Scientists at Janelia work together in multidisciplinary teams to solve challenging biological problems that are difficult to address in other research settings.

Many lab spaces at Janelia feature modular designs and natural light.

Credit: Brad Feinknopf

Occupying 689 wooded acres along the Potomac River, Janelia Farm provides a variety of services and facilities to support its diverse community of scientists and staff—inside and outside the lab.

A view of the Janelia Farm Research Campus at dusk.

Credit: Brad Feinknopf

The Janelia Farm model frees scientists of constraints commonly found in other research environments, providing access to world-class resources and a talented support staff.

Graduate scholar John Tuthill prepares a Drosophila specimen for imaging.

Credit: James Kegley

In addition to our resident scientists and fellows, we offer visiting scientists, graduate, and undergraduate candidates a range of scientific programs.

Graduate scholar Arbora Resulaj (left) and her mentor, Janelia Emeritus Fellow Dmitry Rinberg (right).

Credit: James Kegley

Janelia Farm regularly hosts scientific meetings, ranging from workshops to intensive, specialized conferences. See what's coming up and visit the archive of past events.

Janelia's large auditorium seats 250 people.

Credit: Matt Staley

Janelia provides outstanding employment opportunities, at all levels.

Credit: James Kegley

Many tools developed in Janelia Farm labs are made freely available to outside researchers, while others are taking shape through collaborations with industry, academia, and government.

A virtual arena for the study of flight in insects.

Credit: James Kegley

Janelia’s sense of community comes from a core belief that people of diverse disciplines and backgrounds can accomplish great things when working with a common purpose.

Research specialist Trevor Wardill (left) and group leader Vivek Jayaraman (right).

Credit: James Kegley

Undergraduate Program

Overview

In her stint as an undergraduate scholar at Janelia, Helen investigated the neural basis of social interaction.

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We seek a small number of well-prepared, committed and gifted students to join an intense and exciting research environment.

Janelia Undergraduate Scholars are among the very best future scientists, engineers, and mathematicians who are interested in exploring basic neuroscience, imaging technology, and related fields of research at Janelia. Since its inception in 2007, 50 students have participated in the program. Previous scholars have worked on a range of projects, including helping to identify the neurons that control feeding behavior in fruit flies, designing better labeling molecules for use with sophisticated microscopy, recording from salamander retinal ganglion cells to learn about the motion tracking system, and developing computer programs for automated image analysis.

During their time in residence, scholars have an opportunity to attend weekly seminars by Janelia researchers and visiting scientists. Each summer scholar will have the chance to present his or her work at two symposia open to the Janelia community. In addition to these two symposia, summer scholars also participate in a weekly undergraduate student journal club.

When not in the laboratory, summer scholars, who live on campus, enjoy a variety of social activities, including an evening barbeque, and an outing to Washington to spend the Fourth of July on the mall at the Capital. Each summer class also devises its own social adventures, which in the past have included camping in nearby mountains, a night at the Washington’s Nationals ballgame, and a trip down the Potomac River on inner tubes.

Janelia’s summer scholars program creates an outstanding research experience that serves to enrich the students' intellectual development as well as a summer of fun and exciting exploration of Washington DC, Northern Virginia, and the surrounding area.

Application Information

Any matriculated undergraduate or masters student may apply. The 2013 program will run from June to August.

Students are required to spend a full 10 weeks at Janelia, but Janelia can be flexible on the specific start and end dates to accommodate differing academic calendars at universities. International students are eligible and visas will be supported.

Accommodations and Finances:
Students spend the summer living together in two interconnected townhouses located in the housing village on campus and are able to dine on-campus throughout their stay. All living expenses including housing, food and travel to and from Janelia Farm are covered by the program. Students also receive a stipend of $4,500 for the 10-week period. By the end of the summer, students have had abundant opportunities to learn, experience, imagine, and play along with Janelia scientists.

Applications will open September 1, 2013.

The application materials must include:

College Transcript
A resume or Curriculum Vitae
A short essay on your research interests
A short essay on your current and past research experience
A statement on your career goals
The names of two references who will submit a letter of recommendation.

Janelia does not consider gender, race, ethnic origin, nationality, or religion in its admission decisions.

