Research Opportunities

The Biological Sciences Department at MSMC is the second largest undergraduate department on campus and offers a strong academic program.

Summer Research

Summer Research Programs offer students an opportunity to participate in scientific discovery, travel to major Research Institutions throughout the country, and network with students, faculty and scientists. Our students are awarded summer research fellowships at the most prestigious research-intensive universities in the country, including Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Columbia, UCLA, UCSF, and NYU.

Students participating in Summer Research Programs travel to their host institution where they will carry out ten weeks of biomedical research. Research projects are conducted in conjunction with a mentor, and students are encouraged to think independently and creatively. At the conclusion of the program, students will have their own data which they will then present at campus, state and national conferences during the academic year.

Deadlines for applying to Summer Research programs are December through March, depending on the program.

For advice on how to apply to summer research programs: Click here

For a list of links to hundreds of summer research opportunities: Click here

On Campus Research:

As an integral part of the Sciences at MSMC, all students working towards a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences have the opportunity to participate in ongoing research projects under the supervision of a faculty mentor. Our current research projects are described below.

The Biology Department at Mount St. Mary's College is a recipient of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC) undergraduate training grant. This grant supports eight student research assistant fellowships for juniors and seniors each year. Each student trainee receives a grant to pay for over half of their tuition and a stipend for the work they conduct in the research laboratory. This is an outstanding program that teaches expertise in biomedical research fields, and allows students to network with researchers across the country.

Students are eligible to apply to the MARC program during the spring semester of their sophomore year. For more information on the application process, please contact Susan Briggs in the Biology Department office at (310) 954-4060.

Project #1
Afsane Arvand, Ph.D. (Biological Sciences Dept.)
"Investigating the mechanisms of cell apoptosis in response to microtubule disruption during cancer treatments

Project #2
Julia Chang, Ph.D. (Biological Sciences Dept.)
"Studying the molecular mechanisms underlying infantile epilepsy"

Project #3 
Deniz Cizmeciyan, Ph.D. (Physical Sciences & Mathematics Dept.)
“Solid-State NMR as a Molecular-Level Probe to Study Chiral Reactions in Zeolites”

Project #4
Stacey Peterson, Ph.D. (Biological Sciences Dept.)
"The mechanism of a bacterial enzyme involved in pathogenesis" 

Project #5
Eric Stemp, Ph.D. (Physical Sciences & Mathematics Dept.)
“DNA-Protein Crosslinking caused by Oxidative Damage to DNA”

Project #6
Bruce Yazejian, Ph.D. (Biological Sciences Dept.)
"Genetic Control of Sensory Hair Cell Membrane Channels in Zebrafish"