Neuroscience research- what does it entail?

[stat3113]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I really want to work as an undergrad research assistant in neuroscience. For various reasons, and some background I have in a related field. For those of you who have experience in this, what exactly would this entail?

What kind of work would I be doing, day-to-day, etc? Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Lonelion87]

I did molecular research in Neuroscience this past school year as a favor for my professor, and I loved it. There are many other research areas under the Neuro umbrella to consider though (behavior, cognition, etc. etc.).

Depending on how much your P.I. trusts you, you can do anything a Masters or a PhD student (might be a stretch) can do. In molecular, this includes making constructs via sub-cloning, running various blots, tissue culture, hybrid assays, or whatever.

A lot of the stuff you will do when you first start out is grunt work and is rather tedious. Stick with it though, and you will earn trust and be able to do some really cool things. In addition, there is nothing more exciting that making a discovery, no matter how small!

 

[WHR]

I initially got introduced to neuroscience research during my undergrad as a research intern and I'm currently doing a Master's in neuroscience. Like Lonelion87 said, there are so many sub-fields/research areas under Neuroscience that you need to do some job searching in your university's neuro dept and associated teaching hospitals to find out whats available. The duties/responsibilities will be different for different projects.

Lastly, I would disagree with the statement that you may be able to do what a grad student will do (which isn't just running tests/etc). You may be able to work with grad student, learn interesting lab techniques and may even get a publication as a co-author but very unlikely that someone will give you a project to do on your own (IMO, a key difference between lab tech and grad student/researcher). That is unless you get into a specific research internship or an undergrad thesis that requires you to complete a research project.

 

[KingHopkins]

Im doing neural stem cell research and I have been running tests similarly as the post docs in my lab and contribue actively in my lab meetings. I think that what qualifies as neuroscience research varies. My work entails more biochemistry and cell biology (westerns, protein purification, tissue culture, etc) so essentially on the molecular level. I have friend who works in a neuro lab that is interested in cognitive aspects and conduct tests by asking their patients a series of questions. So figure out what kind of research you are interested in and would enjoy doing.

In my situtation I kept asking why this and that and I realized that molecular work is what interests me. Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience never really interested me because it never answered the true why questions.

PM me if you need to know anymore regarding Neuroscience research

 

[PermanentWaves]

Neuroscience is an incredible and exciting field. As many have said, there are a variety of subfields and what you do depends on the PI you work with. I am currently working on my undergrad thesis and my PI essentially allows me free reign to do whatever I want (certainly alongside the work that post-docs or grad students do), but as a research assistant/student volunteer it might vary. It all depends on the lab.

My particular area of interest is developmental neuroscience, and my lab works primarily with rats and mice. There is a lot of tedious work involved (ie. formalin perfusions, tissue slicing, slide mounting 😴, etc.) but it is very worthwhile and extremely interesting. I don't do very much molecular work at all, in fact one of my lab mates runs all the PCR for me So as you can see, the breadth of the field is tremendous, even within a single lab. My advice is to find something you're interested in and try to find a PI who would be willing to work with you on it. Most PIs I know are very impressed with students that propose their own projects, and it is usually the best way to gain autonomy over your own experiments.

 

[Zendoc]

I work as a lab manager for two large neuroscience labs. One deals purely with the development of axons, for example, proteins that guide axonal growth to their ultimate destinations. We use mice and a few people in the lab use nematodes (C. elegans) to study protein cascade kind of stuff.

The other lab I work for uses C. elegans and does a more cognitive neuroscience approach by studying adaptations assays with worms and different odors on petri dishes. We also do genetic research and all kind of crazy stuff, though we are at a neuroscience center. If you want, feel free to PM me and I will let you know how the undergrads in our lab got into doing actual research and not just basic lab rat stuff. (Though you may have to start off doing these kinds of things for a little while just to prove your work ethic.) Good luck!

 

[carwreck]

I agree with PermamentWaves in that showing interest and even going as far as designing your own project and proposing it to a PI will get you a long way in getting you your own project.

I have worked in a few neurolabs and have done research from neurochemistry to behavior and cognition and finally to electrophysiology.

In Neurochemistry, there is a lot of work in preparing tissues and mixing reagents and transmitters. You'll learn how to work with cryostats and microtomes (tissue slicing instruments). Depending on what kind of work you are doing, you could learn to conduct surgery on small animals such as rats for cannulation.

The electrophysiology I am doing now has been one of my favorite projects. I am working on my senior undergraduate thesis and my PI has been great. He has treated me like a grad student, giving me the autonomy to run experiments as I wish.

You should really speak with PI's in whom you're interested in conducting research. You will get a pretty good sense of what they expect from you (and what you can expect from them) in an interview-type meeting.

Good luck!

 

[ERmed3eb]

I am currently doing neuroscience/electrochemical research in a lab. It's more chemistry since I am working on a project where we are developing and using different electrochemical sensors to detect different neurotransmitters in the presence of common interferents. The neuroscience aspect is where I am able to detect dopamine, catechol, etc. Its a great project and the neuroscience field really intrigues me.

 

[Lonelion87]

You may be able to work with grad student, learn interesting lab techniques and may even get a publication as a co-author but very unlikely that someone will give you a project to do on your own

I think it all depends on the PI. I have been fortunate to be given my own project in my undergrad research pursuits.

Let me chime in my 2-cents about working with grad students: avoid this situation if you can. I have briefly worked under a post-doc and a masters student thus far, and all you end up doing is becoming their bitch. I have heard this same scenario from my friends too. Grad students have a lot on their plate (the ambitious ones do anyway), and what would be better than to have some grunt run your agarose gels, cook up agar-amp plates, and do PCRs for you? If you just want research as a convention for your application, being a peon for a summer will be fine. But if you want to give research an honest shot and really dive in, try to position yourself so you are able to contribute something meaningful.

Someone mentioned that you have to prove your work ethic in order to get some autonomy. This is true. I had to pay my dues and do some brutal tasks at first, but be inquisitive from day one and don't be afraid to suggest things to move the project forward. If you prove you can think on your feet from day one, this brake-in period will be minimized.

Edit: grammar. Coffee is wearing out!

 

[WHR]

Just as a clarification on my comment "You may be able to work with grad student, learn interesting lab techniques and may even get a publication as a co-author but very unlikely that someone will give you a project to do on your own."

I think there are many undergrads who can and do successful research (clearly shown in this thread). BUT thats after at proving your knowledge on research methods and techniques. So for a student who is just getting into research, it would be unlikely that they have the ability to design/manage their own project.

Also, about working with grad students; Its unfortunate to say this but grad students are often thought as cheap workers/lab techs for the researchers so I can empathize with the pains of undergrads working for post-docs/grad students.