Awards and Honors

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. 

Jennifer Joesting holds up award certificate that says "Most Valuable Professor" while sitting in stands at UIUC women's gymnastics meet.

MCB course instructor named "Most Valuable Professor" of Women's Gymnastics athletes

MCB course instructor and coordinator Jennifer Joesting was celebrated by the Women's Gymnastics team for her leadership during the Fall 2021 semester.
Brian Freeman poses for headshot, smiling, outside.

Brian Freeman elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science

Fourteen University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign faculty members, including Brian Freeman, professor of cell and developmental biology, have been elected 2021 fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
Headshot of Nicholas Wu.

Biochemistry professor Nicholas Wu awarded Michelson Prize to advance vaccine, immunology research

The Michelson Medical Research Foundation and Human Vaccines Project on Tuesday recognized three outstanding early career researchers, including University of Illinois biochemistry professor Nicholas Wu, with the Michelson Prizes: Next Generation Grants. Each winner will be awarded $150,000 to...
Rachel Whitaker sits at desk, smiling for camera.

Latest Jump ARCHES Awards Focus on Medical Tech Solutions to Meet Vexing Health Care Challenges

Twenty research projects are sharing slightly more than $1.4 million in funding through the Jump ARCHES research and development program to address a variety of vexing medical challenges including neurological testing for children and athletes (such as concussions), migraines, and stress among...
Members of the 2021 iGEM team pose atop a bright green sculpture outside IGB.

University of Illinois iGEM Team 2021 Brings Home Bronze Medal

CABBI and the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology (IGB) are sponsoring six undergraduate students from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to take part in the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) Competition during Spring and Summer 2021. The annual iGEM Jamboree is...
Computational microscopy of the SARS-CoV2 virion in an aerosol droplet along with the proteins that make up the deep lung fluids.

Association of Computing Machinery recognizes researchers for their novel SARS-CoV2 simulations

Congratulations to the University of Illinois scientists who were part of two teams selected as finalists for a prestigious award that celebrates outstanding achievement in high-performance computing.
Headshot of Nicholas Wu.

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

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.
Saliva samples

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

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.
Maryam Khademian

PhD graduate wins Sternberg Thesis Prize for microbiology research

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.
Headshot of Kai Zhang

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

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.”