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Student Research Opportunities

MSU Moorhead offers many opportunities for undergraduate students to participate in research and creative endeavors. Working with faculty mentors, you can engage in active learning in the laboratory, library, studio and field. Through these experiences, you will share in the excitement of discovery, develop important skills and explore career choices. You will get to know faculty members and connect with a disciplinary community. Many students publish, perform, exhibit or present their work, sharing it with audiences beyond MSUM who are transforming the world.

Research Labs

Lab	Location	Description
Chastain Lab	LH 208	The Chastain Lab has two ongoing research projects related to interest in C4 photosynthesis. One of the projects is concerned with understanding the molecular and biochemical regulation of the C4 photosynthetic pathway enzyme pyruvate phosphate dikinase, or PPDK for short. This project is funded by a $149,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. A second project is part of a large prairie restoration project MSUM has underway at the MSUM Science Center. The project is investigating how grasses that use C4 photosynthesis may more effectively re-colonize the landscape compared to grass species that lack C4 photosynthesis.
Child Development Lab	BR 358	The Child Development Lab research focus is on perceptual and cognitive development from birth through preschool age. An NIH grant supports an ongoing project that uses infra red eye tracking to learn about certain vision dysfunctions.
Cognitive Neuroscience Lab	BR 366	The psychology cognitive neuroscience lab explores topics that help illuminate the complexities of the mind: Mindfulness: Examine the brain's response to mindfulness practices. Linguistic Relativity: Study how language influences thought. Time Perception: Investigate how sensory input affects our sense of time.
Edwards Lab	BR 366	Edwards Lab, broadly speaking, researches interpersonal violence and trauma. Currently, there are two main lines of research going on. One team focuses on sexual aggression, relationships, and sexuality, and another team focuses on decision making during labor and delivery, trauma and post-partum depression, and the relationship of childhood abuse and negative mental health outcomes for moms after labor and delivery.
Experimental Petrology	KH 116B-C	The Experimental Petrology Lab studies how the composition of silicate melt influences the chemical behavior of Nickel, Cobalt and other elements in the melt. Our results are important in understanding natural processes on the Earth and Moon and are important contributions to glass and ceramic industries.
Fish Biopotential Lab	HA 310	The Fish Biopotential Lab is developing methods for studying fish behavior using voltages created from the muscular contractions of muscles. In particular, we are focusing on obtaining electrocardiograms of freely-swimming zebrafish.
Fish Research	LH 007	The Fish Research Lab studies the behavioral ecology of antipredator competence. More than 60 undergraduates are co-authors on peer-reviewed publications from data collected in LH 007.
GIS lab	KH 103	The Center for Geospatial Studies seeks to advance the Red River Valley and the lives of its citizens by educating people to think spatially, training them to perform technically using geospatial technologies, and customizing and serving data and conducting spatial analyses to inform regional decision-making.

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