Undergraduate Research Opportunities

CEMB offers summer research opportunities for integrated mechanobiology for undergraduate students.

Please contact Ariel Parker at pariel@seas.upenn.edu or any of the CEMB faculty at other sites, for more information.

CEMB seeks motivated undergraduate students for its Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program for Summer 2026. Students participate in 10-week, on-campus program, working in research groups at the University of Pennsylvania. Students are matched to projects within a research group based on their interests, educational background, and previous research experience.

Many projects are interdisciplinary and provide opportunities to develop research skills in the physical sciences, the biological sciences, and engineering. Students develop practical research skills: collaborating, designing experiments, collecting and analyzing data, and communicating results. Other aspects of the program complement the lab experience and are oriented toward professional development and career skills: seminars, journal clubs, and professional and career workshops, including training in ethics.

Research Areas

• Molecular biology
• Cell and tissue mechanics in plants and animals
• Bioengineering
• Biochemistry and biophysics
• Computational biology
• Biomedical devices
• Nanoscale science and engineering

To see examples of past projects, view the Project Archives.

Locations

• University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

What the Program Offers

• $6500 stipend
• Social activities (Cardinals/Phillies baseball, outings in the city, cook-outs on campus)
• Professional development & networking
• Opportunity to attend a Fall 2026 conference to present your summer research

Qualifications

• US Citizens or Permanent Residents
• Rising junior or senior in an undergraduate degree program
• Enrolled in a science or engineering degree program
• From a community college or other institution local to the Philadelphia area

Application Deadline: February 1, 2026

Applications will open on December 1, 2025.  To have a complete application, you will need to upload the following documents as PDF files and answer all parts of the application:

1. Academic Resume (1-page limit)

2. Current Unofficial Transcript

3. Questions (100 word limit for each question)

• Why are you interested in mechanobiology research?
• What, if any, research experience have you had that you perceive as being relevant for this internship program?
• Which faculty members’ research most closely aligns with your interests? Select 2-3 PIs from the CEMB website who are at UPenn.
• What unique attributes and experiences would you bring to this research experience?
• What are your future career plans?
• How, specifically, would attending the UExB program impact you and your future? In other words, what doors would this program open for you that are currently closed?

4. Letter of Recommendation (1)

Additional Information

• Please contact Ariel Parker at UPenn, pariel@seas.upenn.edu for any questions regarding the overall program.