2012 Scholars

The most recent group of 15 undergraduate scholars came from 11 colleges and universities in Ireland, Russia, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

		William Bradshaw University of Cambridge Major: Biological Natural Sciences Janelia Mentor: Marta Zlatic Will performed behavioral screens on different lines of Drosophila larvae to help elucidate the interneurons involved in the larval pain response. "The JUS program is a fantastic opportunity to do real, exciting research in a unique and ambitious institution. More than that, it is an opportunity for undergraduates to immerse themselves in scientific culture. Many of the most important lessons I’ve learned here have been about how to think about research – how to plan experiments, interrogate data, and approach collaboration with others. Janelia provides a fantastic environment in which to learn these lessons – friendly, supportive, and located in a beautiful setting. Everything is designed to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and encourage original and creative research. It is also better equipped than anything I’ve seen elsewhere."

		Kris Cao University of Cambridge Major: Mathematics Janelia Mentor: Michael Reiser Kris worked on a computational modeling project investigating the reverse-phi perception in flies. "Despite not having a biological background, I quickly felt at home at Janelia, and I was able to participate fully in Janelian life, from lunchtime journal clubs to seminars to lab meetings. The range of activities laid down by the program administrators also helped my integration into Janelia; a particular highlight was going to Washington DC for July 4th and seeing the fireworks. I would heartily recommend applying for the Janelia Undergraduate program to anyone, regardless of their scientific background."

		Ryan Glynn Vanderbilt University Major: Neuroscience and Philosophy Janelia Mentor: Nelson Spruston Ryan developed a quantitative and rapid cell-based assay for cell-type-specific pharmacology optimization. "The environment here at Janelia is incredibly conducive to research with passionate scientists, abundant resources, and a beautiful research campus. In ten short weeks, I have learned a remarkable amount about scientific research from my personal lab experiences and interactions with others on campus. I feel privileged to have spent the summer with my helpful mentors and motivated fellow students and would highly recommend this program to anyone with a strong interest in science."

		Lea Goetz University of Cambridge Major: Neuroscience Janelia Mentor: Anthony Leonardo Lea Goetz developed a setup for functional mapping of flight muscle activity onto wing kinematics to understand how dragonflies steer to catch prey. "What a great summer I had at Janelia! This place melds open-minded people from many different disciplines which creates an unprecedented atmosphere of pioneering spirit. Where else would I have had the opportunity to explore a topic that was new to both me and my supervisor? Working on my project taught me not only methodological skills, but I learned what it requires to turn curiosity into rigorous science. Living at Janelia allowed me to broaden my horizon outside the lab through attending seminars, talks and engaging in discussions, be it over a microscope or coffee. I greatly enjoyed the chance to work and live with extraordinary scientists. The experiences I made fortified my enthusiam for science."

		Agnieszka Klawiter University of Aberdeen Major: Neuroscience with Psychology Janelia Mentor: Eva Pastalkova Effect of partial inactivation of the hippocampus (CA3 area) on episodic memory in behaving rats. "I think Janelia is the best place for an aspiring scientists’ first plunge into the deep waters of science research. Being a part of this intense science community gave me an incredible motivation and determination to get engaged in research and never to stop but rather to start to ask questions - as this is where research starts. It’s been one of the most enjoyable yet challenging summers I’ve ever experienced worth every minute of the late nights and early mornings spent in the lab or watching the 4th of July fireworks in DC."

		Travis Law Grinnell College Major: Undeclared Janelia Mentors: Davi Bock Evaluation of automated segmentation methods for serial-section transmission electron microscopy (ssTEM) images of the mouse visual cortex as a vital first step for the collection and use of peta-scale volumes. "My time at Janelia has been amazing experience. During my time here I've learned an enormous amount about not just Neuroscience, but also collaboration with others and how different fields such as Computer Science and Neuroscience can overlap. This experience has been invaluable to me as a chance to explore the intersection between Computer Science and Neuroscience, and to join an active and engaging lab. Janelia has been an amazing place this summer, and I am lucky to have been here."

