Admissions committees care less about the topic and more about whether you actually engaged with the process. Below are NC State labs that regularly take on undergrads, plus summer programs and tips for making the experience count on your application.
Reach out directly by email — introduce yourself, mention a class or paper of theirs that caught your interest, and ask about openings for undergraduate research assistants.
Molecular and Structural Biochemistry labs with active undergraduate involvement.
If you can't get into a lab during the semester, a funded summer research program is one of the best ways to get a concentrated, resume-worthy research experience — many are aimed specifically at students considering biomedical PhDs or MD/PhDs, but plenty of participants go on to MD programs.
AAMC: Summer Research ProgramsYou don't need a first-author paper in Nature to make research count. Ask your PI early about:
Poster presentations — most labs present at departmental symposiums, regional conferences, or NC State's own undergraduate research symposium. A poster is a completely realistic goal within a year in a lab, and it's a concrete, discussable line on your application.
Publishing — even being listed as a middle author on a lab's publication (for help with data collection, analysis, or literature review) is a meaningful credential. It's slower and less guaranteed than a poster, so don't count on it as your only outcome — treat it as a bonus if the timeline works out.
