Research Opportunities at ucla

Stand Up Comedy, Podcasts, and Politics (HASS)

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UCLA PI Name: Alex Franklin
E-Mail: alexfranklin@g.ucla.edu
Expected Weekly Time Commitment: 3-4 hours per week

Job Description:

In the modern era, Standup Comedy and various Comedian-led Podcasts have become intertwined with politics and the ongoing debate over the actions of the current Administration. In fact, in late 2024, a popular Comedian and Podcaster named Marc Maron said: “The anti-woke flank of the new fascism is being driven almost exclusively by comics…They are part of the public face of a fascist political movement that seeks to destroy the democratic idea.”

Usually, Comedians and Podcasters are political outsiders and have a history of being anti-establishment. So in this Research Project, we seek to explore questions such as: How did a group of Comedians and Podcasters who started out defending their right to free speech end up becoming defenders of the current regime? What role do Standup Comedy and Podcasts play in influencing public sentiment on political issues? And…is Marc Maron right?

The members of the Research Team will help by investigating, suggesting and compiling Comedy Specials, Podcasts, Interviews and other materials that center on individuals involved in this controversy.

Preapproved for SRP-99 and SRP-199.

Application Instructions:

Please email your resume’ or CV to alexfranklin@g.ucla.edu.

 

Research Opportunities at ucla

Signal Denoising with Diffusion-Based Machine Learning Models (Dry-Lab)

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UCLA PI Name: Louis Bouchard
Division/Department: Chemistry and Biochemistry
Lab website: https://sites.google.com/view/bouchardlabucla/
Expected Weekly Time Commitment: 10 hours per week

Job Description:

Our lab, led by Professor Louis Bouchard, focuses on developing computational methods at the intersection of chemistry, biochemistry, physics, and data science. We are looking to onboard students to join the dry lab side of our project.

The dry-lab position is centered on numerical modeling, data analysis, and algorithm development. One of our current projects investigates signal denoising, the process of recovering clean signals from noisy measurements, which is a major topic in spectroscopy, medical imaging, and other data-intensive experimental sciences. The project explores a generalized denoising framework based on stochastic differential equations (SDEs), drawing inspiration from modern diffusion models and score-based generative modeling.

As a research assistant, you will work with modern Python-based tools for signal processing and machine learning, benchmark SDE-based denoising methods against established baselines, and contribute to the theoretical and computational validation of a framework with potential applications across multiple scientific domains. This position is particularly well-suited for students interested in applied mathematics, machine learning, computational chemistry or physics, and data-driven modeling. Prior experience with Python programming is required, and familiarity with scientific computing or statistics is a plus.

Application Instructions:
Please fill out the following Google form, and attach your resume/CV. For inquiries, email jonathankim1626@ucla.edu.

Recruitment Form:
https://forms.gle/8PiVqzdeLLoYqJic7

Research Opportunities at ucla

Pathological analysis for prostate cancer research program

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UCLA PI Name: Jianyu Rao
E-Mail: JRao@mednet.ucla.edu
Division/Department: Pathology and Lab Med
Expected Weekly Time Commitment: 10 to 15 hours

Job Description: Engaging in prostate cancer research, help lab staffs to process tissue samples and perform basic lab activities including special stains such as immunohistochemistry, prepare and organize slides, data analysis, etc.

Application Instructions: – Submit CV to Dr. Huang, Rong Rong (rhuang@mednet.ucla.edu), lab manager of Prostate SPORE lab
– Qualified individuals will be invited to in-person interview

Research Opportunities at ucla

Chemoproteomic reagent development

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UCLA PI Name: Keriann Backus
E-Mail: kbackus@mednet.ucla.edu
Division/Department: Biological Chemistry
Lab website (if applicable): backuslab.com
Expected Weekly Time Commitment: 15h/week

Job Description: Looking for an undergraduate researcher with a strong desire to work at the interface of chemistry and biology who is interested in using organic chemistry to develop chemical tools to probe fundamental biology. This position is a unique opportunity for an undergraduate student interested in contributing to research at the interface of technology for drug development.

Desired Majors
• Chemistry
• Biochemistry
• Chemical Engineering

Required Qualifications
• Completed general chemistry coursework (20A/B/L/30AL)
• Background or interest in chemical synthesis and chemical biology

Preferred Qualifications
• Experience with organic chemistry
• Completed or currently enrolled in organic chemistry coursework (30 A/B/C/BL/CL), prior research experience in chemistry
• First- or second-year UCLA undergraduate students are strongly encouraged to apply.
• Expected commitment: part-time during the academic year with potential for expanded summer research. MUST have at least 2-3 blocks of 5 hour time in schedule to devote to research

Application Instructions: Interested students should send:
• A short statement of interest (max 1 page) describing relevant coursework, programming experience, and research interests
• A resume/CV (including GPA and coursework)
• Optional Supplemental Materials (Course presentations or Slide Deck Explaining Previous Experience)

Research Opportunities at ucla

Konopka Lab Research Position

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UCLA PI Name: Genevieve Konopka, PhD
E-Mail: afreelin@mednet.ucla.edu
Division/Department: Neurobiology
Lab website: https://www.konopkalab.org/

Interested in the human brain? The Konopka lab is looking for motivated undergraduate students to join our research team!

Our lab studies the genomic landscape of the human brain, combining computational analysis and wet lab experiments to uncover how genes shape memory and cognition. Projects range from data analysis of large genomic and electrophysiology datasets to hands on molecular biology experiments.

Gain hands on research experience, learn cutting-edge techniques, and join a collaborative and fun team. No experience required – just curiosity. If you’re excited about science, you belong here!

