Join
We are recruiting scientists at all career levels. If you„re interested in joining the lab, please follow the application instructions for your stage below.
Postdoctoral positions starting Summer 2026
If you’re interested, please email me (mdombrovskiy@mednet.ucla.edu) with:
• Your CV

• A brief email introducing yourself – tell me about your research background, what excites you in science broadly, and why you are interested in the lab. No need for anything formal; I am mainly looking to understand your interests and how they align with what we’re building.

Experience with Drosophila genetics, single-cell approaches, data analysis, or an interest in developing calcium imaging in the lab is especially welcome.
But if your background is different and you are enthusiastic about the science, get in touch anyway - we can teach you the rest!
Graduate students starting Fall 2026
My primary graduate affiliation will be through CU Boulder„s MCDB PhD program

If you„d like to reach out before applying, feel free to email me (dombrovskimark@gmail.com) with:
• Your CV

• A short note introducing yourself — tell me about your background, what areas of science excite you, and why you are interested in our work.

A quick pitch: Drosophila is an incredible model system. Many students coming from mouse, zebrafish, or cell-culture backgrounds are surprised by how much you can accomplish with flies in a single rotation — the genetics are fast, the tools are powerful, and the learning curve is much easier than it looks. If you are curious, open-minded, and excited about neuroscience, you„ll pick it up quickly, and it will open a huge amount of experimental flexibility.

Whether you come in with fly experience or not, you are welcome — we will teach you everything you need.
Undergraduates starting Summer 2026
I am always excited to hear from undergraduate students who are curious, motivated, and enthusiastic about science. Learning to do research takes time and practice, so I generally ask students to commit to at least one year in the lab and to have ~10 hours per week available during the work week.

There are options to join the lab either as a paid research assistant or for academic credit (independent study). Many students combine both pathways over time.

Before reaching out, it helps if you:
• Read about our research on the website
• Check that ~10 hours/week fits with your class schedule

If you„re interested in joining, please email me (dombrovskimark@gmail.com) to let me with a few lines about your background, what you hope to learn, or what parts of the lab interest you.
I look forward to hearing from students who are excited to dive into research and grow as scientists.