1) Address faculty members using a professional title such as "Dr." or "Professor;" maintain a courteous demeanor, both in conversation and tone of voice.

2) Be clear that you are seeking a mentor for research experience with credit, not looking for paid employment.

3) Explain why you chose to contact that particular laboratory.

4) State your year, major, grade point average, and research interests and career goals. It is not necessary to have prior laboratory experience, but it maybe helpful to mention any relevant skills.

5) Contact faculty members in series rather than in parallel. Realize that faculty receive numerous e-mail requests like yours; they are likely to delete your e-mail without responding if it appears to be a mass mailing.

6) Ask whether there may be an opening for you in the laboratory during a particular semester. If the response is positive, your next move will be to set up an appointment. Thank the faculty member for his/her time, and if necessary, accept "no" graciously.
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Below is a partial listing of faculty who have served as instructors for undergraduate students enrolled in directed research (Nsci 4794/4994) or directed studies (Nsci 4793W/4993). Your research project or paper for these courses must be neuroscience related, but you are not limited to this list in your choice of a mentor.
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John H. Anderson, MD, PhD Associate Professor, Department of Otolaryngology
Neurophysiology of ocular and vestibular function.
8-259 PWB, 625-0685, 625-1468, anders00@umn.edu

James Ashe, MD Associate Professor, Department of Neuroscience
Neural control of movement.
VA Medical Center, Brain Sciences Center (11B), 725-2000 x5538, ashe@umn.edu

Alvin Beitz, PhD Professor, Department of Veterinary PathoBiology
Brain neurotransmitters, chronic pain and immunity.
235B An Sci/VM (St Paul campus), 624-1768, beitz001@umn.edu

Marilyn E. Carroll, PhD Professor, Department of Psychiatry
Behavioral pharmacology, drug dependence, behavioral economics--animal models.
625-C Diehl Hall, 626-6289, mcarroll@umn.edu

Janet Dubinsky, PhD Professor, Department of Neuroscience
Neurotoxicity.
3-160, 3-162, 3-170 Jackson Hall, 625-8447, dubin001@umn.edu

Timothy J. Ebner, MD, PhD Professor, Chair, Department of Neuroscience
Neurophysiology of cerebellum and motor cortex.
6-145A Jackson Hall, 626-6800, ebner001@umn.edu

Esam E, El-Fakahany, PhD Professor, Division of Neuroscience Research, Department of Psychiatry
Neuronal receptor regulation, receptor coupling to second messengers, aging.
68O Diehl Hall, 624-8432, elfak001@umn.edu

William C. Engeland, PhD Associate Professor, Department of Surgery
Neuroendocrinology of stress.
B-137 PWB, 625-4976, engel002@umn.edu

Martha Flanders, PhD Professor, Department of Neuroscience
Neural control of movement.
3-125 Jackson Hall, 624-6601, fland001@umn.ed

Glenn J. Giesler, PhD Professor, Department of Neuroscience
Somatic sensory processing, pain.
4-118 BSBE, 624-3984, giesler@mail.ahc.umn.edu

Christopher M. Gomez, MD, PhD Professor, Department of Neurology
Ion channel disorders and neurodegenerative diseases.
690 Diehl Hall, 624-1477, gomez001@umn.edu

Christopher N. Honda, PhD Associate Professor, Department of Neuroscience
Anatomical and physiological bases of somesthesis, pain.
6-145 Jackson Hall, 624-3915, cnhonda@umn.edu

Eric Javel, PhD Associate Professor, Department of Otolaryngology
Auditory neurophysiology.
225 Lions Res., 624-6503, jave1001@umn.edu

William R. Kennedy, MD Professor, Department of Neurology
Quantitation of cutaneous nerves to study diabetic neuropathy.
J114 Diehl Hall.625-1431, kenne001@umn.edu

Daniel J. Kersten, PhD Associate Professor, Department of Psychology
Perception, computational vision, neural networks.
N218 Elliott Hall, 625-2589, kersten@umn.edu

Alice A. Larson, PhD Professor, Department of Veterinary Pathobiology
Substance P and excitatory amino acids in pain.
295 An Sci/VM (St Paul campus), 624-3650, larso0l1@umn.edu

Ping-Yee Law, PhD Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacology
Membrane receptors, second messenger systems, signal transduction.
3-121A Moos Tower, 626-6497, lawxx001@umn.edu

Patrick W. Mantyh, PhD Professor, Department of Preventative Sciences
Cellular and molecular neurobiology.
18-104 Moos Tower, 626-0180, manty001@umn.edu

Linda K. McLoon, PhD Associate Professor, Department of Ophthalmologv
Neuro-ophthalmology--muscle development, injury, and regeneration.
374 Lions Res., 626-0777, mcloo001@umn.edu

Robert F. Miller, MD Professor, Department of Neuroscience
Physiology and neuroscience of vision.
4-155 Jackson Hall, 626-2914, bob@neuro.med.umn.edu

Jose V. Pardo, MD, PhD Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry
Brain imaging, cognitive neuroscience.
Box 392 Mayo, FAX: 612-725-2249, pardo001@umn.edu

Peter A. Santi, PhD Associate Professor, Department of Otolaryngology
Inner ear anatomy, molecular composition and function.
282 Lions Research Bldg, 626-9881, santip@umn.edu

Ronald J. Sawchuk, PhD Professor, Department of Drug Disposition and Experimental Therapy
Neuropharmacokinetics and brain drug delivery.
9-143 WDH, 624-0646, sawch001@umn.edu

Virginia S. Seybold, PhD Professor, Department of Neuroscience
Cellular mechanisms underlying hyperalgesia.
4-120 BSBE, 624-9406, seybo001@umn.edu

Donald A. Simone, PhD Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry
Neural mechanism of pain sensation.
68O Diehl Hall, 625-6464, simon003@umn.edu

Peter W. Sorensen, PhD Professor, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife
Neural coding and function of pheromones.
200 Hodson Hall (St Paul campus), 624-4997, soren003@umn.edu

Sheldon Sparber, PhD Professor, Departments of Pharmacology, Psychiatry, and Psychology Neuropsychopharmacology.
2-290 BSBE, 625-5657, sparb001@umn.edu

Stanley A. Thayer, PhD Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacologv
Regulation of the intracellular Ca2+ concentration, [Ca2+]I, in neurons, and examines the components of this system as potential pharmacologic targets.
3-116 BSBE, 626-7049, sathayer@umn.edu

David D. Thomas, PhD Professor, Department of Biochemistry
Muscle biophysics, membrane biophysics.
5-124 BSBE, 625-0957, ddt@umn.edu

Neal F. Viemeister, PhD Professor, Department of Psychology
Auditory psychophysics and perception.
N264 Elliott Hall, 625-4024, nfv@nextear.psych.umn.edu

Martin Wessendorf, PhD Assistant Professor, Department of Neuroscience
Brainstem control of spinal function: Methods of fluorescence microscopy.
4-116 BSBE, 624-2991, wess001@umn.edu