Skip To Main Content
College of Arts & Sciences

CUREs is a program dedicated to expanding research opportunities for students in the Biology Department at Texas A&M.

Research experiences can be transformative for a student’s scientific career. We recognize the growing need to expand access to these opportunities, as traditional laboratory settings often have only a limited number of positions available for undergraduates. This program addresses that gap by providing a dedicated laboratory space designed to accommodate larger groups of undergraduates and engage them in authentic, hands-on research.

Each semester, select CUREs sections are uniquely paired with a Primary Investigator (PI) and an active research project within their laboratory. These sections are offered as BIOL 491 research courses. Enrolling in a CUREs section is equivalent to joining the PI’s lab, with research conducted in a dedicated CUREs laboratory space. As a student researcher, you will work alongside your peers on innovative and impactful projects.

All research carried out through CUREs has the potential for publication and to make meaningful contributions to the international scientific community.

Inspiring and nurturing scientific curiosity in the scientists of tomorrow!

Dr. Heath Blackmon with his Fall 2025 CUREs students doing some fun bioinformatics.

Past CUREs Projects

Isabella M. making specialized food to study the effects of sucrose on neurodegeneration in Drosophila

Gabriel J. working on plasmid preps to help target specific genetic modifications in the Drosophila courtship circuit

Fall 2025 Undergraduate Poster Symposium

Students in the lab

How to Join

Each semester, sections and dates for open registration will be announced on the announcement board below.

A few important things to consider before registering for a section:

Please review the prerequisites carefully before signing up, as each section has specific requirements that must be met.

Additionally, this section is primarily focused on independent research. Students are responsible for completing the required credit hours accordingly. In most cases, these hours must be fulfilled during open lab times, which are generally available from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day.

Aside from the mandatory two-hour weekly meeting, students will have flexibility in managing their own schedules to ensure they complete their required credit hours.

Please ensure that your schedule allows sufficient time during these hours to meet the course requirements.

Announcements

All sections are closed and in progress for Spring 2026

Summer Sections TBA

Fall Sections TBA

Contact Information

For more questions about the program contact Elizabeth Lillvis  elillvis@tamu.edu HELD 412A