May 10, 2021January 17, 2023 by Ken

PMI | Become an Undergraduate Research Assistant

On-the-Job Experience

Join PMI for your Career

The Pathogen & Microbiome Institute is seeking Undergraduate Assistants for research in life sciences and bioinformatics analysis.

Be a part of:
• Hands On Training
• Cool Experiments
• Scientific Publications
• Professional Mentorship
• Network Building

Click Here to Apply

Leadership Team

Decades of experience with pathogen science.

Paul S. Keim

Executive Director
With research centered on genomic analysis, Dr. Keim is the Cowden Endowed Chair of Microbiology at Northern Arizona University (NAU), the Director of Pathogen Genomics at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen).

Dawn Birdsell

Associate Director of Training and Education
With the focus on developing the next generation workforce, Dawn designs and organizes hands-on science training programs for PMI undergraduates. These programs foster foundational skills essential for career success.

Undergraduate Training Program

We train undergraduates to conduct dangerous pathogen research in a safe environment.

Types of Research

World renowned for pathogen research, our diverse labs spark many interests.

Undergraduate Support

Our distinct team of researchers mentor and support undergraduates.

Lab Mentors

Experienced researchers that will show you the ropes.

Roxanne Nottingham

Roxanne Nottingham

Facility Manager
Microbiologist researching molecular genetics and ecology of infectious diseases.

Kaitlyn Parra

UG Research Assistant
Undergraduate research focused on novel fungal species closely related to known human and mammalian pathogens.

Sierra Jaramillo

Sierra Jaramillo

Research Assistant
Microbiologist working on genetics, the human microbiome, infectious diseases, and public health issues.

Bad Undergrad

Comic Relief
In search of a career in science, this ambitious undergrad learns what it's like to apply himself to research.

Lab Processes

Our thorough training keeps experiments safe in our state of the art research facility.

Finding Science

Taking a chance to apply, Roxanne discovers her love for research.

Biosafety Lab

Maintaining a premiere BSL3 is a lot of work. Here's a brief overview.

Safety Protocols

Our protocols keep everyone safe. Let's get suited up for research.

Pathogen Research

Study dangerous pathogens can help our fight against lethal diseases.

Biosafety Cabinet

Our equipment and training helps us work with dangerous pathogens in a safe environment.

BSC Overview

The Biosafety Cabinet is an important tool to keep experiments safe.

Protective Gear

Knowing how to suit up for work is a critical part of pathogen research.

DNA Extraction

DNA extraction gets genetic material to be analyzed for genomic experiments.

DNA Extraction Overview

These experiments are a great launching point for genomics research.

How to Extract

Here's a brief overview of a simple experiment that yields complex results.

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