We are diverse group comprising of bioinformaticians, cellular biologists, human geneticists and biochemists studying neurodevelopmental disorders. We are particularly interested in understanding how genetic background affects the variable neurodevelopmental phenotypes we observe within the same family.
We use different models ranging from primary cell lines from patients, cortical organoids to mice models for studying behavior. We use several cutting edge techniques like CRISPRi and CRISPRa gene editing. Graduate students in the lab are collaborative, highly skilled with a strong passion for mentoring.
We have several Schreyer Honors Scholars graduating with their Honors Thesis this spring. Many of whom are headed to MD programs at prestigious institutions.
We are seeking motivated and passionate undergraduates to join our team. We are looking for students who can start in the summer but can stay on if they are interested in continuing in the following semesters (with approval from the PI).
Summer Hours are flexible - At least 20-25 Hours/week are preferred.
Molecular Biology Experience - Minipreps, Cloning, Bacterial transformations, PCR, Gel electrophoresis, qPCR
Cell Culture - Maintenance of cell lines, plate reader assays.
While these are desired, they are NOT REQUIRED at the get go. Many techniques can be learnt over time - we are seeking motivated young scientists who can learn to pose interesting questions and can follow them up with methodical experiments with the help of their mentors.
Rising sophomore or Junior looking for an Honors Thesis Project.
Attention to Detail.
Good academic standing in lab courses.
We are looking for someone who can integrate into our group. Someone who can be reliable and can work independently once trained. Graduate students will be there to mentor in every step.
Please send a one page motivation statement, a one page summary of key takeaways from this publication (Sun J, Noss S, Banerjee D, Das M, Girirajan S. Strategies for dissecting the complexity of neurodevelopmental disorders. Trends Genet. 2024 Feb;40(2):187-202. doi: 10.1016/j.tig.2023.10.009. Epub 2023 Nov 8. PMID: 37949722.)relevant coursework, prior research experiences(if any)combined in one pdf document to vmb5286@psu.edu.