NDRB Student Research Opportunities

Alfonso Apicella, PhD

Associate Professor
Apicella email
Apicella profile
Apicella lab

Projects

AA1: Anatomical characterization of cortical neurons
AA2: Active avoidance
AA3: Fear conditioning
AA4: RNAseq

Level: Undergraduate or Master's thesis

Minimum Requirements:

• Neurobiology
• Matlab coding
• Arduino

Time Committment: 19 hours/week

Application Deadline: none

Description: Cortical microcircuits process sensory information to drive behavior. Deciphering how populations of neurons encode information, generate perceptions, and execute behavioral decisions requires working at both the cellular and system levels.

Lacy Barton, PhD

Assistant Professor
Barton email
Barton profile
Barton lab

Projects

Our lab is interested in understanding genetic and non-genetic factors that support and compromise embryonic germline, ovary, and testis development. Currently, we have three funded research projects:

LB1: GPCR-mediated calcium signaling in primordial germ cell migration. Techniques for this project include coupling Drosophila genetics with immunohistochemistry, fixed and live animal confocal imaging, and ex vivo microfluidic-based migration assays.
LB2: Hormonal regulation of ovary and testis development. Techniques for this project include tissue-specific gene manipulation, CRISPR-based editing, bulk and single cell RNA sequencing.
LB3: Role of parental age in embryonic germline development and extragonadal germ cell tumor risk. Techniques for this project include immunohistochemistry and confocal microscopy of fixed tissues from aged Drosophila and mouse parents.

Level: Undergraduate or Master's

Minimum Requirements:

• a grade of B or better on recent biology classes
• ability to sit at a microscope for one to two hours at a time
• willingness to work with fruit flies
• excellent note taking skills and ability to follow multi-step instructions
• ability to work independently and as a team in a manner that is respectful to all lab members

Time Committment: 5 hours/week for an introductory volunteer period. To do your own experiments after the introductory volunteer period, we require a commitment of 12-19 hours/week for at least 12 months.

Application Deadline: rolling

Anthony Burgos-Robles, PhD

Assistant Professor
Burgos-Robles email
Burgos-Robles profile

Projects

ABR1: Neural encoding of fear and safety memories
ABR2: Threat avoidance and behavioral flexibility
ABR3: Cortical control of social phobia in mouse models
ABR4: Epigenetic alterations in the brain in response to stress

Level: Undergraduate or Master's

Minimum Requirements:

• scientific curiosity and imagination
• ability for critical thinking and problem-solving
• motivation, dedication, and reliable work ethics
• effective skills on communication, teamwork, and time management
• have an interest in neuroscience or biomedical research career
• familiarity with the basics of neurobiology and neural function
• familiarity with data analysis, statistical methods, and graph plotting
• experience with machine learning coding in R, Matlab, or Python is a huge plus

Responsibilities:

• examine mouse behaviors associated to fear, stress, and anxiety
• perform histological procedures and fluorescence imaging of mouse brain tissue
• perform data analysis, apply statistical methods, and generate illustrations of results
• participate in weekly group meetings to discuss the theoretical framework of projects
• participate in regular meetings with the PI for progress on project and mentoring
• prepare presentations of published articles for group discussions (i.e., journal clubs)
• help to maintain a joyful and successful lab environment and team atmosphere
• help in the collective effort of the lab to succeed

Time Committment: 15-19 hours/week

Application Deadline: Applications accepted on a rolling basis. For initial screening, email Dr. Burgos-Robles with your CV or resume, prior research experiences, and a brief description of your career interests. URMs in the MARC, RISE, ESTEEMED, LSAMP, WSRTP, McNair, and Honors Program are encouraged to apply.

Description: Dr. Burgos’ lab focuses on elucidating the neural substrates associated with the regulation of fear, stress, and anxiety. Particularly, his lab investigates neural pathways originating in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), which plays central roles in higher-order cognitive functions and the regulation of negative emotions. Determining how distinct populations of neurons in the PFC encode information about potential dangers in the environment is essential for understanding how cognitive processes are engaged to generate flexible behavioral strategies to deal with fear, stress, and anxiety inducing stimuli. To investigate these neural substrates, this lab implements various multidisciplinary approaches that include mouse behavior paradigms, in vivo neural recordings, viral-mediated gene transduction, optogenetics, chemogenetics, neuropharmacology, immunohistochemistry, fluorescence imaging, and scRNA-seq.

Brian Hermann, PhD

Professor
Hermann email
Hermann profile
Hermann lab

Projects

BH1: Characterization of novel transgenic mice for lineage tracing and ablation
BH2: Analyze novel RNAseq datasets
BH3: Validate single-cell RNA-seq results with immunostaining and smFISH methods

Level: Undergraduate or Master's

Minimum Requirements:

• strong work ethic, reliability and punctuality
• effective written and oral communication
• willingness to work independently and in a team
• enthusiasm for learning
• willingness to work with laboratory mice (for project 1)
• strong core knowledge about basic cell and molecular biology principles
• experience with DNA/RNA isolation, PCR and gene expression analysis a plus
• microscopy, cell manipulation and basic R skills are also a plus

Responsibilities:

• perform experiments; collect data and interpret data
• document daily lab work in lab notebook
• communicate results in lab notebook, lab reports, and contribute towards writing manuscript(s)
• attend and participate in weekly lab meetings
• meet weekly with the PI to discuss experiments

Time Committment: 15-19 hours/week

Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis; contact Brian Hermann for more information.