Application Instructions: Please contact Anne Freelin at afreelin@mednet.ucla.edu with your resume / CV

Research Opportunities at ucla

Mechanisms to rejuvenate and protect livers from graft rejection following organ transplantation

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**THIS POSITION IS NOW CLOSED FOR APPLICATIONS AND WILL REOPEN IN SPRING 2026**

UCLA PI Name: Jerzy Kupiec-Weglinski
Division/Department: Liver and Pancreas Transplantation/Department of Surgery
Expected Weekly Time Commitment: 8-10 h

Our lab focuses on molecular approaches to study the immunology of liver graft rejection, with a particular emphasis on ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). We study how immune responses, gene regulation, and cellular interactions contribute to liver damage and explore novel therapeutic strategies to prevent graft rejection. We seek motivated individuals eager to learn cutting-edge techniques, contribute to our collaborative efforts, and gain valuable experience in this innovative field. We are specifically interested in understanding how the interface of the hepatocytes interact with infiltrating immune cells during sterile inflammation. We are developing small molecules to modulate the antigen expression of certain surface receptors to negatively regulate the immune response. The methodologies we use involve mouse animal models, molecular and cellular based assays, and flow cytometry. The student should be available for at least 8-10 h per week. The research opportunity may be used in conjunction with independent research study or appropriate class for a class grade.

Please register at this site: https://forms.gle/TUH1w29Zetvf5yRj6

Research Opportunities at ucla

Strategic Collection Plan: Living Collections Inventory

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UCLA PI Name: Anthony Baniaga
Division/Department: Ecology & Evolutionary Biology/UCLA Mathias Botanical Garden
Lab website (if applicable): https://www.botgard.ucla.edu/
Expected Weekly Time Commitment: 5 hours

The UCLA Mathias Botanical Garden needs 2-3 students for Fall 2025 to aid in the assessment of the living collections at the Garden. Students are responsible for locating plants in the garden and recording information about them into a database. A basic understanding of plant taxonomy is important as is keeping to a disciplined schedule. Students should be able to work independently or on a small team outside in dense vegetation for 5 hours per week. Additionally, a small independent project on an aspect of the garden and the living collections is required. Open to 1 unit of SRP credit.

Interested students should send a resume or CV and a brief description of their interest and relevant skills to Josh Brindley (joshbrindley@ucla.edu). We are hoping to field high quality candidates and the positions start Fall 2025 but interviews start mid August.

Research Opportunities at ucla

Research Position with Dr. Bruno Peault’s Lab

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Dr. Bruno Peault is looking for an undergraduate student to join their research team.

UCLA PI Name: Bruno Peault, PhD

Our laboratory has identified organ resident mesenchymal stem cells, which can differentiate into bone, cartilage, adipose tissue, smooth and skeletal muscle, and developed several projects to uncover the role of those stem cells in 1- tissue turnover and regeneration, and 2- pathologic development: fibrosis (joint, kidney, skeletal muscle) and atherogenesis (atheroma plaque formation in blood vessels).

We are now recruiting undergraduate students to work on the following themes:

– Gene therapy of OA (osteo-arthritis). In OA, irreversible degradation of joint cartilage is accompanied by inflammation and fibrosis, causing pain and severely affecting motion. The project aims to control joint pain, inflammation, and fibrosis by transducing siRNAs (small interfering RNAs) into relevant affected cell types.

– Stem cell dysfunction in lipedema. Lipedema is the dramatic and uncontrolled accumulation, in affected females (around 1/10), of subcutaneous abnormal adipose tissue in lower limbs, and eventually in the upper part of the body (arms, belly). Long misdiagnosed as obesity, lipedema has specific features: pain, fibrosis. The etiology of lipedema is unknown and we have hypothesized that qualitative and/or quantitative defects in mesenchymal stem cells are causing this severe, invalidating disease. The projects consists in the localization and quantification of mesenchymal stem cells in lipedema tissues, followed by their purification, culture, and functional assessment.

Candidates should commit to work at least 20 hours/week at the Orthopaedic Hospital Research Center, UCLA.

Please send resume and cover letter to Bruno Peault at bpeault@mednet.ucla.edu.

Research Opportunities at ucla

Correlation of Patient Imaging with Pathology: Correlating Radiological and Pathological Features

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The Department of Radiological Sciences is seeking highly dedicated undergraduate students to assist with ongoing research projects involving the correlation between radiological (patient imaging) and pathological features, to help improve image-based detection, diagnosis, and treatment of different abdominal cancers. Responsibilities include:

– Data Entry/ Data Validation: includes medical chart review, data extraction, and image analysis for departmental research projects.
– Administrative tasks such as filing and making copies as instructed by study coordinators.
– Other Duties: Produce reports and contribute to Department surveys. Assemble and organize accurate information to meet deadlines for the School of Medicine. Participate in teams, committees, events and other group activities. Perform special projects and other duties as assigned.

Time Commitment: 5-20 hours per week, Year-round (1 year with the possibility of extension)

Preapproved for: SRP-99 credit

Documents to submit: Resume & transcript. Send as PDF.

Send materials to: nbarroso@mednet.ucla.edu

Qualifications: Students with an interest in gaining research or clinical experience are preferred. Must be detail-oriented, organized, work well with others, and be unafraid to ask questions. Life science majors or students on pre-med, pre-health tracks are preferred, but anyone interested in the opportunities is encouraged to apply.

If interested, please e-mail Alondra Prado at alondraprado@mednet.ucla.edu with your resume/CV.