The Peyton Lab, Tufts University

PHD STUDENTS

Each year, the Peyton lab brings in anywhere from 0-3 new PhD students in the fall.  I'll try to keep this section updated for students looking for positions with tips on how to apply and be considered.

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For fall 2026, the Peyton lab will bring in anywhere from 0-2 new PhD students. The exact number will likely not be known until mid-February, after other personnel and funding decisions are made.

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The Tufts BME graduate program is Direct Admit, meaning that if you get an offer to Tufts BME, it will be from a specific lab, and you will be paired with that lab as soon as you matriculate in the Fall of 2026.

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So, rather than just applying to the program, I highly recommend that you reach out to me (or any Tufts PI you're interested in), stating your interest and plan to apply.  Here are some tips on that first point of contact you make:

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1. Don't use an AI to write your email.  I know it's tempting, but emails written with an AI often come across as vague, contain factual inaccuracies, and lack personal details.  If you use LLM to create that first email draft, I highly recommend editing it thoroughly so you come across as an individual.  

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2. We get a LOT of emails.  a LOT.  Don't be discouraged if I don't get back to you right away. If you don't hear back from me within a week, reply to your original email with a gentle ping.

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3. I don't expect you to be an expert on my lab's work, but I do expect that you've done a bit of due diligence to look at what the lab does and that you have a good reason for wanting to work in my lab. The lab has three broad areas: cancer bioengineering, traumatic brain injury, and biomaterials design. On any given year, I'm not typically hiring in all three areas, so it's important that you at least state which of those you are interested in working on. Then, within those areas, you can find a few papers on the lab's website underneath those broader umbrellas. Do a little digging to learn more, and make sure your email to me clearly and succinctly states what you're interested in and why. This is really helpful so that we can together see if applying to my lab is a good idea or not - we don't want to waste each other's time if it's not a good fit!

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4. I don't expect that any new PhD student will have a ton of research experience already, and certainly not in my lab's specific projects. When you state what you're interested in, tell me why - is that because you have prior research in that area? Because you learned about it in a class or somewhere else?  All reasons accepted as long as you have one!

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5. Check out the Peyton lab's Mission Statement to learn more about how we operate as well. It can be very helpful in telling you what we're all about to make sure our lab's mission agrees with yours.

 

See the Tufts BME graduate student page to learn more about applying to Tufts and to become part of the team.

POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWS

If you are interested in a post-doc position in the Peyton lab, please contact Dr. Peyton directly with your CV and research interests. Post-docs are accepted based on interest and funding availability.  

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MS STUDENTS

The Peyton lab is currently recruiting 1-2 MS students to join our team in the fall of 2025. See our publications related to traumatic brain injury and metastasis if you are interested. If you are interested, please contact Dr. Peyton directly with your CV and research interests. 

UNDERGRADUATES

The Peyton lab is moving to Tufts University in July of 2024! Unfortunately that means we can no longer accept any new UMass undergraduates to the lab. If you are a Tufts student looking for research opportunities starting in the Fall of 2024, please see follow these steps to apply for a research position in the Peyton lab:

1. Look through the Research section.

2. Send Dr. Peyton an email that includes: (A) Your current resume, (B) a 500 word description of your research interests and why you are interested in working in the Peyton lab, and (C) a brief statement including your availability to work in the lab from now until your projected graduation date, and how many hours you are willing and able to work in the lab per week.

• Undergraduates are continually accepted into the lab based on qualifications, project availability, interests, and space.

• REQUIREMENT: During the school semester, undergraduates are required to commit at least 10 hours per week in the lab.

• Undergraduates can receive course credits during the school year to work in the lab (3.3 hours per week = 1 credit), or they can be paid through work study if eligible.

• During the summer, undergraduates can be paid to work in the lab if we can mutually find an extramural funding source to cover your stipend during the summer months. 

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Are you an undergrad looking for funding?  Check out http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/reu_search.jsp to look for NSF-funded REU sites.
 

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

There are several outstanding Tufts and Tufts-partnered funding opportunities for students in the Peyton lab. 

IRACDA The Tufts IRACDA program includes 2 years of funding and 4 years of professional development training for post-docs interested in pursuing academic careers. 

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ODET T32 Hosted by Brigham and Women's, The Organ Design and Engineering Post-doctoral Training Program (ODET) is an institutional T32 funded by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB).