URECA Bulletin Board
Communicating research opportunities for faculty and students!

Attention: freshmen & sophomore Psychology Research Assistants wanted for summer through academic year
Openings for research assistants are available for a National Institute of Mental Health-funded study examining the role of temperament in three-year old children and its effects on later adjustment and functioning.The study has three major components:
(1) a laboratory assessment of temperament and emotion, in which children are exposed to a series of emotion-eliciting situations, and their reactions are videotaped and coded.(2) a psychophysiological assessment of brain activity in response to emotional stimuli.(3) a laboratory assessment of parent-child interaction. We are looking for highly dependable individuals who are interested clinical, developmental, and/or personality psychology, pediatrics, or child psychiatry.
If you are interested in joining us, please email me and one of the members of my research group will get back to you to tell you more about the study.
Contact: Daniel N. Klein, Professor, Department of Psychology, University at Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY 11794-2500 / email: daniel.klein@stonybrook.edu

Do you like to eat scallops? If you do, you might be interested to know that Long Island used to support a vibrant bay scallop fishery.  However, nowadays, many of the bay scallops we eat are imported from China or are not bay scallops at all! 
Luckily, there are many groups on Long Island that are working hard to restore bay scallops, and you can help!  I am involved with many of these groups, and am currently conducting a variety of research projects that aim to aid in the restoration process.
This is where you come in! Help construct artificial seagrass units for an ecosystem scale investigation on scallop survival… Or, help track juvenile scallop recruitment throughout the Peconics… Or, answer smaller scale questions through lab experiments…
Much of the work is based out of the new Southampton campus, or out of the shellfish hatchery in Southold on the North Fork, but don’t be discouraged, some of the work you can do right where you live! If you are interested, please contact me via email: johncarroll31@gmail.com ! New posting, 1/31/08.

Research assistants (clinical)- pediatric asthma study - Pediatric asthma study could use help in the field with making follow up appointments for patients, doing asthma education with patients, collecting data, & data entry. Position is volunteer status to start, if future budget allows may turn into a paid position. Hours are pretty flexible. Would be helpful if student had a car to drive to doctor offices (mileage reimbursed) to do some work (furthest is Brentwood); ability to speak Spanish a plus. Needs to take the SBUMC IRB certification online tests for research before any involvement could start. If interested, please contact Lisa A Romard CPNP / email: Lisa.Romard@stonybrook.edu. Updated 1/2/08.

Research Assistant Opportunity at Brookhaven National Laboratory - Neuropsychoimaging Group - We are currently looking for a responsible, enthusiastic, and highly motivated undergraduate research assistant who would be willing to commit to work in the laboratory for a minimum of one year. Other requirements include GPA > 3.5 AND a major in a related field (e.g., psychology, biology, chemistry, medicine, engineering, computer sciences, etc). Our research focuses on neuropsychological factors associated with drug and alcohol addiction, aggression, and other psychopathology using state-of-the-art medical and research imaging technologies- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI, fMRI), Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and Event Related Potentials (ERPs).The BNL campus is accessible by the daily SBU Shuttle Bus. If you are interested in becoming a research assistant in our lab please contact us via our website, click on research opportunities, complete the application form, and e-mail it to pwoicik@bnl.gov) or call 631-344-4472. Updated 1/2/08.

Research Assistant Opportunity at Brookhaven National Laboratory - Dept of Medicine -Our laboratory's main areas of interest are geared towards better understanding the mechanisms of 1) addiction (including: alcohol, drug abuse and obesity) and 2) Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Understanding these mechanisms will help us develop better therapeutic tools for addictive disorders that amount to billions of dollars per year in health costs and lost productivity. Based on previous findings at BNL, we focused on the role of the dopamine D2 family of receptors (D2, D3 and D4) in alcohol abuse, by training animals to drink alcohol. Once the animals were trained and displayed a clear preference for ethanol versus water, a viral vector carrying the D2cDNA was strereotaxically microinfused into the brain. This resulted in a significant decrease in alcohol intake to half the initial levels (Thanos et al. 2001). These findings provided evidence that overexpression of D2 receptors reduced alcohol intake, and suggested that high levels of D2 receptors may be protective against alcohol abuse (Thanos et al., 2001). These results were recently supported in Inbred strains of alcohol preferring (P) rats (Thanos et al. 2004) and in D2R transgenic mice (Thanos et al 2004b). Current research is utilizing the latest techniques including: 1) Brain Imaging (microPET, microMRI, autoradiography), 2) Whole Body Imaging (mCT, WBARG), 3) Behavior Analysis, 4) Immunohistochemistry, 5) Gene transfer and Epigenetics, 6) Brain Microdialysis, and 7) Transgenic Mouse Breeding) to examine the neurochemistry, genetics and behavioral aspects of addiction. Ongoing studies will help further elucidate the complex role of dopamine, the D2 family of receptors as well as other neurotransmitters and markers in alcoholism, drug abuse and obesity. Interested students will take advantage of a dynamic and team-oriented environment with opportunities to conduct undergraduate honors research projects in psychology, biology, pharmacology and the WISE program. Previous students have presented their work at national conferences and been coauthors on publications. For more information please contact.Dr. Peter Thanos, Department of Medicine, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Tel. 631-344-7364, Email: thanos@bnl.gov, Web Site. Updated 1/2/08.

Web page/computer skills needed for work at BNL
Looking for a student who is well versed in Apache web server, web site creation andmaintenance. Should have knowledge of PHP and MySql or PostgresSQL. Knowledge of PERL is desirable. The job will include setting up a Wiki server, Blog server and web based discussion groups. The platform used will be Linux/Unix based. Salary $8-10/hour for 6-10h/week.Undergraduate with interest in physics/teaching a plus. (Car/transportation helpful; but note that there is also shuttle from SBU to BNL). Contact: Dr. H. Takai Physics Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory Upton, NY 11973 takai@bnl.gov (631) 344 2812 or Michael D. Marx, Professor of Physics, Stony Brook & Physics Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory Upton, NY 11973 marx@bnl.gov>Phone: 631-344-7787. Updated 1/4/08.

