Mentoring

Lab Member Training Plans

Training and Mentorship (updated in 2023)

AAMC graduate trainee mentoring compact
https://www.aamc.org/what-we-do/mission-areas/medical-research/grad-compact

AAMC post-doc trainee mentoring compact
https://www.aamc.org/what-we-do/mission-areas/medical-research/post-doc-compact

AAAS myIDP
https://myidp.sciencecareers.org/

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UVA PhD Plus

UVA PhD Plus resources for students and postdocs: https://phdplus.virginia.edu

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For those interested in joining the Anderson lab:

Postdoctoral Fellows

Dr. Anderson values communication and meetings with all trainees, including fellows, and protects time weekly for individual meetings, if desired and/or needed. All postdoctoral fellows are strongly encouraged to complete an individual development plan (IDP) and develop a mentoring committee to support their long-term career development.

The Anderson lab does not currently have openings for postdoctoral fellows or research associates, but we welcome inquiries about future openings.

Graduate students

The Anderson lab is affiliated with the UVA Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program (BIMS). Applications are accepted in the fall every year. Please visit the BIMS website for more information about the program and the most up to date information on the current application cycle, instructions and due dates.

Undergraduate students

In the Anderson Lab, we welcome enthusiastic and passionate undergraduate researchers. Importantly, you do not need to want to do an undergraduate research project to be part of our team. We welcome students who are interested in careers in research, medicine, lab management/administration, and veterinary training.

To determine if undergraduate research in the Anderson Lab is the right fit for your goals, please thoroughly read the Expectations for Undergraduate Research document.
Undergraduate Research in the Anderson Lab

We have had an incredible outpouring of interest from passionate and talented undergraduate students to volunteer and/or engage in research for credit in the lab. Due to space and bandwidth limitations, we only have a small number of slots for undergraduate students each year. Please reach out to Dr. Anderson if you are interested in applying so we can send you an email when the next application cycle opens.

The Anderson Lab is now accepting applications for undergraduate researchers to start in early 2026.

We recognize that students who wish to do research in a lab have a variety of career goals. Some may have a clear goal of applying for medical school, others are hoping to learn more about research to attend graduate school, some have different training and career trajectories, and others are exploring their options for the future without definitive plans. In the Anderson lab, we welcome undergraduate students in any of these categories, but it helps us to know up front your true plans and goals so that we can more effectively plan. In other words, please don’t guess what you think we want to hear. Please be honest about your goals!

If you are still interested in working with us for your undergraduate research training, please fill out the following application:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfjVF8k4HqAw53WXXTxBEzhZYbYQgvyFEfDAG03ONaQPAqWRA/viewform

Please note: some questions allow for short essay answers. This form cannot be saved until it is complete, so we recommend that you write your answers in a separate document (such as the attached word document that lists all the questions) and return to paste the text into the application after you have finished.

Anticipated timeline:
December 15, 2025 = Applications due/survey closes
Applications reviewed in December.
Select applicants will be contacted to schedule in-person interviews for January 2026.
Those who are invited to join will begin administrative training and attend lab meeting starting in February 2026. Our next hands-on wet lab training will begin as our bandwidth allows in the spring.

Thank you again for your interest in our research, and we look forward to learning more about you!

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High school students interested in hands-on laboratory research

Unfortunately, we are not able to offer research experiences for high school students at this time. High school students interested in gaining laboratory research experience are encouraged to explore these opportunities:
iTHRIV Summer opportunities in Academic Research (SOAR): https://www.ithriv.org/soar
UVA Advance (summer college experience for talented high school students): https://summer.virginia.edu/uva-advance