Objectives & Expectations
All undergraduate assistants are expected to work a minimum of 10 hours per week for a semester.
In the past 4 years, we have observed that lab members who consistently attend and engage in lab meetings get the most of their experience, at the conceptual and technical levels. Thus, with some possible exceptions for senior members in the lab, attending and participating in lab meetings is mandatory.
Our lab meetings occur during the semesters on Wednesdays at 8am.
Students are welcome to take research credit for BCMB 200 and/or BCMB 452, after discussion with Dr. Krishnan.
Past students have learned and contributed to wet lab skills such as genotyping, histology, immunostaining, microscopy and run mouse behavioral experiments. Students with computational inclinations and skills have modified codes for 3D whole brain quantification, use different existing software to analyze videos and audio from behavioral experiments. Students with technical and intellectual contribution to projects are given authorship in papers published from the lab.
If you are interested in learning basic neurobiology research skills and concepts and wish to explore graduate school or MD/PhD programs or laboratory technician positions or any critical thinking jobs (consultancy etc), leading your own independent research project would be a great learning experience and an incredible achievement.
Interview Process
To join the Krishnan lab, you must complete the interview process with Dr. Krishnan. During this interview, you will be expected to discuss the previously-filled application (please see below) and discuss the contents of this website and research.
Qualities we look for:
- good time management skills
- reliabilility
- detail oriented
- curious.
Students who excel in given tasks will have the opportunity to learn and engage in different procedures and techniques over subsequent semesters in the lab. Experience in the lab will develop conceptual and technical understanding of research, as well as critical thinking and data analysis skills.
Students are required to attend weekly lab meetings from 8-9:00am on Wednesday mornings. No previous wet lab experience necessary. Students with coding (R, Python, Matlab etc), data visualization interests and experiences are welcome.
Steps to Join
- Review the above material thoroughly regarding expectations, the interview process, and previous undergraduate assistant’s advice and experiences.
- Complete this form:
- Email Dr. Krishnan explaining your research interests. Attach (1) the above form, (2) your resume (include previous research experience, any technical skills or work experience), and (3) your class schedule (note availability in 2-3 hour blocks and block off time for regularly occurring extracurricular events).
- Allow for a week or two for Dr. Krishnan to email you back regarding her decision to move forward with an interview.
Recommendation letters:
If you will be asking for a recommendation letter following this lab experience, please review the Pre-Professional Form that outlines the qualities that will be evaluated for those pursuing health professional schools. Please complete the following document to aid in writing strong recommendation letters.