CUREs

Catherine Nichols, Mo We Fri 12:35PM - 1:25PM

Museum and Material Culture Research invites students to learn and practice a variety of anthropological research methods with objects and archives in the May Weber Ethnographic Study Collection, located in Mundelein Center.

Each student contributes to the Collection’s ongoing curation by producing an in-depth research report for an object, which is added to the Collection’s permanent documentation files. Students are encouraged to disseminate their research through eCommons and the Undergraduate Research Symposium.

This is an Engaged Learning (Undergraduate Research) and Writing Intensive course.

Emma Feeney, Mo 11:30am - 2:15pm

This course introduces students to techniques commonly used to address questions of cellular physiology from a biochemical perspective.  Our class is part of a national network of undergraduate labs participating in a research project headed by the Seigel lab at University of California – Davis called Design to Data (D2D).  The “big picture” goal of this project is to generate a dataset that will be used to train artificial intelligence algorithms to make protein function predictions based on amino acid sequence and/or protein structure. You will be working on a semester-long primary research project where you will be generating mutant enzymes, characterizing their function, and uploading your data to a national database. 

Over the course of this project, we will discuss specific laboratory methods and the types of data collected by each, along with learning how to calculate useful results from the data and to interpret the results with reference to molecular models and mechanisms.  Finally, you will learn how to communicate novel research data in either written and oral formats.  Laboratory techniques used in the lab are commonly used in a variety of research fields (medical, pharmaceutical, etc). 

Emma Feeney, Mo 2:45PM - 5:15PM

This course introduces students to techniques commonly used to address questions of cellular physiology from a biochemical perspective.  Our class is part of a national network of undergraduate labs participating in a research project headed by the Seigel lab at University of California – Davis called Design to Data (D2D).  The “big picture” goal of this project is to generate a dataset that will be used to train artificial intelligence algorithms to make protein function predictions based on amino acid sequence and/or protein structure. You will be working on a semester-long primary research project where you will be generating mutant enzymes, characterizing their function, and uploading your data to a national database. 

Over the course of this project, we will discuss specific laboratory methods and the types of data collected by each, along with learning how to calculate useful results from the data and to interpret the results with reference to molecular models and mechanisms.  Finally, you will learn how to communicate novel research data in either written and oral formats.  Laboratory techniques used in the lab are commonly used in a variety of research fields (medical, pharmaceutical, etc). 

Hui Ye, Mo We 12:35PM - 3:20PM

How does the nervous system organize and function in order to control animal behaviors such as locomotion, escaping and feeding? What are the ionic bases that control the single neuron’s excitability? How can one control neural activity by electric and magnetic stimulation? As a senior level neuroscience lab class, BIOL 373 provides a unique training opportunity to students to learn various techniques in the field of cellular neurobiology. Students will gain hands-on experience in biomedical instrumentation, signal processing, micro dissection of nervous system, extracellular and intracellular recording techniques from nerves, axons, and single neurons. Students will also be trained to simulate neural activity using the computational neuroscience platforms such as Neurons in Actions (NIA) and NEURON.

To appreciate the complexity of neural control of animal behavior, the model system Aplysia californica will be used for the study. Scientific publications related to the class will be introduced in the class. In the 2^nd half of the semester, students will  work in the lab to acquire data, and generate final research papers.

Emma Feeney, Mo We 8:15AM - 11:00AM

This course is an intensive laboratory course in the basic principles and techniques of molecular biology, including bacterial cloning, polymerase chain reaction, restriction mapping, agarose gel electrophoresis, and DNA sequencing. 

The goal of this intensive laboratory course is to introduce you to the basic principles and techniques of molecular biology. During the first half of the semester, you will be introduced to and learn the basic techniques of molecular biology including bacterial cloning, polymerase chain reaction, restriction mapping, agarose gel electrophoresis, and DNA sequencing. In the second half of the course, you will apply these techniques to your own independent cloning projects. This is an Engaged Learning course, approved for the Undergraduate Research category, and thus satisfies Loyola’s Engaged Learning requirement. This course is also Writing Intensive; thus, we will be spending considerable time learning formal science writing skills. 

James Lodolce, Mo We 1:40pm - 4:25pm

This course is an intensive laboratory course in the basic principles and techniques of molecular biology, including bacterial cloning, polymerase chain reaction, restriction mapping, agarose gel electrophoresis, and DNA sequencing. 

