |
| Oni Basu | onibasu@uchicago.edu | single-cell 'omics, patient/ disease heterogenity, host-microbe interaction; in vitro disease modeling | https://wordpress.uchospitals.edu/basu-lab/ | - | X | - | - | In person |
| Phillip LoSavio MD | plosavio@uchicagomedicine.org | Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Clinical Research, Translational Research | https://www.uchicagomedicine.org/find-a-physician/physician/phillip-losavio | - | X | - | - | remote |
| Prateek Sharma | prateek.sharma@bsd.uchicago.edu | Vascular Medicine, Endovascular/Interventional Cardiology, and Acute/Chronic Pulmonary Embolism | X | X | X | - | Remote, In person | |
| Rima McLeod | rmcleod@uchicago.edu | toXoplasmosis, human biiology, paraaite host interface, biochemistry medicines, immunogenetics/immunology vaccines; international public health | see bsd, committe on immunology etc | - | X | - | - | Remote, In-person |
| Sam Sisodia | ssisodia@bsd.uchicago.edu | Molecular mechanims of Alzheimer's disease; role of the microbiome | http//voices.uchicago.edu/drsisodialab | X | X | X | - | in person |
| Sara Gaines | sara.gaines@bsd.uchicago.edu | Microbiome and vascular disease | - | X | X | - | In person | |
| Sarah Keedy | skeedy@bsd.uchicago.edu | Neurocognitive aspects of psychiatric disorders and substances of abuse | https://voices.uchicago.edu/censl/ | - | X | X | - | In person |
| Satish Chitneni | schitneni@uchicago.edu | Molecular Imaging, Cellular & Molecular Biology, Cancer Biology | https://biologicalsciences.uchicago.edu/faculty/satish-chitneni-phd | - | X | X | - | In person |
| Sean Pitroda | spitroda@uchicago.edu | Metastasis, radiation, immunotherapy, splicing, clinical biomarkers, bioinformatics | https://profiles.uchicago.edu/profiles/display/8615139 | X | X | X | X | in person |
| Sebastian Pott | spott@uchicago.edu | Gene regulation, epigenetics, genomics | https://pott-lab.uchicago.edu/ | X | X | X | - | In person |
| Seppe Kuehn | seppekuehn@uchicago.edu | microbial communities, evolution, microbiomes, enviornmental microbiology, biophysics | kuehnlab.org | X | X | X | - | In person |
| Stephanie Groman | sgroman@uchicago.edu | Neuroscience, addiction, decision making | www.gromanlab.com | - | X | X | - | In person |
| Stephen Kron | skron@uchicago.edu | Senescence, DNA repair, metabolism, immunotherapy | https://cancerbio.uchicago.edu/program/faculty/stephen-j-kron | X | X | X | X | in person |
| Susan Rowell | susanrowell@bsd.uchicago.edu | Traumatic brain injury, coagulation, hemorrhage | - | X | - | X | remote and in person | |
| Tareq Kass-Hout | tkasshout@uchicago.edu | Stroke, vascular and interventional neurology | - | X | X | - | Remote, In person | |
| Tenzin Choden | tenzin.choden@uchospitals.edu | GI - inflammatory bowel disease, frailty, sarcopenia, aging | X | X | X | - | In person | |
| Urs Schmidt-Ott | uschmid@uchicago.edu | evolution and development | https://schmidtottlab.uchicago.edu/ | - | - | X | - | In person |
| Victoria Prince | vprince@uchicago.edu | Zebrafish Developmental Biology | https://voices.uchicago.edu/princelab/ | X | X | X | - | In person |
| Willard Sharp | wsharp@uchicago.edu | Cardiac arrest, mitochondrial injury in heart and brain following ischemia/reperfusion injury | - | X | - | - | in person | |
| Yuval Simons | yuval.simons@uchicago.edu | Population genetics | https://www.yuvalsimons.org/ | X | X | X | - | Remote, In person |
| Zewdi Tsegai | ztsegai@uchicago.edu | human evolution, joint function, biomechanics, primates, anatomy | tsegailab.com | X | X | X | - | Remote, In person |
| Zhuzhu Zhang | zhuzhuzhang@uchicago.edu | genomics, epigenetics, neuroscience, bioinformatics | https://zhanglab.odoo.com/ | - | X | - | - | In person |
Most research labs at The University of Chicago welcome undergraduate trainees. Nevertheless, one of the most daunting tasks for an undergraduate student interesting in pursuing research is identifying a mentor and lab in which to perform research. Here are a few approaches:
Possible steps for finding a lab…
Option 1:
Find faculty in areas that interest you
Choose an area of interest among The BSD Graduate Programs and find Faculty In... to see one sentence blurbs describing the work of faculty in this area. Select a faculty member to learn more about their research and their lab. You can also search for faculty you have met in your classes to learn more about their research.
Prospective biology majors interested in learning more about the variety of labs conducting biological research on campus can attend one or more quarters of the non-credit course BIOS 10098 Pizza with the PIs: Introduction to Biology Research at The University of Chicago. Offered Winter and Spring Quarters.
Option 2:
Phoenix Biology Research Database
The Phoenix Biology Club sends out a brief survey to BSD faculty annually to create a partial list of faculty who are interested in talking to undergraduates about joining their labs.
Phoenix Biology Research Database
CCRF Database
The College Center for Research & Fellowships maintains their own database of research positions - make sure to search within “Biological Sciences Collegiate Division” and verify that listings are up-to-date.
Reach Out
Email faculty members whose work interests you to let them know that you are interested in training in their lab, if there is space, and ask if they are open to meeting with you. Understand that faculty lead complicated lives, and in some cases will not respond to your email. Do not be discouraged, but have backup plans if you receive no response or the lab is full.
“… I overcame this hurdle only when an upperclassman currently working in a lab … told me something along the lines of "yeah you can literally just straight up cold-email them.” Most PIs are actually quite happy to receive interest from undergraduates. Worst-case scenario, the few that actually are too busy, they just won't respond. Nobody's gonna blacklist you for sending an email saying you're interested."
- Cailey Riggs, Researcher for Mitchell Lab & La Riviere Lab
Option 3:
BSCD Fellowships
Some BSCD Fellowships place students in labs. Follow the link above and read on individual programs. Accompanying the Handshake applications is more information about whether or not the program matches you with a mentor and lab as part of their enrollment process.