So, you want to be a ZoMBiE... UNCW offers numerous opportunities to gain research experience at both the undergraduate and graduate level. If you are a student with an interest in comparative neuroscience, check out the critical first steps required before applying to join the ZoMBiE Lab. Before we get started, please check out and be sure you align with our lab Diversity Pledge. Because in this lab, we believe that science is real, that love is love, that Black Lives Matter, that feminism is for everyone, that immigrants are welcome, and that shark brains are pretty much the coolest thing in the world to study. Prospective Undergraduate Students The ZoMBiE Lab offers numerous experiences for undergraduate students, ranging from volunteer roles, to internships, to Directed Individual Study (DIS, for class credit), to honors projects. This will allow you to gain vital experience working in a lab and will help you decide if research is something you are passionate about and would like to pursue as a career. Space in our lab is currently very limited and we receive more requests than we can possibly accommodate. So, in preparation for joining in our lab, we highly recommend that you: Read at least one publication produced by our group to get a sense for whether our lab is the right fit for you (you can check out our publications here). Take Neurobiology (BIO 443) or another course that gives you a solid foundation in neuroscience or physiology. Prepare a short (one paragraph) summary of your research interests and why you feel you would be a good fit for our lab. If you have satisfied the above criteria and have prepared your summary, email it to Dr. Yopak (yopakk@uncw.edu) at least one semester in advance to inquire about opportunities. You can also learn more about the UNCW Honors program here.   Prospective Graduate Students The UNCW Department of Biology and Marine Biology offers programs leading to a Master of Science (MSc) degree in biology and in marine biology, and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in marine biology.  If you are interested in joining the ZoMBiE lab and working towards a graduate degree, you must contact us before you apply to the UNCW grad program and supply several key pieces of information. We also highly recommend that you read at least one publication produced by our group to get a sense for whether our lab is the right fit for you (you can check our our publications here). If you're interested in becoming a ZoMBiE Lab Grad student and are as excited as we are about brain evolution, prospective students must submit: A detailed curriculum vitae (CV), which lists (at a minimum) your educational history, GPA, and any research or work related experience. You should also list the names of two references (a letter of reference is not required at this stage). A one-page summary of a research project you would be interested in pursuing if you were accepted into our lab that fits within our group's research focus. This summary should include 1-2 paragraphs of relevant background material, a primary research question, and basic methodology. This is an important first step in showing that you understand the work done by members of our lab, and can formulate a research question and prepare a plan of how you would answer that question. You are not locked into this project if you are accepted, but may provide a platform on which to build your graduate research. You should email these documents to Dr. Yopak (yopakk@uncw.edu). To learn more about the the MSc or PhD Program or to apply, please visit the UNCW Department of Biology and Marine Biology Graduate Student Information Page.  

So, you want to be a ZoMBiE...

UNCW offers numerous opportunities to gain research experience at both the undergraduate and graduate level. If you are a student with an interest in comparative neuroscience, check out the critical first steps required before applying to join the ZoMBiE Lab.

Zombies

Before we get started, please check out and be sure you align with our lab Diversity Pledge. Because in this lab, we believe that science is real, that love is love, that Black Lives Matter, that feminism is for everyone, that immigrants are welcome, and that shark brains are pretty much the coolest thing in the world to study.

Prospective Undergraduate Students

The ZoMBiE Lab offers numerous experiences for undergraduate students, ranging from volunteer roles, to internships, to Directed Individual Study (DIS, for class credit), to honors projects. This will allow you to gain vital experience working in a lab and will help you decide if research is something you are passionate about and would like to pursue as a career.

Space in our lab is currently very limited and we receive more requests than we can possibly accommodate. So, in preparation for joining in our lab, we highly recommend that you:

  • Read at least one publication produced by our group to get a sense for whether our lab is the right fit for you (you can check out our publications here).
  • Take Neurobiology (BIO 443) or another course that gives you a solid foundation in neuroscience or physiology.
  • Prepare a short (one paragraph) summary of your research interests and why you feel you would be a good fit for our lab.

If you have satisfied the above criteria and have prepared your summary, email it to Dr. Yopak (yopakk@uncw.edu) at least one semester in advance to inquire about opportunities.

You can also learn more about the UNCW Honors program here.

 

Prospective Graduate Students

The UNCW Department of Biology and Marine Biology offers programs leading to a Master of Science (MSc) degree in biology and in marine biology, and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in marine biology.  If you are interested in joining the ZoMBiE lab and working towards a graduate degree, you must contact us before you apply to the UNCW grad program and supply several key pieces of information. We also highly recommend that you read at least one publication produced by our group to get a sense for whether our lab is the right fit for you (you can check our our publications here).

If you're interested in becoming a ZoMBiE Lab Grad student and are as excited as we are about brain evolution, prospective students must submit:

  • A detailed curriculum vitae (CV), which lists (at a minimum) your educational history, GPA, and any research or work related experience. You should also list the names of two references (a letter of reference is not required at this stage).
  • A one-page summary of a research project you would be interested in pursuing if you were accepted into our lab that fits within our group's research focus. This summary should include 1-2 paragraphs of relevant background material, a primary research question, and basic methodology.

This is an important first step in showing that you understand the work done by members of our lab, and can formulate a research question and prepare a plan of how you would answer that question. You are not locked into this project if you are accepted, but may provide a platform on which to build your graduate research.

You should email these documents to Dr. Yopak (yopakk@uncw.edu).

To learn more about the the MSc or PhD Program or to apply, please visit the UNCW Department of Biology and Marine Biology Graduate Student Information Page.