Which research lab?

[RememberMyName]

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Hello, I am a freshman student who sent emails to ~15 PI over the break to see if I could get into research. I got three positions offered. I rejected one because I wasn't that interested in it and the PI would only let me do it for one semester. So I have to pick between two labs. I think I would be happy with either one, but I want a few people to weigh in.

Lab 1:
Radiation Oncology Lab in a Medical School
Will have to work with mice
Met with PI, and he is really cool and likes me back
Publishes ~3 papers a year
Relatively small, so more contact with PI
Topic is pretty interesting, but a little complex
I'm afraid of being in contact with radiation.

Lab 2:
Undergrad Biophysics Lab
Work would mostly be computational and working with simulations
Relatively large, with a bunch of post-docs, grad students, undergrad students, and even a few high schoolers
Publishes ~5 papers a year
Work is pretty interesting, and not difficult to wrap my head around
Am hesitant about anything not wet bench bc of bad experiences in the past

 

[Luka75]

I'd have picked the first one for a couple of reasons:
1- the complexity of it, which would challenge me and force me to learn
2- More contact with PI, which means more personalized LOR
3- It's at a medical school

 

[aldol16]

Met with PI, and he is really cool and likes me back

This is basically the criteria at the start of most relationships. Met her. She's really cool. She likes me back. The last one is probably the most important 🙂

In all seriousness, I don't think you should be concerned about the radiation exposure because there will be safety protocols in place. It's not like they're making you go fix the unshielded nuclear reactor in a submarine. It will be relevant doses of radiation, i.e. moderate, and you will be trained in the safety protocols. If you have to work with high levels of radiation, you will have to be shielded anyway, or that would run afoul of OSHA regulations quite quickly.

Go to the lab that gives you a project you're most interested in.

 

[benjamin94559]

which one will get you on to more papers??

I would prob pick the 1st lab though for the aformentioned reasons

 

[Lucca]

which one will get you on to more papers??

I would prob pick the 1st lab though for the aformentioned reasons

dumb reason to pick a lab. No way to really predict this as it is highly variable. A lab with a more active PI publishing a lot might give you a slightly better chance, but it is better to go with the project you are most interested in with the PI you get along with as you are more likely to be more productive in that environment. Publications are not something to gun for as an undergrad.

 

[benjamin94559]

dumb reason to pick a lab. No way to really predict this as it is highly variable. A lab with a more active PI publishing a lot might give you a slightly better chance, but it is better to go with the project you are most interested in with the PI you get along with as you are more likely to be more productive in that environment. Publications are not something to gun for as an undergrad.

I'm not saying it should be the primary consideration and I would agree. It seems like OP has a better relationship with the PI in lab one anyway hence, why i would pick it if i were in his shoes

 

[BurghStudent]

First one.

Agree with above that pubs are hit or miss. You could search his previous publications and see if students eventually were able to co-author with him.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

First one sounds better for many reasons other than working with mice. If they are anything like the rats we used in the neuro lab I worked in, they are dinguses.

Don't worry about the radiation exposure. You will not be exposed to levels above the guidelines put out.

 

[RememberMyName]

First one sounds better for many reasons other than working with mice. If they are anything like the rats we used in the neuro lab I worked in, they are dinguses.

Don't worry about the radiation exposure. You will not be exposed to levels above the guidelines put out.

No I meant I was afraid of working with mice because I haven't done it before. But I will get used to it if I will be working there for the next 2+ years

 

[RememberMyName]

Alright, so just for closure, I chose lab 1. I had a few doubts, but I was mostly asking to confirm what I was already leaning towards. Thank you. I'll let you all know how it goes. Wish me luck!!!

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

No I meant I was afraid of working with mice because I haven't done it before. But I will get used to it if I will be working there for the next 2+ years

Mice are dicks. They do not like being ****ed with, and understandably so. We were doing little operations on them, so I had to injection them with ketamine. That's the part they didn't like. I got bit a few times.