Life Inspiring

At the School of Molecular & Cellular Biology

We seek answers to fundamental questions about how organisms work and the many implications for life. Through a rich culture of collaboration, we drive new discoveries in human health and empower students with the critical and analytical skills needed for successful careers.

News from the School of MCB

two female and two male college students
MCB graduate wins Fulbright, will research gene editing therapies abroad
Congratulations to recent MCB graduate Mia Rode on being awarded a Fulbright grant!Five University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign students and recent graduates were offered Fulbright grants to pursue international education, research and teaching experiences around the globe this coming year. Four of...
four damaged and undamaged drosophila wings
Fruit fly study reveals a gene’s hidden ability to keep regrowth on the right track
Regeneration, the ability to heal damaged or lost tissues, is both everyday and a real life superpower. Health research inspired by the remarkable regeneration of animals like starfish or the salamanders axolotls asks how future therapeutics could promote the regrowth of hard-to-heal tissues, limbs...

Erik Nelson and Emad Tajkhorshid
Colorectal cancer treated with cholesterol inhibitor in U. of I. study
University of Illinois researchers have successfully treated a common type of colorectal cancer tumor with a cholesterol inhibitor drug, demonstrating a promising treatment for the disease in animal experiments.The study,...
Members of the Lin-Feng Chen lab stand in front of a lab bench
New study reveals critical regulatory role of protein BRD4 in colorectal cancer chemotherapy resistance
School of Molecular & Cellular Biology professor Lin-Feng Chen has published new research reporting an important factor driving chemoresistance for patients with colorectal cancer. The research was published in the journal...
Woman with long black hair wears black shirt
MIP PhD student Dhanya Pradeep receives Endocrine Society award to study breast cancer
As a graduate student in the Erik Nelson Lab, Dhanya Pradeep investigates how metabolic signaling pathways regulate immune responses in breast cancer. Her research is centered on the farnesoid X receptor (FXR), a metabolic receptor...
Headshot of Susan Martinis
Dr. Susan Martinis to deliver 2025 School of MCB convocation address
The School of Molecular & Cellular Biology is honored to announce that Dr. Susan Martinis will deliver the convocation address at its 2025 ceremony.The School...
Woman wearing glasses, brown shirt and sweater poses in front of a stairway
Congratulations to 2024 College of LAS Alumni Award Honoree Dr. Michelle Barton
Dr. Michelle (Shelley) Barton’s remarkable career in cancer research, leadership, and graduate education is a testament to resilience, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to scientific advancement. As a researcher, she played a pivotal role in the discovery of TRIM24, a protein found in...
microfluidic device backlit by blue light
To overcome antibiotic resistance, new research says to let it flow
Some notoriously difficult to treat infections may not be as resistant to antibiotics as has been thought, according to new research using a microfluidic device that more closely duplicates the fluid flow found in the body than standard cultures. The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign...
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Innovative education

Our mission is to empower students. In MCB you will receive a rigorous education and you can tailor a curriculum according to your passions. Our alumni have become physicians, researchers at top-tier institutions, and business leaders. They've launched biotechnology start-ups and founded free healthcare clinics. They are changing the world. You can, too.

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Impactful research

We are at the forefront of life-changing biomedical research. Combatting infectious diseases like influenza. Uncovering insights into neurological and metabolic disorders. Developing new treatments for diseases such as breast cancer. New and exciting research programs are being developed in neuroscience, immunology, microbial sciences, developmental biology, mechanobiology, and much more. Faculty, postdocs, graduate students, and undergraduates are all part of the MCB research community.

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