Individual, original research opportunities under professional guidance in:
Anatomy & Neurobiology
Biology
Chemistry
Molecular& Cellular Biochemistry
Nutritional Sciences
Pharmaceutical Sciences
Plant and Insect Sciences
Physiology
The KYSS Program provides summer research opportunities for undergraduate students with consideration given to students who contribute to the University of Kentucky's compelling interest in diversity and underserved groups of Kentucky residents in the life, medical and social sciences. Students from regional universities and Graduate School PAGE partnerships (i.e. Jackson State University, Kentucky State University, Fayetteville State University, Praire View A & M University, and Southern University-Baton Rouge) will receive priority consideration. Participants will work on research projects designed to enable them to experience the intellectual excitement and satisfaction of research. In addition, the program will provide full participation in the academic interchange of seminars, discussion groups and lectures. Students will interact with graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, visiting scientists and faculty in a working environment. They will experience life as a graduate student lives it in a research university setting.
Students will be exposed to the principles of scientific methodology employed in laboratory research; methods of precise measurement and the recording of data; state-of-the-art equipment, techniques, and approaches; the importance of experimental controls; and the realities of success and failure in research. More importantly, students will learn how to utilize computer technology and how to prepare results for both publication and oral presentation.
Student participants will receive $3,500. Students are responsible for their own room and board, tuition, and transportation. On-campus housing is available, and some programs may require that the participants stay on campus. In general, students are expected to make their own housing arrangements. Students participating in the KYSS Program may earn academic credit as well, depending on the program requirements. However, each student will be responsible for his/her own tuition and fees.
Over the past decade, the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology at the University of Kentucky has seen a reduction in the number of undergraduate applications to its graduate program. Discussions with colleagues at other universities revealed that this is a problem nationwide. This decrease in applications has occurred despite Congress' recognition of the 1990's as the "Decade of the Brain" and the rapid and exciting advances occurring in neuroscience research. Moreover, most undergraduates have little or no idea of the nature of a career in research, how an interested student would identify an appropriate graduate program, or what career opportunities are available to someone with a Ph.D. in neuroscience.
A common characteristic of outstanding applicants for graduate school (and of many successful career scientists) is an early exposure to the research process and one-on-one interactions with enthusiastic, active researchers. The Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology has the resources and responsibility to provide mechanisms wherein interested students can explore basic neuroscience research.
Since 1994, the Department has demonstrated a strong track record of sponsoring undergraduate research, including hosting a National Science Foundation-sponsored Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) summer research program focused on research in the field of neuroscience. Our summer undergraduate program focuses on attracting highly-qualified undergraduates and exposing them to an intense one-on-one research experience. Our interdisciplinary neuroscience research experience involves a diverse group of research projects currently underway in the department, as well as in the labs of adjunct faculty in other departments campus-wide (Sanders-Brown, Neurology, MRI, Pathology, Psychology, Biology, Communications). The structure described by the guidelines for the KYSS program initiative is already in place within the department.
The Department of Biology at UK is dedicated to the mission of integrating research and education for all individuals. The Biology faculty is a dynamic group of scientists with active research programs that probe essentially all disciplines of contemporary biological importance. Major areas of study include Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental biology. Please visit http://www.as.uky.edu/Biology/faculty/facultyres.htm for information on the specific research areas of our faculty.
The nature of student summer research projects depends on the biological question being addressed, and may include laboratory, field, and computational work. The student will take part in ongoing research projects and will work shoulder to shoulder with faculty, graduate students, technicians, and other motivated undergraduates. Biology houses state-of-the-art equipment run by expert researcher with a love of teaching.
This program is designed to encourage students to participate in hands on research and to initiate and foster strong and long-term student-mentor relationships. Students admitted to this program will work with a biology faculty member or one of her/his designees whose interest parallels those of the student. Student will work on a research project that can be completed within the summer. This project is designed in consultation with the faculty mentor. Students will be active participates in laboratory meetings and informal discussions with other laboratory participants. Each student will prepare a research project report and present their project to their laboratory work group. A more formal symposium to include all summer undergraduate research students will be held if there are sufficient biology students participating in research projects funded by other sources.
Successful applicants should have completed their first year of chemistry and at least half a year of biology.
Applicants are encouraged to choose a faculty mentor based on interests in that faculty's research program (see links to faculty research at http://biology.uky.edu ) Assistance with choosing a mentor is available by contacting Dr. Brian Rymond or calling the Biology office (859-257-4711).