		Maksim Manakov Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology Major: Biophysics/Applied Physics and Math Janelia Mentors: Alla Karpova Manakov was trying to find the memory length of a rat fitting its behavioral data to a q-learning algorithm. His own experiments aimed to eliminate the reward cues for an animal, while still pushing it to be variable. "Janelia Farm is best described by Hermann Hesse in his last book "The glass bead game". It's an utopian scientific community where you are provided with everything you might need for doing your research. On the other hand you have vast freedom in your research provided both: by the variety of labs and by the atmosphere in labs themselves. In this situation you can't help to push your aspiration for discoveries and scientific commitment to its limits. Apart from obvious experience in Janelia you get unique knowledge about yourself. Eventually you learn who are you and what are you worth when you are put in an ideal environment and there's no more hinders and excuses.!"

		Neeli Mishra California Institute of Technology Major: Bioengineering Janelia Mentor: Gwyneth Card Designed and characterized a device to look at escape behavior mediated by the mechanosensory system of drosophila. "Being a part of Janelia's undergraduate program has given me the opportunity to work on challenging problems, with unrestricted access to tools, resources and great scientific minds that populate this unique community. In my time here, I have been able to collaborate with scientists in a wide range of fields, from biology to computer science. This has helped me broaden my perspectives on my project and neuroscience research as a whole. Apart from my time in lab, I have enjoyed attending lab meetings, journal clubs and talks, as they are eye-opening and informational. Spending time with other undergraduates was one of the other highlights of this program - coming from such diverse backgrounds, we bonded over our love of science, movies and music. In short, I am grateful for being able to spend my summer at this incredible research center with supportive mentors and motivated fellow undergraduates."

		Joachim Ott ETH Zurich Major: Biology Janelia Mentor: Albert Cardona Development of a segmentation tool for collaborative dense annotation of large serial-section electron microscopy datasets with an interface to a semi-automated reconstruction pipeline. "The time here at Janelia Farm was amazing. I gained a lot of insight into research, not only by hands-on experience but also by all the interesting talks, discussions with peers and chats during lunch. Janelia’s collaborative and interdisciplinary atmosphere is of great value to any scientist by broadening one’s horizons as well as being a great source of new ideas and solutions. I would highly recommend the HHMI JUS program to any undergraduate."

		Mark Pavlyukovskyy Princeton University Major: Molecular Biology Janelia Mentor: Gwyneth Card Identification of the micro-connectome of the Giant Fiber in Drosophila Melanogaster. "Working with extremely curious and supportive people here in Janelia allowed me to have the most intellectually rewarding experience I have ever had from working in a science laboratory. I am glad that I was given the opportunity to work here and I believe that Janelia represents the ideal of what a science research campus should be like."

		Pter Pchelko Saint-Petersburg State Polytechnic University Major: Computer Science Janelia Mentor: Joshua Dudman and Alla Karpova I am working on analyzing the correlation between mouse behavior and activity of the neurons in Substantia Nigra. "My major is Computer Science, so I had no idea what I would do during the program until the first day, but extraordinary willingness to help, teach and explain of my mentor and lab mates gave me an opportunity to dive into the problems of neuroscience. I have highly appreciated this experience and would recommend this program to undergraduates of all majors."

		Elena Perry Yale University Major: Biology Janelia Mentor: Michael Reiser Elena worked on a project optimizing a phototaxis assay for spectral preference in Drosophila. "Living and working at Janelia this summer has been an amazing privilege. The level of independence I was trusted with when working on my project allowed me to learn and grow far more than I had anticipated. Furthermore, the incredible resources and sense of camaraderie here are really special. Outside of the lab, there were so many fascinating talks, seminars, and lunchtime conversations that informed and inspired me. I also have great memories of watching movies and baseball games, going camping and to concerts – both with the Undergraduate Scholars and with other Janelians. Overall, I couldn’t have asked for a better experience, and if I had to do it all over again, I would in a heartbeat."

		Mikhail Proskurin Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology Major: Biophysics/Applied Physics and Math Janelia Mentor: Alla Karpova Investigation of task representation stability across neural ensembles in the medial prefrontal cortex of behaving rats using extracellular electrophysiological recordings. "Herman Hesse described a fictional province of Castalia in his book The Glass Bead Game. This province is populated by intellectuals who are engaged in the study of music, mathematics and arts. Being here I have found that Janelia Farm is an implementation of the Castalia in reality. I enjoyed the time spent at Janelia: overcoming the difficulties in research, attending talks, playing Frisbee and just walking around. I am grateful to my mentor Alla Karpova for maternal care. I am happy that the Janelia Undergraduate Program has given me a chance to meet a lot of enthusiastic people who combine science and art together and expand the horizon of human knowledge."