Description: Work on research projects that involve studying spermatogenesis and spermatogonial stem cells in laboratory mice and marmosets using a variety of techniques and approaches.

David Jaffe, PhD

Professor
Jaffe email
Jaffe profile

Projects

DJ1: Role of aberrant adult born granule cells in the generation of electrographic seizures in the hippocampal formation
DJ2: Gating of pain information through dorsal root ganglia

Level: Master's thesis

Minimum Requirements:

• undergraduate Neurobiology or equivalent

Time Committment: 19 hours/week

Application Deadline: none

Description: Projects are available for two motivated Masters students interested in thesis research.

• DJ1: Involves recording of seizure activity from awake behaving animals. The goal is to understand how aberrant adult born granule cells affect hippocampal circuitry and, in turn, seizure activation.
• DJ2: The goal is to understand how pain signals are filtered at the level of dorsal root ganglion. Students will make recordings from nerve fibers and individual neurons to determine the underlying mechanisms of action potential filtering under different experimental conditions.

Hyoung-gon Lee, PhD

Associate Professor
Lee email
Lee profile

Projects

HL1: Neuropathological analysis of the transgenic mouse models for Alzheimer's disease
HL2: Investigation of the effects of chemotherapy on the peripheral and central nervous systems

Level: Undergraduate or Master's

Minimum Requirements:

• Grade of B or better on biology courses
• Enthusiasm for learning and conducting lab research
• Willingness to work with laboratory mice
• Strong work ethic, reliability, and punctuality

Time Committment: 15-19 hours/week

Application Deadline: none

Description: Our lab investigates the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative diseases. Currently, our research focuses on two primary pathological conditions: Alzheimer's disease and chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. We utilize a variety of molecular and biochemical techniques to investigate the underlying pathological mechanisms and identify potential therapeutic strategies.

Lindsey Macpherson, PhD

Assistant Professor
Macpherson email
Macpherson profile
Macpherson lab

Projects

LM1: Investigating the effects of chemotherapy/radiation treatment on the taste system in mice
LM2: Investigating the connectivity and plasticity of gustatory innervation to mammalian taste buds
LM3: Investigating the innervation and function of trigeminal sensory neurons in the temporomandibular joint

Level: Primarily Master's, but some Undergraduate openings sporadically

Minimum Requirements:

• successful completion of an introductory biology class with an associated laboratory section
• Biology/Neuro/Biochem/Bioengineering major
• interested in sensory biology/neuroscience
• willing to work with laboratory mice
• able to work for 1-2 hours at a microscope
• communicate with and be respectful of the laboratory team

Time Committment: UG: 10-15 hours/week; Master's 15-19 hours/week

Additional: "Probationary Period" IACUC/LARC training and protocol approval is required to do most of the experiments in the lab. If this training is not completed within 2 months of starting, then the student may need to leave the lab.

Robert Renthal, PhD

Professor
Renthal email
Renthal profile
Renthal lab

Projects

RR1: Nanoparticle sensors for pheromones from insect agricultural pests
RR2: Role of tubular lipid-binding proteins in Drosophila olfaction
RR3: Tick ionotropic olfactory receptors

Level: Undergraduate or Master's (thesis or non-thesis)

Minimum Requirements:

• RR1: some background in chemistry or molecular biology
• RR2: some background in chemistry, molecular biology, or microscopy
• RR3: some background in chemistry, molecular biology, or computer science

Time Committment: at least 10 hours/week

Application Deadline: none

Description:

• RR1: The long-term goal of this project is to develop an inexpensive field-deployable nanoparticle sensor for pest-species-specific insect pheromones. Two different readout devices will be tested as pheromone sensors, using three different types of nanoscale structures. In both devices, insect-specific pheromone receptors will be embedded in nanodiscs which will be attached either to quantum dots or to gold nanoparticles. Project funded by a grant from USDA.
• RR2: We found that olfactory tissues in many species of arthropods express numerous members of the tubular lipid-binding protein (TULIP) family. TULIPs are known to carry lipids between organelles intracellularly, and they have extracellular transport and immune functions. We are currently analyzing 23 TULIPs that are expressed in the Drosophila antenna.
• RR3: Tick olfactory receptors are similar to neuronal ionotropic glutamate receptors, except that the ligand-binding domains (LBDs) bind to odorants instead of glutamate to trigger ion channel opening. We are developing methods to carry out high-throughput screening of chemical libraries to "de-orphanize" 20-30 likely ionotropic olfactory receptors from the black-legged tick, the vector of Lyme disease.

