USIBR 2025 

Summer research for Undergraduates and Exceptional High School Students at the University of California Irvine, Biomedical Engineering

Objective: 

The Undergraduate Student Initiative for Biomedical Research (USIBR) program at the cross various labs in Engineering but focused on imaging systems. The  Laboratory for Fluorescence Dynamics, a former P41 NIH National Center, will host selected students interested in science to cutting-edge imaging technology.  Participants will have lectures given by UCI Faculty in the area of optical imaging and have the opportunity to do a "mini" research project testing hypothesis-driven biological questions. These practicals are not cookie-cutter hands-on sessions but are intended to inspire critical thinking and test new hypotheses currently being investigated in scientific research labs.

Program Details:

Number of Students: 20 undergraduate community college and up to 5 high school students will be selected.

Commitment: Please note that students need to participate for the ENTIRE length of the program. 

Program Length and Description: This program will run for 5 days at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). In the morning (M-F, 9 am-noon), participants will attend lectures, while in the afternoon  (M-F, 1-4:30 pm, or until 5 pm on occasion) they will get a chance to have hands-on experiments. 

With guidance from faculty mentors each group of students will propose a hypothesis for their research project, which will need to be completed by the end of the program. On the last day, each student will present their research project summarizing their results and findings. This program will allow students to have interactive research experience and training on state with Laser scanning microscopes at the Laboratory for Fluorescence Dynamics (LFD). 

 Selection Process: Students will need to submit an application by July 19, 2025.  Although all community college students are welcome to apply, Please note that students need to participate for the ENTIRE length of the program. 

 Instruments Used: All instruments selected for the research projects are housed or owned by the Laboratory for Fluorescence Dynamics(http://www.lfd.uci.edu/). 

 Application: Registration and participation is free. Each student will be provided with a student ID, waiver forms to sign for work in the labs, and lab safety training. 

  DEADLINE TO APPLY : JULY 19, 2025 

Application Details:       

Qualifications: 

• Must be a registered undergraduate or high school student 

• Must have a GPA≥3.0

• Students must attend all 5 days of the program

• Must be interested in Math, Physics, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Systems Biology, Biophysics, and/or Biomedical Engineering

Sponsors:UCI, LFD,Henry Samueli School of Engineering