		Bradley Theilman University of Cincinnati Major: Bioengineering Janelia Mentor: Dmitri Chklovskii Bradley investigated the noise shaping of volatile currents by neural spike generation. "I am so thankful that Janelia exists. It is an amazing environment. From the ground up,every consideration has been taken so that you can't help but come up with new ideas. My summer was amazing because I felt like I hopped on a bullet train of science: going to talks, conversing with other Janelians, and doing my summer research exposed me to some of the most current methods and research questions in neuroscience. Additionally, the collaborative energy here is such that I found myself combining ideas from everywhere you could imagine to answer tough questions. How valuable that is! For a student interested in becoming a skilled researcher that comes up with amazing hypotheses and tests them with the most clever experiments, a summer spent with the scientists at Janelia is the best preparation."

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2011 Scholars

The most recent group of 15 undergraduate scholars came from 11 colleges and universities in China, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

		Biafra Ahanonu Massachusetts Institute of Technology Major: Brain and Cognitive Sciences Janelia Mentor: Vivek Jayaraman Ahanonu built a 3D virtual reality arena for walking Drosophila to be used in future experiments that will simultaneously record from the brain during exploratory tasks. "Spending a summer at Janelia has been quite amazing. The people here have been incredibly helpful, from the group leaders to postdocs, grad student and others--the number of times I ran into someone by accident and came away with a new solution to a problem are too many to count. We had a blast both on and off campus. I've learned so much this summer and don't regret for a moment spending time at Janelia, it has been truly wonderful. "

		Halleh Balch Swarthmore College Major: Physics Janelia Mentors: Eric Betzig and Luke Lavis Balch worked on developing a method of microscopy with molecular resolution in thick samples using novel caged dyes. "The scientists at Janelia showed me what collaboration could mean for research. To have access to a pool of knowledge far beyond a single lab or even single scientific discipline extends the possibility of your work and of the work of those around you. This is the interdisciplinary environment Janelia creates in the labs, at the lunch table and in the research colloquia. From my great mentors and my remarkable peers I learned an incredible amount about scientific research– from formulating and articulating good questions to the hands-on process of pursuit. I couldn't have imagined a better research experience."

		Aleksandra Denisin University of California at Berkeley Major: Bioengineering Janelia Mentor: Philipp Keller Denisin worked on optimizing live imaging methods for intact and extracted central nervous system tissue of the developing fruit fly to facilitate long-term imaging experiments tracing neural development. "The campus is a unique environment promoting collaboration, creativity, and community. The structure of Janelia Farm encourages the unbounded curiosity of scientists to flourish, and this is great for young students like me who need to be reminded every day of the beauty of searching for and discovering something for the first time. Never have I felt so inspired and supported to be innovative and independent in my approach to research. Creative and collaborative science will be the future in many fields. The HHMI Janelia Farm Research Campus is a pioneer in providing scientists with a unique culture and environment to facilitate such work. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to spend my summer at such a wonderful campus with incredible mentors and motivated fellow students!"

		Maita Esteban Massachusetts Institute of Technology Major: Brain and Cognitive Sciences Janelia Mentor: Davi Bock Esteban used serial-section electron microscopy images to trace and classify myelinated axons in the mouse visual cortex. "The research and cutting-edge technology here are remarkable, but the close-knit community makes Janelia Farm truly special. I count myself lucky to have been part of it."

		Preeya Fozdar University of Virginia Major: Neuroscience Janelia Mentor: Julie Simpson Fozdar examined the role of the aminergic systems in Drosophila feeding and grooming behavior to elucidate the underlying neural circuitry involved in organized and state dependent behaviors. "The communal feel on the farm is invaluable to the learning experience as well as the personal experience of being around others with the same scientific curiosity for ten weeks. This program exceeded all my expectations and the friends and experiences I've gained here will stay with me for life."

