GradStudentY3

Been there, done that, got the T-shirt. A few months in, my co-mentors broke up with each other over grant-related issues. They were best friends who had collaborated for a few years before I joined the labs. But things happened, and all of a sudden, they weren't speaking anymore. My project had to be abandoned by both PIs as neither has the resources to do it alone. Then came the campaign of "Join my lab - not his - and do a different project with me" from both sides. It got very complicated, and eventually, I had to switch lab all together. Sadly, my experience was not that uncommon either. Long-term collaborations require a lot more than just a common project.

First of all, congrats! Well done! I think you should go where you have the most options for research in your field. If your passion is Epigenetics, and UVA has the most options for the kind of epigenetics you want to do, then it sounds like UVA is the place for you. I wouldn't count on co-mentoring, and/or new research opportunities coming up. Yes, both of those things are possible, but they are not guarantees and are not without complications. I am a grad student (was just browsing through this board today for a friend and saw your post) who has tried the "co-mentor" thing. A few months in, my mentors broke up with each other over grant-related issues, and I was put in a very difficult spot. I know that many people have had successful experiences with joint labs and co-mentors, but I also know quite a few people who have had bad experiences. Collaborations are a lot more complicated than I had expected - it takes a lot more than just having you join two labs. It takes two PIs who WANT to and CAN work with each other, it takes division of finances and funding, it takes administrative support, yada yada yada. Grad school is mainly about research. Go where you will be certain to find a least a few options of research labs that will interest you right off the bat. That's how YOU will get the rest - good publications, funding, and all else. What the school gets on average for those things is not the most important question.