Dr. Brian Rymond
Biology Department
101 Morgan Science Building
(859) 257-5530
rymond@uky.edu
This summer the Department of Chemistry would like to expand their summer REU program opportunity to include two KYSS participants. KYSS students will go through the same program of research, professional development, and interactions with faculty as our REU students.
Students participating in the 2008 Department of Chemistry KYSS Program will have the opportunity to conduct laboratory research under the direction of faculty mentors who are experts in one or more of the following areas of the chemical sciences: analytical, biological, inorganic, organic, and physical. Applicants are encouraged to choose a faculty mentor based on interests in that faculty's research program (see links to faculty research at http://www.chem.uky.edu/KYSS/faculty.html)
If selected, Chemistry KYSS Participants are eligible to receive a stipend of $4,000 dollars and housing accomodations.
Dr. Dennis Clouthier
Email: dclaser@uky.edu
Telephone: (859) 257-1790
Introduction
The Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry is one of the Basic Science departments in the College of Medicine.
A wide variety of exciting and cutting-edge research topics are under investigation in our department, including such areas as signal transduction, protein structure and function, transcriptional regulation, the cytoskeleton, secretion and vesicular fusion, mechanisms of human disease (atherosclerosis, cancer, infectious disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's), drug design, computational biology, development, nucleic acid dynamics, and membrane biogenesis & function.
We have a very rich research environment, with 30 graduate students and 45 postdoctoral scholars/Research Associates working in the laboratories of our 28 faculty members, and we very much like to have undergraduate researchers working and learning alongside us in the lab. As evidence of our strong research environment, we are currently ranked 12th in the country among Biochemistry departments at public universities. In addition, our department is located in the newest research building on campus, the state-of-the-art Biomedical and Biological Sciences Research Building (BBSRB), giving us unparalleled facilities in which to perform our research.
Proposed Program for KYSS Students
Each student will be assigned to a faculty mentor based on the interests of the KYSS student and the willingness and ability of the faculty member to host a summer student. This placement will be overseen by the Director of Graduate Studies (Kevin Sarge). The student will be given guidance in the laboratory by a senior graduate student or postdoctoral scientist, and of course receive mentoring by the faculty member as well. The expectation will be made very clear that KYSS students are to participate in research and not serve in a service role in the laboratory. The goal will be to foster the abilities of the students to learn about an exciting research area, form hypotheses, perform experiments to test them, and interpret the results.
To foster a sense of comraderie and to allow the development of professional networking, the students will be invited to participate in all activities of the department that involve our graduate students. This includes social events held by the department during the summer.
Websites for Further Information
The home-page for the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry is:
http://www.mc.uky.edu/biochemistry/
For a listing of core and joint faculty in Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry please see:
http://www.mc.uky.edu/biochemistry/Department/faculty/index.html
(just click on the short research titles (blue type) to see detailed descriptions of faculty research areas).
Dr. Kevin Sarge
153 Biomedical Biological Science Research Building
(859) 323-5777
KDSarg1@uky.edu
We propose to host two students. The Director of Graduate Studies will act as coordinator for the students hosted by the Center. The office of the Director of Graduate Studies is located on the same floor giving the students close access to the DGS at all times. The students will rotate through two laboratories during the course of the program allowing them to experience research in different research arenas. The students will participate in group meetings, journal clubs, and seminars. The students will be able to interact with graduate and postgraduate students as well as with our faculty. The specific research topics and courses accompanying their research will depend on the individuals’ interest and level of training. Once potential candidates have been identified and recruited, the Director of Graduate Studies together with Drs. Lisa Cassis (Director) will tailor a detailed program for each student.
The Graduate Center for Nutritional Sciences (GCNS) was formed in 1998 as a graduate training program focused in the area of nutritional sciences. Nutritional science as a discipline is distinguished by both its unique knowledge base and its mission to apply this knowledge to human health and disease. A well-trained nutritional scientist has the ability to approach research with tremendous breadth, ranging from studies focused on molecular mechanisms, to complex metabolic interactions, disease-health interactions, and behavioral processes. Given the wide-spread impact of nutrition on health and disease, nutritional scientists trained in research, teaching and service have diverse career opportunities. The Graduate Center for Nutritional Sciences offers multi-disciplinary training through M.S. and Ph.D. programs. Faculty members from many academic units provide for diversity in education and research in nutritional sciences. Educational opportunities exist in the agricultural, biological, clinical, medical, and molecular nutritional sciences. In addition to providing a strong foundation in nutrition knowledge, the M.S. and Ph.D. programs in Nutritional Sciences offer interdisciplinary research training in state-of-the-art research laboratories.