The goal of this intensive laboratory course is to introduce you to the basic principles and techniques of molecular biology. During the first half of the semester, you will be introduced to and learn the basic techniques of molecular biology including bacterial cloning, polymerase chain reaction, restriction mapping, agarose gel electrophoresis, and DNA sequencing. In the second half of the course, you will apply these techniques to your own independent cloning projects. This is an Engaged Learning course, approved for the Undergraduate Research category, and thus satisfies Loyola’s Engaged Learning requirement. This course is also Writing Intensive; thus, we will be spending considerable time learning formal science writing skills. 

Megan Whitney, Th 11:30AM - 2:15PM

This course is an introduction to research into how life has evolved in deep time. As a part of this course, students will partake in independent research in a Late Cretaceous (66 million years ago) ecosystem to document the final days of non-avian dinosaurs and the rise of mammals. Using real fossils students will gain skills in anatomical identification, ecosystem statistics, microscopy, and geology. Students will present their research during a final poster presentation symposium and practice their skills in science communication to a general audience.

Michael Grillo, We 1:40PM - 4:25PM

Mutually beneficial species interactions, termed mutualisms, are ubiquitous in nature, contributing to numerous ecological processes and playing profound roles in ecosystem functioning. A striking feature of plant-microbe mutualisms is the high degree of variation maintained for both partner choice (i.e. the symbiotic partners a plant forms associations with) and partner quality (the fitness benefits a plant receives from a particular symbiont). The mutualism between plants in the legume family (Fabaceae) and rhizobia (nitrogen-fixing bacteria) is one of the most economically and ecologically important interactions on the planet.

In this CURE students will examine symbiotic interactions between native legumes in the Chicago region and their microbial symbionts, particularly as it pertains to partner choice and partner quality. Through this experience students will gain experience with basic laboratory skills in microbiology and genetics.

Helena Palka-Hamblin, Mo We  9:20AM - 10:35AM

The Cancer Cell Culture CURE is designed with the main objectives to promote understanding of the flow of biological research and promote mastery of cell culture techniques. Students will first investigate the effects of culture conditions (2D versus 3D) on gene expression, cell growth, proliferation, and metabolic rates. Once students have completed these preliminary experiments and determined any differences, students will work in pairs to design their own experiments to investigate what biological processes might be impacted by the different culture conditions. Students will read and critically evaluate primary literature and develop a formal experimental plan and write a grant-like proposal.

Once approved, students will conduct their experiments and collect and analyze data. During the semester students will give progress reports in class and discuss experimental designs, new data, and work collaboratively with the rest of the class to trouble shoot any problems. At the end of the semester students will submit a final report highlighting project activities completed, results and data collected, challenges encountered and future directions.

Jennifer Mierisch, Tu 2:30PM - 5:15PM

Cell signaling controls many basic cellular functions from cell growth and proliferation to survival and migration. On a tissue level, cell signaling coordinates the response of the tissue to stimuli. Interestingly, the same signaling pathways are used for the a variety of purposes across species. While many signaling pathway components are conserved, pathways do evolve over evolutionary time with some molecules lost, gained, or altered in sequence, thereby affecting pathway function.

Study of signaling pathways across species is critical for understanding the keys players in these pathways and how pathway structure has changed. In this course we still study gene structure and function and explore how genes have evolved across species in the context of signaling pathways. These projects are in collaboration with the Genomics Education Partnership (thegep.org).

Peter Dordal, Mo We Fri 2:45PM - 3:35PM

Alice Weinreb, Tu 2:30PM - 5:00PM

Students will engage in intensive, primary-source based research individually and in small groups, contributing to the same larger question: How and why did eating disorders become so prevalent in the United States and around the world during the late twentieth century?

Students will carry out archival research building off of a shared pool of sources; they will read secondary and theoretical literature in history and psychology; they will develop an original research question; and complete an analytic, primary-source-based history paper of 10-15 pages.

Christopher Cantwell, Mo We 2:45PM - 4:00PM

In this class students will gain an introductory technical knowledge of digital tools or methods, learn to apply technical knowledge about digital history tools to historical questions, and acquire experience contributing to a team-based digital humanities project called “Remember My Church.”

