Unveiling Undergraduate Research Opportunities at the University of Kentucky

The University of Kentucky (UK) provides diverse avenues for undergraduate students to engage in research, fostering academic enrichment and skill development. These opportunities span various colleges and departments, allowing students to apply classroom knowledge to real-world challenges and contribute meaningfully to ongoing research initiatives. Undergraduate research is central to creating a well-rounded student experience at UK.

Biomedical Engineering Research

Undergraduate students have the opportunity to work side-by-side with biomedical engineering faculty and graduate students on innovative, pioneering research projects. These opportunities allow undergraduates in traditional engineering departments, or in relevant life and physical sciences programs, to apply their classroom education to real-world biomedical engineering problems. Depending on previous experience and level of commitment, students can simply volunteer their time to gain research exposure, earn academic credit for their efforts or even earn an hourly wage or summer stipend. Whereas some projects last a semester, others span two or three years. Such time-intensive projects allow the undergraduate researcher to make a meaningful contribution, sometimes reflected in the presentation of abstracts at regional and national meetings and submission of manuscripts for publication.

College of Public Health Research Program

The College of Public Health’s undergraduate research program fosters student curiosity and development through mentored, self-directed work. This program offers students extensive opportunities to conduct original research on meaningful public health issues as they work with faculty mentors. Many students begin research with CPH 395, Undergraduate Independent Studies in Public Health. In this course, students work one-on-one with a faculty member on a research project.

CPH 395: Undergraduate Independent Studies in Public Health

Each semester, students have the opportunity to apply for CPH 395, Undergraduate Independent Studies in Public Health, for the following semester. Applications for the Fall and Summer Semesters are due March 15. Applications for the Spring Semester are due Oct. For each credit hour, you spend about three hours per week on your CPH 395 project. This means for a three-credit hour class, you commit to nine hours a week. You may enroll in one to three credit hours per semester and earn up to six credits. All BPH students with 60 hours of completed coursework may apply for this opportunity. However, CPH 395 is selective. In general, students must have a high GPA in order to participate. Students are matched to faculty members based on research interests and skills. You will identify your research interests and skills in the application, and then your materials are sent to a potential faculty member. This faculty member then reaches out to you to talk about the research they are working on and how you can contribute. If you want to work with a particular faculty member, you should talk to that faculty member. Using the link at the top of this page, you can apply for CPH 395. Questions? Find a faculty mentor (in Public Health or another college) who can help you with this project. Write a proposal (approximately 1-page) that describes the work you will complete. This proposal should clearly describe the purpose of the project, the data to be collected/analyzed, and the methods that will be used to analyze the data. Apply for the fellowship using this link. Applications for the Spring Semester are due Nov. 1. After you submit your application, we will ask your mentor for a letter of recommendation.

Undergraduate students in the College of Public Health have several opportunities for research funding each year. Funding is limited, and students who have already been involved in undergraduate research are encouraged to apply.

Benefits of Undergraduate Research

Students should partake in undergraduate research fellowships or any other research opportunity because it is extremely enriching to your academic career. You're not just learning how to perform research. You're learning so many other skills as well, such as writing, creative thinking, problem solving and working with a team. All of those skills can be applied to a multitude of careers, a multitude of interests, and that is really pivotal. Research is a lot of hard work, but you definitely learn so much about a topic, whether it's child welfare, which I did, or just anything in general. You learn a lot about a topic and how impactful it is within the community. …I was unsure initially within my research, but once I really put myself into the research and actually contributed, it definitely was a fun experience. Definitely try it out. Definitely come with open mind. Definitely, of course, put in the work.

Specific Research Opportunities

Opportunities below are open to all UK undergraduate majors, not just those in CHS!

UK Sports Medicine Research Institute (SMRI)

Faculty Mentor: Dr.
Description: The UK Sports Medicine Research Institute (SMRI) is dedicated to interdisciplinary research aimed at improving the prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of injuries, as well as optimizing physical performance. As an undergraduate research student, you would assist with various aspects of the research process. Responsibilities will include helping with data collection sessions such as setting up and breaking down lab equipment, using motion capture systems, and assisting with participant instruction during testing.

Discovery Healthcare Program (DHP)

Faculty Mentor: Dr.
Description: The Discovery Healthcare Program (DHP) is dedicated to diversifying healthcare professions by engaging high school students from varied life experiences and perspectives. Through mentorship, support, and enrichment opportunities, DHP empowers students to pursue careers in healthcare and facilitates their transition from high school to college and ultimately into professional roles. This research project aims to evaluate the impact of the DHP on participating students by conducting a pre-post assessment and focus groups. The evaluation will provide insights into how the program influences students’ academic preparedness, confidence, and commitment to healthcare careers, informing strategies to strengthen pathways for underrepresented populations in the healthcare workforce.

