Meet MCB: Undergraduate researcher Jay Sonalkar

Headshot of Jay Sonalkar in front of a wall with illustrations of cells. He is wearing a U of I zip-up jacket.
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.

Catching up with Xin Li

headshot of Xin Li
Xin Li is an assistant professor of cell and developmental biology and was recently named a Lincoln Excellence for Assistant Professors (LEAP) Scholar. The Department of CDB caught up with Xin Li for its annual newsletter.

School of MCB recognizes contributions of faculty, staff, grad students

Alma Mater is all ready for the holidays with a winter scarf, ear muffs and holiday lights. Her garb is completed with a mask during this era of COVID-19.
The School of MCB is proud to recognize its stellar faculty and staff for their valuable contributions to the research and instructional missions of the school. At the 2022 Holiday Celebration, MCB director Milan Bagchi, Deborah Paul Professor of Molecular & Cellular Biology, gave awards...

Researchers investigate neuron differentiation in fruit fly brains

Alokananda Ray, a postdoctoral researcher in the Li lab (left) with Xin Li, an assistant professor of cell and developmental biology.
The brains of all higher order animals are filled with a diverse array of neuron types, with specific shapes and functions. Yet, when these brains form during embryonic development, there is initially only a small pool of cell types to work with. So how do neurons diversify over the embryo’s...

New faculty members begin teaching and research at U of I

Roughly a dozen new faculty members in the College of LAS stand together for a group photo indoors.
The College of LAS is welcoming 38 new professors for the 2022-23 academic year. Their new positions range from clinical professors to assistant professors and an endowed position in more than 20 academic units, ranging from African American studies to economics, philosophy, statistics, and several...

Researchers generate first comprehensive cellular map of frog cornea

Headshot of Surabhi Sonar
Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have generated the first comprehensive cellular map of the cornea in a frog species at early and adult developmental stages. Their findings could lead to the improvement of therapeutic treatments for diseases and dystrophies that effect...

School of MCB hiring faculty

A tight shot of a microscope with a soft orange gradient layer.
The School of Molecular & Cellular Biology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is hiring faculty in several of our departments.

College of LAS announces named scholars

Outdoor shot of Lincoln Hall
Several professors, including two from the School of MCB's Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, have recently received named scholar positions for their contributions to research, education, and the academic mission of the College of LAS.