The Koo Lab is recruiting graduate students through multiple PhD programs at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and Stony Brook University. At Stony Brook University, students must be enrolled in the Applied Mathematics and Statistics PhD program, the Genetics PhD program, or the MSTP program.
In addition to these routes, we are actively recruiting students through the BioAI PhD Program at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. This program is designed for trainees working at the intersection of artificial intelligence and biology. Applicants to the BioAI PhD program are expected to hold a completed master's degree and to have strong preparation in machine learning, statistics, or related quantitative disciplines.
Students in the lab work closely with computational and experimental collaborators and are encouraged to pursue projects that integrate model development, interpretability, and experiment guided learning. Prospective students interested in rotation opportunities or in discussing program fit are encouraged to email koo@cshl.edu.
The Koo lab is guided by the belief that strong science comes from intellectual rigor, openness, and steady forward progress. Research is inherently uncertain, and exploration, iteration, and learning from failure are expected parts of the process. What matters is not avoiding mistakes, but being thoughtful about what they teach us and how they inform what comes next.
We value trainees who engage seriously with feedback, ground their work in the broader scientific literature, and take responsibility for advancing their projects. Collaboration, generosity with credit, and professionalism are central to how we work together. Open discussion depends on trust, intellectual honesty, and respect for collective contributions.
Over time, trainees are expected to develop deep expertise, contribute new ideas, and grow into independent scientists who can clearly situate their work within the field. Our goal is to create an environment that supports curiosity, accountability, and sustained scientific growth.