ICU Recovery Clinic Research

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kirby Mayer and Dr.
Description: We are looking for 1-2 undergraduate students to assist with our research initiatives and become an integral part of our research team. The ICU Recovery Clinic at the University of Kentucky Clinic provides care to ICU survivors through an interdisciplinary approach. Students entering any health profession will encounter patients with complex needs and who are ICU and COVID-19 survivors. Our research will allow the undergraduate students to better understand recovery and trajectory of care after hospital discharge. Our lab, REBOUND, has many ongoing research projects that students will have the opportunity to be involved with. Participating students will have the opportunity to understand and help with the process of retrospective studies, data analysis, and manuscript creation. We are looking for undergraduate students to assist with data organization and extraction through our electronic medical record system called EPIC.

College Food Insecurity Research

Description: This college food insecurity research will attempt to better understand and address this critical issue by examining the impacts of food and nutrition insecurity, barriers to healthy eating, and challenges faced by college students. Students will gain experiences in working with existing datasets, including surveys, qualitative interviews, and mixed-methods evaluation data, which will be used to analyze and disseminate findings through conference presentations and peer-reviewed manuscripts. This opportunity provides hands-on experience in secondary data analysis, interpretation, visualization, manuscript writing, and poster development.

Intergenerational Contact and Connectedness (BINGO Study)

Description: Opportunities for intergenerational contact and connectedness between young and older adults are minimized in our current society, but the aging population is growing. The BINGO study is an intergenerational intervention that engaged low-income older adults in subsidized housing and college students through interactive food and nutrition activities. This undergraduate research opportunity will provide hands-on experience in quantitative and qualitative data preparation, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination by working with existing data from pre- and post-survey data on attitudes and perceptions towards older and younger generations, session feedback surveys, session observation forms, and focus groups. Tasks may include quantitative data preparation and descriptive analysis, assisting with the development or refinement of nutrition education materials, and qualitative analysis of session feedback, focus groups, and session observation forms.

DASH Eating Plan Research

Description: The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating plan can significantly reduce high blood pressure, but many communities with limited financial resources do not have clear, practical, or relevant guidance on how to follow it. Our research program works directly with community members and partner organizations to co-create and adapt health information, recipes, and resources that make the DASH plan more accessible and useful for those at the highest risk.

All About Communication Research Lab (AAC)

Faculty Mentor: Drs.
Description: The All About Communication Research Lab (AAC) is comprised of 3 faculty members in the Dept of Communication Sciences & Disorders (Drs. The AAC Research Lab faculty are in search of several student research aides to assist with the overall work of the lab in several ongoing projects. No prior experience is needed to participate in this research opportunity. Training will be provided for you.

Technical Skills and Creative Design Lab

Faculty Mentors: Drs. Janine Schmedding-Bartley and Dr.
Description: We are looking for students who like to physically create things with their hands and are willing and not afraid to dive in and learn some technical skills including basic electronics, programming, using craft tools, 3-D printing, and learning how real-world signals are converted for use by digital equipment (computers, iPhones, iPads), to name a few. No prior experience is needed to participate in this research opportunity. All participating students must be available on Wednesdays between 3 and 4 pm for in-person and/or on-line Zoom meetings among lab participants.

Lower Extremity Injury Research

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Brian Noehren and Dr.
Description: Our lab is focused on understanding the underlying mechanisms of several common injuries that occur in the lower extremity. Students working in our lab serve in a variety of capacities, such as observing clinical evaluations, assisting in data collection, and processing data. The undergraduate students working in our lab gain an understanding of anatomy, common clinical assessment techniques, and joint mechanics. Students also have an opportunity to assist physical therapists in research treatment studies ongoing in the laboratory. Students that work in the laboratory for an extended period of time also have the opportunity to present research at national conferences.

Alzheimer’s Disease Biomarker Research

Description: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is one of today’s biggest health challenges, and scientists are working on new ways to improve diagnosis. Your role will be to help conduct a literature review of both recent and emerging blood biomarkers being studied for Alzheimer’s diagnosis. A major focus will be the Lumipulse G pTau217/ß-Amyloid 1-42 plasma ratio, a blood biomarker test recently approved by the FDA. As a research assistant, you’ll also summarize what’s currently known, highlight the strengths and limitations of this new test, and explore emerging directions in biomarker research. Your work will directly contribute to a presentation being developed for a national conference of laboratory scientists and could even support the publication of a peer-reviewed article in the Medical Lab Observer.