The project will have students partner with Catholic parishes in the Rogers Park area impacted by the Archdiocese of Chicago’s “Renew My Church” initiative, which has merged or closed churches, and then document their histories using a variety of digital research methods.

TBA, Tu Th 2:00PM - 5:00PM

Every Spring, five Loyola students have the chance to be a part of a research seminar at the Newberry Library, located near the Water Tower Campus. Over the course of their semester at the library, students attend seminar meetings with students from DePaul, Roosevelt, and UIC. The seminar allows students to combine an intensive classroom experience with independent research carried out in the Newberry Library, one of the country's richest archives of primary source materials on history and culture.

The seminar is open to qualified students in all disciplines, counts as both Writing Intensive and Engaged Learning, and culminates in a major research paper and presentation.

Carmen Rovi, Mo We 11:30AM - 12:45PM

The Research Seminar in Mathematics (Math 298) is a seminar-style course that introduces students to the process of mathematical research through hands-on projects and close mentorship from faculty. Students will explore how to formulate questions, develop methods, and communicate results in mathematics and its applications.

Each student will work on an individual or team-based research project, either launching a new idea or continuing an existing project. They will also gain experience in writing, presenting, and sharing their work with peers and faculty. Projects will be presented in class and potentially outside of class to fulfill the engaged learning requirements.

The Advanced Research Seminar in Mathematics (Math 390) is a seminar-style course that provides students with the opportunity to develop their research and presentation skills, covering both familiar topics from the curriculum and more unconventional topics not typically included in the undergraduate curriculum.

Students will engage in research projects and will participate in the research culture of the department by attending research seminars and colloquia. They will have opportunities to present their research findings both in class and to audiences outside of class to fulfill the engaged learning requirements.

Physics majors enrolled in PHYS 126F work in small groups on a semester-long research project under the supervision of a faculty member. Each group proposes a research project, studies the underlying physics, designs and builds an experimental apparatus or computational framework, collects and analyzes data, then presents their results at an end-of-semester research symposium. This hands-on experience teaches students how to plan, collaborate on, and communicate scientific research – essential skills that can't be taught in the classroom. 

Each section of PHYS 126F is led by a faculty member who guides their group through the process of identifying and planning a project, and no two sections are alike. Students might develop numerical simulations of galactic dark matter halos, model and test "Chladni patterns" formed by sand on a vibrating plate, construct an acoustic levitation device, or build a cosmic ray detector. These projects may turn into long-term collaborations and have even led to peer-reviewed publications.

Sections and faculty:

Dana Garbarski and David Doherty, Tu Th 11:30AM - 12:45PM

Each January, Professors David Doherty (Political Science) and Dana Garbarski (Sociology) field a survey of Cook County residents to see how people in the area feel about matters including crime and safety, local politics, municipal services, schools, local politics, and more. In Spring 2026, students will have an opportunity to participate in an engaged learning course focused on analyzing data from this survey. Participants will be some of the first people on earth to work with the new data and gain insights into how the local community feels about the issues of the day.

Students will prepare press releases and presentations to share findings with the public, as well as produce rigorous analyses that will improve our understanding of the forces that shape people’s attitudes about local issues. Success completing Political Numbers (PLSC 216) or SOCL 301 (or, in special cases, a comparable social science course in quantitative methods) is a pre-requisite. Instructor permission will be required to register. Learn more about the CCCS and explore data from past years here: www.cccs.sites.luc.edu.

Elizabeth Wakefield, Mo We Fr 8:15AM - 9:05AM

The PSYC 369/370 course sequence gives majors in Psychology the opportunity to complete an honors thesis project with a faculty mentor in the department. This fulfills the Capstone requirement for the Psychology Major, and is a great option for students who have been working in a research lab during their undergraduate career at Loyola and are looking to gain more experience designing, conducting and writing about a study of their own.

For more information about eligibility and the course, please reach out to Dr. Wakefield (ewakefield1@luc.edu).

Gregory Matthews, Mo We Fri 2:45PM - 3:35PM

Students will work on a research project with a client acting as a consultant on the statistical and computational aspects of the project. Students are required to meet with a client, develop a strategy for addressing their problem, and present their results to the client (and their classmates).

Dance (DANC)

Fine Arts (FNAR)

Music (MUSC)

Theatre (THTR)