Research Rotations/ Choosing an Advisor

A student in the Harvard Biophysics Program is given the opportunity to carry out an average of 3 research rotations in the laboratories of those faculty members whose research is of interest to the student.  Rotations are arranged in mutual agreement between student and faculty member, and should take place starting immediately with, or shortly after the beginning of the fall semester of the G1 year.

The Biophysics Program requires that the 1st rotation is carried out in the laboratory of a Biophysics Core or Affiliate Faculty member, and at least two rotations be in Biophysics Faculty laboratories.  Students additionally may rotate in a laboratory within HILS, but not at MIT, if the faculty member is not part of a HILS program. The first rotation should be completed by the end of December of a student's G1 year.

Biophysics 300, a required first year, Fall semester course, is designed to assist students with these decisions by offering seminars by many of the faculty associated with the program, in which faculty describe their current research interests during one hour-long presentations.  The seminars are followed by, or may be carried out simultaneously with, three laboratory rotations that continue into the spring and summer, and generally last for eight-to-ten weeks each.  These rotations provide the student with a good feel for a faculty’s research and should help to determine a student’s laboratory affiliation and advisor for their dissertation research.

Students in the Biophysics Program are expected to have carried out 3 research rotations by the beginning of the Fall semester of their G2 year. Students must complete the choice of research laboratory and faculty research advisor before the start of the Spring semester of their G2 year .

• Prior to beginning a rotation, students are asked to complete and submit the Biophysics Rotation Registration Form.

• At the conclusion of a rotation period, students are asked to complete a Student Rotation Evaluation Form to reflect on what was learned during the rotation and submit to the Biophysics Program.
• Students are also asked to submit the Biophysics Rotation Evaluation Form to the rotation laboratory PI to be returned to the Biophysics Program in order for the student to receive credit for the rotation period.

Once a student has decided on their Dissertation Research Advisor, the student and advisor must complete and submit the Biophysics Dissertation Advisor Declaration Form. Faculty research advisors should also complete and return the Research Advisor Expectations Form.