Karen Ann Subin | 2026 SURF Participant

Karen Ann Subin is a junior We CU Community Engaged Scholar majoring in molecular and cellular biology and psychology. Her research interests include women’s healthcare and how genetic, hormonal, inflammatory, environmental, and systemic factors contribute to disparities in diagnosis, treatment response, and long-term outcomes in underserved populations. At Illinois, Karen conducts research in the Antonson Developmental Neuroimmunology Lab studying how influenza infection during pregnancy may influence fetal brain development and postnatal behavioral outcomes through maternal immune activation. She also serves as a volunteering chair for the Illini Medical Screening Society (IMSS), helping organize community health screenings and volunteer initiatives for uninsured and underinsured populations. At Mayo Clinic, Karen will study the genetic and molecular mechanisms that drive lung cancer development and progression to support more effective therapeutic strategies as she prepares for a future career as a physician-scientist focused on women’s health research.