Epilepsy is characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizures and is one of the most common neurological disorders in humans. The Mefford lab uses state-of-the-art genomics and computational methods to identify new genetic and genomic causes of childhood-onset forms of epilepsy. Examples include whole exome and whole genome sequencing, chromosome microarrays and bioinformatics analysis of large sequence data sets. Once new causes are discovered, we also evaluate clinical information to understand the phenotypic features associated with specific causes of epilepsy. Depending on their interest, student could participate in experimental and/or computational projects in the lab and would be expected to learn how to develop a research question, design and perform experiments, interpret the results and design additional experiments based on the results. They would also be expected to present their results at lab meetings, and if appropriate, at a scientific meeting. http://www.
We are looking for a highly-motivated, responsible student who has taken courses in genetics, biology and/or chemistry. Some laboratory bench experience is a plus, as is some experience with bioinformatic analysis and programming in R, Perl and/or Python. Ideally, the student would be able to work an average of ~15 hours per week for at least 6 months. The student should be able to provide references from prior research supervisors or course instructors.
If interested, contact Alison Muir (alimuir@uw.edu). Please include your resume and transcript with your email.