Available Positions

      NIH Funded Undergraduate Research Positions Available in the Delorme-Axford lab, Department of    Biological Sciences at Oakland University (Rochester, MI)

The laboratory of Dr. Elizabeth Delorme-Axford, Department of Biological Sciences at Oakland University is recruiting undergraduate student researchers to join the lab, beginning Fall 2025. These student researcher positions are supported by an NIH funded R15 grant.  We strive to support an inclusive and welcoming environment for all. Please note that the funding for this position is subject to continued availability.

The primary research focus of the lab is on autophagy. Autophagy is a dynamic pathway of cellular degradation and recycling that is highly conserved across eukaryotes (from yeast to human). Basal autophagy is low, but is upregulated during stress conditions such as nutrient deprivation and pathogen infection.

 Current work in the Delorme-Axford lab focuses on two main areas - 1) identifying the molecular mechanisms regulating autophagy and 2) molecular cross-talk between cellular metabolic pathways and autophagy. Our studies apply a “yeast to human” approach of identifying conserved targets in yeast and expanding to relevant models of human disease. The long-term goal of the lab is to understand the multifaceted roles that autophagy plays in the cell, and to develop new strategies targeting autophagy as a therapeutic.

The rationale for this NIH-funded project is that there is a gap in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms driving responses necessary for cell survival under stress conditions. Our objective is to determine the role(s) of pseudouridine synthases in nonselective and selective autophagy. Pus enzymes catalyze the RNA-independent isomerization of uridine to pseudouridine (Ψ). Since autophagy is highly conserved from yeast to humans, we expect that our findings from this project can be applied to furthering our understanding of cell survival in humans. The proposed work is significant because it advances our knowledge of the physiological roles of Pus enzymes in cells and how cells dynamically respond to environmental stress. This project will generate fundamental knowledge required for understanding cell survival mechanisms under stress conditions.

If you are interested in a position in the lab, please reach out via email (delormeaxford@oakland.edu).

For prospective graduate students, see Graduate programs in Biological Sciences at Oakland University.