This summer, 18 Illinois undergraduates will join researchers and clinical teams at Mayo Clinic in Arizona, Florida, and Minnesota. Alongside Mayo Clinic mentors, they will work 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.
The Mayo Clinic & Illinois Alliance for Technology-Based Healthcare supports a growing number of Illinois students involved in three summer programs. During the 10-week programs, they explore careers in biomedical research, health equity, and clinical investigation at Mayo Clinic.
Biomedical research and translational science
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) places undergraduate students within Mayo Clinic laboratories and translational science teams focused on biomedical discovery. During the program, students engage in ongoing scientific investigations while strengthening technical and analytical skills across translational and biomedical research. In 2026, 12 Illinois students are participating in the SURF program.
Karen Ann Subin
Molecular and Cellular Biology and Psychology
Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, FL
Karen is interested in how genetic, hormonal, inflammatory, environmental, and systemic factors contribute to disparities in women’s healthcare. At Illinois, she conducts research in the Antonson Developmental Neuroimmunology Lab studying how influenza infection during pregnancy may influence fetal brain development and postnatal behavioral outcomes. At Mayo Clinic, she will study the genetic and molecular mechanisms driving lung cancer development and progression. Read the full bio.
Aarushi Bafna
Neuroscience and Marketing
Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, AZ
Aarushi is interested in brain pathology and vascular changes related to neurological diseases and cancer. At Illinois, she works in the Llano Lab studying inflammatory biomarkers associated with pathological brain changes in late-onset Alzheimer’s disease. At Mayo Clinic, she will study age-related immunological changes in glioblastoma as she prepares for a future PhD in neuroscience. Read the full bio.
Cindy Chen
Neural Engineering
Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN
Cindy is interested in developing therapeutics and personalized medicine for neuropsychiatric disorders. At Illinois, she works in the Cellular Neuroscience Imaging Lab analyzing changes in biophysical properties of tissues and cells associated with conditions such as traumatic brain injury. Returning to Mayo Clinic for her second summer in the SURF program, Cindy will continue pharmacogenomics research in neuropsychiatric disorders. Read the full bio.
Mark Dai
Neural Engineering
Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN
Mark is interested in machine learning and computational modeling of brain function to better understand behavior and treat neurological diseases. At Illinois, he works in the CONNECTLab using computational analysis of fMRI data and transdiagnostic measures to investigate factors influencing ambiguous emotion perception. At Mayo Clinic, he will develop novel algorithms and modeling techniques to study the relationship between neural connectivity and noise correlation. Read the full bio.
Lisari Edirisinghe
Computer Science
Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN
Lisari is interested in biomedical imaging, clinical informatics, and personalized medicine. She volunteers with the Crisis Nursery in Urbana, supporting local families and young children through care and enrichment activities. At Mayo Clinic, she will work with graph analytics and AI to model patients while gaining intensive experience in machine learning and clinical informatics research. Read the full bio.
Nadav Efrat
Computer Science and Bioengineering
Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN
Nadav is interested in computational biology and data-driven approaches to human disease. At Illinois, he conducts research in the Maslov Lab using computational modeling and statistical methods to study microbial ecosystems, biomolecular networks, and genome dynamics. At Mayo Clinic, he will study how gut bacteria and dietary carbohydrates influence gastrointestinal function and inform microbiota-targeted therapies. Read the full bio.
Sarah Guo
Bioengineering
Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN
Sarah is interested in immunology and cancer research. At Illinois, she works in the Ranoa Lab studying interactions between CAR-T cells and the tumor microenvironment to better understand immune resistance in solid tumors. Returning to Mayo Clinic for her second summer in the SURF program, Sarah will study how early-life immune development in the intestine shapes oral tolerance, with a focus on neonatal T cell function and immune cell composition. Read the full bio.
Amartya Palamadai Jayakumar
Materials Science and Engineering and Biochemistry
Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN
Amartya is interested in synthetic biology, structural biology, and genetic engineering in medicine. At Illinois, he works with the Kim Group using atomic force microscopy to study how the drug echinomycin alters DNA structure and conformation. At Mayo Clinic, Amartya will integrate structural and cellular biology to study how cells repair complex DNA damage and how these processes influence cancer development and treatment response. Read the full bio.
