There are often opportunities for pursing undergraduate research in the lab. In addition, Case Western Reserve University has a number of programs that support undergraduate research. Interested students should send via email a brief interest letter containing a statement of research interests and any relevant experience (e.g. through coursework or other research positions).
Opportunities for graduate students
The Department of Biology at Case Western Reserve University is an excellent place to earn a graduate degree. Our department continues to grow, and we are an interactive, engaging and collegial group. We have several nearby research facilities for conducting local field experiments and observational studies including the University Farm, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History and the Holden Arboretum. A number of additional universities in the area including John Carroll University, Kent State University and Ohio State University provide further opportunities for collaboration. And Cleveland is an exciting place to live—a fantastic music, food, and art scene!
For those interested in pursuing graduate research in my lab, please email me with an interest letter containing a brief description of your research interests,prior research experience,and statement of why you are interested in pursuing a graduate degree. Graduate students need not work on the current study systems in the lab as long as the research topics fall within the lab's general area of expertise. The lab tends to be more on the quantitative side, so strong data analysis and modeling skills are helpful (we do offer a number of data analysis courses at CWRU, so a willingness to learn and develop these skills is really the most important thing). Above all, the most successful students in the lab will be those driven by scientific curiosity about the natural world. They will be willing to fully engage with the scientific process from the generation of questions and hypotheses through the development of a strong background knowledge of the scientific literature in the desired area of study; to experimental design and data analysis; to a robust commitment to delivering those results to the scientific community and public through peer-reviewed publications and presentations at conferences and other venues. These elements are really crucial (in my opinion) for whatever post-degree career is desired including faculty positions at R1, PUI, SLAC, etc. institutions, non-profits, and the many other types of careers that our students go on to hold. I view my mentoring role of graduate students as a 'coach' - I will provide quite a lot of feedback on these areas, but the motivation should really come from the student. For guidance on how to structure the interest letter, there are a number of excellent resources online including the blogpost here.
The graduate program handbook contains complete details on our program. Other relevant information on our graduate program can be found on the School of Graduate Studies website and the Department of Biology website. Submit your application here. The deadline to apply is 15 December (annually). Note that GRE's are not required, and that application fee waivers can be applied for in case of financial need (please reach out about this early in the application process).
Opportunities for post-doctoral researchers
For those interested in pursuing post-doctoral research in my lab, please email me with a copy of your CV and a brief description of your research plan. Pending congruence and complementarity of research interests and approaches, I would be happy to explore possible external funding opportunities.