The USC Research Computing Core and the Nolan Lab are looking for a highly qualified student research assistant to contribute to our National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded research project, which is focused on cutting-edge applied research in the field of mosquito disease control. The collaborative project involves extensive data processing, analysis, and interpretation. This position will play a crucial role in achieving project milestones, while providing hands-on investigation experience and close faculty-student mentorship. This 20-hour a week position can be flexible around the student’s school schedule and offers a competitive pay. 
The ideal student candidate for this position should possess the following qualifications:

  • Enrollment in a STEM program with a strong academic record.
  • Junior or higher undergraduate standing, ideally in a master's program, with a GPA > 3.0
  • Proficiency in data processing and analysis.
  • Experience in machine learning and deep learning methodologies.
  • Hands-on experience with Unix, SQL, Python, or R.
  • Knowledge of computer vision techniques and image analysis.
  • Strong problem-solving and critical-thinking skills.
  • Excellent communication and teamwork abilities.

The student research assistant will learn the following skillsets:

  • Data Processing: Process and analyze research data, ensuring accuracy and compliance with project requirements.
  • Image Analysis: Contribute to the deployment of computer vision algorithms for image interpretation.
  • Environment Setup: Assist in configuring the research environment, optimizing software tools, and ensuring hardware resources are efficiently utilized.

Research Collaboration: Collaborate with project team members, including researchers and faculty, to achieve project milestones and objectives.

Primary benefits to the student include:

  • Competitive pay commensurate with experience or skill-level
  • Mentorship from discipline experts
  • Ability to present their research at a scientific conference or author manuscript, as desired


Interested applicants should send their resume and/or a statement of interest to Drs Melissa Nolan (msnolan@mailbox.sc.edu) and Jun Zhou (zhouj@mailbox.sc.edu).