Faculty Mentor Pool

​​​Mentor: Professor Taehoon Im, Ph.D.*NOT ACCEPTING A PODER STUDENT FOR 2025-2026*

Project Description: The research project that the student will participate in will be about the determinants of the success of start-up enterprises in the United States and around the world. This project is to examine (1) a variety of measures of the success of start-up enterprises such as financial (e.g., sales) and non-financial (e.g., reputation) performance, and (2) a variety of determinants of the success of start-up enterprises (e.g., CEO characteristics, location, government subsidies, etc.).

Mentor: Professor Nhut Ho, Ph.D. *NOT ACCEPTING A PODER STUDENT FOR 2025-2026*

Project Description: Data collection and analysis for the Boracle project using Smart Wearable Devices. 

Student Roles: The student assistant in this project will develop skills in data collection, data analysis, data visualization, and leading and training team members about the data collection approach. In addition, the student assistant will also develop personal skills to work with faculty advisors in the project, collaborators for data collection with targeted stakeholders, communicate with peers and external users throughout the data collection and data analysis approach, and compose comprehensive report to demonstrate the data analysis results and provide insights for stakeholders to understand the collected data, and collaborate with other teams in the project and assistant them on the data visualization and storage of the collected data.

Mentor: Professor David Boyajian, Ph.D.

Project Description: The research envisioned will involve an autonomous RC car with line tracking technology to lead runners along a track. This will allow runners to run accurate paces with something to chase. We aim to make the RC car powerful enough to run a 4-minute mile pace (15 mph) and cover distances of up to 10 miles which is what a typical star athlete-runner does during their college workouts.

Student Roles: Research.

Preferred qualifications: Is an upperclassman in engineering

Mentor: Professor Rashida Hasan, Ph.D. 

Project Description: Project Title: Proactive Anomaly Detection – Evolving and complex systems such as large-scale networks, autonomous systems, cyber-physical infrastructures, industrial control systems, smart grids, healthcare monitoring systems, financial trading platforms, clinical decision support systems, and the Internet of Things (IoT) operate in dynamic environments where traditional anomaly detection approaches often fall short due to delayed response times, concept drift, and the inability to predict future failures. Existing anomaly detection methods primarily focus on reactive strategies, identifying anomalies only after they have already impacted the system. These limitations hinder the ability to ensure the safety, reliability, and resilience of these systems, especially in mission-critical applications. This proposal aims to transform anomaly detection into a proactive, adaptive, and intervention-ready framework capable of anticipating, evolving with, and mitigating anomalies before they escalate into critical failures. To achieve this, the proposed research introduces a Proactive Anomaly Detection System that integrates predictive modeling, self-adaptive learning, and early intervention strategies This research will fundamentally shift the paradigm of anomaly detection from a reactive to a proactive model. The proposed framework will not only enhance anomaly detection in evolving and complex network but also provide a foundation for future self-healing AI-driven infrastructures.

Student Roles: Students will participate in a variety of hands-on activities that span the full lifecycle of developing a Proactive Anomaly Detection System. These activities will include designing, implementing, and evaluating machine learning algorithms for predictive anomaly forecasting, simulating real-world system anomalies using synthetic and real datasets, and building adaptive models capable of learning from streaming data in dynamic environments. Students will gain a deep understanding of machine learning methods, including both supervised and unsupervised learning models, as well as forecasting techniques critical for predictive anomaly detection. They will also gain hands-on experience in research paper writing, learning how to document their findings, structure scientific arguments, and prepare submissions for conferences and journals. Through these tasks, students will strengthen their technical proficiency in Python, deep learning libraries (e.g., PyTorch or TensorFlow), and tools such as scikit-learn and Apache Kafka for real-time data processing.

Mentor: Professor Xunfei Jiang, Ph.D. 

Project Description: Wearable devices and body sensor technology have evolved rapidly in the past years. While various types of devices collect different types of data, these data are currently only available to the device manufacturers’ internal team of developers. If the device’s manufacturers could make their devices’ body vital data available to 3rd party developers, significantly more health condition prognostics can be derived from trustworthy and intelligent algorithmic analysis. The decoupling of body sensor devices and intelligent algorithmic analysis of body vital data will accelerate independent and innovative growth in each of the areas. In this research, we will conduct analysis for understanding the performance and injury prevention using data collected from smart wearable devices. Data Science knowledge will be used for data pre-processing, machine learning model training, and data visualization to help stakeholders understand their personal data.

Student Roles: The student in this position will lead a team of students in conducting data analysis of the Boracle project on data collected from smart wearable devices. You will gain research experience in problem-solving through analyzing existing research, designing and conducting experiments, and applying data science technologies in data collection, analysis, processing, modeling, and visualization. You will also be encouraged to present your work as a poster and/or oral presentation in research symposia and conferences.

Mentor: Professor Seunghoon Hwang,  Ph.D.

Project Description: Our project develops a wearable robot to help users who have neurological disorders.

Student Roles: Research Assistant

Preferred Qualifications:   Students at ME, CS, EE or Physical Therapy

Mentor: Professor Heramb Nemlekar, Ph.D.*NOT ACCEPTING A PODER STUDENT FOR 2025-2026*

Project Description: Prof. Heramb Nemlekar is interested in teaching robots to become useful, intelligent, and adaptable partners for humans. There are two main directions that students can explore: (1) Robot Design - In this direction, we will design and build robotic hands (called end-effectors) that can perform dexterous tasks like scooping ice cream, folding clothes, or assembling furniture. We will also develop interfaces for humans to control robots, such as using voice commands or novel joysticks. (2) Robot Planning & Learning - In this direction, you will learn how to program robots and apply machine learning to teach them new tasks. One example project might involve teaching a robot arm to make coffee by watching how a human does it. The robot would learn not just the motion it needs to follow, but also how to adapt to changes, like using different coffee machine or ingredients. Please check our website: https://csun-carelab.github.io/

Student Roles: We are seeking highly motivated students who are passionate about making a real difference through robotics research. As a Research Assistant in the Collaborative and Autonomous Robotics Research (CARE) Lab, you will have the chance to spend at least 11 hours a week building new robotic systems or developing robot algorithms. Under the guidance of Prof. Nemlekar, you will be able to build expertise in robotics, machine learning, and related areas. By the end of your time in the lab, you will have implemented a robotic system and contributed to a research publication in a top robotics journal. This experience will give you a strong foundation for graduate studies or careers in automation and robotics.

Mentor: Professor Melih Papila, Ph.D.*NOT ACCEPTING A PODER STUDENT FOR 2025-2026*

Project Description: To surmount the barriers to sustainable manufacturing and re-use/re-purpose of structural composites, a new paradigm is needed for bonded joints that can be self-healable, de-mountable and reconfigurable. The proposed project will address this paradigm by developing a sustainable and energy efficient solution at the intersection between an emerging reformable class of polymers, vitrimers, and a traditional joining process, Joule/direct electric heating. In their application for bonding purposes, electrically conductive, nonwoven carbon-based veils of different areal weight will act as functional carriers to create self-supported vitrimer hot-melt impregnated structural adhesive composite films. These building-block systems will function as an in-situ Joule heating element for bonded joint applications, such as secondary bonding for stiffened panels.

Mentor: Tohid Sardarmehni, Ph.D.

Project Description: The research project focuses on developing a region-based approximation framework for optimal control of a drone. The goal is to design a control strategy that leverages regional partitioning of the state space to approximate the solution of the optimal control problem, making it computationally efficient and scalable for real-time applications. Once the control law is derived, the student will implement and validate it on an actual drone platform using ROS 2 for communication, integration, and deployment. This project bridges theoretical optimal control methods with practical robotic implementation, providing both rigorous analysis and hands-on validation in aerial robotics.

Student Roles: The students’ research project focuses on developing a region-based approximation framework for optimal control of a drone. The goal is to design a control strategy that leverages regional partitioning of the state space to approximate the solution of the optimal control problem, making it computationally efficient and scalable for real-time applications. Once the control law is derived, the student will implement and validate it on an actual drone platform using ROS 2 for communication, integration, and deployment. This project bridges theoretical optimal control methods with practical robotic implementation, providing both rigorous analysis and hands-on validation in aerial robotics.

Preferred Qualifications: ME 384; knowing the basics of system modeling, analysis, and control.

Mentor: Professor Kandice Grote, Ph.D. 