The 5th floor of the Charles T. Wethington Building serves as the home of the GCNS. Located on the floor are the administrative offices of the center, and state-of-the-art research laboratories. Faculty with laboratories in the GCNS specialize in research studying the impact of nutrition on obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Cutting-edge research in the area of nutritional sciences is evidenced by successful funding of researchers on the 5th floor, totaling approximately $6 million in extramural grants. Moreover, training opportunities are available in laboratories of approximately 50 joint appointees of the GCNS ranging from research in nutritional sciences related to agriculture, medicine and anthropology. Faculty with research programs in these areas have considerable experience mentoring students in the area of nutritional sciences as undergraduates, M.S., and Ph.D. candidates.
Dr. Steven Post
Center for Nutritional Sciences
(859) 323-4933x81371
spost@pop.uky.edu
Translating science into practical therapies for the treatment of human illness is the goal of the Pharmaceutical Sciences. Scientists in the Pharmaceutical Sciences discover, develop and apply highly advanced and innovative drug products. Students who elect Pharmaceutical Sciences will have an opportunity to employ their favorite science in a practical, multidisciplinary, cooperative and high technology environment. Chemistry is used to identify new or synthesize improved therapeutic compounds. Biology is important for understanding how drugs work. Combinations of biology, chemistry, engineering, and computational biology are used to understand the fate of drugs in the body, including their absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion, and to design practical ways to administer drugs to the body.
Visit our website at www.uky.edu/Pharmacy/grad/ to learn more about the up-to-date progress on projects below, and the many other projects possible in Pharmaceutical Sciences. A list of faculty mentors and a description of their research interest is also available at that site.
Biology Students might be interested in the following projects:
Chemistry Students might be interested in the following projects:
Chemistry or Engineering Students might be interested in the following projects:
In addition to performing a guided research project in a specific faculty laboratory, students will gather as a group for lunches and seminars featuring world-renowned pharmaceutical scientists. After completing the KYSS Program, students will be eligible to apply for scholarships such as the American Foundation for Pharmaceutical Education Undergraduate Research Scholarships.
Students should be entering their junior or senior year of study in any of the following; pharmacy, biology, chemistry, biochemistry, engineering or physics.
Plant and Insect Sciences programs are well suited to train young scientists who are interested in pursuing a career in the life or environmental sciences. These programs offer model systems that are pertinent to biotechnology, ecology, biodiversity, environmental protection and resource management, genetic engineering, population genetics, and pathogen-host interactions. Not only does each of these technical areas have important applications, but also the nature of plants and insects (short generation times, abundance of individuals, and low production costs) makes them ideal organisms for use in a summer program. The research areas described below are developed around these concepts and the training classes offered by the faculty illustrate the general breadth of the field.
1. Stimulate interest among Kentucky residents for advanced training and careers in the sciences.
2. Prepare students professionally and personally to be successful as graduate students in a research university setting.
3. Increase the number of Kentucky residents attending University of Kentucky graduate program with consideration given to minority, low-income or underserved backgrounds that contribute to diversity.
Department of Physiology at the UK Chandler Medical Center is home to nationally and internationally recognized investigators. The faculty in the Department of Physiology investigate significant biomedical questions that are associated with understanding and determining potential treatments for cardiovascular, neural, renal, skeletal muscle, reproductive and respiratory diseases. The technical approaches for these projects vary for each faculty member but normally include combinations of molecular, cellular, biochemical and/or biophysical approaches to address complex problems. Areas of interest for the faculty include neural control of breathing and cardiovascular function, diabetes related cardiovascular disease, skeletal muscle weakness and dysfunction, Alzheimer’s disease, estrogen function on the brain, repair of spinal cord injury, pulmonary hypersensitivity and physiology of hearing.
Participating Physiology laboratories are designed to provide the students with a number of different aspects of basic science research as well as a perspective on careers in biomedical science. Specifically, KYSS students will 1) learn fundamental physiological and biomedical information related to the research goals in their selected lab; 2) learn specific laboratory techniques and safety procedures; 2) they will have the opportunity to attend weekly research seminars presented by either invited speakers from outside institutions or internal faculty members; 3) they will have the opportunity to interact with Physiology graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to learn more about life in graduate school and professional training; and 4) they will participate in lab meetings where they will be exposed to discussions regarding research design, reading and discussion of scientific papers and oral presentation of research findings. The goal for the KYSS students is to experience intellectual and academic activities in the research environment in Physiology and to have the opportunity to learn through interaction with other students and research faculty.
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Application Deadline
March 17, 2008 |
Notification of Acceptance
March 28, 2008 |
Direct questions to grad.webmaster@email.uky.edu
Last updated November 6, 2007