Calla Litteken
Neural Engineering
Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN
Calla is interested in neuroimaging, neuroinflammation, and functional neurological disorder. At Illinois, she studies neuroinflammation, neuroimaging, and data processing related to functional neurological disorder, aging, and stroke through research with the Saif Lab, Carle Cerebral Group, and Carle Illinois Joint Neural Engineering Lab. At Mayo Clinic, Calla will study interventions that promote axonal and neural function in the face of neuroinflammation and structural damage. Read the full bio.
Ariana Nielsen
Biochemistry
Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN
Ariana is interested in infectious disease research and CRISPR-Cas9 therapies for genetic disorders. At Illinois, she works in the Mera Lab studying a chromosome partitioning protein that regulates how bacteria organize and coordinate their cell cycles. At Mayo Clinic, Ariana will work in the Virology and Gene Therapy Lab analyzing and improving viral vector platforms for therapies targeting hematologic genetic disorders such as sickle cell anemia. Read the full bio.
Isabella Rivera
Neuroscience
Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN
Isabella is interested in glioblastoma and hydrogel research. At Illinois, she works in the Harley Research Lab using 3D hydrogels to investigate neuron-glioblastoma interactions and radiation approaches that target tumor cells while sparing healthy neural tissue. At Mayo Clinic, Isabella will work on translational neuroscience research focused on neural engineering and brain-machine interfaces. Read the full bio.
Stephen Thomas
Bioengineering
Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN
Stephen is interested in neurodegeneration and musculoskeletal diseases. At Illinois, he works in the Chung Lab studying how neuron receptors influence hyperexcitability and seizure propensity. At Mayo Clinic, Stephen will work in the Assistive and Restorative Technology Laboratory studying approaches that bridge Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and biomedical engineering to improve patient care. Read the full bio.
Illinois’ 2026 SURF cohort reflects a wide range of research interests spanning neuroscience, immunology, cancer biology, bioengineering, computational modeling, genetics, and personalized medicine. Many students are leading organizations, mentoring peers, and pursuing advanced scientific work at Illinois while deepening their interests in physician-scientist training, biomedical research, and translational science. At Mayo Clinic, they will join collaborative research teams investigating complex diseases and advancing approaches to diagnosis, treatment, and biomedical discovery.
Health equity and community health
The Health Equity Research Experience (HERE) introduces Illinois undergraduate students to research focused on health disparities, population health, and the environmental, social, and systemic factors that influence healthcare access and outcomes. Through the program, students explore how health equity principles shape research, patient care, and community-centered approaches to improving health across diverse populations. Three Illinois students are participating in the 2026 HERE program.
Ashwitha (Ash) Sankar
Interdisciplinary Health Sciences and Molecular and Cellular Biology
Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, FL
Ash is interested in health equity, environmental health, and toxicology related to chemical exposure. At Illinois, she works in the Gritton Lab studying how exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals affects brain function and contributes to neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and autism. At Mayo Clinic, Ash will explore how health equity and environmental determinants of health contribute to disparities in disease outcomes. Read the full bio.
Claire Skowron
Chemistry and Statistics
Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, FL
Claire is interested in epidemiology, toxicology, and health technology. At Illinois, she works at the Disability Participation and Quality of Life Research Laboratory on the Fall Management in Wheelchair Users team, which is developing an app to help wheelchair users track falls and share health information more easily. At Mayo Clinic, Claire will explore statistical approaches to studying population health trends while connecting data-driven research with patient care and disease complexity. Read the full bio.
Anahí Tenorio
Molecular and Cellular Biology
Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, FL
Anahí is interested in the intersection of cellular and molecular biology and social determinants of health. She serves as a volunteer Spanish interpreter at the Avicenna Community Health Center and as Immigration Project Director for Volunteer Illini Projects. At Mayo Clinic, she will investigate how chronic socioeconomic stressors contribute to biological risk and influence clinical outcomes. Read the full bio.
