<p>Quite a few of us have worked in various labs – mine including a lab examining psychopharmacological chemicals on cognitive function in mice, and another working as a statistics technician at an epidemiology lab.</p>
<p>There are ample opportunities to help out as a research assistant, and (as you become more senior in the lab) opportunities to conduct your own research if you wish.</p>
<p>Research is under-utilized at UCSD since the majority of professors in a wide variety of disciplines are willing and looking to work with undergraduates. I’ve never had an issue finding a faculty sponsor to let me work with them.</p>
<p>Comparatively to other schools I’ve been/worked at, there are more opportunities here to engage in scholarly research activities than at Arizona State University, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and it seems to be about on par with Duke (at least in openness of faculty to allow undergraduates into their labs).</p>