Are you interested in frogs, snakes, lizards, salamanders, or turtles?
Are you interested in evolutionary biology?
The Wiens lab is seeking motivated undergraduate students to be involved in research projects in our lab. These projects involve using reptiles and amphibians as model systems to help answer fundamental questions in the fields of evolutionary biology and ecology. Some of our current projects include (1) using salamanders to understand the origin of species; (2) using treefrogs to understand the causes of high biodiversity in tropical rainforests; (3) using turtles to understand how organisms adapt to different environments; (4) discovering how lizards gave rise to snakes and how the major lineages of venomous snakes evolved. Much of our work uses molecular phylogenies, and involves gathering and analyzing data from DNA sequences. Other projects involve studies of live or preserved reptiles and amphibians in the field or laboratory. Some previous research projects in the lab have generated publications in major journals with undergraduates as authors. Students may work for research credit, but some funding is also available. Posted 01/04 More detailed information on research in the Wiens lab is available here. Please Contact:John J. Wiens
Department of Ecology and Evolution, email: wiensj@life.bio.sunysb.edu, Phone: (631) 632-1101

Department of Ecology & Evolution- Mike Bell's laboratory studies patterns of evolution through time and variation among living populations of the threespine stickleback fish. Undergraduate students have always played an important role in his research. Some have done projects that led to major new research projects in his lab (e.g., brain and behavior evolution). Others have completed honors theses and been coauthors on publications. A number of his undergraduate research students are now biologists at universities and conservation agencies.
Current projects include analysis of patterns of change through time in fossil stickleback from a 10 million-year-old lake deposit in Nevada with annual layers and in annual samples from modern stickleback populations in Alaska. His lab is studying variation in brain structure in relation to spatial learning, feeding in stickleback with contrasting diets, evolution of gene expression and resulting changes in skeletal development, and evolutionary relationships of individuals within and among populations.Most students assist Dr. Bell or his graduate students on their projects by helping feed and maintain live fish, counting and measuring structures under a dissecting microscope, capturing digital images of specimens and digitizing landmarks on those images, maintaining collections of preserved fish, and preparing fossils for collection of data. All students are given reading to orient them to work in the lab. They usually begin by working on an existing project, but as their skills develop, they are encouraged to undertake a project that could become an undergraduate honors thesis (students must meet other academic requirements for an honors degree) or a publication in the scientific literature. Most work is on campus during the academic year, but students who have done well in the lab may be invited to join field projects in Alaska (modern populations, genetics) or Nevada (paleontology). Biology, Biochemistry, Geology, and students in other majors can make important contributions to research in Bell's lab and earn academic credit for their efforts. Please contact Prof. Mike Bell, Email: mabell@life.bio.sunysb.edu Phone: (631) 632-8574 (lab), (631) 632-8600 (dept.)Fax: (631) 689-6682

Department of Ecology & Evolution -The Pigliucci Lab: We work on plant evolutionary ecology and genetics, with research programs that include the study of gene-environment interactions, research on plant invasions, and projects on plant's responses to environmental stresses. I usually have several graduate students and postdocs involved in multiple projects, including both greenhouse and field work. Undergraduate training would include not only hands-on participation in the actual data collection, but conceptual training during lab meetings and discussions, as well as learning elementary statistical and graphical analyses of the data. More information on our ongoing projects and lab publications can be obtained at www.genotypebyenvironment.org / Contact: Massimo Pigliucci, Department of Ecology & Evolution, SUNY Stony Brook, NY 11794-5245, phone 631-632-1097, fax 7626, massimo@life.bio.sunysb.edu. Updated 1/3/08.

Nanoscience and Nanotechnology: Science and Applications in Physical Chemistry, Materials Science, and Biophysics. We are an interdisciplinary laboratory interested in exploring problems at the boundary of chemistry, physics, and biology at the nanoscale. Indeed, working on the nanometer scale, one billionth of a meter, requires the ability to synthesize, manipulate, and organize matter in a controllable manner as well as to predict and understand the properties of the resulting structure. Fundamentally, the focus of the proposed research in this group is to study, image, and thoroughly analyze molecular interactions in a variety of nanoscale structures and systems, such as carbon nanotubes and nanocrystals. These are critical in understanding important scientific problems, such as (a) binding energies on surfaces, essential for the design of effective catalysts; (b) electrostatic and van der Waals forces, significant for understanding biochemical processes as well as phenomena such as chemical and biological self-assembly; and (c) interfacial forces (such as adhesion), which play a role in many industrial and chemical processes.Current projects include the following. (a). Chemical functionalization of nanostructures, i.e. controlled placement of moieties, such as metal-containing complexes, on the surfaces of these materials, such as carbon nanotubes, in order to change their chemical, electrical, and mechanical properties in a reproducible and measurable manner.(b). Imaging topography of biomolecular structures, such as proteins, using the AFM. Such information can conceivably be correlated with studies of biological activity for instance in order to further understanding of structure-property correlations.(c). Generating ‘tiny’ nanostructures (less than 10 nm), such as ternary metal oxide, perovskite (i.e. barium titanate), and bismuth ferrite nanostructures, using a number of different synthetic methodologies (including air-sensitive techniques). Upperclassmen preferred. For further information, please contact (email preferred):
Professor Stanislaus S. Wong, Department of Chemistry, Email: sswong@notes.cc.sunysb.edu, Phone: 631-632-1703, Fax: 631-632-7960 Updated 1/9/08.