		Pierre Haas University of Cambridge Major: Mathematics Janelia Mentors: Sean Eddy and Elena Rivas Haas developed Hidden Markov Models that identify and remove instances of common classes of false positives in RNA homology searches. "Why not quote Robert Graves' (quite excellent) novel, Claudius the God? "Words fail me, my lords. Nothing that I might utter could possibly match the depth of my feelings in this matter." While anyone with a slight inkling for mischief would probably point out that "depth of feelings" is not something commonly present in a mathematician, I must confess to a certain elation when I learnt that my application for the Janelia Undergraduate Scholars Programme 2011 had been accepted. Of course, adjectives that spring to mind when it comes to describing my work at Janelia – basically developing some (Hidden) Markov Models to filter false positives in RNA homology searches – include '"tremendous" and "exciting" and their adverbial concatenations, but, from a grander viewpoint, the conclusion I assume any participant in the programme will draw, is that living and working in this intense research environment is simply great."

		Ayla Haddenhorst University of Cambridge Major: Natural Sciences Janelia Mentors: Karel Svoboda and Doug Kim Haddenhorst conducted in vivo imaging of the mouse visual cortex to characterize novel genetically encoded calcium indicators (GECIs). "From the first day on I was made to feel welcome. There is such a pleasant atmosphere on campus and it is easy to see that people here are very passionate about their work, a spirit that has definitely been passed on to me during my stay. I have really enjoyed my time here at Janelia - I couldn't think of a better way to have spent my summer!"

		Andres Laan Cambridge University Major: Neuroscience Janelia Mentor: Dima Rinberg Laan studied the ability of mice to detect differences between presented odor pulses of varying concentrations under the presence or absence of a background odor. "The program itself has lived up to the expectations I had. Working on olfaction in the Rinberg lab, I find that I need to use knowledge from almost every kind of field I've ever had the chance to study, from fluid dynamics and programming to molecular biology. It has been a very eye-opening experience."

		Sylwia Matlosz Lawrence University Major: Biochemistry Janelia Mentor: Luke Lavis Matlosz applied chemical synthesis to small molecule tools, developing a novel calcium indicator that exhibited favorable fluorescence change upon binding to calcium. "I particularly enjoyed interacting with peers and researchers during the Janelia lunch hour. Such unique opportunities exposed me to new imaging technologies, a variety of topics in neuroscience, and computational methods in biology. I am deeply grateful for my summer research experience at Janelia Farm. The program has instilled in me a stronger passion for science and new ideas for scientific problems."

		Glynis Mattheisen Louisiana State University Major: Biochemistry Janelia Mentor: Eva Pastalkova Mattheisen worked to develop a device for noninvasively monitoring multiple physiological functions in freely-moving rodents. "My pursuit for knowledge was aided by the nurturing scientific environment provided at Janelia. I supplemented the time I spent researching in the lab with attending seminars, journal clubs, and laboratory meetings. The campus life allowed camaraderie with like-minded scientists from around the world. All in all, Janelia has allowed me to become a better student and a better scientist. "

		Karen Sarkisyan Moscow State University Major: Molecular Biology Janelia Mentor: Loren Looger Sarkisyan worked on the development of a protein-based GABA sensor and modified GCaMP-like calcium sensors to shift emitted light into the blue and cyan color range. "Janelia has everything a researcher can dream of – the incredible level of science and scientists, lots of money, very comfortable work and living conditions, and real care from the administrative people."

		Colin Stoneking University of Cambridge Major: Neuroscience Janelia Mentor: Karel Svoboda Stoneking developed a method for activating single neurons using two-photon excitation of the channelrhodopsin protein with a scanning laser beam. "What truly made this memorable was the chance to become fully immersed in science – not only through hands-on work, but also through discussions with members of my lab and other summer students, and through the program's journal club. On the whole, this summer was both fun and rewarding, and I would definitely recommend the program to any undergraduate with a serious interest in science."

		Richard Walroth University of Florida Major: Chemistry Janelia Mentor: Luke Lavis Walroth worked on synthesizing caged fluorescent dyes that could be un-caged and made fluorescent using ultraviolet light. "The general feel of the place is incredibly conducive to work, yet I was never pressured to be in lab all the time. Instead, I felt motivated to do work of my own accord. I would highly recommend the program to anyone interested in any field of science."