Massage Therapy for Gynecologic Cancer Patients

Description: Are you interested in clinical research, psychology, health sciences, or complementary therapies like massage? Join our team as an undergraduate research assistant for a compelling study on how massage therapy may reduce pain and anxiety in patients with gynecologic cancer receiving chemotherapy. Patients enrolled in the study will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: a massage therapy group that receives professional massage during their chemo infusion, and an attention control group that will receive supportive care without massage. We’ll be collecting data on pain and anxiety before and after each session using both quantitative measures (surveys and scales) and qualitative interviews (what patients and therapists say about their experiences). Students from any major are welcome-especially those interested in Health sciences, Nursing, Pre-med, and Public Health. No prior research experience is required. We’ll teach you what you need to know.

Lipid-Lowering Agent Use in Periodontitis and Diabetes Study (LLIPDS)

Description: This research project is entitled "Lipid lowering agent use in periodontitis and diabetes Study (LLIPDS)". This project was originally conducted at the University of Puerto Rico from 2017 to 2020. The study investigates mechanisms that may explain the link between diabetes and gum disease (or periodontal disease) by examining the relationship between typical cholesterol-lowering medications (e.g., statins) and inflammation. Cholesterol-lowering medication use may be linked to a lower incidence of gum disease among diabetic patients. The findings from this study will be highly relevant for public health, given the high prevalence of gum disease among diabetic patients, and could be valuable for developing new strategies and treatments to prevent gum disease. Additionally, the research may inform the development of new local delivery methods for medication to treat the disease in the future. Students interested in exploring topics beyond lipid-lowering agents are encouraged to investigate other factors available in the dataset. Students selected to participate in this project will contribute to the study and will learn to conduct a literature review, present (poster or oral) their work, learn to write and publish a manuscript, and develop a new research project.

Swinging Into Language (SIL) Kit Research

Description: The Swinging Into Language (SIL) kit is a multisensory, theme-based educational program designed by two pediatric speech-language pathologists to support language development and early literacy in young children. This innovative kit includes various components, with a key feature being a guidebook that offers research-based information and practical instructions for adult users (including teachers, speech therapists, and caregivers) to facilitate play-based learning. Through these activities, students will build foundational research skills, strengthen their scientific writing abilities, and have the opportunity to present findings at local, state, or national conferences. Preference given to those with an interest in pediatric communication sciences and disorders (CSD), including autism, language disorders, phonological awareness, and early intervention. Contact person: Dr.

Skeletal Muscle Health and Strength Research

Faulty Mentor: Dr.
Description: Our lab is interested in promoting skeletal muscle health and strength. Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries result in significant weakness that is not restored with traditional rehabilitation strategies. This weakness prevents a return to sports/activity, increases re-injury rates, and promotes overall poor health outcomes. We have recently shown that ACL injury up-regulates myostatin signaling in quadriceps muscle, which promotes muscle fiber atrophy along with dysregulated activity of other cells residing within muscle (muscle stem cells) to reduce muscle quality through fibrosis. These changes likely promote weakness after ACL injury, and our lab is interested in preventing these molecular changes to improve functional recovery after injury. We have collected clinical muscle samples from patients with ACL tears, and the student will have the opportunity to perform immunohistochemical laboratory techniques on muscle fibers from these human samples to assess molecular and cellular changes to skeletal muscle and how different types of physical therapy may impact muscle health after the injury. We have also developed a mouse model to simulate the clinical condition in which we will probe the mechanistic role of myostatin on muscle adaptations after ACL transection. We will be utilizing multiple transgenic mouse models along with a pharmacological inhibitor or myostatin, and the student will have the opportunity to be involved in immunohistochemical, biochemical, and/or in vivo functional strength experiments using mouse skeletal muscle.

Center for Telehealth Education, Research, and Outreach (CTERO)

Description: OPEN TO ALL MAJORS - The Center for Telehealth Education, Research, and Outreach (CTERO) seeks to improve patients’ access to healthcare across the lifespan and settings through telehealth. CTERO believes that e-health is only as strong as the quality of the providers, the evidence supporting the telehealth services, and the relationship with the patient and community. Clients and speech-language pathologists cite the need for training in telehealth. Be available Wednesdays from 2 - 4 pm for lab meetings in fall 2024. Holographic communication amps up the videoconferencing experience by turning 2-dimensional video meetings into a 3-dimensional immersive experience. Selected students will be on the ground floor setting up and writing protocols for using the equipment, identifying possible clinical and educational uses, and providing demonstrations of the technologies’ uses. Selected students must be team-oriented, open to learning, think creatively, and be self-motivated. No prior experience is required; however, being a self-starter/manager and general comfort in thinking creatively while challenging yourself is required. CTERO seeks to add energetic, forward-thinking, and creative student researchers to our team. Selected students will be assigned to projects that match their interests and skill sets. Selected students must be team-oriented, open to learning, think creatively, and be self-motivated. Students will have the opportunity to increase their general knowledge of telehealth and gain experience with various research methodologies including the use of various technologies. No prior experience is required; however, general comfort in using and learning about technology is preferred.

