Considering the Noor lab?

Thank you for considering our group! We are often seeking new colleagues here, and we do have a lot to offer you. Graduate students in the Noor lab are NOT technicians- they pursue independent research projects, which then make them more competitive on the job market after they have finished their degrees. Our lab is also well-funded, so we likely have most of the facilities you'll need for your research, though you are still encouraged to seek additional funding. Our lab also typically has a lot of fun.

If you're considering the Noor lab at Duke, here are some things to think about.

1) Are you legitimately interested in evolution? If you do not believe in "the theory of evolution" for whatever reason, then you should not come to the Noor lab. You should also have a strong background in basic concepts of evolution. For example, you should be able to define "natural selection" without looking it up. If you cannot, the Noor lab is not for you.

2) Are you willing to work very hard? Graduate studies in the Noor lab are not 9-5 Monday-Friday activities. You should be willing to work on nights and weekends regularly, not just occasionally.

3) Are you willing to work independently? Although you will receive guidance from your advisor, you should be resourceful enough to find answers to most questions on your own as well. You should become familiar with how to review the scientific literature for papers on any subject, and you should keep current on the new advances throughout your time in graduate school.

4) Are you a team-player? Although your research project will be your own, you will be functioning as a part of an active research laboratory. You have to be sensitive to the feelings of others and not think of yourself or your projects as "superior" to or "above" even freshman undergraduates in the lab. All researchers in the lab (graduate, postdoc, or undergraduate) have equal claim to the lab equipment and resources, though a few occasional protocols will take priority if they impact all studies in the lab (to be approved by lab PI). All researchers should be treated with dignity.

5) Do you have other priorities? You will NOT be allowed to have another job (official or otherwise) while in graduate school. Your first priority should be your graduate research, and it should not be sacrificed for outside interests.

If you are STILL interested in the Noor lab, please contact Mohamed Noor The general process for consideration is as follows:

a) initial contact and relaying of information (GPA, GRE, etc.)

b) contact between Noor and your recommenders

c) (sometimes) phone or physical interview with some lab members

d) await any final scores or letters of recommendation

e) Only after a-e will you be informed of the lab decision.

You may apply to the graduate school and department prior to completing items a-f.

Please keep in mind that a positive recommendation for entry by Dr. Noor and/ or the lab is no guarantee of admission into the Graduate School or department's program.

Feel free to write to us to ask any questions.

---

Back to Noor lab homepage.