UC faculty from across colleges contact us to advertise individual openings (volunteer and paid) related to their research (in labs or doing other types of work to support their research). Below are recent announcements.

Undergraduate Research Opportunity at CCHMC
The Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC) has an opportunity for one premedical undergraduate college student (this opportunity is open to students from all class levels). Dr. Joshua Schaffzin, MD, PhD, is looking for a student to assist him and his colleagues with an exciting research project involving acute kidney injury (AKI). Although this is an UNFUNDED research position, it can pay dividends in both experience and education.

Please carefully read this document (PDF) which outlines the research project, level commitment, and expectations in greater detail. If you would like to be considered for this opportunity, please email Nikki Bibler at nikki.bibler@uc.edu the following information NO LATER than May 2nd:

• Curriculum Vitae
• Statement of Interest

Undergraduate Research Opportunity in Dr. Jason Blackard’s Lab (at UC College of Medicine)
A defining characteristic of RNA viruses, such as HIV and HCV, is their extreme variability.  Within an individual, a population of viral variants exists that allows for the rapid, adaptive response of the virus to immunologic selection pressures and/or antiviral therapy.  Importantly, viral diversity is not evenly distributed throughout the body, and distinct viral sub-populations may exist in different compartments (i.e., plasma, liver, brain, etc) within an infected individual. 

Recent studies from our laboratory have evaluated HIV diversity in the liver, as well as HCV diversity in the peripheral blood.  Additional studies of viral diversity are warranted and will require both laboratory-based methods and computational / bioinformatics analysis of new and previously generated sequence data.

Interested undergraduate researchers should:

• Have already completed relevant course work in biology and molecular/microbiology
• Be willing to receive course credit for their research (3 credit hours is the equivalent of ~10 hours of laboratory research per week)
• Be detail oriented and well organized

Additional computational and bioinformatics skills are preferred but not essentially required.

Interested undergraduate researchers may contact Jason Blackard, PhD at jason.blackard@uc.edu.  Please include a resume and listing of relevant coursework and laboratory skills (if applicable).  Additional information about HIV- and HCV-related projects can be found at www.pathobiology.uc.edu/faculty/blackard.html.

Paid Undergraduate Research Position Available in January in Dr. John MacLennan's Lab
Undergraduate Research Lab position to begin January 2011 and to continue at least to Summer 2011:  The position is for 12-20 hours per week but the days and times worked are somewhat flexible around the student’s class and study hours once they are trained.  It requires a GPA of 3.4 or higher in a neuroscience, biology or chemistry related major.  The successful applicant will help conduct genomic knockout studies of neuronal development and the mechanisms that naturally protect and repair the nervous system. Duties will consist of maintaining a mouse breeding colony containing different strains of transgenic mice, DNA extraction and quantification, PCR analysis, anatomy studies and computer based image analysis.  Pay will be $9/hr.  Alternatively, lab time can be used for academic credit.  The student will be included as an author on any publications resulting, at least in part, from their work.

To apply, please have a current copy of your transcript sent to Dr. John MacLennan (email or snail mail [see below]) and also send a resume, with contact information (including phone numbers) for references.  The most useful references are generally from people that the applicant has worked for, either for pay or as a volunteer.  While previous research experience is helpful it is not an absolute requirement.

With regard to our research: Our research focuses on ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) receptor signaling and the roles it plays in the development and maintenance of the nervous system. In order to directly study these functions in living mammals (mice), we use a wide variety of techniques including conditional genomic knockouts, viral-directed in vivo protein expression, behavioral tests, multi-labeling immunohistochemistry, confocal microscopy and computer-based image analysis.  Evidence indicates that CNTF receptor signaling plays important in vivo roles in the protection/survival of motor neurons, the generation of new neurons by neural stem cells and the natural repair of the nervous system following injury. A better understanding of how it performs these functions could lead to new treatments for neuronal injury and neurodegenerative diseases. 

Applications will begin to be reviewed in early January and will continue until the position is filled.  
 Dr. A. John MacLennan
Associate Professor
Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology
University of Cincinnati
231 Albert Sabin Way
Cincinnati, OH 45267-0576
email:  John.Maclen@uc.edu 

Psychology Research Assistant Position Available
The Today’s Couples and Families research program (TCF) is looking for a smart, hardworking student to serve as a volunteer research assistant. Our lab, part of the Psychology department, aims to better understand and support modern couples and families, and to help them build and maintain the types of strong, stable relationships that promote the well-being of adults and children alike. We currently have several ongoing studies, including an online survey of young adults investigating the associations between dating activities/relationships and emotional wellbeing (depressive symptoms and anxiety). We are also evaluating a relationship education program that we designed specifically for men in same-sex relationships, and if funded, this summer will begin evaluating an intervention for newly forming stepfamilies to help them avoid the common pitfalls and struggles that many stepfamilies face. For more information about our research and lab members, please visit http://homepages.uc.edu/~whittosh/TCF/Home.html

The research assistant will be expected to work 6-10 hours per week, and would be involved in many aspects of our research projects, including data entry and management, clerical tasks, preparation of IRB protocols, and participant recruitment and scheduling. He or she will have the opportunity to pursue his or her own research questions within our datasets and will be encouraged to co-author posters for conferences and papers for publication. Psychology majors are preferred, although we will consider other majors with interest in this area.

If interested, please send a statement of interest and resume to Dr. Sarah Whitton at sarah.whitton@uc.edu