Voice and Speech Rehabilitation Research Lab (VSRR)

Description: The Voice and Speech Rehabilitation Research Lab (VSRR) is in search of 3 to 4 highly motivated undergraduate students who wish to participate and be a part of an exciting new opportunity in voice and voice therapy. The VSRR Lab will study how real-world environments can affect a person’s ability to maintain learned voice and speech therapy techniques to ensure positive treatment outcomes. Selected students will have the opportunity to participate in the development of conference presentations and journal publications. No prior experience is needed to participate in this research opportunity.

Occupational and Physical Therapy for Disorders of Consciousness Research

Description: Purpose and RationaleOur project focuses on understanding how occupational therapy (OT) and physical therapy (PT) help individuals with disorders of consciousness (DOC). Due to severe brain injuries, these individuals have very limited awareness, and understanding how therapy is provided can help improve their care. This research is important because it can guide healthcare providers in offering the best possible treatments to support this population's recovery and quality of life.Activities and AnalysesIn this study, we’re performing tasks such as writin…

External Research Programs

NSF-Funded "Research Experience for Undergraduates" Program in Physics and Astronomy

University of Kentucky Department of Physics and Astronomy offers an NSF-funded 10-week summer "Research Experience for Undergraduates" program for ten participants from May 25 to July 31, 2026, The program focuses on individual mentored research projects in nuclear physics, condensed matter physics, and astronomy, related through the central theme of symmetry, tailored for accessibility to 2nd and 3rd year undergraduates. Undergraduate participants will receive a $7,000 stipend, round-trip travel expenses to Lexington, KY, and be provided with free on-campus housing including a meal allowance.

Speed School of Engineering Internships

Deadline is March 15. These internships are in the fields of aquatic biology, conservation, ecology, and environmental science. Projects involve animal husbandry, bioassessments/biomonitoring, climate change, fisheries, harmful algal bloom monitoring and toxicology, among others. Internships include a $5000 stipend and free on-site housing. Students are responsible for food & travel.

Geoscience-Related Research Internships

Applications due February 8. The program is designed to provide academic and professional development by equipping interns with the knowledge and resources required to excel in geoscience-related research.

Read also: Undergraduate Research at CU

Global Health Field Experience in Malawi

Undergraduate or graduate students with their own programmatic resources who are interested in a field experience in Global Health in Malawi during the summer of 2026 are encouraged to reach out. Rolling application deadline, and no compensation available.

Showcase of Undergraduate Scholars

Each spring, the Showcase brings together undergraduates from all disciplines, their faculty mentors and members of the community. At UK, undergraduate research is central to creating a well-rounded student experience. “The Showcase for Undergraduate Scholars presents a distinct opportunity for students to share the results of their research efforts to the broader UK community, a community that is driven to seek out knowledge,” said Chad Risko, Ph.D., faculty director of the Office of Undergraduate Research. The Showcase gives students the opportunity to present their work through oral sessions, posters, exhibits or performances and learn from each other about a broad range of exciting research topics. “The Showcase is a perfect way to become comfortable talking about your research, especially if you are new to presenting, because it offers a more relaxed environment,” said Kaitlyn Brock, senior neuroscience and psychology major and a student in Lewis Honors College. During the award ceremony, five outstanding faculty mentors will be recognized. The student-nominated award is presented to UK research faculty mentors for their commitment to mentoring undergraduate researchers, providing exceptional experiences for students and supporting undergraduate research initiatives on campus. This year, a record number of 58 faculty members were nominated, representing 34 disciplines and 10 colleges. The Showcase of Undergraduate Scholars is open to the public. Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to attend.

Student Success Story: Gretchen Ruschman

Undergraduate research was the highlight of Gretchen Ruschman’s time at UK. Ruschman chose to attend UK because of its reputation for research.“By attending an R1 institution that is dedicated to providing meaningful experiences in undergraduate research, I would have the opportunity to become immersed in the scientific community early in my education and career,” she said. Ruschman took full advantage of those opportunities, joining several labs during her time at UK. Her involvement began with support from a lab in the Department of Horticulture, through which she completed three independent research projects that worked to understand the role of epigenetic mechanisms on soil microbiome assembly. The data will support future research aimed at generating plant varieties that have an enhanced ability to alter their soil microbiome.“This will help create more sustainable agricultural practices so less non-renewable agronomic inputs will have to be used,” Ruschman said. She is drafting a manuscript about this work, and she has already been part of two publications, three oral presentations and 11 poster presentations. Research has instilled in me a unique passion that I will continue to pursue in graduate school and beyond.

Read also: Comprehensive Internship Guide

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