Project Description: At present, there are two current research projects including: 1) Children’s Book Zoom Intervention: This project aims to address topics of cognitive flexibility among early childhood. The primary target sample includes bilingual populations measuring areas of self-efficacy, growth mindset, and perceptions of bilingualism before and after reading targeted children’s books related to growth mindset and dual language learning. The second project 2) The Bilingual Experience: Examines early childhood (past) and adult perceptions (present) experiences related to language learning/maintenance of non-English language(s) across multiple generations.

Student Roles: As a research assistant, you may learn more about how the research process begins and ends. This may include learning how to generate research questions, how to work with diverse populations, processes involved in collecting and analyzing data, and the publication/conference components of presenting research findings. The challenges and assets of this role may be in integrating your coursework and critical thinking skills within a research lab setting, your assets will be in your training and one-on-one mentorship with Dr. Grote. As a research assistant, you have direct application of what you have learned (or are learning) in your courses to the research itself. 

Mentor: Professor Angie Guan, Ph.D. *NOT ACCEPTING A PODER STUDENT FOR 2025-2026*

Project Description: Dr. Guan examines how cultural and social experiences shape well-being among adolescents and young adults, particularly those from immigrant backgrounds. CADV Honors Program students interested in working with Dr. Guan are curious about how cultural, family, and immigrant experiences (e.g., translating for one’s family in a practice called language brokering, being a first-generation college student, digital media use) relate to developmental outcomes. 

Student Roles: Students build research skills by: 1) Conducting literature reviews, 2) Participating in data cleaning and analysis, 3) Developing an independent research project, and 4) Writing and presenting findings at conferences and manuscripts.

Mentor: Professor Marlen Quintero Perez 

Project Description:  I plan to expand my research agenda based on the research findings from both my manuscript and AERA research proposal. My next study will focus on Spanish-English adults who attended a DL school during their K-8 schooling. This study will allow me to explore how attending a DL school (1) shapes bilingual students’ FLP into adulthood, (2) impacts their home language loss or maintenance, and (2) affects their Spanish and English academic development. It is imperative to examine whether the proficient Spanish and English development, evidenced during elementary school, is also evident years after having experienced DL instruction. 

Student Roles:  I am actively hiring Spanish-English bilingual undergraduate students who will assist in designing research protocols and conducting literature reviews for this new study. I am committed to providing these undergraduate research assistants with the opportunity to immerse themselves in research, obtain research mentorship, and collaborate with me on a publication.

Mentor: Professor Tissyana Camacho, Ph.D.

Project Description: Funded by a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE) grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), my current research investigates the experiences of CSUN STEM undergraduates and the factors that influence their participation in undergraduate research. Students under my supervision will primarily work with longitudinal quantitative survey data (N ≈ 3,000) using Qualtrics, Excel, and SPSS syntax.

Students will learn how to manage and prepare data (e.g., clean and merge datasets), develop research questions, perform descriptive and inferential analyses, and write up results for presentation and publication. They will receive one-on-one mentoring in research design, data analysis, and professional communication, with opportunities to build skills valuable for graduate school or careers in STEM education.

This experience is ideal for students interested in graduate training or careers involving research, data science, or STEM education. Prior experience with Excel or statistics is helpful but not required; training will be provided.

Student Roles: Key responsibilities include: (1) Manage and prepare quantitative survey data (e.g., cleaning, merging, and organizing datasets); (2) Develop research questions and hypotheses; (3) Conduct descriptive and inferential statistical analyses using SPSS syntax and Excel; (4) Contribute to the interpretation and write-up of results for conference presentations and publications; (5) Participate in regular research meetings and discussions with the faculty mentor; (6) Maintain research integrity, confidentiality, and accurate documentation of work.

Preferred Qualifications include: (1) Interest in education research or college student success; (2) Coursework in statistics or research methods (preferred but not required); (3) Experience with Excel, SPSS, or other data analysis tools (preferred but not required); (4) Strong attention to detail; (5) Ability to work independently; (6) A willingness to “figure things out” — approaching new tools or challenges with curiosity, persistence, and a problem-solving mindset.

​​​​Mentor: Professor Nola Kennedy, Ph.D.*NOT ACCEPTING A PODER STUDENT FOR 2025-2026*

Project Description: None. 

Student Roles: Conduct research, including study planning, data collection, data analysis, study presentation

Mentor: Professor Katherine McNamara*NOT ACCEPTING A PODER STUDENT FOR 2025-2026*

Project Description: This is a community engagement project on the LA wildfires exposure and health research.  I have been working since January with several university consortia to form a Community Advisory Board (CAB) to inform researchers about residents' lived experience and produce lay-language science translation materials for a wildfire health curriculum.  Dulce will assist with attending and supporting the CAB, designing and implementing a post-survey for them (the pre-survey has been implemented), evaluating the curriculum, and interviewing public health officials to gather lessons learned. 

Student Roles: Research assistant to LA fire health Community Advisory Board. Reviewing Spanish-language materials for clear science translation and potentially assisting with focus groups and trainings for community health workers. Preferred qualifications: environmental health background, verbal and oral communication skills, Spanish language fluency.

​​​​​​Mentor: Professor Vickie Yu, Ph.D.

Project Description: There are several ongoing projects in my lab. 1) Bilingualism and its impact on cognitive and lexical retrieval functions, with participants engaging in various language and cognition tasks. 2) The Voice Quality of Life measure for individuals with dysphonia, conducted in collaboration with a professor in Taiwan. 3) We seek to increase awareness of the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology professions. Additionally, a potential project is being developed in collaboration with a professor from the CSUN Department of Computer Science to design assistive devices for individuals with communication disorders. 

Student Roles: Students involved in these projects will participate in various research activities aligned with each project's progress. They will gain hands-on experience in the following areas: 1. Conducting literature reviews: Learning how to identify key information in research articles, think critically about the content, and summarize findings. 2. Designing experimental tasks: Understanding the process of creating tasks for experiments. 3. Data collection: Learning to recruit participants, obtain consent, and execute research protocols. 4. Data analysis: Transferring and backing up data, coding, and analyzing research data. 5. Presenting and reporting results: Interpreting results, relating them to existing literature, summarizing findings, and delivering scientific research presentations. Students will also be encouraged to attend conferences, such as the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) convention and the California Speech-Language-Hearing Association (CSHA) convention, to present their research. 

Mentor: Professor Kacie Blackman, Ph.D.*NOT ACCEPTING A PODER STUDENT FOR 2025-2026*

Project Description: Research Project title: iPump: a breast milk pump study that uses technology Aim 1: To determine differences in the quantity and efficiency of expressed breast milk. Aim 2: to determine if using a technology application has an endocrinological-biochemical effect during breast milk expression with a breast pump. Student activities: collecting and managing biometrics, psychological data (breast milk, saliva, blood pressure, survey); testing augmented reality and tablet application 

Student Roles: Skills that will be developed by students: literature review, data collection, management, and analysis, recruitment, implementation of study procedures, critical thinking, organization, project coordinating Skills to be developed: survey development, storage, cleaning, management, analysis, biospecimen collection, storage, and management, critical thinking, problem-solving, scheduling, communication through presentations, writing, and orally, precise and rigorous methodology protocol implementation.

Mentor: Professor Christopher Rogers, Ph.D. 

Project Description: Two research projects: 1) involves partnering with the SHARE project on campus (this is a project that is collecting data to support youth with familial justice system involvement). In this project, my research is adding geospatial factors to the data. Specifically, we are merging in and data at the neighborhood level to account for the environment in which a person lives and how it may be related to health and wellness of these already vulnerable youth. A student will be able to work on this project in a few ways. Students can participate in active data collection, second, students can help with data management and codebook building, and third, students can help with analysis and report building. The second research project is using college student data to assess the impact of the timing and perceived severity of adverse childhood experiences on college health. We have collected data from two sources for this project and are beginning the management and analysis of the data. Since this data is already collected the main student work will be in data management and codebook building, data analysis and report building, and working to assess validity of the datasets and methods writing. 

Student Roles: Students can work on the process side of data collection and management as well as the outcomes side by answering research questions and building reports and papers. Along with process research activities, the students will be able to add to a CV they will also help in report building, communicating data to the team meeting and in feedback reports, and support on papers and conference presentations. Skills Students will Develop: Students will develop skills in classroom-based data collection, presenting and communicating data to stakeholders, data management and analysis skills, and written and technical data presentation through papers, methods, and feedback reports.

Mentor: Professor Carmen Saunders, Ed.D. 

