Research

As a student in the Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences, you will have opportunities to be engaged in life-changing research through UMass Lowell's experiential learning experiences. 

From preventing childhood obesity to evaluating the performance of safer (green) approaches to disinfection to improving drug therapies, students participate in co-ops, research symposiums and research awards. Depending upon your major, you'll also have the opportunity to be involved in community engagement projects. Below are examples of recent student research projects.

Jenna Connolly '14 (Nursing)

"My co-op experience has been incredible. I was given the opportunity to work with Prof. Juliette Shellman, a nurse researcher at UMass Lowell, and a team of undergraduate and graduate students who have been studying the effects of reminiscence therapy on older adults. At the end of her research, Dr. Shellman hopes to have an article published in a nursing journal describing her results. I was given the chance to take part in this experience by both witnessing and taking part in interviews. Additionally, Dr. Shellman let me write the introduction to the article. Clearly, this experience has opened many doors for me. I was able to see the research process first hand, and by the end, I will hopefully be a published author."

Isabel Robinson '14 (Exercise Physiology)

"When I was first offered a position to work with a professor on a research project, I was hesitant. I was worried that I would hate it and be completely bored and turned off by the idea of doing research. Fortunately, my worries were all in my imagination because I love what I am doing. I love being able to go to the lab and sit down and play around with different technology. I love to come up with questions and ways to answer those questions, and then actually answering the questions gives me a feeling of accomplishment. I also love that I can actually see the progress that is being made, and I know by the end of the semester that I will feel as though I've helped with something important. Working with Dr. Bruce Young and his TA Amy has been a great and worthwhile experience. It has not been all work, as they have been able to take time out of focusing solely on the research to give me advice and to guide me through my thought process about my future academic and career goals. I am glad that I made the decision to work with a professor and would do it again next year if given the opportunity."

Nathalia Mendoza '12 (Clinical Laboratory Sciences)

"In my co-op, I have been assisting a PhD student in her research about how a certain drug will work against a cancerous liver cell. In the lab I have been able to test these cells by doing Cell Culture, RNA extraction, Gene Expression, ELISA and many other assays and techniques. I have found this experience to be the best I have ever encountered at school. Being able to work in a research lab has taught me how hard researchers work to get the data they need. I am fortunate to be able to work with such an outstanding group of people because they have counseled me with regards to schoolwork and also taught me the things they have learned in their classes, which in return has helped me with my own career path. I am truly grateful for this great opportunity that I have been given and will work really hard to continue to learn as much as I can and to build on what I've learned already."