Research is required for anyone majoring in Genetics. We're here to help you find a lab you're interested in as part of your work! For research, you need to work under one primary investigator (the professor in charge of a project) for one year, usually 3 credits per semester.
Research FAQ How do I pick a lab? It can be difficult to pick a lab - there are so many out there! Start with the faculty research page on the department website; here you can read about the different projects the faculty at Rutgers are participating in. It's a great place to examine your interests and think about the different ideas. Once I pick a lab, what do I do? There are different ways you can go about starting in a lab. Some students contact the researchers directly. Their information can be found on their faculty page. Look in our Applying to a Lab section for more info. Some students apply through the Aresty Research Program at Rutgers, which you can learn about at their website. What does lab work entail? Each laboratory is different and involves different work. Some labs are computer based with a focus on statistical genetics or data analysis. Some involve working with model organisms, such as fruit flies or yeast. Some involve working with purified human DNA analysis. Your time also may vary. While typical work is 3 hours/week per credit (so normally 9 hours/week), some labs require it to be done in a short span of time while others you may need to just go in one or 2 hours each day to set something up. This is something to talk about when looking into a lab you are interested in. Does my research have to be through the genetics department? Not always, though it is encouraged. When you do research with genetics faculty, you'll have extra resources in the lab to help you in your genetics major. However, if you do enter a lab outside of the genetics department, in order for it to count towards the research credits it must be a project pertaining to research in genetics. |