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...