Join Parrish Lab

Apply Here

We are currently seeking one master's student. If you are an aspiring master's student interested in the Parrish lab, please reach out to Dr. Parrish at ryley_parrish@byu.edu.

Thanks for your interest in participating in mentored research in the Parrish Lab. I’m thankful for all the great BYU students who want to contribute to scientific advancement. For those applying for credit before the add/drop deadline, keep the following things in mind:

Strong preference is given to students who:
- Are willing to work a minimum of 10 hours per week.
- Intend to work in the lab for a minimum of 18 months.
- Are enrolled in either Cell450R or the mentored research (Cell295R/Cell495R/Neuro449R) during the semesters or terms that you work in the lab.
- Will be available to work in the lab during Spring and Summer

To understand the lab expectations and onboarding process, please click on the Parrish Lab Logo just below the application questions to download a word document with our current syllabus for all those participating in the lab. If you are curious to know what our lab is working on, please see the "Relevant Literature" tab above

Undergraduate students may occasionally be hired for paid positions in the lab. However, this typically occurs after they have worked in the lab for at least two semesters for university credit, dedicating a minimum of 10 hours per week. Even then, paid positions depend on available funding, and only students who demonstrate strong commitment and significant progress in their work will be considered for the limited paid positions.

A reference letter from a research mentor is incredibly helpful for medical and graduate school applications. If this is an outcome from the lab you are looking for, it is expected that you will work for a minimum of 1 year or 3 semesters before receiving a letter.

To apply to the lab, first fill out the application below. Then, notify one of the graduate students or undergraduate team leads via email that you have applied and are interested in working with them. Please direct further questions at Tori Poulsen, the lab manager.

Please note that we can’t take all students that apply, but we want to help as many students as possible get a rich research experience.

First Name

Last Name

Major(s) & Minor(s):

Projected Graduation Date:

Number of semesters available to participate in research before graduation:

Expected weekly hours to put toward research:

Previous laboratory or research experience:

Please list PI, how long you were in the lab, your position, and equipment used.

First lab position choice:

Look at the position description list below this form to learn more about each position :)

Second lab position choice:

Look at the position description list below this form to learn more about each position :)

Third lab position choice:

Look at the position description list below this form to learn more about each position :)

Science Courses:

What science courses have you completed or are in progress (include all chemistry, biology, physics, engineering, computer sciences, or physics classes)?

Lab Interest:

Why do you want to work in the Parrish lab and why are you interested in being on the teams you listed?

Availability Spring/Summer:

If you were accepted into the lab, will you be available to work in the lab most of your first Spring and Summer after you join? Note that vacations during the summer are totally fine.

Graduate Students

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Undergraduate Team Leads

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Adjunct Graduate Students

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Lab Management

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Join Parrish Lab

Lab Syllabus - Parrish Lab

Graduate Students

Melissa Blotter

Rachel Ricks

Dr. Kojo Bawuah Afran-Okese

Undergraduate Team Leads

Clay Dunford

Adjunct Graduate Students

Kutter Hine

Lab Management

Isaac Stubbs

Tori Poulsen

Position Description:

Ex Vivo Seizure Team

Migraine Pathology Team

Fish Genetics and Husbandry Team

Data Analysis Team

Immunohistochemistry Team

Cell Respiration Team

3D Printing Team

Spatial Transcriptomics Team