I am currently recruiting 1-2 graduate students to join the lab in Fall 2025. I am looking for curious and driven prospective PhD students who are interested in research experience at different intersections of the lab’s research in biology and data science. I am also recruiting undergraduate students interested in research and animal care experience who can join the lab in Spring 2025. I welcome prospective students from diverse backgrounds and identities, including people of color, 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals, disabled people, caregivers, first-generation degree holders, international students, and others.

The lab may be a good fit if you:

  • Are interested in any of the following areas:
    • Learning how animals use learned vocalizations to communicate with others
    • Applying data science to address biological questions
    • Obtaining hands-on experience useful for careers in biological research or applied data science, including research software development
  • Have experience in any of the following areas:
    • Experiments or animal care with captive birds or other species
    • Computational approaches to analyze large datasets
    • Programming in Python, command line, R, or other languages
    • Basic wet lab techniques in molecular biology
    • Neuroanatomical microdissections
    • Developing models models to test ideas
  • Enjoy learning new methods to analyze large datasets, developing open-source software, or developing new hardware tools with open electronics (Raspberry Pi)
  • Enjoy brainstorming new ideas with people from different areas of expertise

What will you learn after joining the lab?

Students and postdocs in the lab who are interested in conducting research will have opportunities to learn a wide variety of skill sets. These skills include computational and quantitative skills, coding skills in different programming languages, basic molecular biology skills, open-source research software development, scientific writing and communication, as well as how to brainstorm ideas, and how to lead or support projects as part of an interdisciplinary research group. For students with a veterinary, animal science, or animal welfare focus who are interested in gaining experience with captive animal care, there will be opportunities to help the lab maintain and conduct research with a colony of captive songbirds on campus.

Lab recruitment forms

Please fill out the form below that matches your career stage in order to provide me with more information. The forms below have a lot of questions. Your answers to these questions will help me learn more about how you anticipate contributing to the lab’s research, what you want to learn from working in the lab, and where you’d like to go after leaving the lab. In order for you to have a successful experience working in the lab, I need to ensure that you can contribute to the lab’s research and that I can support your training for your career goals. I appreciate you taking the time to reflect and address each of these questions.

I have limited positions available in the lab, and my ability to take on new lab members in different roles is subject to change over time. These forms are not the equivalent of an official job application but are instead designed to help me assess whether I can support you as a lab member. If so, then I will be in touch by email to schedule a follow-up conversation. Rotation students from other graduate programs at MSU who are interested in joining the lab for a short period of time should contact me directly (smithvid[at]msu.edu) and cc your respective graduate program director.

  • Graduate Students: Prospective graduate students should fill out this form. I’m excited to work with incoming graduate students who are interested in applying to competitive fellowships. Please note that with very few exceptions, I will only be accepting graduate students who are interested in the lab’s primary research and study systems until at least 2027. If you are unsure whether your research interests align with the lab, then please read the lab’s research focus in the lab handbook and reach out to Dr. Smith-Vidaurre.

    Graduate students can join the lab through the Integrative Biology graduate program or the Computational Mathematics, Science, and Engineering graduate program, and you should discuss the choice of program with Dr. Smith-Vidaurre beforehand. Graduate students can also obtain a dual PhD in Integrative Biology and the Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior graduate program, or a dual PhD with Data Science.

  • Postdoctoral Researchers: I anticipate recruiting a postdoctoral researcher in 2026 who will contribute to the lab’s core research goals. However, if you are interested in applying for an independent postdoctoral fellowship to work with the lab’s primary study systems in 2025, please fill out this form.

  • Undergraduate Students: Prospective undergraduate students should fill out this form so that Dr. Smith-Vidaurre can evaluate your interest and the projects that are available for new students.