I am looking talented and ambitious graduate students to join the Piccolo Lab at Brigham Young University (BYU). Candidates can apply either for the master's or PhD program in the Department of Biology. Graduate students typically receive a living stipend, partial health insurance benefit, and tuition waiver. Additional scholarships may also be available.
Research overview: Research in the Piccolo Lab is highly interdisciplinary. Generally speaking, we apply computational and quantitative techniques to biomedical data. We study human diseases, especially cancer and Down syndrome. We develop computational tools and techniques for analyzing molecular data and making publicly available data more FAIR. We perform education-based research in the context of bioinformatics. At this time, I am particularly interested in finding graduate student(s) who want to pursue research on data curation or bioinformatics education.
Skills you will learn: Students in the Piccolo Lab typically gain experience with experimental design, statistical analysis, data processing, data visualization, data curation, and machine-learning methods. We place an emphasis on reproducibility and openness in science. I meet with students at least weekly and work hard to provide a supportive, mentoring environment.
Environment: BYU is located in Provo, Utah, nestled against the beautiful Wasatch mountain range. Canyons and ski resorts can be accessed within 15-60 minutes. Various national parks are within driving distance. BYU is sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Students need not be members of the church; however, each student must commit to abide by the university's Honor Code. Please email me with any questions about what this entails.
Please email me to express interest before applying. Provide the following information:
Your name.
Your education history.
Your employment history (if any).
Whether you are interested in applying for a master's or PhD position.
Your general research interests and why you are interested in applying (1-2 paragraphs).
A description of any experience you have had with data analysis, software development, biomedical research, etc.
Your academic transcripts (unofficial transcripts are okay for now).
Your GRE scores (if you have taken it).
Your TOEFL scores (if you have taken it).
Students with a background in biology, mathematics, computer science, information technology, statistics, and/or health sciences are encouraged to apply. Applicants must have taken at least one programming course from an accredited university.
Contact me directly before applying