Interested in undergraduate research in Los Angeles? Explore the variety of student research opportunities available at Occidental College. If something catches your eye, reach out to the professor to learn more about their research.
Note that this is not an exhaustive list of research opportunities at Oxy. Please reach out to professors in your field of interest for more information on research opportunities.
Biology Chemistry Cognitive Science Physics Psychology Other Areas of Study
Biology
Computational Biology Lab
Professor: Amanda Zellmer Email: zellmer@oxy.edu
Research Interests: We use computational approaches to study our primary research projects, including automatic identification of wildlife from camera trap images, modeling species distributions, and quantifying landscape connectivity.
Learn more about the Computational Biology Lab through our website and Instagram.
Marine Ecology Research Lab
Professor: Amber Stubler Email: astubler@oxy.edu
Research Interests: We investigate the impacts of biotic and abiotic stressors on the interactions between organisms in the marine environment through experimentation and modeling.
Learn more about the Marine Ecology Lab at our Instagram.
Microbial Pathogenesis Lab
Professor: Cheryl Okumura Email: okumura@oxy.edu
Research Interests: We investigate how Group A Streptococcus (the bacteria that causes strep throat) survives in macrophages.
Learn more about the Microbial Pathogenesis Lab through our Instagram.
Moore Lab: Bird Evolution, Genomics & Conservation
Professor: John McCormack Email: mccormack@oxy.edu
Research Interests: We study how birds evolved and how to protect them through vintage specimens and modern genomics.
Learn more about the Moore Lab through our website and Instagram.
SymbiOxys Lab
Professor: Shana Goffredi Email: sgoffredi@oxy.edu
Research Interests: We explore beneficial symbiotic partnerships between bacteria and marine invertebrates while uncovering the unique diversity of life on Earth.
Learn more about the Symbioxys Lab through our website and Instagram.
Toxinology and the Cosman Shell Collection at Occidental College
Professor: Joseph Schulz Email: jschulz@oxy.edu
Research Interests: We study the biomechanics and physiology of prey capture by venomous marine conesnails. Lab efforts include developing the zebrafish genetic model system for studying the activity of novel cone snail neurotoxins on the vertebrate nervous system utilizing neurophysiology, molecular biology, and peptide biochemistry. Students also perform collections research that includes curation, imaging, and genomics approaches.
Vantuna Research Group
Professor: Daniel Pondella Email: pondella@oxy.edu
Research Interests: We are dedicated to studying long-term and large, spatial-scale ecological processes in the Southern California Bight, a 426-mile long stretch of coastline that runs along the west coast of the U.S. and Mexico.
Learn more about the Vantuna Research Group through our website.
Chemistry
Organic Chemistry Reaction Discovery Lab
Professor: Jeff Cannon Email: jcannon@oxy.edu
Research Interests: We undertake the discovery and development of new chemical reactions for the synthesis of biologically-relevant small molecules, focusing especially on catalytic and stereoselective methods.
Learn more about the Organic Chemistry Reaction Discovery Lab through our website and Instagram.
Organic Synthesis Lab
Professor: Raul Navarro Email: rnavarro@oxy.edu
Research Interests: We develop efficient chemical tools to build bioactive molecules.
Learn more about the Organic Synthesis Lab through our website and Instagram.
Cognitive Science
To learn about the research opportunities in the Cognitive Science Department, check out our Research and Job Opportunities page.
Physics
Oxy Galaxy Group
Professor: Sabrina Stierwalt Email: sabrina@oxy.edu
Research Interests: We make and use observations of galaxies beyond our own to investigate how galaxies form and evolve, as well as understand our cosmic origins.
Learn more about the OGG through our website.
Psychology
Thinking Lab
Professor: Andrew Shtulman Email: shtulman@oxy.edu
Research Interests: We investigate how children and adults acquire new concepts and form new beliefs.
Learn more about the Thinking Lab through our website.
Canine Intelligence Lab
Professor: Zachary Silver Email: zsilver@oxy.edu
Research Interests: We explore the evolution of social cognition and decision-making in domestic dogs.
Learn more about the Canine Intelligence Lab through our website and Instagram.
People Watching Lab
Professor: Nicholas Alt Email: alt@oxy.edu
Research Interests: We conduct research on social perception and intergroup relations. Studies have explored topics such as the visual perception of groups of people and the effectiveness of bias and prejudice reduction strategies such as confronting behaviors.
Learn more about the People Watching Lab through our website.