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Biophysics & NeurophotonicsVerified Info
Cohen Lab
Principal Investigator: Adam Cohen
About the Lab
The Cohen Lab develops and applies new tools to study biology. We push the limits of physics and chemistry to make measurements in previously inaccessible regimes.
Lab Video
Explore biophysics and neurophotonics research
What Research Looks Like
Depends on the student and the project!
Example Undergraduate Projects
- Developing an improved method for optical stimulation of neurons with a pulsed ultrafast laser
- Modeling Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS) with human stem cell-derived neurons
- Developing better algorithms for extracting the electrical activity of neurons from voltage imaging data
Prerequisites & Skills
Familiarity with programming (ideally Matlab) is very helpful. Other lab skills (optics, cloning and molecular biology, cell culture) are helpful but not required.
Before You Reach Out
Interested students should look at the projects and publications on our lab website (https://cohenweb.rc.fas.harvard.edu/) and decide what they are interested in. Please send me an email with a copy of your CV and a short explanation of your background (classes you've taken and past research experience), what you are interested to do in the lab, and why.
Where Students Go After
Most undergrads have gone on to grad school; a few to med school.
Contact Information
At a Glance
Time Commitment
About 10/week during the semester. Some undergrads also work full-time over the summers.
Undergrads per Semester
Typically 1-3
Typical Project Length
As long as they want. To bring a project to publication usually takes several years.
Minimum Commitment
My goal with each undergrad is that they will spend several years working in the group. After 1 semester we evaluate whether it is a good fit.
Co-authorship Policy
Yes
Group Meetings
Yes, once a week, 90 minutes.
Interested in joining?
Reach out to Adam Cohen via email to express your interest in undergraduate research.