Each year, Mayo Clinic invites around 180 undergraduates from across the nation to participate in the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF). The program allows undergraduates to work at the forefront of biomedical research at one of the world’s leading medical centers. For 10 weeks over the summer, students work in laboratories at Mayo Clinic on small research projects or as part of ongoing investigations, attend weekly seminars, and test their inclinations toward a career in biomedical research.
Through the Mayo Clinic & Illinois Alliance for Technology-Based Healthcare, Mayo Clinic reserves seven spots each year for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign students, who are selected by an Illinois pre-selection committee for their innovative excellence.
Deborah Miller, Director for Clinical Partnerships and Translation at the Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Institute (IHSI), is a firm believer that students greatly benefit from real world experiences to discover their passions and interests.
“The Mayo Clinic SURF program is an amazing opportunity for high-caliber students from across the country who are interested in medical research or pursuing an M.D.-Ph.D. to explore health related research at such an esteemed health institution,” Miller explained. “Illinois is proud that our students are shining exemplars of the next generation of the biomedical workforce of the future. It is an immense privilege for our Illinois students to work alongside leading clinicians, shadow their work, ask questions, and network to explore their own research interests and career pathways, and we try to orient the cohort around that understanding.”
This year, 12 Illinois students were selected for the 2025 SURF program, bringing an array of skills and experiences. Many are already engaged in biomedical research at Illinois, with strong backgrounds in bioengineering, neural engineering, chemistry, computer science, and integrative biology, and with research interests ranging from personalized medicine and immunoengineering to neurodegenerative diseases and computational biological systems. Their Mayo Clinic projects will involve cutting-edge research in areas such as pharmacogenomics, chronic inflammation, epigenomic profiling, neuroimaging, AI-driven health engineering, machine learning for brain activity mapping, and statistical methods for genomic data analysis. These students have demonstrated leadership and commitment through various initiatives, including creating 3D-printed prosthetic hands, mentoring peers, and delivering STEM education to underserved communities. Their participation in the SURF program will not only advance their academic and professional goals but also contribute to innovative research that addresses real-world challenges.
Meet the 2025 SURF Cohort
Cindy Chen (she/her) is a sophomore Cancer Scholar and James Scholar majoring in neural engineering with a minor in biomolecular engineering. She is interested in improving and developing therapeutics for neurological and psychiatric disorders with personalized medicine and plans to pursue a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering. At Illinois, Cindy works in the Cellular Neuroscience Imaging Lab with bioengineering Prof. Catherine Best-Popescu using imaging techniques to quantitatively analyze changes in white matter fibers in traumatic brain injury. A member of the board committee for the Undergraduate Research in Scientific Advancement (URSA) program, she worked with a team to create the e-NABLE U. of I. chapter to provide 3D-printed prosthetic hands. At Mayo Clinic, Cindy will work with Dr. Richard Weinshilboum studying pharmacogenomics in major depressive disorder. She hopes that participating in the SURF program will equip her with valuable research skills and insights that are closely aligned with her career aspirations.
Sarah Guo (she/her) is a sophomore Cancer Scholar, Chancellor’s Scholar, and James Scholar majoring in bioengineering with a minor in chemistry. She is interested in the field of immunology and how it intersects with technology and medicine and hopes to pursue an M.D.-Ph.D. in immunological studies and translate research into direct patient outcomes. At Illinois, she works under animal sciences Prof. Emeritus H. Rex Gaskins to study macrophage interactions and the effect of bile acids on the progression of colorectal cancer. Sarah is involved with the American Cancer Society (ACS) and the Illini Medical Screening Society (IMSS). At Mayo Clinic, Sarah will work with Dr. Elizabeth Enninga to investigate the impact of chronic inflammation on the cells of the placenta. Interested in research since participating in a high school program, she has pursued various opportunities throughout the year to grow as a researcher and student. Sarah hopes to gain more experience by working with researchers at a world-class research and medical facility while participating in the SURF program.
Sharon Ignatius Newton (she/her) is a junior James Scholar majoring in bioengineering with a therapeutics concentration and a minor in computer science. She is interested in antibody engineering and the development of therapeutics using gene editing techniques and plans to pursue a Ph.D. in bioengineering with a focus on immunoengineering and become a research professor. At Illinois, she works in the Sirk Research Group under bioengineering Prof. Shannon Sirk, engineering commensal bacteria in the porcine respiratory tract to produce antibodies that can treat Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus. At Mayo Clinic, Sharon will work in the Functional Epigenomics Lab with Dr. Alexandre G. Maia using advanced epigenomic profiling techniques to understand how expression patterns are modulated in tumor cells, leading to individualized cancer treatments. Excited to gain more hands-on research experience and improve her science communication skills through the SURF program, she hopes to explore new areas of biomedical research and clarify which field to pursue in graduate studies.
