Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program

The State University of New York Upstate Medical University, College of Graduate Studies is offering fellowships for its 2009 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program. The aim of the SURF program is to expose undergraduate students to biomedical research. In an intensive ten-week summer program, undergraduates with appropriate faculty help will formulate their own proposal, carry out research under the supervision of one of our faculty, write a research paper and have the opportunity to see their work published. In the process, students will attend research seminars and participate in discussions on alternative careers in research and how to apply to graduate school. Students are given ample opportunities to interact directly with many of our faculty and graduate students.

The program will be held from Monday, June 1, 2009 through Friday, August 7, 2009.

Each fellow will be provided a $3,000 stipend for the period plus housing in Clark Tower, our residence hall.

Applicants to the program should be undergraduate students in good academic standing, who will be between their junior and senior years during the summer of 2008, and are majors in chemistry, biology, or a related field. Applicants must have a strong interest in pursuing a Ph.D. degree in biomedical investigative research.

The main criteria for the selection of fellows will be scholarship and the match of applicant interests with those of participating SUNY Upstate Medical University biomedical faculty members.

Applications may be downloaded (MS WORD or PDF FILE) . They may also be obtained from the Chairs of the Biochemistry, Chemistry, or Biology Departments at your college or by calling or writing to:

SUNY Upstate Medical University
College of Graduate Studies
750 East Adams Street
Syracuse, NY 13210
(315) 464-4538
E-Mail: gradstud@upstate.edu
In addition to the completed application form, please submit the following documentation:
- A personal statement of your academic goals and career objectives
- An official transcript of your undergraduate study to date
- Two letters of recommendation. These may be requested from professors related to your major, an advisor, and/or department chair.

Deadline for Applications: February 16, 2009

Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Mentors

Dr. David Amberg: Genomics level analysis of actin function
Dr. Peter Calvert: Mechanisms of signaling protein localization and transport in retinal neurons.
Dr. Xin Jie Chen: Mitochondria genetics and aging-related degenerative diseases.
Dr. Timothy Damron: Molecular mechanisms of osteosarcoma and Ewings sarcoma metastases in vitro and in vivo; Evaluating the mechanisms of chemotherapy induced osteopenia in pediatric cancer survivors in an in vivo model; Selective stimulation of growth plate radiorecovery for pediatric sarcoma patients undergoing irradiation using molecular techniques in vitro and in vivo.
Dr. Stephen J. Glatt: Performs candidate gene and genome-wide association, linkage, and gene expression scans of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism, and heroin and other substance use disorders.
Dr. Huaiyu Hu: Molecular studies of brain malformations
Dr. Patty Kane: Mechanisms and consequences of pH control in eukaryotic cells.
Dr. Wendy Kates: We study brain-behavior relationships in children with genetic and developmental disorders by acquiring MRI brain scans on children with such disorders as autism or 22q11 deletion syndrome, by measuring distinct neuroanatomical regions of interest on those scans, and by correlating those measurements with performance on tests of neuropsychological and psychiatric function.
Dr. Barry Knox: Visual pigments and phototransduction using molecular, developmental, biochemical and biophysical approaches.
Dr. Mira Krendel: Analysis of the role of myosins (actin-dependent motor proteins) in membrane trafficking, cell motility, and cell adhesion
Dr. Stewart Loh: Mechanism of protein folding/design of protein based molecular switches
Dr. Paul Massa: Regulation of signal transduction in the central nervous system
Dr. Russell Matthews: Modulation of Brain Development and Synaptic Plasticity by Neural Extracellular Matrix.
Dr. Michael Miller: Effects of growth factors on cell proliferation and death in the developing central nervous system.
Dr. Eric Olson: Disorders of cortical neuron migration produce exotic brain malformations including double cortex (subcortical band heterotopia), smooth brain (lissencephaly) and thickened gyri (pachygyria) - leading to epilepsy and mental retardation. We use mouse mutant models, in utero genetic manipulations and 2-photon microscopy to examine the role of specific signaling pathways in guiding and positioning migrating neurons.
Dr. Arkady M Pertsov: Biophysical mechanisms of cardiac arrhythmias; dynamic fluorescence imaging, optical tomograpy, and bioinformatics.
Dr. Dawn E. Post: Cancer therapy using dual oncolytic and gene-therapy delivery viruses.
Dr. Mark Schmitt: Genetics of RNase MRP
Dr. M. Saeed Sheikh: Cancer Biology and Therapeutics with main focus on molecular mechanisms regulating cell death and survival in human cancers, and development and testing of novel cancer medicines.
Dr. Vladimir Sirotkin: Biochemical analysis and live cell imaging of Arp2/3 complex-dependent actin assembly.
Dr. Daniel Ts'o: Systems, perceptual, cognitive neuroscience, focusing on the visual system, employing electrophysiological, anatomical, computational and functional imaging methodologies. Strong component of imaging processing, data analysis and advanced instrumentation development.
Dr. Stephan Wilkens: Structural studies of membrane bound transport ATPases by electron microscopy and solution NMR spectroscopy
Dr. Steven L. Youngentob: The lab's interests are currently focused on several inter-related topics: peripheral and central mechanisms of odorant quality coding; plasticity of these mechanisms in adults, and the role of In utero ethanol experience and prenatal olfactory system plasticity on postnatal acceptance of ethanol.
Dr. Michael Zuber: Molecular and cellular characterization of retinal stem cell formation.