Congratulations, graduates!

Graduates attend School of MCB convocation in Krannert Center
Congratulations to the Class of 2026!The School of Molecular & Cellular Biology held its spring convocation on May 17, 2026, at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts.Over 400 students walked across the stage of Foellinger Great Hall to receive their diplomas. The school awarded bachelor...

Meet MCB alumnus and convocation speaker Dr. Guy Padbury

Guy Padbury in a dark suit and red tie
The School of Molecular & Cellular Biology is pleased to announce Dr. Guy Padbury as the guest speaker for its May 2026 convocation. On a recent visit to campus, he spoke about his path to Illinois, his work as a translational scientist, and what inspires him. Dr. Padbury’s career has been...

MCB alumnus Dr. Craig Mackinnon builds a career in pathology, genomic medicine

Man in blue shirt and beige jacket stands in atrium in front of sign that says MCB, School of Molecular & Cellular Biology
Since his time as a graduate student at Illinois, Dr. Alexander “Craig” Mackinnon (PhD, ‘04, Cell and Structural Biology; MD, ’04) has built a career in anatomical pathology and molecular genetic pathology. Currently serving as the inaugural director of the Division of Genomic Diagnostics and...

Q&A: Dr. Paul Donlin-Asp (UI MCB BS ’09, PhD ’17)

A man with grey hair, tortoiseshell glasses, and a zebra striped coat.
As an MCB major at the University of Illinois, Dr. Paul Donlin-Asp was an undergraduate researcher in Dr. Andrew Belmont’s lab and went on to pursue his PhD at Emory University. A former researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research’s Department of Synaptic Plasticity, he is now the...

Life is a rush: Meet Kameno Bell, MCB's 2024 convocation speaker

A man in a blue button-down shirt smiles in front of a football field.
Kameno Bell knows that fumbling is inevitable — in football, and in life. Bell (BS, ’92, biology; MD, ’01), a former fullback for the Fighting Illini, has excelled in the classroom and on the gridiron, playing two seasons of professional football for the Miami Dolphins before launching an ongoing...