Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURFs)

The School of MCB is grateful to be able to award a number of Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURFs) to students each year thanks to the generosity of our alumni, friends, and corporate sponsors. The fellowship offers undergraduates the opportunity to work in a laboratory with faculty, graduate students, and research staff over the course of eight to 12 weeks during the summer. Fellows spend between 20 and 40 hours per week conducting research. They also participate in laboratory meetings, journal clubs, and seminars. At the end of their research experience, students write a brief summary to share with faculty and sponsors. They are also encouraged to present at the MCB Undergraduate Research Symposium, held annually in the fall.

Headshots of Lori Raetzman (left) and Richard Gonigam (right) standing outside by green trees.

New research from Raetzman lab, led by undergraduate, investigates the mechanism behind genetic cause of congenital hypopituitarism 

Hypopituitarism occurs when the pituitary gland, a small, pea-sized gland at the base of the brain, does not make enough hormones that are essential for growth, metabolism, and reproduction.  Lori Raetzman, a professor of...
View of Chemical & Life Sciences Building

For two Illinois undergraduates, HERE is the latest stop on their path to advancing health equity

An MCB major is one of the first two students to participate in the Mayo Clinic & Illinois Alliance’s new Health Equity Research Experience at Mayo Clinic (HERE), a pilot program for Illinois undergraduate students interested in conducting health equity research in a biomedical setting.
Exterior of Mayo Clinic in the summer

MCB undergrads selected as 2023 Mayo Clinic Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows

As part of a longstanding collaboration, Mayo Clinic reserves seven slots each year for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign students who are chosen by the Mayo Clinic & Illinois Alliance pre-selection committee. Applicants are selected for their innovative excellence, and often more than...
Students stand on stage to accept awards.

MCB celebrates student achievements at awards ceremony

The School of Molecular & Cellular Biology honored undergraduate and graduate students at its annual Awards Ceremony on Thursday, May 4, at the Alice Campbell Alumni Center. 
Wide exterior shot of the Beckman Institute on a summer day.

Beckman Institute announces 2023 fellowship, award recipients

Twelve students have been selected to receive 2023 Beckman Institute fellowships and awards. The awards, which fund interdisciplinary research that takes place over the summer, will be celebrated at a poster session on July 28, 2023.
Headshot of Jay Sonalkar in front of a wall with illustrations of cells. He is wearing a U of I zip-up jacket.

Meet MCB: Undergraduate researcher Jay Sonalkar

MCB major Jay Sonalkar was the 2022 recipient of the Tom and Cynthia Cycyota Research Scholarship. He answered a Q&A about his undergraduate research experience for the 2022 annual CDB newsletter.
Headshot of Angelina Wilton

MCB SURF student co-authors publication under mentorship of alumnus at Mayo Clinic

Each year, Mayo Clinic invites approximately 180 undergraduate students from across the nation to participate in their SURF program, which provides undergraduates the opportunity to work at the forefront of biomedical research at one of the world’s leading medical centers. As part of the...
The 2022 Illinois SURF cohort pose around the Mayo Brothers statue outside Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN

Illinois undergrads share their Mayo Clinic research experience

Each year, Mayo Clinic invites approximately 180 undergraduate students from across the nation to participate in their Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program, which provides undergraduates the opportunity to work at the forefront of biomedical research at one of the world’s leading...
Gloved hands working with a pipette. Person's face can't be seen. They are in a lab coat and the background is a lab.

New therapeutic target identified for triple-negative breast cancer

Breast cancer is categorized into three major subtypes: hormone receptor-positive, HER2-positive, and triple-negative. Although there are targeted therapeutic approaches for the first two, there are limited options for triple negative-breast cancer patients. In a new study, researchers have...
Neha Arun reviews imaging of host-pathogen interactions in a darkly lit room, with her face illuminated by the screen.

Meet MCB: Undergraduate researcher Neha Arun

MCB major Neha Arun shares her experiences working as an undergraduate researcher in Professor Collin Kieffer's lab in the Department of Microbiology, as well as a look at life outside the lab at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.