Awards and Honors | School of Molecular & Cellular Biology

The School of Molecular & Cellular Biology and its departments of Biochemistry, Cell & Developmental Biology, Microbiology, and Molecular & Integrative Physiology recognize outstanding undergraduate, graduate, faculty, staff, and alumni with several awards and fellowships. In addition to school and departmental honors, MCB is always thrilled to highlight awards from other campus units, and national/international organizations. Some of the most recent news stories spotlighting our community are listed below.

Biochemistry professor Nicholas Wu earns NIH Director's New Innovator Award

2021-10-05

Nicholas Wu, a professor of biochemistry at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, has received a National Institutes of Health Director’s New Innovator Award, part of the Common Fund’s High-Risk, High-Reward Research program.

U of I president honors MCB researchers for their work on COVID-19 response

2021-08-24

University of Illinois President Tim Killeen on Monday honored 28 key leaders of the system’s COVID-19 response with the Presidential Medallion. The medallion is the highest honor that the system president can bestow.

PhD graduate wins Sternberg Thesis Prize for microbiology research

2021-07-09

Congratulations to Maryam Khademian, a recent Illinois PhD graduate in microbiology, whose thesis was chosen for the Sternberg Thesis Prize. The award will be presented to Khademian at the 2021 Molecular Genetics of Bacteria and Phages Conference.

Kai Zhang receives 2021 Scialog Collaborative Innovation Award to study the gut-brain axis

2021-06-23

Congratulations to Kai Zhang, professor of biochemistry, whose team was selected for a 2021 Scialog Collaborative Innovation Award. The project is entitled, “Engineering Enteric Neuron Activity to Enhance Antimicrobial Immunity in the Gut.”

Congratulations to Supriya Prasanth, who has been named a University Scholar

2021-06-22

Supriya G. Prasanth, professor and head of the Department of Cell & Developmental Biology in the School of Molecular & Cellular Biology, has been chosen as a University Scholar. The University Scholars Program, established in 1985, aims to support outstanding University of Illinois faculty...

Jana Radin named LAS Honors Faculty Mentor of the Year

2021-05-11

Congratulations to Jana Radin on being chosen as the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Honors Faculty Mentor of the Year!

Blue and orange confetti flies in the air.

Congratulations to the 2021 student award winners!

2021-05-06

The School of Molecular & Cellular Biology is pleased to announce the winners of its 2020-2021 student awards, fellowships, and scholarships. These awards recognize academic achievement, research accomplishments, and excellence in teaching. We’re proud to have so many outstanding students....

Jie Chen receives campus award for graduate student mentoring

2021-05-04

Congratulations to Jie Chen, professor of cell and developmental biology, who was honored with the Campus Award for Excellence in Graduate Student Mentoring. The award recognizes faculty members for their sustained excellence in graduate student mentoring, innovative approaches to graduate advising...

LAS Impact Award: Recognizing inspiring efforts during COVID-19

MCB students, faculty, and staff recognized for their extraordinary efforts during COVID-19

2021-04-20

We’re proud to share the news that many School of Molecular & Cellular Biology students, faculty, and staff members have received College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Impact Awards. The awards, announced this week, recognize inspiring efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. So many in our...

Martha Gillette wins Beckman Institute's 2021 Vision and Spirit Award

2021-04-09

Congratulations to Martha Gillette, who has been named the Beckman Institute’s 2021 winner of the Vision and Spirit Award. Gillette is director of the Neuroscience Program, Alumni Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology, and a professor of molecular and integrative physiology.