VCU Undergraduate Biomedical Research

Virginia Commonwealth University Academics

UNDERGRADUATE BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH at VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY
Program Description and Potential Faculty Mentors on the MCV Campus

OVERVIEW

This program helps place VCU undergraduates into labs on the Medical College of Virginia (MCV) campus of VCU. It is coordinated by Dr. Tombes in the Department of Biology. Prospective faculty mentors and their research descriptions are listed on this site. This program is open to all students at VCU and has been in existence since 1997.
Students enrolled in this program must agree to work in one lab for TWO successive semesters. Students must register for independent study (BIO 492 - P/F or BIO 495 - letter grade) for between 2 and 4 credit hrs (assume 3 hrs per week of lab time per credit hour).
To aid in identifying a sponsoring laboratory, a 1 credit hour (BIOL 361) topics course is offered in the spring semester. Prospective faculty describe research in their own laboratory and potential undergraduate research topics. It is then up to the student to contact the faculty member and determine whether there are openings in their laboratory.
Here's how you can work in one of these labs:
a) Identify a potential faculty mentor from this list or through other contacts.
b) Email or phone them and set up an interview - take your resume and a reason why you want to work in that lab.
c) Obtain the written consent of the faculty member (see Contract below)
d) Obtain consent of a lab mentor (senior tech, grad student, post-doc or faculty member) - who can guide you around the lab.
Potential faculty advisors are listed below with their research descriptions. Interested students should contact individual faculty members to schedule interviews. Projects typically begin in the fall semester but often begin in the summer. Students can determine whether summer employment in the lab is an option. This would be determined by the faculty member. Credit cannot be earned for payed work.
Contact Dr. Tombes (827-0141) or rtombes@vcu.edu with any questions.

Course Descriptions	List of Potential Advisors
Detailed Description of Advisors' Research	How to Select a Lab
List of Current Student Researchers	NIH Undergraduate Research
Howard Hughes Institute Undergrad Research	New Advisors Info
VCU Biology Dept.	VCU Chemistry Dept.

For more information, please contact:

Dr. Robert M. Tombes
804-827-0141
Department of Biology
Room 306 Trani Center
(Life Sciences Building)
1000 W. Cary St.
Richmond VA 23284-2012
Virginia Commonwealth University

Last modified: 15 Aug 2006