STARS 2026 - Research Projects Descriptions

Dr. Christopher Theissen 

Find the planet! You will analyze data taken with the Direct Imaging Camera on the Nickel 40-inch telescope at Lick Observatory of the transit of the planet TIC46432937b. Data consists of multiple images taken during the transit of TIC46432937b along with calibration frames. You will learn the basics of high precision photometry and transit photometry, data reduction, and statistical techniques to identify the transit signal. If time permits, you will use advanced statistical techniques to attempt to find the signal in very noisy data. This will help us develop a future observational lab for our new Astronomy & Astrophysics department and test the limits of using the 40-inch telescope for a ground-based transit survey.

Special Considerations: Ability to work in groups.

Prerequisites: Knowledge of the Python language would be beneficial. Basic astronomy knowledge would be useful, but not required.

Website: http://ctheissen.github.io

Dr. James Nieh

We are studying honey bee communication and honey bee health. The project will depend on the interests of the student(s). The communication study focuses on the honey bee waggle dance and studying cultural transmission of this dance language. The health study focuses on honey bee immune priming (treating bees with a vaccine-like treatment).

Special Considerations: Cannot be allergic to bee stings or bees.

Lab: The Nieh Lab

Dr. Diana Rennison

"We are an ecological and evolutionary genomics lab that uses a combination of field and laboratory methods to study the predictability of evolution. This project will involve primarily morphological and computer work to identify the phenotypic and genetic differences between populations of threespine stickleback fish adapting to a diversity of freshwater environments.

Special Considerations: Must be willing to work with live fish and/or preserved fish specimens.

Prerequisites: Some background or interest in biology.

Lab: Rennison Lab

Dr. Alina Schimpf

This project will focus on the synthesis of new inorganic solid state materials. Our lab aims to develop and characterize inorganic materials with unique electronic or photophysical properties that can be accessed via inexpensive, solution-based techniques. Research in the Schimpf Lab will involve the synthesis of new nanoscale materials, use of chemical environment to control material properties, and spectroscopic characterization of electronic and photophysical properties.

Prerequisites: Taken general chemistry.

Lab: The Schimpf Lab

Dr. Andrew Pun

This project will focus on developing new materials for photon upconversion. Students will gain hand-on skills in synthetic organic chemistry, as well as molecular and optical characterization of materials synthesized.

Prerequisites: Taken laboratory chemistry classes.

Lab: Applied Photochemistry Lab

Dr. Guy Bertrand

This project will focus on the synthesis of novel carbenes. Challenging textbook rules inspired our work on stable carbenes, nitrenes, diradicals, and bent-allenes. We now aim to turn reactive molecules into practical tools for synthetic chemists. Stable carbenes and related metal-free species can activate small molecules and stabilize reactive intermediates. Our goal is to show they can also transfer fragments to substrates, performing tasks once exclusive to transition metal complexes.

Prerequisites: Chemistry Major

Lab: Bertrand's Research Group

Dr. Michael Sailor

The student will participate in the Summer School for Silicon Nanotechnology. The project will train the student on the synthesis and chemistry of nanoporous silicon, and the project will involve application of silicon-based nano-systems to unsolved problems in one of three major areas: quantum materials, chemical sensing, and nanomedicine. Current focus is on peptide-targeted delivery of nanoparticles to diseased tissues, long-acting delivery of small molecule and biological therapeutics, exploiting the reactivity of caged enzyme systems, and investigation of the quantum properties of silicon nanoparticles, or “quantum dots.”

Prerequisites: Student must have completed the freshman sequences in Chemistry, Physics, and Math

Website: Sailer Research Group

Dr. Gourisankar Ghosh

My projects are on the investigation of how i) dysregulation of IkappaB Kinase signaling pathway induces neuroinflammation and protein aggregation and ii) NF-kappaB family of transcription factors regulate inflammatory and metabolic gene expression.

Special Considerations / Prerequisites: None

Website: https://chemistry.ucsd.edu/faculty/profiles/ghosh_gourisankar.html

Dr. Kent Griffith

The Griffith Laboratory develops new materials for rechargeable batteries including fast-charging lithium-ion batteries and sustainable next-generation energy storage technologies like sodium-based materials. We are a materials chemistry laboratory with a focus on materials synthesis, characterization methods such as diffraction and spectroscopy, and device (battery) fabrication and testing.

Prerequisites: Gen. Chem and Gen. Chem Lab

Lab: The Griffith Lab

Dr. Yusu Wang

Neural algorithmic reasoning, designing neural models to carry out algorithmic tasks.