		Yinan Wan Peking University Major: Biological Sciences Janelia Mentor: Hanchuan Peng Wan developed algorithms to conduct automated comparisons detecting the similarity in structure of pairs of reconstructed neurons. "Knowledge and skills were not the only things I acquired here. I will never forget the happy time we JUSers spent together: movies in the house, frisbee on the grassland, fireworks in D.C. sky, and thunderstorms on Virginia Beach... I cannot think of a more rewarding and exciting way to spend my last summer as an undergraduate."

		Alyson Yee Tufts University Major: Biology Janelia Mentor: Gwyneth Card Yee examined the neuroethological dynamics of damselfly prey capture and Drosophila escape behavior. "Given the enormous amount of support and resources Janelia offered, I had the chance to experience the best science I could do. It was incredible for me to see how much progress I could make, unencumbered by glitches or worries other institutions face. The atmosphere here is 100% collaborative. Never before have I had so many people wanting me to succeed. A typical dinner conversation could range from the mechanism underlying two-photon emission to Markov chains. I enjoyed my time at Janelia because I never felt like a lowly undergraduate. I was aware of being surrounded by great scientific minds, but I was also integrated into the community and my opinions were valued."

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2010 Scholars

The 2010 group of 16 undergraduate scholars came from 12 colleges and universities in the United States, South America, and Europe.

		Benjamin Basanta Major: Biology Janelia Mentor: Loren Looger Basanta worked on the design and synthesis of a new protein to function as a fluorescent dopamine sensor.

		Georgia Blake Major: Natural Sciences Janelia Mentor: Lynn Riddiford Blake studied the effect of juvenile hormone on apoptosis in the ventral nervous system in Drosophila melanogastor.

		Amanda DiBattista Major: Neuroscience Janelia Mentor: Eva Pastalkova DiBattista investigated the correlation between physiological responses and emotional state in behaving rodents.

		Jack Etheredge Major: Biology Janelia Mentor: Jim Truman Etheredge investigated the interaction between neighboring secondary neuronal stem cell lineages and as a mechanism for neuronal growth guidance in Drosophila larvae.

		Miles Fontenot Major: Biology Janelia Mentor: Julie Simpson Fontenot studied the neurons controlling grooming behavior in fruit flies using the split GAL4/UAS system.

		Sara Haenzi Major: Psychology and Neurobiology Janelia Mentor: Roian Egnor Haenzi studied the influence of male ultrasonic vocalizations on female mate choice in mice.

		Laurel Heckman Major: Chemistry Janelia Mentor: Luke Lavis Heckman developed a fluorescent caged neural activity integrator that will identify regions of the brain that are active during specific tasks.

		Jessie Kanwal Major: Biomedical Engineering Janelia Mentor: Anthony Leonardo Kanwal investigated the contribution of retinal ganglion cells to visual motion tracking in salamanders during preying behavior.

		Jason Keller Major: Neuroscience Janelia Mentor: Karel Svoboda Keller developed a technique to photostimulate neurons with high spatial and temporal resolution using 2-photon excitation of channelrhodopsin-2.

		Andrew Lawson Major: Natural Sciences Tripos Janelia Mentor: David Clayton Lawson used fluorescent labeling to investigate the location in which mitochondrial-DNA-encoded proteins are translated.

		Danxun Li Major: Physics Janelia Mentor: Loren Looger Li investigated in vitro modifications of the calcium sensor GCaMP3.

		Yu-An (Stephanie) Lien Major: Biomedical Engineering Janelia Mentor: Alla Karpova Lien investigated the operation of delayed reciprocity as a factor in the decision-making of rats.

		Alexandra McGregor Major: Biomedical Engineering Janelia Mentor: Lou Scheffer McGregor designed morphometry techniques for identifying the active zone of synapses in EM and FIB images.

		Neset Ozel Major: Molecular Biology and Genetics Janelia Mentor: Alla Karpova Ozel investigated the neural mechanisms of rat decision making in dynamic environments using in vivo electrophysiological recordings.

		Theeradej (Paclink) Thaweerattanasinp Major: Neuroscience Janelia Mentor: Josh Dudman Thaweerattanasinp developed a behavioral paradigm for odor-induced navigation in mice.