Rayyan Iqbal (he/him) is a sophomore James Scholar majoring in chemistry with minors in Spanish and molecular and cellular biology. He is interested in conducting neuroimaging research to advance our understanding and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, while also working in a clinical setting to care for patients with neurological disorders and plans to pursue an M.D.-Ph.D. to become a physician scientist. At Illinois, Rayyan works in the Physical Activity and Neurocognitive Health Lab with health and kinesiology Prof. Dominika Pindus to understand the effects of physical activity and sedentary behaviors on cognitive and brain health via various biomarkers. He is the incoming secretary for REACT, a student organization that brings interactive science experiments to Champaign-Urbana elementary schools to inspire and empower kids to pursue STEM, and serves Vermillion County as an EMT-B at Oakwood Emergency Rescue Services. At Mayo Clinic, Rayyan will work with Dr. Kristin Zhao to develop innovative technologies, imaging methods, and devices to help people with various disabilities achieve a better quality of life and reduce the burden of injury or disease. After witnessing his grandmother lose herself to a neurodegenerative disease, he was driven to pursue neurocognitive research in hopes of better understanding the brain and, ultimately, helping others facing similar conditions. Rayyan hopes to learn from leading experts in the field through the SURF program and make a difference in the neurocognitive research space.
Roxana Jafari Haddadian (she/her) is a sophomore majoring in neural engineering with a minor in computer science. Interested in neurodegenerative diseases and computational biological systems, with a focus on applying machine learning to model brain function and design novel strategies for diagnosing and treating neurological disorders, she plans to pursue a Ph.D. and become a computational neuroscientist. At Illinois, Roxana works under Prairie Research Institute Research Scientist Valeria Trivellone to investigate the driving factors of phytoplasma outbreaks through meta-analysis and geospatial visualization, developing a machine learning-based predictive model forecasting outbreaks at specific locations. Roxana is actively involved in the Biomedical Engineering Society, serving as DEI Chair this academic year, leading initiatives to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion through workshops, outreach programs, and collaborative events that foster a welcoming environment. She has also served on the Undergraduate Advisory Board for the Department of Bioengineering, gathering feedback from students in the pilot neural engineering class and collaborating with department chairs to address curriculum challenges and enhance advising support. At Mayo Clinic, Roxana will work with Dr. Nuri Ince to conduct basic and translational research in neural engineering and brain-machine interfaces, developing machine learning algorithms to analyze large-scale neural activity in clinical settings and uncover new diagnostic and therapeutic methods through close collaboration with leading medical institutions. Through the SURF program, Roxana hopes to gain hands-on research experience that integrates machine learning with neural data analysis, furthering her understanding of brain function and advancing innovative diagnostic and therapeutic methods and building skills to contribute to research in both academia and industry.
Lucas Jimenez (he/him) is junior James Scholar with a double major in integrative biology honors and chemistry and a minor in psychology. With a passion to understand how brain function relates to behavior and how innovative research can improve mental health care, he plans to pursue an M.D.-Ph.D. in psychiatry, integrating clinical research with patient care to improve diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric disorders. At Illinois, he works in the Fischer Lab with evolution, ecology and behavior Prof. Eva Fischer to assess a link between aggressive behavior and neural activity in the frog tadpole brain to determine the predictive power or correlations in fight outcomes. At Mayo Clinic, Lucas will work with Dr. Arjun Athreya to develop AI-driven health engineering systems that integrate multi-omic, physiological, and digital health data to enable precision care, with a focus on early diagnosis and individualized treatment of mental health and chronic disorders. As Dr. Athreya’s work is closely aligned with his interests, combining AI, digital health, and multi-omic data to individualize mental health care, he is excited to contribute to this research and learn how engineering and data science can inform more precise and earlier diagnoses in psychiatry.
Manasi Kulkarni (she/her) is a sophomore majoring in bioengineering on the cell and tissue engineering track with minors in computer science and French. Interested in ovarian cancer research, specifically current-day medication and oral chemotherapy, and how to combat resistance in patients to such medicine and work towards more personalized treatment plans, she plans to pursue a Ph.D. and establish a career in research and development. At Illinois, Manasi works in the Leggett Lab with bioengineering Prof. Susan Leggett. She is an active member of the Society of Women Engineers, where she is involved with the fundraising committee. Manasi is part of a co-ed a Cappella group on campus, No Strings Attached and received a certificate from the Illinois Leadership Center in Fall 2024. At Mayo Clinic, Manasi will work with Dr. Arun Kanakkanthara studying antitumor immune response using an FDA-approved drug in cancer cells, as well as learning more about PARP inhibitor resistance in ovarian cancer oral chemotherapy. She is excited to conduct hands-on research studying ovarian cancer and personalized medicine in the SURF program, as genetic-linked cancer runs in her family. She looks forward to meeting the Illinois cohort and other students from around the country and learn about the different types of research conducted at Mayo Clinic.