Prerequisites: Taken undergraduate algorithms or an equivalent course. Should have a machine learning and deep learning background and be familiar with transformers. 

Website: http://yusu.belkin-wang.org/research.html

Dr. Adam Engler

The Engler lab's research is focused on how cell behavior is directed by the extracellular matrix (ECM), a 3-dimensional (3D) fibrillar scaffold to which cells adhere. Investigations in the lab revolve around how the mechanical and biochemical properties of this 3D ECM direct the cell behavior, i.e. mechanobiology. Under this broad conceptual framework, the lab is interested in how mechanobiology influences or misregulates cell function and modifies genetic mechanisms of disease. Specifically, the lab has shown that ECM mechanics can regulate the differentiation of stem cells into specific adult cell types, cause heart cells to contract better/worse with age, and cause cells to transform into cancer and metastasize. To accomplish this, his lab makes natural and synthetic matrices with unique spatiotemporal properties to mimic niche conditions, improve stem cell behavior and commitment in vitro, or direct them for therapeutic use in vivo.

Special Considerations: Must be okay with working with embryonic stem cells. Cell culture is a plus.

Lab: The Engler Lab

Dr. Wanlu Li

Machine Learning for Structure Description of Disordered Materials. The APEX Lab integrates artificial intelligence, quantum mechanics, and multiscale simulations to model complex materials and catalytic processes, enabling predictive insights into structure–property–function relationships.

Prerequisites: Knowledge of programming language, machine learning basics.

Lab: The APEX Lab

Dr. Laurel Riek

The Healthcare Robotics Lab at UC San Diego conducts research in human robot interaction (HRI), health informatics, and assistive technology, explored in close collaboration with disabled people, healthcare workers, and community members. Our recent projects have applications in the areas of neurorehabilitation, dementia caregiving, and emergency medicine. This summer we are seeking students interested in: 1) Human-centered design of assistive technology or 2) UI/UX development.

Special Considerations:

1. Design experience (e.g., visual, graphical, interaction) and prototyping experience (e.g. Figma)
2. Web development experience (e.g., JavaScript, Python Flask, HTML, CSS)

Prerequisites: Knowledge of programming language, machine learning basics.

Lab: Healthcare Robotics Lab

Dr. Siavash Mirarab

Algorithm development and evaluation for analyses of genomic data in the context of evolutionary relationships (phylogenetics) or gathering ecological data to help with conservation efforts. The goal will be to implement and test new algorithms, including those based on machine learning for analyzing genome-wide data across species.

Special Considerations: We need students with interest/skill in programming.

Prerequisites: Python or R programming. Algorithmic understanding will be a plus. 

Website: http://eceweb.ucsd.edu/~smirarab/publications.html

Dr. Tse Nga (Tina) Ng

Water Quality Monitoring based on Organic Electrochemical Transistors
Low-cost sensors for in situ monitoring of ocean conditions will provide critical information to understand how nutrients and oxygen levels correlate to fish kills and aquaculture issues. The compatibility of organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) with aqueous environments makes them promising sensor components in an ocean sensing platform. This project involves designing the sensor for detecting nutrients such as nitrates and phosphates and explain the challenges to improve device sensitivity and stability for the marine environment.

Prerequisites: Taken general chemistry and lab classes.

Lab: The Ng Lab

Dr. Farhat Beg

The HEDP Group's most recent research projects include the systematic study of fast electron energy deposition, the dynamics of high-energy proton beam focusing and transition, and participation in the Fusion Science Center for Extreme States of Matter. The STARS student will be working on extreme ultraviolet lithography. They will be using interferometry and spectroscopic techniques to obtain information about plasma temperature and density.

Special Considerations: Physics.

Prerequisites: Some hands on equipment experience.

Lab: HEDP Research Group

Dr. John Hwang

The student will investigate computational algorithms for simulation-based design optimization of complex engineering systems in aerospace, robotics, or wind energy. Recent research in the lab has focused on the optimal design of electric aircraft, drones, soft aquatic robots, medical robots, walking robots, and floating offshore wind turbines.

Special Considerations: Programming background in Python, C++, or MATLAB.

