Research Opportunities
There are many benefits to completing student research, including gaining valuable experience in experimental design, specialized lab skills, data curation and analysis, and public speaking. Regardless of your career goals, research experience looks good on a resume or post-graduate application, and it’s fun! Every Xavier biology student must complete some kind of research project, and there are three ways to do that.
On Campus
There is research going on in these labs right now! Check out the variety of research topics being studied, and then call or e-mail a professor to start doing research today. It is never too early to volunteer and participate in a research project. There are also paid summer opportunities, and paid opportunities during the academic year for students who qualify for work-study aid.
William Anyonge
Kelly Crowe
Dottie Engle
Tyler Imfeld
Mollie McIntosh
Kathryn Morris
Mandy Powers
Ann Ray
Jennifer Robbins
Hanna Wetzel
And, coming soon, many more opportunities at the proposed College of Osteopathic Medicine, which opens in Fall, 2027.
Off Campus
Xavier Bio Department students have had excellent success volunteering and even getting paid to do research around town at institutions like Cincinnati Children's Hospital, the Cincinnati Zoo, UC College of Medicine and Woods Hudson Cancer Research Laboratory. We also help you with applications to summer programs around the country and world. Check out the Biology Department Advising Canvas Page (you must be a current XU biology student to access this page) for workshops, tips and lists of current opportunities.
Senior Research Courses
Even if you do not begin doing research before your senior year, there are course options available for you. Every student is required to complete a capstone project:
- BIOL-496: Senior Capstone Seminar – In this one semester course you will complete an in-depth review of primary literature on a specialized topic. Your efforts will culminate in a written review paper and an oral presentation.
- BIOL-497: Experimental Biology Lab – In this one semester course you will work in a small group to develop and complete a novel research project. You will present your results in a thesis paper, an oral presentation, and at a poster session. You may also be invited to present your work at a national conference, and, sometimes, these turn into published papers.
- BIOL-498/499: Methods of Biological Research – In this year long course you will work to develop and complete a novel research project. You will present your results in a thesis paper, and oral presentation, and at a poster presentation. These too, can turn into publications.