Archive for category: Open Research Positions

Project Title: Genocide and Hope: Studies in the Architecture of Oppression and the Redemptive Possibilities of Nonviolence

UCLA PI Name: Vinay Lal

E-Mail: vlal@history.ucla.edu

Division/Department: History

Expected Weekly Time Commitment: 4-10 hours a week

Job Description:

I am Professor of History at UCLA and have in progress a four-book project on genocide, violence, and nonviolence. Gandhi’s salt satyagraha at Dandi, India, opened the world to the transformative and performative aspects of mass nonviolent resistance; Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was interned, was a prison “university” and seeded the idea of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. “Auschwitz” is the reigning metonym for the Holocaust—an unprecedented combination of technological ingenuity, barbarism, and gruesome violence. Similarly, “Hiroshima” has transcended its name, suggesting some extraordinary moral transgression on the part of humanity. The twinned global history of violence and nonviolence is the subject of this unique project. The student who works with me on this project will get academic credit under the SRP-99 program — either 1 or 2 credits depending on how many hours they can put into it. They will help with creating bibliographies, doing internet research, reading and highlighting material, and possibly translation work if they have competence in any of the languages mentioned in the “application instructions”.

Application Instructions:

Students can earn 1 academic credit for 4-5 hours of work a week and 2 credits for 8-10 hours of work a week. I need someone with a minimum 3.75 GPA, excellent writing skills, and intellectual interests in history, literature, politics, and related subjects. Students with an interest in this project should send me an email or covering letter describing their interest and what qualifications, if any, they may bring to the project, and a CV as well. This position can begin as early as Week 2. The position is available for up to two students. Students who fulfill the stated requirements and can read at least one of the following languages — German, Japanese, Gujarati, Hindi, French, Polish, Arabic, and Hebrew — will be given preference. However, knowledge of any of languages is not required. My email is vlal@history.ucla.edu.

UCLA PI Name: Jeffrey Guhin
E-Mail: guhin@soc.ucla.edu
Division/Department: Sociology
Expected Weekly Time Commitment: 3-10 hours

Job Description:

Students will work with me (Prof. Guhin) to hand-code newspaper articles that mentions schools and education. We will then use these codes as data to coauthor an article or articles about the nature of schooling.

Previous research experience–especially with qualitative coding–is valuable but not necessary. Students should be able to meet weekly with other lab members and do at least three hours of coding a week. Experience with Python and data scraping would be wonderful but is not required.

Application Instructions:

Please e-mail a cover letter outlining your qualifications for this project and a resume to me (Prof. Guhin) at guhin@soc.ucla.edu.

Please also indicate how important it is for you to receive course credit for this research and whether you would want to do so for one or two credit hours.

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

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)

**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