This REU site award to the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), in Birmingham, AL, will support 10 students for 10 weeks during the summers of 2017-2019. The theme of the Summer Program in Neuroscience (SPIN) REU program, hosted by the Department of Neurobiology, is the development and plasticity of the nervous system. The program will allow students to conduct fundamental neuroscience research across a range of research questions and methodological approaches. Students will participate in activities and seminars to develop their graduate school application and prepare for graduate school interview. This REU site is devoted to supporting students seriously considering post-baccalaureate research careers following completion of their undergraduate degree program. While research experience is not a pre-requisite, students should be able to demonstrate a commitment to fundamental discovery science. Applications are accepted online through the program website (below). Students will be selected by the SPIN admissions committee based on their cumulative GPA in a STEM major, evidence of upper level coursework to prepare for research in a neuroscience lab, response to questions in the application, and recommendation letters.
It is anticipated that a total of 30 students primarily from schools with limited local research opportunity will be trained through the REU program. Students from under-represented groups are strongly encouraged to apply. Students will learn how research is conducted, will integrate into an active research team, will participate in professional development activities, and prepare for success in graduate level education. Students will build their technical skills, participate in journal clubs, present their research results, and attend the annual Neural Conference at UAB.
A common web-based assessment tool used by all REU Site programs funded by the Division of Biological Infrastructure will be used to determine the effectiveness of the training program. Students will be tracked after the program concludes to determine their career paths. Students will be asked to respond to an automatic email sent via the NSF reporting system. More information about the program is available by visiting www.uab.edu/medicine/neurobiology/education/undergraduate-summer-research or by contacting the program directors: PI, Dr. Lucas Pozzo-Miller (lucaspm@uab.edu) or co-PI, Dr. Gwendalyn King (gdking@uab.edu).
