Illinois Alumni Makes Lasting Mark in Physiology

Martin Frank
Frank continues to visit the Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology and to lend his support and expertise. “The Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology is a small, but strong department, that is central to the research and educational missions of the School of MCB and the...

Technological Breakthroughs Transform Biological Inquiry in Neuroscience

Artistic illustration of a brain
The infinitely complex workings of the human brain have intrigued researchers for centuries. Our understanding of its workings have been limited, not by our curiosity, but by our tools. Now, with the growth of new molecular biology and genomics approaches, big data, and engineering advances that...

A study published in PNAS by Prof. Claudio Grosman and Dr. Gisela D. Cymes has revealed the elusive link between amino-acid sequence and charge selectivity in the superfamily of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.

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Here, the authors present compelling evidence for the critical involvement of ionized side chains—whether pore-facing or buried—rather than backbone atoms and propose a mechanism whereby not only their charge sign, but also, their conformation determines charge selectivity.

MIP alum receives award

Dr. Ting Fu, a recently graduated MCB doctoral student from Prof. Jongsook Kemper's lab, has received the Salk Alumni award to support her postdoctoral research at Salk Institute

Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Fellowships

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A number of current and recent graduate students and postdoctoral scholars have applied for and won prestigious awards and fellowships. The awardees reflect the breadth of outstanding research at UIUC and the quality of students and researchers attracted to the School of Molecular and Cellular...

Progress in Women's Reproductive Health and Fertility

Tight shot of three pregnant women sit side by side, zoomed in on abdominal sections, faces cropped out.
Through the ages, fertility has played a central role in civilizations. Its cultural, socioeconomic, demographic, religious and global implications were and still are incalculable. A Wikipedia search for “fertility gods,” for example, yields a list of 35 cultures with one, and often...

Physiology at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

The Natural History building from the north. Physiology occupied part of the fourth floor from 1892 to 1959.
Physiology has a long and distinguished career at the University of Illinois. While methods and techniques have advanced through the years, physiology has been central to the teaching mission of the university almost from its inception. Historically, the program has been strong in comparative...