		Chris Yates Major: Natural Sciences Janelia Mentor: Elena Rivas Yates developed a two-state hidden Markov model to characterize the behavior of group-housed mice.

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2009 Scholars

In 2009, 16 summer scholars came from 15 colleges and universities across the United States and Europe, where they studied fields such as chemical biology, biomedical engineering, physics, and computer science.

		Caroline Becker University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Major: Cell and Molecular Biology Janelia Mentor: Eric Betzig Becker used photoactivated localization microscopy to image at super-resolution the histone proteins that help package DNA in condensed chromosomes.

		Nicole Carreras University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Major: Chemistry Janelia Mentor: Loren Looger Carreras worked to engineer and characterize a red protein-based sensor for deep-tissue imaging of calcium transients.

		Daniel Ferguson Grinnell College Major: Biology Janelia Mentor: Anthony Leonardo Ferguson tested methods of improving the longevity of dragonflies by treating them with neuroendocrine regulators.

		Jan Funke Dresden University of Technology Major: Computer Science Janelia Mentor: Gene Myers Funke worked on developing automated image-segmentation algorithms to help computers understand what is to be seen in electron-microscope images of the flatworm C. elegant and in brightfield-microscope images of neurons.

		Xun (Helen) Hou Massachusetts Institute of Technology Major: Biology and Physics Janelia Mentor: Alla Karpova Hou investigated the neural basis of social interaction by studying rats as they compete against a computer in a mixed-strategy game.

		Johnny Hu Harvard University Major: Chemical and Physical Biology Janelia Mentor: Vivek Jayaraman Hu used a free-walking arena and a tethered ball configuration to examine fruit flies' behavioral response to polarized light, which might serve as an important visual guide for fly movement.

		Teddy Kamata University of Oxford Major: Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Janelia Mentor: Bruce Baker Kamata screened genetically modified fruit fly lines to better characterize specific neurons that process information during courtship.

		Rachel Letteri University of Notre Dame Major: Chemical Engineering Janelia Mentor: Luke Lavis Letteri worked to synthesize small fluorescent rhodamine molecules that are brighter than existing labeling molecules to allow researchers using two-photon microscopy to better visualize neural activity in live brain slices.

		Lor Moa Gustavus Adolphus College Major: Psychology Janelia Mentor: Julie Simpson Moa screened neurons in fruit flies to identify those that are needed to control feeding behavior.

		Brandi Rollins University of Mary Washington Major: Physics Janelia Mentor: Rex Kerr Rollins analyzed images for an advanced microscope system to observe neural activity in the flatworm C. elegant.

		Kelly Seagraves University of Colorado, Boulder Major: Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology Janelia Mentor: Roian Egnor Seagraves studied the vocalizations of isolated mouse pups and the corresponding adult behavioral response, in an effort to better understand vocal communication between mice in a social context.

		Eric Trautman University of California Berkeley Major: Chemical Biology Janelia Mentor: Tim Harris Trautman designed and built retroreflectors for tracing in-flight mechanics of dragonflies during prey capture.

		Yiliu Peter Wang Cornell University Major: Neurobiology and Behavior Janelia Mentor: Scott Sternson In live mice, Wang combined optical and pharmacological approaches to dissect the contribution of neurotransmitter release by a group of neurons that regulate feeding.

		Gloria Wu University of California Berkeley Major: Biochemistry Janelia Mentor: Tzumin Lee Wu mapped neurons in the fruit fly brain using florescent labels.

		Shicong Mimi Xie University of California Berkeley Major: Physics Janelia Mentor: Harald Hess Xie implemented an autofocus function on the interferometric photoactivatable localization microscope (iPALM) and analyzed the spectral response of gold nanoparticles for their use as imaging fiducials.

		Hong Young Noh University of Cambridge Major: Biomedical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering Janelia Mentor: Dmitri Chklovskii Noh studied the feasibility of "Compressive Sensing," a relatively novel sampling concept, as a method for the sparse reconstruction of neuronal networks.

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2008 Scholars

In 2008, 14 undergraduates participated. They were born in seven different countries and came to us from 10 different universities.