The 2026 HERE cohort highlights the value of examining health and healthcare through multiple perspectives. At Illinois and Mayo Clinic, Ashwitha, Claire, and Anahi are exploring how environmental influences, accessibility, and socioeconomic factors can shape access to care and health outcomes. Together, their interests demonstrate that understanding the factors that influence health and healthcare often requires looking beyond biology alone and drawing on insights from multiple disciplines.
Clinical research and patient care
The Clinical Research Internship Study Program (CRISP) introduces Illinois undergraduates to clinical research at Mayo Clinic. Through faculty mentor-guided projects, students explore how research informs patient care, treatment approaches, and decision-making across a wide range of medical specialties. Three Illinois students are participating in the CRISP program this summer.
Adeline Gilmore
Interdisciplinary Health Sciences
Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN
Adeline is interested in the mechanisms underlying tissue injury and repair and how physiological factors contribute to variability in patient outcomes. At Illinois, she works in the Disability and Movement Biomechanics Laboratory studying shoulder musculoskeletal health and function in manual wheelchair users and athletes. At Mayo Clinic, Adeline will study blood clotting and complications after injury or surgery. Read the full bio.
Sofia La Velle
Psychology and Spanish
Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN
Sofia is interested in health equity and social psychology. At Illinois, she works in the Attachment and Close Relationships Laboratory exploring attachment and communication styles through a murder-mystery themed escape room. At Mayo Clinic, Sofia will study diabetes and nutrition within family medicine. Read the full bio.
Cozette Thatcher Merza
Psychology
Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN
Cozette is interested in neurology, neurosurgery, postpartum psychiatry, and neurophysiology. At Illinois, she works in the Steel Lab studying how distributed brain networks contribute to intelligent behavior and how these systems change with aging and neurological and psychiatric disorders. At Mayo Clinic, Cozette will study pediatric epilepsy diagnosis and treatment, including multimodal imaging, invasive EEG monitoring, pharmacotherapy, and dietary management. Read the full bio.
Illinois’ 2026 CRISP cohort is exploring a diverse set of clinical questions. Through their research experiences at Illinois, Adeline, Sofia, and Cozette have developed interests spanning multiple areas of health and medicine. At Mayo Clinic, they will gain insight into how clinical research informs the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of disease while advancing healthcare.
Building future connections
While the students entered Mayo Clinic through different undergraduate research programs and areas of interest, the summer will create shared opportunities for mentorship, interdisciplinary learning, and professional connection through seminars, networking events, and poster presentations.
For Cindy Chen, one of two students participating in the SURF program for a second summer, mentorship played a central role in her first experience at Mayo Clinic. The support she received helped transform what began as a daunting new experience into one that strengthened her confidence as a young researcher.
“When I first arrived last summer, I was very timid and unconfident in myself,” Chen said. “Dr. Weinshiboum consistently met with me to give advice and feedback and pushed me to grow as a scientist and as a person, helping me to gain the confidence and communication skills I needed.”
Mentorship is a defining part of the experience for undergraduates who spend the summer conducting research at Mayo Clinic. As Clinical Partnerships Manager for the Alliance, LeaAnn Carson has watched Illinois students build lasting professional connections and discover new possibilities for their futures through the relationships and opportunities they encounter during the summer.
“Students leave this experience with more than research skills," Carson explained. "They leave with confidence, connections, and a broader sense of what’s possible in their future careers.”
For many participants, the experience extends far beyond a single summer, including continued collaboration on research projects following the program, contributions to data analysis and manuscript preparation, pursuing post-baccalaureate research positions at Mayo Clinic, and advanced degree pathways in research and medicine.
The three 2026 cohorts will present their work at Mayo Clinic before returning to campus and during a poster session at the Beckman Institute Atrium on Sept. 3, offering the Illinois community an opportunity to learn more about their summer projects, experiences, and emerging research interests. As the partnership between Illinois and Mayo Clinic continues to evolve, these undergraduate research programs are expanding opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration, professional growth, and future connections across research and clinical practice.