Lab: Large-Scale Design Optimization (LSDO) Lab

Dr. Jorge Cortes

Work on distributed robotics at the MURO Lab includes design, analysis, and implementation of motion planning strategies and distributed coordination algorithms on multi-robot networks performing spatially-distributed tasks. Our lab focuses on deployment of heterogeneous robots including ground vehicles and aerial vehicles. We rely on methods from graph theory, dynamics, and control combined with open source software programming. Several project opportunities exist to enhance the range of current
capabilities in the lab. These include the implementation of distributed methods for: formation control with drones, multi-agent map exploration with task allocation using LIDAR based SLAM, using ground robots to coordinate mass rope cargo systems, and integrating interactions between aerial and ground robots.

Special Considerations: Robot Operating System (ROS) preferably ROS2

Prerequisites: Familiarity with open source software; programming experience (either Python or C++, ideally ROS2); knowledge of ordinary differential equations and linear algebra.

Lab: MURO Lab

Website: terrano.ucsd.edu/jorge

Dr. Tara Hutchinson

Post-earthquake functionality of equipment with variable attachment configurations

Special Considerations: Civil and/or structural engineering students comfortable working in a physical laboratory setting

Prerequisites: Junior or above standing in a civil engineering program, completed mechanics of materials, statics, dynamics, experience with matlab programming

Website: https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/faculty/profile?id=247

Dr. Jiawang Nie

Optimization for data science

Special Considerations: Students who likes mathematics and data science.

Prerequisites: Taken courses like advanced calculus and linear algebra. Knowledge of programming languages like Latex and MATLAB.

Website: https://mathweb.ucsd.edu/~njw/

Dr. Tom Wong

Impact of Immigration Enforcement

Special Considerations / Prerequisites: None

Website: https://www.tomwongphd.com/

Dr. Caren Walker

Dr. Walker's research is in the area of cognitive development: we examine the various learning mechanisms that underlie knowledge acquisition and change in early life. Current projects focus on the emergence of scientific thinking—we study school-aged children’s reasoning about cause and effect relationships in the world.

Special Considerations: Experience working with children.

Lab: Early Learning & Cognition Lab

Dr. Chitra Mandyam

The research will identify mechanisms underlying blood-brain barrier deficits in animal model of alcohol dependence.

Special Considerations: Comfortable working with animals models.

Prerequisites: Undergraduate classes in biochemistry or neurobiology will help.

Website: https://profiles.ucsd.edu/chitra.mandyam

Dr. Brian Ilfeld

We perform clinical research within the department of Anesthesiology, specifically investigating non-opioid regional anesthesia treatments for pain following surgery. Students can expect to learn to consent and enroll study participants, help administer study interventions, enter and manage datasets, and help create manuscripts. Authorship will be gained on at least one article, although we averaged two for each student last year. Some current and recent projects: https://clinicaltrials.gov/search?term=ilfeld%20Brian

Special Considerations: Someone interested in clinical research, and works well with others.

Website: https://profiles.ucsd.edu/brian.ilfeld

Dr. Dan Kaufman

Studies in the Kaufman lab focus on producing engineered immune cells for improved anti-tumor activity. Work for this project will involve cell culture and molecular biology work on studies either using human induced pluripotent stem cells, or virus production for direct in vivo cell engineering.

Special Considerations: Course work in biology, biochemistry or related areas is needed. Previous experience in lab-based research would be helpful.

Prerequisites: Course work in biology, biochemistry, cell and moecular biology or related areas is needed.

Lab: Kaufman Lab

Dr. Hannah Carter

Summer students will perform hypothesis driven computational data analysis working with next generation sequencing data in the context of cancer or autoimmune disease. Data modalities may include DNA sequencing, RNA sequencing at bulk, single cell or spatial resolution.

Prerequisites: Students should be comfortable writing code in Python or R

Lab: The Carter Lab

Dr. Tatum Simonson

How do humans thrive where oxygen is scarce? For thousands of years, communities in the Tibetan Plateau, Andes, and Ethiopian highlands have adapted to life at high altitude. Our lab explores these remarkable adaptations through a blend of physiology, molecular biology, and genomics. Students in our group investigate how different populations respond to low-oxygen environments and what these differences reveal about human evolution, health, and disease. This integrative work offers the chance to contribute to research that connects global human diversity with fundamental biological mechanisms.

Prerequisites: Data analysis, programming

Lab: The Simonson Lab

Dr. Kim Prather

Air and water quality measurements at US-Mexico border. Our Institute brings together an interdisciplinary team of scientists focused on both understanding the impact of climate change on the air we breathe as well as developing implementable solutions to improve indoor and outdoor air quality globally.

Prerequisites: Chemistry background, environmental interests

Lab: The Airborne Institute