Project Description: Exploring Imposter Syndrome Through Storytelling: A Podcast-Based Creative Scholarship My research explores the pervasive impact of imposter syndrome—commonly defined as chronic self-doubt and feelings of intellectual fraudulence—across diverse academic and professional populations. While imposter syndrome is often associated with women and individuals of color, my creative scholarship takes a broader lens, examining how it affects people of various backgrounds, including first-generation college students and underrepresented individuals in health administration and academia. At the core of this project is a podcast series designed to humanize the experience of imposter syndrome through storytelling. By featuring candid conversations with students, faculty, and professionals, the podcast explores how individuals confront, cope with, and ultimately push through self-doubt. By amplifying diverse voices and lived experiences, the series aims to normalize conversations around self-doubt, mental health, and academic belonging. Through honest dialogue, it seeks to reduce stigma, build community, and spark institutional reflection. Ultimately, this creative work contributes to broader efforts to foster inclusive spaces in higher education—environments where all individuals, regardless of background, can feel recognized, supported, and empowered to thrive. 

Student Roles: The student will manage social media accounts, create posts, assist with web page maintenance; assist with soliciting, scheduling, recording guests, and editing podcast episodes for series; maintain and assist with data collection and analyzing; assist with IRB application and manuscript preparation

Qualifications: Student must be: 1) willing to learn new and innovative forms of communication (Podcasting); 2)  organized, dependable, and responsible; 3) a self-starter and can perform task under minimal supervision; 4) goal and results oriented, yet creative and flexible.

Mentor: Professor Suzanne Spear, Ph.D. 

Project Description: I am studying the impact of the physical and social environments on patients receiving care in outpatient drug treatment clinics in LA. The aims are: 1) Test for an association between the quality of clinic environments (based on an objective assessment) and perceived stigma among people with opioid use disorders and 2) Explore the mediating role of patient's subjective perceptions on the association between environmental quality and stigma. The proposed study is significant because current interventions to reduce stigma, while promising, have limited reach due to their emphasis on individual-level change. No research to date has examined the built environment of outpatient treatment settings and their role in reinforcing or reducing addiction stigma. This research is highly innovative because it is interdisciplinary. I am working with a professor in Interior Design at CSUN who is a trained architect and I am in public health. I have a Co-Investigator who is a psychologist and senior NIH researcher at Harvard Medical School.

Student Roles: Students will assist with data collection, analysis, and manuscript assistance. Students will present the research at CSUNposium.

Mentor: Professor Claudia Toledo-Corral, Ph.D.*NOT ACCEPTING A PODER STUDENT FOR 2025-2026*

Project Description: My currently active study entitled, “Allostatic Load in Latino Youth” or ALLY study is funded by the NIH through June of 2026. Background: People who identify as Latina/o/x have a 50% lifetime risk of developing type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases, a result of a complex mixture of predisposition, health behaviors, and environmental factors. A common physiological mechanism associated to chronic diseases is a failure to maintain homeostasis during times of persistent stress through a biological stress “overload”, or high “allostatic load”. While ample evidence supports a role of psychosocial stressors on allostatic load, several important challenges have not been yet addressed in Latina/o/x youth, such as the role of racial/ethnic discrimination. Aim: The overarching aim of this study is to characterize allostatic load associated with socio-environmental stressors focused on perceived and imposed (environmental) racial discrimination in Latina/o/x youth. Data collection will consist of surveys about health behaviors and stressors, body measurements, blood pressure, and samples blood and saliva biospecimens for determination of allostatic load indices.

Student Roles: Current and future student assistant will have an opportunity in engaging in data collection, which will interactions with young adult participants. Student research assistant will learn specific research protocols, interact with participants to gather data, and also learn to manage raw data, engage in data cleaning, writing statistical code, and analyzing data. Students who work in the lab over a year will have an opportunity to present CSUNposium and/or scientific conferences.

Mentor: Professor Danielle Jarvis, Ph.D.

Project Description: My current research focuses on examining movement coordination during skilled athletic activities. My work investigates the strategies underlying complex movement patterns and compensations in movement patterns that may contribute to or result from injuries. Most of my work focuses on trained athletes performing jumping movements. Specifically, my current projects investigate the mechanical demands that dance movements place on the human body. Dancers are unique athletes who emphasize the aesthetic appeal of human movement. Skilled dancers develop unique movement patterns that may provide insight for understanding the effects of dance training on the body, for training future dancers, or for preventing injury. Some specific research questions I am currently working on include: (1) Determining the effects of a dance-specific fatigue protocol on jumping performance in dancers; (2) Examining the effects of footwear on dance performance; and (3) Determining the effectiveness of strength training on improving strength, power, and dynamic balance in dancers. My research uses a computer-aided 3D video motion analysis system and force plates to collect data regarding kinematics (motion) and kinetics (forces that cause motion). Markers are placed on subjects, and video data is collected as movements are performed. Software is then used to process the data and draw conclusions about motion and forces, particularly at lower extremity joints such as the hip, knee, ankle, and toes. 

Student Roles: Students will learn how to collect biomechanical data, process the data using specialized software programs, and analyze and interpret the results. Students will be exposed to the entire research process, including the presentation of the results in the forms of posters, presentations, and publications. Seniors will also have the opportunity to develop and investigate their own biomechanical research questions.

Mentor: Professor Moira Saltzman, Ph.D.

Project Description: Students will assist in the completion of the Jejueo Talking Dictionary. Talking dictionaries are online tools for language acquisition and revitalization, which feature audio and video materials along with words and definitions. Jejueo is a critically endangered language spoken by 5,000-10,000 people throughout Jeju Province, South Korea, and in a diasporic enclave in Osaka, Japan. Under contact pressure from Korean, Jejueo has undergone rapid attrition (Kang 2005, Kang 2007), and most fluent speakers of Jejueo are now over 80 years old (UNESCO 2010). I am seeking a student interested in endangered languages with experience in coding to create the structure of the talking dictionary—either in its form as a website or a smartphone application. The goal is to complete the online Jejueo Talking Dictionary and smartphone application available in Jejueo, English, Korean, and Japanese. My intention for the Jejueo Talking Dictionary is to create a language revitalization tool suited to the needs of diverse user groups, such as elder speakers within the community, young semi-speakers in schools, and the international scientific community. As an online program the dictionary would be inexpensive to continually update with added data from the community or scholars. With the threat of language extinction by the next generation, the Jejueo Talking Dictionary is intended to serve as an extensive and open-ended corpus of the language, rituals, songs, and oral history of Jeju Island and the Osakan diasporic enclave. Extended goals are to translate the current data into Korean, Japanese and English, and collect more field data by travelling to Osaka, Japan and recording members of the Jejueo-speaking community. 

Student Roles: Students will develop skills in data analysis and coding, development of linguistic educational tools, translation, and linguistic and ethnographic field research.

Mentor: Professor Weimin Sun, Ph.D.*NOT ACCEPTING A PODER STUDENT FOR 2025-2026*

Project Description: Topics in Philosophy of Science, Mind, language; metaphysics; Chinese Philosophy. The student will develop skills in philosophical research and writing.

Student Roles: supervising on a research paper. Preferred qualifications: senior in philosophy; inquisitive and capable

Mentor: Professor Michael Abdelsayed, Ph.D. 

Project Description: Our central goal is to advance the discovery and characterization of genomic and synthetic thermoregulatory RNA elements. Despite the biological importance of these thermoregulatory RNAs and their potential use as tools for biotechnology, this field is largely underexplored compared to similar regulatory RNAs such as riboswitches. Our long-term goals include broadening the known classes of RNA thermometers, identifying novel RNA thermometers classes, discovering thermoregulatory elements that regulate transcription, and engineering synthetic RNA thermometers as tools for biotechnology. This research is significant as identifying and characterizing thermoregulatory RNAs will enhance both our fundamental understanding and practical utilization of these elements. By uncovering which genes are regulated by thermoregulatory RNAs and the extent of their influence on gene regulation, we will gain valuable insights into how heat stress impacts cellular processes. 

Student Roles: Students will use a combination of molecular biology, bioinformatics, and biochemistry to discover and characterize RNA thermometers.

Mentor: Professor Maria Elena De Bellard, Ph.D.

Project Description: My lab studies nociceptive neurons (pain) in sharks

Student Roles: Students will be doing scanning electron microscopy in sharks skin

Mentor: Professor Wilber Escorcia, Ph.D.