Fidel Santamaria, PhD

Professor
Santamaria email
Santamaria profile
Santamaria lab

Projects

FS2: Unifying neuronal simulation environments in Python
FS3: Computational and experimental neuroscience of the cerebellum

Level: Undergraduate or Master's

Minimum Requirements:

• coding experience a must
• MATLAB and Python preferred

Time Committment: 5-20 hours/week

Application Deadline: none

Marina Silveira, PhD

Assistant Professor
Silveira email
Silveira profile

Projects

MS1: Neuromodulation

Level: Undergraduate or Master's

Minimum Requirements:

• comfort working with mice
• ability to take notes and maintain the data organized
• ability to work in a team and individually
• interest in neuroscience and auditory processing

Time Committment: 10-19 hours/week

Application Deadline: none

Description: The project investigates how neuromodulation impacts auditory processing and how neuromodulatory inputs change after hearing loss.

Alexey Soshnev, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor
Soshnev email
Soshnev profile
Soshnev lab

Projects

AS1: How do transcription factors find their binding sites in the genome (biochemistry and genomics)
AS2: How does loss of linker histone drive lymphoma development and progression
AS3: From developmental effects of specific mutations to tech advances for chromatin biology

Level: Undergraduate or Master's
We can accommodate both wet lab (biochemistry and molecular biology) and dry lab (bioinformatics) interests, or a combination of both.

Minimum Requirements:

• proactive, positive personality and excellent communication skills
• attention to details and responsibility
• decent knowledge of chemistry and/or genetics (not intimidated by molarity calculations)

Time Committment: at least 15 hours a week for undergraduate students
Consider that even the most rudimentary research project would take at least a year (usually longer); we cannot accommodate Senior students. First month or two is a test/trial period when you get to know the lab and how we operate; afterwards, you can take ownership of a specific project to develop it under the guidance of senior lab members.

Application: Short email expressing specific interest and career goals, and a CV.

Description: Our lab is interested in how genomes are packaged and regulated, and how small proteins called histones contribute to big developmental decisions and diseases. Additional project details:

• AS1 - https://www.cprit.texas.gov/grants-funded/grants/rp240446
• AS2 - https://www.cprit.texas.gov/grants-funded/grants/rp240068
• AS3 - https://www.chromatin.bio/research

Todd Troyer, PhD

Associate Professor
Troyer email
Troyer profile

Projects

TT1: Dta modeling of neural responses in auditory cortex of Mexican Freetail bats
TT2: Modeling firing rate response dynamics in simple model neurons

Level: Undergraduate or Master's thesis

Minimum Requirements:

• some background in calculus
• some familiarity with computer programming
• willingness to learn
• exposure to concepts of model optimization optimal for work on bat auditory responses

Time Committment: Flexible, but at least 7 hours/week.

Application Deadline: none

Description: Space is available for computationally motivated students to work on data modeling/theoretical studies of timing in neural circuits. Students will mostly work individually in collaboration with Dr. Troyer: most work can be done wherever on a student's laptop. It is expected that students will meet roughly weekly with Dr. Troyer. Students with only an initial exposure to math and programming skills are welcome, but success requires student with initiative and ability to succeed in a loosely structured environment.

• TT1: Dr. Michael Smotherman at Texas A&M has recorded auditory response from neurons in bat auditory cortex. Work is needed to build models to characterize the computations performed by these neurons.
• TT2: It is generally assumed that response times of neurons should be limited by the timescales of membrane integration, but preliminary simulations show that response times result from a mix of fast and slow dynamics. The nature of this mix will be investigated by simulating noisy spiking neurons.

Jeffrey Vedanayagam, PhD

Assistant Professor
Vedanayagam email
Vedanayagam profile

Projects

JV1: Identify and characterize selfish genes that violate Mendel’s law of segregation in the Drosophila male germline
JV2: Study the evolution of genes essential for male fertility in Drosophila
JV3: Analysis of next-generation and third-generation DNA and RNA sequencing data

Level: Undergraduate or Master's

Minimum Requirements:

• a genuine interest in biology and research, and a willingness to learn new techniques and concepts
• relevant coursework in introductory biology
• attention to detail and ability to accurately follow protocols and document your work
• good verbal and written communication skills; and effective time management
• understanding and adhering to safety guidelines and procedures critical to lab environment
• basic computer skills, including data entry and analysis
• some of lab’s work involves microscopy, so ability to sit at a microscope for one to two hours is required
• laboratory work often involves collaboration with others, including fellow students and research assistants; so, being a team player is essential

Time Committment:

• UG: 5 hours/week for an introductory volunteer period for 3 months. After that, depending on your interest to do your own research project, we require a commitment of 15 hours/week for at least 6 months (excluding the introductory volunteer period). Email Dr. Jeffrey Vedanayagam for an introductory meeting to discuss interests and learn more about the lab's projects.
• Master's: email Dr. Jeffrey Vedanayagam with your CV, research interests, and any prior research experience. For Master's students, we require a 15-19 hours/week commitment.

Description: Our lab uses both experimental and bioinformatics approaches to study the evolution and function of selfish genes that violate Mendelian segregation in the germline. The lab welcomes computationally motivated students to learn and perform bioinformatics research to analyze next-generation and third-generation DNA and RNA sequencing data to study questions at the interface of genome evolution and reproduction.