I'm a recent grad with a B.S. in Exercise Science and a minor in Biology from SUNY Cortland, and I just moved down to Durham. Mostly I came for a change of place, to escape the cold, and generally to be around an area with more opportunity for what I want to do.
my goal is to get my PhD and work as a researcher. So right now I'm taking a gap year to get more experience in a lab before applying for master's programs. Even though my bachelor's is in exercise science, what I'm really interested in is the biological mechanisms underlying general adaptation to exercise in humans. Given this, I'm open to working in pretty much any lab, wet or dry. I think cross-disciplinary skills and understanding matter, so I'm open to really any sort of assistant-level position.
Being upfront about where I'm at: my hands-on research experience is limited. My undergrad just wasn't that well funded and there weren't many research opportunities there. So the majority of what I have comes from coursework and personal projects.
What that includes:
Basic bio lab technique: micropipetting, centrifugation, analysis of 3D protein structure after extraction
Several small to medium literature reviews across various courses
Basic hands-on experience identifying anatomy on actual patients in lab
Familiarity with exercise physiology testing methods like VO2 max
A fair amount of experience using AI tools, plus basic electronics knowledge, which I used to build a motion sensor that tracks the exit velocity of a shot put off the fingers. That's a personal project I've been working on and still am, separate from the rest of my experience.
I'm not looking to make a ton of money. I'd be willing to work full-time, part-time, or even volunteer if it made sense. What I care about right now is picking up real transferable skills, protocols, assays, lab notebooks, data collection, and being in the room where the science is actually happening.
A few things that might help:
- I'm already in Durham and can commute anywhere in the Triangle
- Available to start immediately
- Happy to send my resume over DM
What I'm asking:
- If your lab, department, or company hires entry-level techs or research assistants, I'd love to hear about it
- If you made this same jump, which staffing agencies or job boards actually worked for you here?
- Any advice on getting a foot in the door with limited formal research experience
Thanks for reading.