Project Description: Investigating RNA Thermometers in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. In conjunction with the Abdelsayed Lab, which will design RNA thermometer oligo linkers, this project aims to test the hypothesis that RNA thermometers, which are known to regulate heat shock protein (Hsp) expression in prokaryotes, can modulate gene expression in eukaryotes. The project focuses on Schizosaccharomyces pombe, a fission yeast model. The research involves transforming yeast cells with plasmids containing a nutritional rescue cassette, with an upstream Hsp RNA thermometer sequence. The RNA thermometer is expected to modulate downstream gene expression in response to temperature shifts. This research could establish the novel role of RNA thermometers in eukaryotes, which has not been previously reported. 

Student Roles: Students will be integrated into a team and will develop foundational skills in working with S. pombe. Their primary task will be to perform yeast transformations using plasmids that contain RNA thermometer sequences and to assess their ability to regulate gene expression under varying temperature conditions. They will analyze the expression levels of nutritional rescue cassettes in cells that lack endogenous gene expression and will monitor cell viability and survival. Their work will help validate the function of RNA thermometers in regulating heat shock response in eukaryotes. They will contribute significantly to this novel area of research and will gain valuable skills in molecular biology, yeast genetics, and data analysis.

​​​​​​​Mentor: Professor Robert Espinoza, Ph.D. 

Project Description: Islands are natural laboratories for rapid evolution given their typically small founding populations and unique selective pressures relative to the mainland. Accordingly, insular taxa often diverge adaptively from their mainland relatives. The Northern Channel Islands experience substantially cooler air temperatures than adjacent coastal Southern California. Consequently, endemic Island Fence Lizards (Sceloporus becki) experience cooler temperatures than their mainland thermophilic sister taxon, Western Fence Lizards (S. occidentalis). Have Island Fence lizards shifted their thermal physiology to compensate for lower island temperatures? We will determine whether cooler island climates have selected for adaptive thermal shifts in Island Fence Lizards. There is a strong correlation between regional climate and thermal traits in S. occidentalis, yet no studies exist for S. becki. As the climate warms, ectotherms like lizards that have adapted to cooler temperatures may be especially vulnerable. Our results will have important implications for the management of this insular endemic. Habitat-restoration projects are underway for other Channel Island endemics, but we lack knowledge of the thermal biology or microhabitat requirements of S. becki to develop similar plans. Additionally, our project will shed light upon how insular ectotherms evolve to compensate for climatic variation. 

Student Roles: The student would assist a graduate student in the field (three of the Northern Channel Islands) collecting data and live lizards for lab experiments that will take place at each island’s field station. This research is best characterized as ecophysiology, or the study of how animal function interacts with their physical environments—primarily focusing on temperature. The student will learn about how animals adapt to climate and how to take and analyze thermal performance data. Each island trip will last ~2 weeks and we will stay in field stations (shared quarters with twin beds, showers, kitchens, WiFi, etc.). The hours will be long many days, but the islands are beautiful, and our permits provide access to areas that the general public is not allowed to visit. Candidate must be a hard-working and easy-going team player, physically fit, and enjoy hiking long distances (5–10 miles/day) with a pack over hilly terrain with tall grass.

Mentor: Professor Gilberto Flores, Ph.D. *NOT ACCEPTING A PODER STUDENT FOR 2025-2026*

Project Description: The Flores lab primarily studies the ecology of the human gut microbiome. We are currently focused on the Akkermansia lineage as they are largely regarded as beneficial bacteria and are being pursued for a variety of therapeutic applications. Ongoing studies include determining the mechanisms of growth on specific human produced substrates and the mechanisms of interactions between Akkermansia and other members of the gut microbiome. 

Student Roles:  Students working in the lab can expect to gain a variety of molecular biology and microbiological skills, including DNA extraction, PCR, gel electrophoresis, phase contrast microscopy, anaerobic cultivation, and aseptic technique. With time and training, students may also learn more specialized techniques, including HPLC, qPCR, bioreactor operation, transcriptomics, and metagenomic sequencing.

​​​​​​​Mentor: Professor Yoshi Hanzawa, Ph.D. 

Project Description: Progressing climate fluctuation is a growing concern in the U.S. agriculture. Reproductive transition of many crop plants is a critical trait that determines plant’s adaptation and productivity and is triggered by environmental cues such as photoperiods, light quality and temperature, therefore, it is essential to understand how plants respond to their environment in the control of reproductive transition. My research aims to gain better understanding of how crop plants perceive and acclimate to environmental variables at the molecular level, with a specific focus on the molecular mechanisms controlling plant’s developmental transition in response to temperature fluctuations. 

Student Roles: Students in my research will characterize the function of genes in temperature responses using molecular biology, genetic, genomic and bioinformatic approaches.

​​​​​​​Mentor: Professor Ray Hong, Ph.D.

Project Description: Many economically important nematodes (round worms) associate with insects, even when their ultimate hosts are mammals, including humans. The beetle-associated nematode Pristionchus pacificus represents a much-needed knowledge bridge between the free-living model organism Caenorhabditis elegans and human parasitic nematodes. Our research seeks to map genes to neuronal functions and understand how an insect-derived compound can kill or paralyze specific developmental stages of P. pacificus. Our effort has the potential to expand our understanding of the diverse nematode behavior and biology, thereby translating basic research knowledge into improving treatments against parasitic nematodes by integrating concepts from diverse areas of biology- developmental biology, genetics, and neurobiology. 

Student Roles: Student Involvement in Data Collection: Beginning students will perform behavioral assays, PCR, and genetics. More advanced students will screen for CRISPR-assisted genome-edited mutants, use the latest molecular cloning technology to make transgenic constructs, and characterize transgene expression using fluorescent microscopes. Student Involvement in Data Analysis: Beginning students will perform statistical tests on the behavioral assay and genetic data, and design follow up experiments. More advanced students will make graphical figures for symposia and assist in writing manuscripts.

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Mentor: Professor Rachel Mackelprang, Ph.D. *NOT ACCEPTING A PODER STUDENT FOR 2025-2026*

Project Description: My research focuses on microbial communities using modern cutting-edge techniques, with the goal of understanding the functional dynamics of microbes in permafrost (permanently frozen soil found in polar regions) and other extreme environments. My research agenda is organized around the two main points of view: 1) Investigate the boundaries at which life can exist to inform the search for life in extraterrestrial environments. 2) Understand how microbial communities drive biogeochemical cycles and contribute to climate change. Other related projects include studying ancient permafrost antibiotic resistance genes, characterizing fungi and viruses in permafrost, reconstructing paleovegetation from DNA sequence data, and characterizing the microbial communities that form desert biological crusts. One of my long-term research goals is to further linkages between human health and basic climate change research. Climate change is one of the greatest current threats to global public health and is poised to be one of the strongest drivers of health inequity in the coming decades. Understanding and predicting the causes and trajectories of climate change is a crucial component of the study of health equity and health disparities. 

​​​​​​​Mentor: Professor Cindy Malone, Ph.D. 

Project Description: For the last 17 years, my research laboratory has focused on appropriately controlling when and where genes are turned on and off, which is essential for cells to function normally. My lab linked a set of genes to both an aggressive cancer and a non-aggressive/indolent cancer by an analysis of genes expressed in an aggressive mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) compared to the genes expressed in a non-aggressive small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL). We hypothesize that the identified lymphoma-associated genes are dysregulated in these cancers and therefore may play a role in their aggressive or non-aggressive natures, respectively. Promoter analysis of these genes, first in an epithelial cell line and eventually in MCL and SLL cell lines, will identify how these genes are regulated and will lead to in vivo promoter regulation studies. In these studies, students are involved in every stage of the process, from experimental design to drafting manuscripts for publication. I highlight the established collaborations that continue to reap productive research where I was directly involved in mentoring UCLA graduates before and after transitioning to CSUN. These mentorship activities resulted in seven PhDs and five publications.

Student Roles: Under general supervision, conducts research analyzing relevant genes in our research program for genetic and epigenetic gene regulation in mammals.  Conducts experiments including PCR, subcloning, site-directed mutagenesis, sequencing, adherent and suspension cell transfection, EMSA, RNA isolation, RT-PCR, gDNA isolation, and bisulfite sequencing; performs bioinformatics techniques to analyze data; prepares data for figures in manuscripts to be published; prepares reports and research summaries; writes results, materials and methods, and figure legends for poster presentations and manuscripts to be published; troubleshoots protocols in the lab; peer-mentors other undergraduates performing research; and assists in training students in laboratory procedures and protocols. Performs other duties as assigned.

Mentor: Professor Raphael Ritson Williams, Ph.D.

