Majors:

Clinical Lab Sciences:

Research 

How do students identify research opportunities in the Biomedical Sciences?

There are numerous research opportunities available to undergraduates who pursue majors in the Biomedical Sciences.  They include:

w summer or academic year fellowships sponsored by professional societies

w volunteer positions in the laboratories of faculty in basic science and clinical science departments in the medical school

w projects in research centers affiliated with the medical school

w independent study opportunities for students who choose to do honors thesis work in their respective department

Students use many strategies to "match" with faculty mentors who oversee research projects.  The most successful strategies include one or more of the following:

w go to http://www.smbs.buffalo.edu/frp  to identify faculty research interests

w go to http://curca.buffalo.edu to identify research opportunities posted on the Center for Undergraduate Research & Creative Activities (CURCA) website

w approach faculty who serve as their instructors in science classes

w watch for announcements of research opportunities as they are posted on the pre-professional health listserv (maintained by Elizabeth Morsheimer) and in the Honorable Mention electronic newsletter that is distributed to Honors Scholars

 

Having identified a possible research opportunity, students contact the sponsoring agency or faculty mentor.  Faculty screen potential applicants by reviewing their resume and/or arranging to meet with students.  Resumes should include information on:

 w career goals

 w current standing at UB (year of graduation, QPA)

 w university level science courses

 w semester in which research would be conducted:

    fall, spring or summer    

 w amount of time available for research (days, hours)

 w volunteer or credit-bearing status

Note that faculty generally favor students who are upperclassmen (Jr/Sr standing) and students who have completed two years of chemistry, some biology and/or physics, and math courses.  Computer expertise is a plus.  Previous research experience is usually not necessary.

Students who choose to earn credit for their research efforts can register for XXX 499 - Independent Study (where XXX is specific to the department in which the work is performed) or for BMS 498 - Biomedical Sciences Research (see course description given below).

BMS 498 Biomedical Sciences Research (1-8) (F; Sp)

Prerequisites:  Jr/Sr standing

Course Objectives

Students will collaborate with research mentors on an ongoing project in the laboratory of their mentors or conduct independent research under the guidance of their mentors.  This experience will provide students with an inquiry-based learning opportunity and will engage them as active learners in a research setting.  Opportunities to hone students’ oral and written communication skills will be made available.

Student Activities

In consultation with their mentors, student researchers will make a commitment as to time to be spent in the laboratory, the nature of the work expected of them, and the projected end-point of the laboratory experience.  Students will be required to prepare a written report summarizing their accomplishments.   Grades will be assigned by research mentors on the basis of the quality of the work done by the student researcher.  The quality of the oral and written reports will impact the final grade.

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