University of Illinois School of Molecular & Cellular Biology

Just another day of MCB students excelling in the lab, in the classroom, and in the workplace 👩‍🔬💪

In one semester, MIP PhD student Tanya Pattnaik won first place at the case competition, was awarded a Dissertation Completion Fellowship from the , and received the Julie and David Mead Graduate Student Fellowship.

Congratulations, Tanya!! 🎉

Read more here 🔗: https://mcb.illinois.edu/news/2026-06-22/mcb-phd-candidate-selected-multiple-accolades-school-college-level

When she was in the Cell & Development Biology Graduate Student Association, Dr. Surabhi Sonam founded the CDB Career Seminar series.

Now, as a research specialist at the Roy J. Carver Biotechnology Center, Dr. Sonam returned as a speaker in the seminar series she helped create.

Her talk was entitled "Five Things No One Tells You About a Career in Genomics." Find out what those five things are and how they influence Dr. Sonam's career path: https://mcb.illinois.edu/news/2026-06-17/dr-surabhi-sonam-cdb-career-seminar-series-founder-returns-speake

Alongside Mayo Clinic mentors, a group of Illinois undergraduates will work this summer in laboratories, clinical research settings, and healthcare environments, building professional relationships while experiencing collaboration, mentorship, and the day-to-day pace of a major medical center.

Visit link in bio to learn more about the School of MCB students who are participating in the Mayo Clinic & Illinois Alliance summer program and the projects they'll be involved in.

The School of MCB is pleased to announce that Reean Abdullah, a PhD student in the Jie Chen lab, is the inaugural recipient of the Dr. Irene M. Jones Graduate Fellowship! 👏🎉

Reean studies the non-canonical functions of amino acyl tRNA synthetases and their link to cancer biology. Her debut paper as a first author was published earlier this year and received an Editors' Pick commendation from the journal's staff. Along with fellow PhD candidate Pallob Barai, Reean found that the aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase enzyme TARS-1 activates STAT3 (an oncogene present in multiple cancer types), thus explaining why some cancers can be so aggressive.

"Receiving this award in the third year of my PhD is incredibly encouraging and motivates me to continue challenging myself as a scientist,” she said said. “This fellowship will help me build the skills needed to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying signaling in both normal biology and disease.”

Read more: https://mcb.illinois.edu/news/2026-06-11/reean-abdullah-named-inaugural-recipient-irene-m-jones-graduate-fellowship

Registration is now open for the School of MCB Graduate Research Retreat!

The event is on Wednesday, Aug. 19, at the I Hotel in Champaign.
🗓 Register to present by July 7
🗓 Register to attend by August 7

This event brings together researchers from across the school, highlights their investigations, and fosters meaningful scientific discussions. It’s a great chance to learn about new developments and discoveries in the field and to connect with colleagues.

Our keynote speaker will be Illinois alumna Dr. Deborah Paul. Dr. Paul enjoyed a long and successful career as a biochemist and director of business development and licensing at Abbott Laboratories.

Registration via link in bio and via go.mcb.illinois.edu/retreat!

Please welcome Kristie Stramaski, Senior Coordinator of Career Advising, to the School of Molecular & Cellular Biology! She will be working with undergraduate and graduate students.

"I hope to help students feel more confident and informed as they navigate both their academic and career paths," she said. "For many students, these processes can feel overwhelming or unclear, especially when they are balancing multiple responsibilities or facing uncertainty about the future.

"My goal is to provide clear guidance, practical tools, and individualized support so that students can make decisions that align with their interests, strengths, and long-term goals. I also want to help students see the connection between what they are learning and the opportunities available to them beyond graduation, empowering them to take an active role in shaping their own paths.

More about Kristie, this new role in the school, and her goals:
https://mcb.illinois.edu/news/2026-06-01/meet-kristie-stramaski-new-career-advisor-school-mcb

A big round of applause for Sameer Abbasi! 👏 As a recipient of the prestigious Boren Scholarship, he’ll be spending the summer learning Swahili in Tanzania. 🌍

Between studying for his MCB courses at the Grainger Engineering Library and playing soccer at the turf fields, Abbasi developed an interest in global health aid by participating in the Global Leaders Program in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences.

“The Boren Award is a natural progression of my personal and professional goals in global health. It’ll equip me with the skills to communicate in my region of interest without a language barrier, which will allow for a better way to establish trust and understanding,” Abbasi said.

Read more about his travel and career plans via the link in our bio!

The College of Liberal Arts & Sciences has recognized three of our faculty members who engage in infectious disease modeling, neurobiology and gene expression studies, and who research the molecular machines that play an important role in cancer biology.

Congrats to these three!
Xin Li: Named a Conrad Professorial Scholar
Pamela Martinez: Recipient of an LAS Interdisciplinary Research Award
Kevin Van Bortle: Named a Lincoln Excellence for Assistant Professors (LEAP) Scholar

Link in bio for more about their research and teaching endeavors.

Congratulations to all our students graduating with distinction. Bravo!