Project Description: My research focuses on understanding marine biodiversity. I use genetic tools to identify species and characterize their ecological roles in their communities. My research laboratory is currently focused on understanding the diversity of crustose coralline algae. I use morphological characteristics and multiple gene regions to understand how many species exist in Californian intertidal and subtidal habitats. This research involves using microscopes and DNA sequencing to characterize species. Undergraduate research in my lab involves multiple steps to characterize species of coralline algae; microscopic analysis, extract DNA, amplify DNA, sequence DNA, analyze those sequences to determine how many species are present. The results of these projects help us to characterize biodiversity in these poorly studied algae.

Student Roles: This job is to characterize the species of crustose coralline algae in California. It will entail molecular laboratory work to; extract DNA, amplify DNA using PCR, sequence the DNA, and analyze those sequences to quantify the number of species. Additionally, you will need to take photos using the microscope in my laboratory to characterize the morphological characteristics of these algae.

Preferred Qualifications: No previous experience is necessary, however experience with DNA extraction and PCR would be helpful.

Mentor: Professor Melissa Takahashi, Ph.D. *NOT ACCEPTING A PODER STUDENT FOR 2025-2026*

Project Description:  The Takahashi lab develops tools to investigate small RNA (sRNA) mediated antibiotic resistance and virulence mechanisms. An example of a student project is to develop a genetic circuit to detect sRNAs in growing bacteria. Technical skills developed through lab projects include: PCR, gel electrophoresis, bacterial transformation, cloning, and data analysis. Through group meetings students also work on presentation and oral communication skills.

Student Roles: As an undergraduate researcher, the student will be assigned a project. It is common that undergraduate students work on a project in pairs. Students will perform experiments, analyze results, and learn to design new experiments. Current projects involve developing a genetic circuit to detect small RNAs in bacteria. Experiments and cloning will be performed towards the project goal. Lab skills include: PCR, gel electrophoresis, DNA purification, bacterial transformation, gene expression analysis. Students will meet with the PI on a weekly basis to discuss each experiment and next steps. Students are expected to attend lab meeting and perform lab jobs.

Preferred Qualifications: Students should have taken BIOL107.

Mentor: Professor Casey terHorst, Ph.D.

Project Description: We are examining genetic variation in rotifer populations that live inside the leaves of carnivorous pitcher plants. We are interested in whether rotifer populations might evolve in response to climate change, so we are examining if there is underlying genetic variation in temperature responses. Further, we are asking whether evolution in response to temperature alters interactions with other species within these communities. Students will develop culturing skills in rotifer husbandry, in addition to microscope skills.

Student Roles: Rotifer Researcher

Preferred Qualifications: Microscope skills and attention to detail

Mentor: Professor Ravinder Abrol, Ph.D.

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) comprise the largest superfamily of integral membrane proteins that help a cell to convert extracellular signals into multiple intracellular signaling cascades. This critical role of GPCRs makes them therapeutic targets for ~40% of all modern drugs. Multiple signaling effects of GPCRs targeted by drugs can cause on-target side-effects, so a molecular understanding of GPCR function is essential for rational drug discovery to minimize those side-effects. The conformational flexibility of GPCRs plays a mechanistic role in their function, so the lab is focused on developing and applying methods in computational biochemistry, biophysics and bioinformatics to provide this mechanistic link between receptor sequence and signaling. Our previous conformational sampling algorithms are being combined with Markov State Models to identify physiological important conformations. We are combining evolutionary approaches with conformational methods to understand the evolution of GPCR structural plasticity and their functional divergence. Methods are validated against available experimental data and then applied to interesting GPCR systems. Using results from our lab and other sources we have created a freely accessible GPCR Knowledgebase (http://www.gpcrkb.org). 

Student Research Skills Training: The students are trained in computational methods used in the lab and one programming language. After training, each student is assigned a project that they take full ownership of. They interact with me regularly and also with any experimental collaborator as an active participant. The students present regularly at our lab meetings on their research and on the latest literature in their project. The students get to write the manuscripts for publication, and they also get to present their research at conferences listed below. Conferences Typically Attended GPCR-Keystone; Molecular Pharmacology Gordon; Biophysical Society; ASBMB; ISMB; Protein Society, CSUPERB.

Visit lab website http://abrollab.org for publications and more information.

Mentor: Professor Paula Fischhaber, Ph.D.*NOT ACCEPTING A PODER STUDENT FOR 2025-2026*

Project Description: My research group is investigating the protein biochemistry of DNA repair in S. cerevisiae (baker’s yeast). In humans, failure to repair covalent modifications to DNA (DNA damage) via the DNA repair pathways results in genetic mutations that can lead to cancer. DNA damage is ubiquitous in living cells and much of it is unavoidable, so DNA repair pathways are crucial for survival.

My lab uses a variety of in vitro biochemical techniques as well as fluorescence microscopy to establish the temporal and spatial relationships among key proteins participating in DNA repair. Our ultimate goal is to understand how cells direct themselves toward the most appropriate DNA repair pathway to avoid burdensome levels of mutations. 

Students should have taken Chem 101 and 102.

Mentor: Professor Gagik Melikyan, Ph.D.

Project Description: Research at the interface of organic and organometallic chemistry. The main focus is developing new methods, concepts, and methodologies that will provide an access to classes of organic compounds which are hardly accessible by alternative means. 

Student Roles: A student will become highly trained in conducting state-of-the-art chemical experiments and elucidating their structures by using a totality of analytical methods, such as Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, mass spectroscopy, and X-ray crystallography.

Mentor: Professor Sungwook Woo, Ph.D.

Project Description: My research area is synthetic biology and DNA nanotechnology. I build molecular tools that can enable biological studies and biomedical applications. I am also interested in biocomputing, where biomolecules are used to perform computation or to store data. As a new faculty member who just started at CSUN, I am currently in the process of setting up my lab and shaping up small projects. Students who work with me will conduct literature studies and wet lab experiments with DNA molecules and sometimes with proteins to construct nanoscale structures and/or run molecular programs.  Students will also learn to conduct analytical experiments and data analysis.

Student Roles: Students who work with me will conduct literature studies and wet lab experiments with DNA molecules and sometimes with proteins to construct nanoscale structures and/or run molecular programs.  Students will also learn to conduct analytical experiments and data analysis.

Mentor: Professor Silvia Fernandez, Ph.D.

Project Description: This project involves research in combinatorial geometry at the undergraduate level. Combinatorics is the area of mathematics that involves sophisticated counting (CSUN offers the class MATH 366 in the Spring, but it is not necessary for this project). The field of combinatorial geometry usually requires optimizing some parameter for a family of geometric objects.  For example, we may want to find the largest number of pennies that can be placed within a square of side 3 inches without the pennies overlapping each other. What about squares of other sizes? What about replacing the square by another shape, or replacing the pennies by copies of a different object? These problems are known as packing problems and have been studied for a long time, but limitless variations have still unknown answers. My research group is currently studying some of these variations and related problems. One of these recent problems is concerned with special movements of polyominoes (Tetris-like pieces made of more than 4 squares) in a checkerboard. Our goal is to find optimal polyominoes that in theory can visit all squares of an infinite board.
 

Student Roles: Conducting research in combinatorial geometry as part of the CSUN Combinatorics Research Group. During the project, you will work on current research in Mathematics, learn how to formally report your results for possible publication, and how to prepare a formal research presentation and poster.

Preferred Qualifications:  Math 320 - Foundations on higher mathematics or experience in mathematical problem solving. Desirable: Math 366 - Combinatorics.

Mentor: Professor Anna Bezryadina, Ph.D.*NOT ACCEPTING A PODER STUDENT FOR 2025-2026*

Project Description: The first project is the study of how to control and manipulate Bacillus subtilis biofilm growth using laser light. The investigation of optically regulated biofilm formation with optical tweezers presents innovative methodologies for the spatial arrangement of biofilm and the stimulation and suppression of biofilm growth through the application of lasers. The project application are fundamental understanding of controlled biofilm growth and fabrication of novel biomaterial. The second project is the study of the negative effect of nanoplastic and microplastic particles on red blood cells. We investigate how exposure to nanoplastics alters the properties of RBC’s membrane, leading to changes in RBC morphology, aggregation, and deformability that impact the RBC’s health and abilities to propagate through narrow microcapillaries. 

Student Roles: Through involvement in the research, the students will gain experience in biosample preparation, lab biosafety, microscopy, laser operation, laser alignment, optical trapping, and data analysis.

Mentor: Professor Tyler Luchko, Ph.D.

Project Description:  Students in this research project will carry out atomistic simulations of biomolecules and liquids. The goal of the project is to calculate physical properties of biomolecules in a realistic liquid environment. Simulations will be of both the pure liquid in the bulk phase and solvated biomolecules. 