		Olga Botvinnik Massachusetts Institute of Technology Major: Mathematics and Biological Engineering Janelia Mentor: Sean Eddy Botvinnik built a computer algorithm that analyzes protein databases to better define what makes proteins unique.

		Jennifer Brown Oxford University Major: Physiological Sciences Janelia Mentor: Joshua Dudman Brown analyzed a "caged" version of dopamine that is released when exposed to a specific wavelength of light, to better understand how dopamine reinforces particular behaviors in mice.

		Kelli Carroll Davidson College Major: Biology Janelia Mentor: Rex Kerr Carroll examined the role of calcium channels in the link between C. elegans' physical and neurological responses to vibrations, which cause the worms to reflexively move backwards.

		Mei-Hsin Cheng Massachusetts Institute of Technology Major: Biology Janelia Mentor: Julie Simpson Cheng screened several fruit fly lines to identify the neurons involved when the flies use their long nose extensions to eat solutions containing sugar, which may help explain more about fly behavior.

		Philip Coen Cambridge University Major: Neuroscience/Physics Janelia Mentor: Vivek Jayaraman Coen tested whether the behavior of tethered fruit flies is changed when they are exposed to different visual stimuli while walking on a ball, which may help explain fly movement.

		Beryl Jones University of Arizona Major: Biochemistry, Molecular & Cellular Biology Janelia Mentor: Lynn Riddiford Jones looked at the role of a hormone receptor in influencing the size and eating behavior of fruit fly larvae.

		Kristopher Kennedy University of California, Los Angeles Major: Neuroscience Janelia Mentor: Michael Reiser Kennedy studied how fruit flies detect environmental differences, specifically velocity changes, in their immediate area and the minimum difference the flies can detect, which may help explain how flies move.

		Taylor LaFlam Yale University Major: Biology Janelia Mentor: David Clayton LaFlam examined the grouping of mitochondrial DNA in clumps called nucleoids and the role of the protein EF-Tu in these nucleoids, which will help explain the mechanisms of change in the mitochondrial genome.

		Nirmala Paudel University of Oxford Major: Biomedical and Information Engineering Janelia Mentor: Roian Egnor Paudel recorded mouse vocalizations in different social contexts to find out if there are differences in call rate, duration, and complexity, which may help explain mouse communication.

		Kiersten Petersen Georgia Institute of Technology Major: Biomedical Engineering Janelia Mentor: Alla Karpova Petersen researched RNA expression in different regions of the mouse brain to determine what genes are expressed at high levels in different regions of the brain.

		Maria Purice University of Oregon Major: Biology, Neuroscience focus Janelia Mentor: Gerry Rubin Purice studied gene expression in the brains of fruit fly embryos and integrated the results into a larger 3-D map of the fruit fly brain.

		Balaji Ravichandran University of Cambridge Major: Physics/Neuroscience Janelia Mentor: Loren Looger Ravichandran helped to identify an enzyme that may be able to open up a "genetic cage," which would allow it to be expressed only in selected areas of the nervous system.

		Dylan Rich University College London Major: Neuroscience Janelia Mentor: Dmitry Rinberg Rich tested whether it is possible to measure the brain's response to smell in a live mouse.

		Nicholas Sofroniew University of Cambridge Major: Mathematics Janelia Mentor: Dmitri Chklovskii Sofroniew worked to develop better ways to detect mitochondria and recreate their position in neurons on electron microscope scans of rat brains.

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2007 Scholars

As a pilot experiment, four undergraduates worked in the labs of Janelia Farm lab heads, carrying out research in different areas of neuroscience.

		Arjun Bharioke University of Toronto Major: Chemical Physics/Biochemistry Janelia Mentor: Karel Svoboda

		Chelsea Trengrove University of Colorado at Boulder Major: Biochemistry Janelia Mentor: Loren Looger

		Jonathan Yoke University of Virginia Major: Computer and Biomedical Engineering Janelia Mentor: Michael Reiser

		Livia Zarnescu University of Arizona Major: Optical Sciences and Engineering and Mathematics Janelia Mentors: Julie Simpson and Gene Myers

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Overview

Application Information

2012 Scholars

2011 Scholars

2010 Scholars

2009 Scholars

2008 Scholars

2007 Scholars

Program Administration