Participating Faculty

Through the REU program, students have the opportunity to participate in research at an R1 institution from active laboratories in the sciences. Several departments at UConn have placements for incoming REU students. Below is a detailing of each laboratories' interests and project details. Click the lab's PI for a direct link to their lab pages.

Dr. Kenneth Campellone

Molecular and Cell Biology | Cell and Developmental Biology | Genetics and Genomics | Microbiology

Dr. Jelena Erceg

Multi-scale genome organization | Gene regulation of multicellular diploid organisms in evolution and disease

Dr. Aoife Heaslip

Parasite Cell Biology | Toxoplasma gondii | Dense Granule Transport

Dr. Sarah M. Hird

Evolution and the Microbiome | Bioinformatics | Phylogeography

Dr. Alexander Jackson

Hypothalamic Neural Circuits | Neurophysiology of Sleep | Arousal and Feeding Behaviors

Dr. Rahul Kanadia 

Post-transcriptional Gene Regulation | Role of Minor Spliceosome in Development and Disease

Dr. José Manautou

Target Organ Toxicity | Hepatic Detoxification and Disposition Mechanisms

Dr. Karen Menuz

Chemosensation in Insects | Olfactory Signaling in Drosophila

Dr. Kat Milligan-McClellan

Microbiota–Host Interactions | Systems Biology

Dr. Barbara Mellone

Genome Inheritance and Stability | Chromosome Dynamics | Epigenetics

Dr. Daniel Mulkey

Autonomic Control of Breathing | Neuron-Astrocyte-Vascular Coupling

Dr. Linnaea Ostroff

Neuratonomical Basis of Learning and Memory | 3D Electron Microscopy Reconstructions of Synapses

Dr. Scott Rich

Computational Neuroscience | Neuronal Microcircuits

Dr. John Salamone

Neurochemistry, Signal Transduction, and Behavior | Psychopharmacology and Drug Development

Dr. Natale Sciolino

Neural Circuitry of Motivated Behaviors | Role of Locus Coeruleus Neurons in Feeding

Dr. Anastasios Tzingounis

Molecular and Cellular Physiology of Epilepsy-Associated Genes | KCNQ Channels in the Brain

Dr. Randall Walikonis

Postsynaptic Signal Transduction Systems | Novel Protein Identification

Dr. Jianzhong Yu

Organ Size Control and Tumorigenesis | Therapeutic Targets for Parkinson's Disease

Dr. Georgia Zarkada

Mechanisms of Brain and Retina Vascularization | Neurovascular interactions | Regulation of Vascular Barriers