Student Roles: Students will carry out the simulations on high-performance computer clusters and write scripts to both automate running simulations and analyze the results. Skills developed Students will develop their programming skills, learn to use the Linux command line environment, work with high-performance computers, learn to apply classical mechanics, electrostatics, and statistical physics to realistic model systems, and learn to use molecular modeling software and methods.

Qualifications Required background: COMP 110/L or PHYS 365 and PHYS 100B or PHYS 220B or PHYS 225.

Mentor: Professor Sattar Taheri, Ph.D.

Project Description: My research focuses on understanding the dynamics of antibiotic activity at both single-cell and population levels using microbiology, microfluidics, and advanced microscopy. The student will gain hands-on experience in bacterial growth experiments, antibiotic assays, image and data analysis, and will develop interdisciplinary skills in modern microbiology, biophysics, and quantitative analysis.

Student Roles: The student will participate in an interdisciplinary research project focused on the growth and direct visualization of bacterial biofilms using a live microscopy system. Responsibilities include fabrication of microfluidic devices (PDMS casting, device assembly, and plasma cleaner operation), bacterial cultivation within the devices, and conducting time-lapse microscopy. The student will also be involved in administering antibiotics to biofilms, monitoring biofilm growth and susceptibility, and analyzing microscopy images to quantify growth inhibition, regrowth, and treatment effects. This position offers hands-on training in microbiology, microfluidics, live-cell imaging, and quantitative data analysis, with the generated results contributing directly to a manuscript in preparation.

Skills that the student will develop: Microfluidic device fabrication and operation; Live-cell and time-lapse microscopy; Bacterial culture techniques and antibiotic assays; Image analysis and scientific data visualization; Research documentation and contribution to scientific publications

Preferred qualifications: Good academic standing; Interest in microbiology, biophysics, or related fields; Willingness to learn laboratory techniques and data analysis; Attention to detail and ability to follow safety protocols

​​​​​​Mentor: Professor Marc Glidden, Ph.D.

Project Description: Most of my research focuses on corrections, recidivism, financial literacy and access, and student success and persistence within criminology and criminal justice. Currently I am interested in researching more about perceptions on financial access and training for justice impacted individuals, fear of crime among college students, among other topics related to criminology. 

Student Roles: I am excited to work with a student who is interested in learning more about conducting research and understanding more about a topic they are passionate about. Students will be supported in growing their understanding of research methods by participating in all aspects of a research project.

Mentor: Professor Jimin Pyo, Ph.D.*NOT ACCEPTING A PODER STUDENT FOR 2025-2026*

Project Description: I am currently engaged in multiple research projects at the intersection of criminology, psychology, and law, with a focus on individuals’ perceptions of crime and criminal justice. These include, but are not limited to, confidence in criminal justice institutions, legitimacy, punitiveness, perceived crime risk, and fear of crime. I am especially interested in clarifying the meaning and measurement of these perceptions and understanding the causal mechanisms that link perceptions to various law-related behavioral and attitudinal outcomes.

Student Roles: Students will gain hands-on research experience by participating in the full research process, including formulating research questions, designing research methodologies, preparing and submitting IRB applications, collecting and analyzing data, interpreting results, and contributing to manuscripts for peer-reviewed publication. In addition, students will have opportunities to develop their own independent research projects, publish their work, and present at criminology and criminal justice academic conferences.

Mentor:  Professor Anastasiia Timmer, Ph.D.*NOT ACCEPTING A PODER STUDENT FOR 2025-2026*

Project Description: My current project focuses on examining the consequences of the war in Ukraine for civilians. Specifically, recently collected longitudinal survey data supplemented by qualitative interviews, we will: a) examine the links between war exposure and important life outcomes (e.g., mental health, health care use, violent behavior, intimate partner victimization, alcohol use etc.) among civilians, refugees and volunteers during the wartime in Ukraine; b) address how social contexts (family and neighborhood) and public institutions shape these links; c) analyze the role of protective factors, such as social support, integration, and religiosity, and vulnerability factors, including prior trauma, victimization, and poverty. In this project, the student will be exposed to the full research process. 

Student Roles: I will train the student to analyze quantitative and qualitative data, summarize research articles, write literature reviews, and produce a full manuscript for submission to academic journals. The student will also be included in publications and conference presentations.

Mentor: Sheila Steinberg, Ph.D., Director *NOT ACCEPTING A PODER STUDENT FOR 2025-2026*

Project Description: The research project will use multiple methods to examine sustainability amongst the CSUN community and will begin with a detailed quantitative analysis of our recent sustainability survey that was administered this September. Additionally, we will examine intersections of people and places within and in the surrounding community of CSUN. We know that there are many cultural forms of sustainability that have not been adequately documented. Through conducting interviews, and some demographic analysis, the student researcher will determine where our cultural communities reside in proximity to the CSUN campus. Additionally, students will conduct interviews with CSUN employees, staff, and student leaders to identify different cultural components of sustainability. It's taking a multiple-methods approach to research that combines utilizing some secondary data as well as doing primary data collection in terms of interviews and observation. Additionally, our student researcher will help to communicate their findings through our monthly Sustainability newsletter called Footprints. We also will look to present our findings on campus and at related conferences on this topic. The work done here will help to position us together to look for larger funding and research opportunities for students and faculty tied to the institute on this topic going forward.

Student Roles: The student will conduct research weekly, including a variety of mixed research methods. Dr. Steinberg will work with the student to develop and implement a multiple-methods research approach involving quantitative and qualitative data. The student will conduct analyses of secondary data, help to design and implement additional surveys, conduct interviews, and learn how to combine different types of data to tell a story of culture, people, and place tied to sustainability.

Mentor: Professor Marlesha Bell, Ph.D.

Project Description: Changing Pathways works together to address socially significant problems using behavior analytic principles. Most of populations we work with include neurodivergent groups.

Research topics could include:

- Teaching Safety Skills (e.g., consent skills through the lens of personal boundaries, child abduction prevention skills)

- Developing active shooter trainings for teachers in classrooms with neurodivergent students

- Culturally Responsive Practices during clinical services (e.g., effects of using translation devices in clinical services, adjusting clinical service techniques to consider culture)

- Disseminating ABA in culturally responsive ways to Black populations

- Assessment & Treatment of Severe Problem Behavior in neurodivergent population

Student Roles: Undergraduate research assistants (URAs) are undergraduate-level research assistant who assist faculty or graduate students in research projects while pursuing their undergraduate degree. Their responsibilities may include:
- Data Collection: Assisting with gathering data
- Attend Research Meetings:
- Literature Review: Conducting research on existing studies to support the project, summarizing findings, and identifying gaps.
- Presentations and Posters: Assisting in the preparation of research presentations and posters if they demonstrate a level of independence and competence to have an independent study.
- Collaboration: Working alongside faculty members and graduate students, contributing to discussions and brainstorming sessions.
- URAs gain valuable hands-on experience and mentorship, which can enhance their academic knowledge and improve their prospects for future study or employment.

Preferred Qualifications:

- Must be able to attend mandatory weekly research lab meetings on Tuesday from 10AM-noon
- Looking for consistent completion of work and openness to learning/feedback
- Must have reliable transportation (some research requires driving to a location)
- Be comfortable with various diverse populations (e.g., race, ethnicity, socioeconomic statuses)
- Helpful if they have taken PSY 351, but not mandatory

Mentor: Professor Stefanie Drew, Ph.D.

Project Description: There are a number of research projects currently underway in the VISN Lab, the bulk of which are focused on the transfer of skills from virtual reality (VR) to the real world. All of the studies also focus on the ocular impact of using extended reality (XR) technology. 

Student Roles: Skills developed will include training in administering psychometric, optometric and biomechanic assessments, working with human participants, discussing design elements with lab members, data analyses, and professional preparation and dissemination of results.

Mentor: Professor Elise Fenn, Ph.D.

Project Description: I am developing stimuli for a project that investigates online decision making. The aim of this project is to understand why people share information about mass violence on social media, especially mass shootings, and then to develop healthy and effective ways of interacting with mass violence media. I work at the intersection of cognitive, social, and legal psychology. I am not a clinical or counseling psychologist.

Student Roles: The student will assist with a variety of tasks including literature review, write-ups, organizing materials, creating stimuli (using photoshop to create a mock social media environment). There is also the potential for a student to advance to more tasks such as data analysis and presenting at a research conference. The types of organizations that they would be involved with include the American Psychology-Law Society and Society for Applied Research in Memory and Cognition. Students must commit to 165 hours per semester.

