Spring 2025 AJC Merit Research Scholars Co-op Applications Now Open!

September 10, 2024 | by Carey Accola

We are delighted to announce the fourth cohort for the AJC Merit Research Scholarship is opening for Spring 2025. These co-ops will begin in July and end in December.

Academically talented and ambitious students can apply to conduct research in the lab or group of a tenured or tenure-track STEM faculty member at a rate comparable to what they’d encounter in industry in two ways.

By sharing a proposal to conduct a research co-op with a faculty member with whom they are already working.

By applying into an Approved AJC Merit Research Scholar Co-op position.

Below is an overview of the ten faculty-approved positions collaborating with Undergraduate Research and Fellowships. Full job descriptions can be viewed on NUWorks.  Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.

Aging and the Microbiome AJC Merit Research Co-op
Mentor: Erel Levine, Associate Professor, Bioengineering, COE
The Levine Lab is focused on asking how different biological systems (the gut and the brain, different signaling pathways, the host and its microbiome) interact to drive an organism’s health. We develop high-resolution imaging platforms to quantitatively measure signaling and physiological dynamics and develop machine learning algorithms to interpret these large-scale data. 
LAB/FACULTY WEBSITE: https://levine-lab.sites.northeastern.edu/  
NUWorks: https://northeastern-csm.symplicity.com/students/app/jobs/detail/8cc3cbe4cc1ea8cccd9b0531c2503b1a

AI-Generated 3D Content AJC Merit Research Co-op
Mentor: Huaizu Jiang, Assistant Professor, Computer Science, Khoury
The Jian Lab has a broad research interests in computer vision, computational photography, natural language processing, and machine learning. They have a long-term research aims to teach machines to develop visual intelligence in a manner analogous to humans. In the short term, their research goal is to create smart visual perception tools to improve people’s life experiences of using cameras.
LAB/FACULTY WEBSITE: https://jianghz.me  
NUWorks: https://northeastern-csm.symplicity.com/students/app/jobs/detail/61e3f6a2763b4038f94b1d22bab10c17

Body Composition and Cognition AJC Merit Research Co-op
Mentor: Lauren Raine, Assistant Professor, Physical Therapy, Human Movement, and Rehabilitation Sciences, Bouve
Broadly speaking, the Raine lab involves the intersection of public health and brain health. My research explores the intersection of health, fitness, body composition, and cognitive and mental health across the lifespan, with a focus on children.  
LAB/FACULTY WEBSITE: https://ihbnlab.sites.northeastern.edu/  
NUWorks: https://northeastern-csm.symplicity.com/students/app/jobs/detail/89de55e9d36ff3659858b2a825295b5f

Brain Games and Health AJC Merit Research Co-op
Mentor: Aaron Seitz, Professor, Psychology, Bouve
The Seitz lab research focuses on developing and validating novel software tools to measure and train cognitive function. They use existing and novel methods to measure baselines and changes, and develop cognitive training procedures to enhance brain plasticity, studying the mechanisms of learning and memory through behavioral, computational, and neuroscientific approaches.
LAB/FACULTY WEBSITE: https://bgc.provost.northeastern.edu
NUWorks: https://northeastern-csm.symplicity.com/students/app/jobs/detail/380831bd503147af18140783c8d9f6ee

Cardiac Organoids AJC Merit Research Co-op
Mentor: Hyeon Yu Kim, Assistant Professor, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, COE
The Kim lab research focuses on understanding organ formation during development and advancing healthcare treatments through the use of 3D personalized human tissue models. We also aim to elucidate the mechanisms underlying relevant biological phenomena and diseases. 
LAB/FACULTY WEBSITE: https://kimheartmakers.sites.northeastern.edu/ 
NUWorks: https://northeastern-csm.symplicity.com/students/app/jobs/detail/33418e8d9e67fb659f84f5cde2e5238b

Environmental Plastics AJC Merit Research Co-op
Mentor: Aron Stubbins, Professor, Marine and Environmental Studies, COS
We study the natural carbon cycle, how humans are altering it, and plastics in the environment. I see plastics as a novel component of the carbon cycle as well as potential pollutants. 
LAB/FACULTY WEBSITE: https://cos.northeastern.edu/people/aron-stubbins/  
NUWorks: https://northeastern-csm.symplicity.com/students/app/jobs/detail/ca5435de41d13148952ed838879614bc

Experimental Particle Physics AJC Merit Research Co-op
Mentor: Louise Skinnari, Assistant Professor, Physics, COS
The Skinnari lab conducts physics data analysis as well as studies and development of next-generation detector systems. The work is largely software and simulation based.
LAB/FACULTY WEBSITE: https://cos.northeastern.edu/people/louise-skinnari/ 
NUWorks: https://northeastern-csm.symplicity.com/students/app/jobs/detail/a64fa657b3192fe1a6adcd0094f9d961

Human-Robot Interaction AJC Merit Research Co-op
Mentor: Zhi Tan, Assistant Professor, Computer Sciences, Khoury
The Tan lab investigate how robots should work/behave around humans by building robotic systems and evaluate them in real-world experiments. 
LAB/FACULTY WEBSITE: https://www.khoury.northeastern.edu/people/zhi-tan/
NUWorks: https://northeastern-csm.symplicity.com/students/app/jobs/detail/6306d19c3e0164040659b222175179d7

Superconducting Nanostructures AJC Merit Research Co-op
Mentor: Marco Colangelo, Assistant Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, COE
In the Nano Structure Laboratory, we research superconducting nanostructures and nanofabrication technology for several projects. Our applications are towards quantum information, specifically on single-photon detection and superconducting microwave electronics for signal processing at low-temperature.
LAB/FACULTY WEBSITE: https://colangelo.sites.northeastern.edu/ 
NUWorks: https://northeastern-csm.symplicity.com/students/app/jobs/detail/3d52c15bd8e462d8842e8198096d25ac

Tissue Regeneration AJC Merit Research Co-op
Mentor: James Monaghan, Professor and Chair, Biology, COS
The laboratory studies the molecular and cellular basis of tissue regeneration. Why do axolotls have enhanced regenerative abilities? 
LAB/FACULTY WEBSITE: https://monaghanlab.northeastern.edu 
NUWorks: https://northeastern-csm.symplicity.com/students/app/jobs/detail/fb598942f8405eb3df1acc3ff9c9d6db