Recently, two Illinois students were selected to advance their education and careers at Mayo Clinic. Taylor Crooks, a molecular and cellular biology undergraduate student at Illinois, trained at Mayo Clinic as part of the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program. He will be continuing his work as a doctoral student in the Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Science. Arjun Athreya, a doctoral student in electrical and computer engineering, participated in the Technology-Based Healthcare Fellowship at Mayo Clinic. He will be taking a faculty position at Mayo Clinic in the Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.

The course is typically open to Mayo Clinic students, physicians, scientists, fellows or residents enrolled in certain programs. Mayo Clinic made the opportunity available to U of I students as part of the Alliance’s effort to explore expanded educational and cocurricular opportunities in entrepreneurship and health care innovation.

Each year, Mayo Clinic invites undergraduates from across the nation to participate in their Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program. As part of our longstanding collaboration, Mayo Clinic reserves seven spots each year for Illinois students chosen by the Mayo Clinic & Illinois Alliance pre-selection committee. This year, we are proud to announce that 10 Illinois students are headed to Rochester, MN to participate in the 2022 SURF program. 

During summer 2018, fourteen Illinois undergrads will be conducting research in Mayo Clinic labs—a record for number of Illinois students in a given year.

Each year, Mayo Clinic invites around 180 undergraduates from across the nation to participate in their Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program. Sponsored by the Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, this 10-week program gives undergraduates a chance to work at the forefront of biomedical research at one of the world’s leading medical centers. Students work in the laboratories of Mayo Clinic faculty on small research projects or as part of ongoing investigations, attend weekly seminars, and get to test their inclinations toward a career in biomedical research.

After completing a summer internship at Mayo Clinic and earning her PhD in Biological Anthropology from Illinois, Abigail Asangba will join the Mayo Clinic staff as a postdoctoral research associate in January 2020.