Often, people believe that working at a research lab looks a certain way: lab coats, microscopes, and vials. However, research can range anywhere from fieldwork that allows you to travel the world and work with animals to behavioral research where you work with people to computational research where you work with code. I’ve met people who conduct food science research with cheese, and one of my friends gets to work with animals at Cornell’s Veterinary School. There is so much diversity within research at Cornell that I truly believe that there is something for nearly everyone! 

What My Research Looks Like 

As a Biometry & Statistics major concentrating in Statistical Genomics, I was initially unsure of what research would look like for me. I wanted to explore genetics, but through an analytic approach. This led me to work on bioinformatics research at the Clark Laboratory, where I develop code to analyze genetic data. A big part of my job is problem-solving as I figure out what the data we’ve collected can tell us. Though my research is different from traditional lab-based research, I love that I can see the impact of my work immediately, and it’s always rewarding to find unique solutions to coding problems! 

Getting Involved in Research 

One of the best things about being a Cornell student is having access to some of the world’s best professors and researchers. However, it can feel pretty intimidating to reach out to labs, especially if you have little to no research experience starting out. If that’s you, don’t worry — you’re not alone! During my first semester at Cornell, I felt the same way. It definitely took some courage to send those first few emails of interest, but once I joined my lab, I felt reassured. 

Everyone was so welcoming and helpful as I was starting out, and it made me realize that labs are a space for everyone to grow and learn. So, if you’re interested in research, remember that what really matters is your passion and interest in learning!