Mentor: Professor Juventino Hernandez Rodriguez, Ph.D.*NOT ACCEPTING A PODER STUDENT FOR 2025-2026*

Project Description: The SALUD Lab (https://www.csunsalud.com/) is a research team in the Department of Psychology at California State University, Northridge (CSUN). Co-directed by Bianca Villalobos, Ph.D., and Juventino Hernandez Rodriguez, Ph.D., the lab is dedicated to increasing access to evidence-based and culturally sensitive mental health services to underserved populations. The following projects will begin in Fall 2025 a) CSUN Salud y Esperanza Project and b) ACEs and Trauma Screener Study. The overarching aim of the CSUN Salud y Esperanza Project is to understand and support the psychological well-being of immigrant Latinx children and families. In Fall 2025, we will create a community advisory board to connect with stakeholders in the community and co-create research initiatives that focus on understanding risk and protective factors for undocumented and mixed-status Latinx children and families. The ACEs and Trauma Screener study will focus on collecting psychological, health, and academic data related to adverse childhood experiences and trauma from Latinx immigrant children and families. 

Student Roles: Students will receive training and learn quantitative methods (e.g., cleaning data, univariate and multivariate statistics, data write-up), qualitative methods (e.g., thematic analysis), literature searches, and community engagement research. Motivated students will have opportunities to present research posters and/or talks at local, regional, and national conferences.

Mentor: Professor Chunying Jin, Ph.D.

Project Description:
The first line of projects focuses on the early detection and prevention of emerging challenging behavior in preschool-aged children, including children with autism or developmental delays. The primary aim of the project is to identify early risk indicators through brief, structured behavioral assessments and then teach individualized communication and adaptive skills to reduce the likelihood of escalation and more severe forms of challenging behavior. The scope of the project includes assessment in natural preschool classrooms, development of tailored intervention plans, and post-teaching evaluation of behavior change. Students gain experience conducting behavioral assessments, implementing preventative interventions, and collaborating with teachers and support staff. They are trained in systematic data collection, making data-based decisions, graphing and data analysis, as well as synthesis of learning through conference presentations and manuscript preparation. Together, these experiences prepare students to provide compassionate, evidence-based support in educational and community settings.

The second line of projects examines behavioral interventions designed to improve sleep and overall wellness among university students. The primary aim of the project is to identify personalized and function-based sleep interventions based on an understanding of the variables that lead to disrupted sleep. The scope includes baseline assessment, behavioral intervention, and follow-up evaluation using both objective and self-report measures. Students involved in this project will assist with participant recruitment, data collection, behavioral intervention procedures, and progress monitoring. Students will gain experience in systematic data collection, data-based decisions, graphical and data analysis, as well as synthesis of learning through conference presentations and manuscript preparation. Students will also gain experiences in working with individuals who experience sleep problems and designing evidence-based interventions to improve healthy sleep hygiene.

Student Roles: Undergraduate Research Assistants will support applied behavioral research focused on (a) early identification and prevention of challenging behavior in young children and (b) behavioral interventions to improve sleep and wellness in university students. These projects provide students with the opportunity to engage in real-world application of behavioral strategies in educational and community settings and provide preparation for graduate study or careers in psychology, education, public health, or applied behavior analysis.

Responsibilities

• Assist with participant recruitment and scheduling
• Prepare assessment and intervention materials
• Conduct supervised observation and data collection in classroom or campus settings
• Assist with behavioral intervention procedures under supervision
• Collect, organize, and enter data into secure databases
• Graph and analyze research data
• Attend weekly lab meetings and research trainings
• Maintain professional communication

Students in this position will gain:

• Training in behavioral assessment and intervention methods
• Experience collecting and analyzing behavioral data
• Graphing and interpretation skills
• Exposure to IRB procedures
• Practice collaborating with school personnel and peers in a research setting
• Professional skills including organization, communication, and presentation skills
• Experience that supports graduate school applications in psychology, ABA, education, or related fields

Preferred Qualifications:

• Interest in behavior analysis, child development, education, and behavioral health research
• Strong communication and time-management skills
• Reliability, professionalism, and comfort working in applied settings
• Commit 6 to 10 hours per week during the semester
• Availability for weekly lab meetings

Mentor: Professor Scott Plunkett, Ph.D.

Project Description: In the Psychometrics, Research, and Evaluation Promoting Adaptation, Resiliency, and Education (PREPARE) Lab, we are currently examining psychometric properties of mental health scales in different ethnic groups, sexual orientations, genders, etc. Thus, RAs are learning how to run exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, reliabilities (test-retest, omegas, alphas), and correlations. They are also learning about convergent and concurrent validity. We are also looking at how individual and family qualities relate to mental health outcomes in different ethnic groups. 

Student Roles: RAs are learning to run multiple regressions, dominance analyses, and relative weights analyses. Next, we are working on evaluation research of an art expression program for older adults and a mentoring program for nutrition students. RAs are engaging in thematic and focus coding or one-on-one interviews and images using NVivo. Other skills RAs learn include using Sona Survey Management System, SPSS, R Studio, Qualtrics, and Jamovi. And finally, all RAs will have an opportunity to co-present research and co-author a manuscript.

​​​​​​​Mentor: Professor Adrian Valadez, Ph.D.

Project Description: Currently, students in my research lab are conducting a mental health needs assessment among bisexual+ (e.g., people who experience romantic and/or sexual attraction to more than one gender AND/OR self-identify as bisexual, pansexual, or queer) adults. The purpose of this research study is to understand the specific strengths, needs, and challenges of bisexual people, as it relates to their mental health. The goal of the assessment is to gain insights that can inform future research and the development of future affirming support for diverse bisexual individuals in need. The aims for the current project are as follows: 

Aim 1: To explore the mental health strengths and challenges within bisexuals, with a focus that includes depression, anxiety, emotion regulation, resilience, adverse childhood experiences (ACES), and suicidal ideation. 

Aim 2: To identify ways on how bisexuals navigate past and present interpersonal, romantic, and/or sexual relationships with others. 

Aim 3: To gather information that will inform better support strategies for bisexual individuals. 

Additionally, our lab has also been working on grant applications to fund future intervention research. The RISE (Releasing Internalized Stigma for Empowerment) interventions are subpopulation-specific interventions designed to reduce internalized stigma among LGBTQ+ individuals. These online, interactive modules have been shown to be efficacious among crowdsourcing samples, but have yet to be tested in community settings. Future members of our lab have opportunities to get involved in the early phases of this research.

Student Roles: Future students in the lab will gain experience in research-related skills at every phase of research. Current students in my lab have learned how to critically examine peer-reviewed research, develop feasible research questions and hypotheses, craft an IRB proposal, identify relevant psychometrically sound psychological measures, and build Qualtrics surveys. In addition to the aforementioned skills, future research assistants will also learn how to collect and manage data, conduct analyses and interpret quantitative and qualitative results, and disseminate findings via conference presentations and/or publications.

Mentor: Professor Yolanda Vasquez-Salgado, Ph.D.*NOT ACCEPTING A PODER STUDENT FOR 2025-2026*

Project Description: The student will contribute to the success of a federally funded multi-site transition to college study. For more information on Dr. Vasquez-Salgado’s Culture, Health and Development Lab, visit her website (https://www.chd-lab.org/), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/csun_chdlab/) and view a video of her lab (https://www.csun.edu/here-center/culture-health-and-development-lab)!

Student Roles:  Student trainee activities include but are not limited to: - Contributing 10 hours of laboratory work per week (note: weekly hours may vary depending on data collection schedule). - Communicating with research participants - Collecting and organizing research data (e.g., survey, interview, salivary biomarkers of health, in-person sessions) - Assisting with interview transcriptions - Assisting with coding and analyzing data - Assisting with conducting literature reviews, writing summaries of research findings via abstracts, posters or manuscripts -Present at local, regional or national conferences - Collaborate with lab members on projects and special events

Mentor: Professor Bianca Villalobos, Ph.D.

Project Description: Project is a RSCA submission (pending award notification): The overarching goal of the proposed study is to build the evidence base for improving mental health literacy for trauma, reducing stigma in Latino communities, and increasing mental health service utilization. To date, most mental health literacy interventions have focused on depression.

Participants will be recruited from Ventura and Los Angeles County through referrals from local community organizations, the CSUN community (University Counseling Services and Psychology Department’s Anxiety and Mood Disorders Clinic), and through in-person community events. For Aim 2, participants will be 8-10 identified national experts in trauma intervention development and/or service provision.

