Joining the lab

We will be opening our doors in January 2027! While the lab culture, expectations, and norms will continue to develop over time, below is some general information that can hopefully give you a feel for the lab. If after reading you remain interested in joining as a postdoc, grad student, or lab tech, please email me (lcouper@umich.edu). Please include a brief statement about your research interests, experience, and CV.

• Developing research projects will typically be a collaborative process. You likely have many ideas you’re excited about pursuing, as do I. Let's explore the intersections!
• Prospective grad students can apply through the EEB Department. EEB offers students 5 years of guaranteed funding. This includes a mix of fellowships, Graduate Student Instructorships, and Graduate Student Research Assistantships.
• Prospective postdocs will be funded through lab grants, internal fellowships (eg ICGB Postdoctoral Fellowship) and external fellowships.
• PhD students and postdocs will be encouraged to apply for external fellowships (eg NSF GRFB/PRFB, NIH F31/F32, CDC training grants, etc) as this is a useful skill to develop.
• In-person participation is highly valued. We can discuss remote opportunities if needed, but it is not my preference at this time.
• Regardless of your career stage, you are not expected to enter the lab “knowing” the skills and universe of literature on your topic(s) of interest. That is the point of pre- or post-doctoral training! Of course, prior research experience will help in identifying questions of interest and getting off the ground quicker.