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.

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.

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...

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...

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.

Congratulations to student award winners!

The School of Molecular & Cellular Biology is pleased to announce the winners of its 2021-2022 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....

Quantum leaps in understanding how living corals survive

Coral reefs have thrived for millions of years in their shallow ocean water environments due to their unique partnerships with the algae that live in their tissues. Corals provide a safe haven and carbon dioxide while their algal symbionts provide them with food and oxygen produced from...

MCB undergraduates explore health care innovation

Integrated research, innovative education, and entrepreneurship activities are foundational to the Mayo Clinic & Illinois Alliance’s mission to advance clinical research and translation. Key to that mission is training the next generation of biomedical scientists.