Interviews with community members will be conducted in an individual format with options provided for participants to conduct interviews remotely (via Zoom) or in-person (campus lab space or private space at a local community center). Interviews will last approximately 30 minutes to 1 hour. Interviews with national experts will occur online to remove the need for travel. Interviews will be semi-structured to provide flexibility to participants as they discuss topic areas that I may not anticipate arising from pre-determined open-ended questions.

The project will allow for high-caliber training opportunities for motivated undergraduate and graduate students in my lab to gain hands-on research skills in qualitative assessments, developing research questions and methodology, data management, and data analysis. Students will develop critical thinking and writing skills necessary for research and publication. Such a learning experience would help to better prepare students and significantly enhance their ability to obtain competitive positions in graduate study programs across the fields of behavioral and social sciences and public health.

Student Roles: The REACH Lab aims to provide high-caliber training opportunities for motivated undergraduate and graduate students in my lab to gain hands-on research skills in qualitative assessments, developing research questions and methodology, data management, and data analysis. Students will develop critical thinking and writing skills necessary for research and publication. Such a learning experience would help to better prepare students and significantly enhance their ability to obtain competitive positions in graduate study programs across the fields of behavioral and social sciences and public health. Apart from project duties, students will be asked to attend regular lab meetings (frequency varies from weekly to biweekly), engage in research article presentations for a Journal Club in the lab, and professional development trainings.

Preferred Qualifications: Students interested in community-based research and Latino mental health initiatives. Bilingual skills in speaking and writing (English-Spanish) preferred but not required. Transportation for recruitment to community events preferred but not required. Good communication skills and openness to feedback. Well-organized, timely, and responsive. Major/minor in psychology or other related field.

Mentor: Professor Erica Wohldmann, Ph.D.

Project Description:  My work explores the relationship between nature connectedness and pro-social behaviors. Students in my lab learn how to conduct human subject research ethically, including data collection, scoring, and analysis, as well as how to write a conference abstract and present at a conference. They also learn how to think critically like a psychological scientist.

Student Roles: The Student Research Assistant will support ongoing research in cognitive psychology by assisting with data collection, participant recruitment, and experimental setup. Responsibilities include administering behavioral tasks, maintaining accurate research records, and helping with data entry and preliminary analysis. The assistant will also review relevant literature and contribute to lab meetings discussing study design and results. This position is ideal for students interested in gaining hands-on experience in experimental psychology and research methodology.

Preferred Qualifications: Must be a current undergraduate student majoring in psychology with strong attention to detail, organizational skills, and the ability to follow research protocols accurately.
Prior coursework in research methods or statistics preferred; experience with data entry, experimental software (e.g., PsychoPy, Qualtrics, E-Prime), or coding (e.g., Python, R) is a plus. Other qualities preferred include being reliable, professional, comfortable interacting with participants, and interested in cognitive psychology research.

Mentor: Professor Jessennya Hernandez, Ph.D.

Project Description: The primary goal of this project is to build an online reference manager that can support in collecting, storing, organizing, and citing literature within various subfields of Sociology. This research project can support a number of academic endeavors, such as designing a research project, writing articles, refining a literature review, or an annotated bibliography, etc. The subfields of Sociology that we would focus on would be as follows: women of color feminism; queer theory; Black feminist thought; transnational feminism; artivism and political art; liberation theory and movements; Latinx Sociology; Ethnographic Sociology; and similar topics. Students would be able to develop their knowledge on these topics, which can be useful if they are interested in pursuing similar research areas or working with these communities or in these areas outside of a university setting (e.g., data analyst). Aside from learning how to use an online reference manager as a tool, students will learn and practice important skills such as how to find and analyze academic sources, how to read efficiently and effectively, how to code, how to annotate and take notes, and how to find patterns and themes within research fields. Students would also have access to this reference manager for their own (current or future) research projects (if any). Finally, most of this work can be done remotely.

Mentor: Professor Daniel Olmos, Ph.D.

Project Description: My research investigates the political organization BUSTOP, which comprised affluent white suburban residents in Los Angeles who mobilized in the 1970s and 1980s to resist busing programs designed to desegregate public schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). The scope of this project focuses on understanding how BUSTOP utilized colorblind racist ideologies and legal-political strategies to frame their opposition as a defense of neighborhood schools and parental rights. By framing their movement in race-neutral language, BUSTOP masked the racial motivations underlying their resistance, making their cause more socially acceptable and legally viable. The research draws from a combination of archival materials, including legal documents, media coverage, and public statements from BUSTOP leaders. It also incorporates social movement literature on white resistance to civil rights, situating BUSTOP within the broader historical context of racial integration battles in the United States.

Student Roles: Students working on this project will engage in qualitative research methodologies, gaining hands-on experience with archival research, content analysis, and coding qualitative data.

Skills Students will Develop: Archival research skills; Qualitative data coding and analysis using sociological frameworks such as colorblind racism and social movement theory; Critical thinking and analytical skills; Writing and communication skills for synthesizing research findings into reports, abstracts, and potentially co-authored articles or conference presentations. 

Mentor: Professor Zeynep Toker, Ph.D.

Project Description: Community resilience plans help communities prepare for potential disasters (environmental, economic, and social) and recover from them while maintaining their identity. As climate change increases the number and intensity of environmental problems, low-income communities of color are disproportionately burdened. Although urban planners have developed plans addressing resilience issues for decades (i.e., hazard mitigation plans, climate action plans, and sustainability plans), and more recently holistic resilience plans, the plans and their processes are criticized for lack of genuine public participation and for failing to address equity. The purpose of this long-term research project is to understand the factors that make public participation in resilience planning genuine and equitable for underserved communities. We developed a 14-step process to prepare resilience plans at the neighborhood scale with the purpose of achieving genuine and equitable community participation. It includes community events, local expert interviews, and large-scale surveys. The process is based on working with community partners to increase the breadth of participation and to reach out to underserved groups in the community. Over the past seven years, we have implemented this process to prepare resilience plans as academic year-long professional projects. We plan to continue the implementation of participatory methods in resilience planning in low-income, high-diversity neighborhoods in Los Angeles to identify the factors that make public participation in resilience planning genuine and equitable for underserved communities. The community partners and facilitators will use online and in-person outreach throughout the process. 

Student Roles: The participating students will be trained in conducting community outreach, surveys, interviews, and community events. They will assist with preparing the resilience plans in low-income, high-diversity neighborhoods.

Mentor: Heather Cribbs, Systems Librarian

Project Description: This year-long research project investigates the usability and user experience of the Primo Research Assistant (PRA), an AI-powered research tool integrated into the CSUN Library’s discovery system. The project aims to evaluate how students interact with this emerging technology, assess its effectiveness in supporting academic research, and identify barriers to access or usability. By centering student voices and real-world testing, the project contributes actionable insights to improve AI integration in library systems.

Student Roles: UX Research Coordinator.  The UX Research Coordinator will support an IRB-approved research project evaluating the Primo Research Assistant (PRA), an AI-powered research tool integrated into a development version of the CSUN Library’s discovery system (OneSearch). The student will collaborate with the faculty lead to conduct usability testing and survey-based evaluation, contributing to an ongoing CSU-wide investigation of how students interact with AI in academic research.

Primary Responsibilities: Complete CITI training and assist with IRB documentation and protocol modifications. Help design and beta test usability protocols (task-based scenarios, think-aloud methods). Recruit and schedule participants for usability testing sessions. Assist in conducting sessions using established UX methods in a controlled lab setting. Support qualitative analysis of usability data and contribute to research synthesis. Collaborate on project documentation and may contribute to conference proposals or presentations.

The student will gain practical experience in: User experience (UX) research design.
Usability testing methodologies; Academic research ethics and IRB compliance; Survey development and evaluation; AI and library systems integration; Cross-institutional collaboration and research communication.

Through this role, the student will develop skills in UX research design, qualitative data collection and analysis, human subjects research protocols, and collaborative academic research. They will gain experience with IRB processes, usability testing methodology, and the broader landscape of AI in education. This is an excellent opportunity for students interested in user experience, digital equity, education technology, or library innovation, and may lead to co-authorship or conference presentations.

Preferred Qualifications: Coursework or experience in UX research, HCI, library science, psychology, education, or a related field. Familiarity with survey tools (e.g., Qualtrics) and/or basic qualitative analysis. Experience with usability testing methods such as think-aloud protocols or task-based evaluations. Interest in the ethical and practical implications of AI in higher education.
Experience using or troubleshooting academic databases or library discovery tools (e.g., OneSearch).