Rose Olvera (she/her) is a junior majoring in neuroscience. Interested in the genetic causes and effects of certain neurodegenerative diseases on a molecular level, she plans to pursue a master’s in healthcare administration or genetics counseling. At Illinois, Rose works with Molecular and Cellular Biology Prof. Benjamin Auerbach in the Auerbach Lab to better understand the mechanisms through which rats process and perceive sounds, providing insight into certain hearing processing disorders, such as sensory overload that individuals with autism tend to experience. At Mayo Clinic, Rose will work with Dr. Young M. Erben, who studies cerebrovascular disease, aortic aneurysm and aortic dissection, peripheral vascular disease, comparative effectiveness research, quality improvement initiatives and initiatives to eradicate disparities in care, especially those related to cardiovascular diseases and women. She hopes the SURF program experience improves her confidence and allows her to make a greater contribution to the scientific and medical community in the future.
Ranjani Ramesh (she/her) is a junior James Scholar majoring in computer science with a minor in econometrics. With research interests at the intersection of computer science, machine learning, and healthcare as well as statistical methods for biomedical data and translating machine learning models into clinically actionable tools, she plans to pursue a Ph.D. and contribute to the development of clinically meaningful, technology-driven solutions that address real-world medical challenges. Ranjani ‘s work spans medical image analysis, clinical decision support systems, and voice-assisted devices, with an emphasis on building accessible, deployable solutions for underserved populations. As a former Vice President of Technology and Software for Illinois Advancements Through Design and Engineering (iMade), a student-led organization focused on developing innovative, affordable healthcare solutions, she oversaw software development efforts across interdisciplinary teams and designed and managed the iMade website. Ranjani was the project manager for one of the flagship projects, Project Sandman, a voice-controlled smart bed designed to improve independence and comfort for ALS patients, reflecting the mission to build impactful, patient-centered technologies. As the Course Lead for CS 124 Honors, the only student-led honors computer science course at Illinois, Ranjani had the opportunity to mentor a diverse cohort of more than 300 students, foster a supportive learning community, and coordinate a large teaching team. Through collaborative leadership and student-centered programming, she has worked to make technical education more inclusive, engaging, and empowering for everyone involved. At Mayo Clinic, Ranjani will work with Dr. Kai Miller on a research project that applies machine learning and computational modeling to better understand and map brain activity, with the goal of improving outcomes in functional neurosurgery and neurological care.
Darian Tabrizi (he/him) is a sophomore Cancer Scholar and James Scholar majoring in bioengineering with a concentration in computational and systems biology and minors in computer science and chemistry. He is interested in oncology and machine learning approaches for disease modeling, progression analysis, and therapeutic development with plan to pursue a Ph.D. and become a computational biologist. At Illinois, Darian is a participant in the Illinois Scholars Undergraduate Research Program and works in the Leggett Lab with bioengineering Prof. Susan Leggett using microfluidic tumor-on-a-chip models to study how the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and immune cells, particularly macrophages, influence tumor invasion and metastasis in triple-negative breast cancer. With the Biomedical Engineering Journal Club, Darian helped organize and lead the Mobile Bioengineering Lab, an initiative delivering hands-on STEM education to middle school students in Champaign who may have had limited exposure to engineering in the past. As a mentor and ambassador for the Cancer Center at Illinois (CCIL), he represents student researchers and supports outreach efforts that connect cancer research to the broader campus community. At Mayo Clinic, Darian will work with Dr. Stacey Winham to develop statistical and machine learning methods to analyze high-dimensional genomic data and identify genetic risk factors for complex diseases such as (breast and ovarian) cancer and psychiatric disorders. As a bioengineering student minoring in computer science, he is excited to apply what he has learned in his coursework to real-world biomedical research in Dr. Winham's lab. Darian looks forward to contributing to translational research at an institution like Mayo Clinic, where innovative computational methods are directly connected to improving human health.
Sophia Witola Reyes (she/her) is a junior majoring in bioengineering with a concentration on computational and systems biology and a minor in computer science, receiving honors for high achievement from the President’s Award Program. Sophia is interested in designing diagnostic tools for chronic and infectious diseases by investigating how environmental factors like housing, pollution, and healthcare access influence disease progression in various communities. By focusing on underrepresented populations, she hopes to create diagnostic tools that better reflect their experiences and are more accessible and effective. At Illinois, Sophia works with electrical and computer engineering Prof. Volodymyr Kindratenko at the Center for Artificial Intelligence Innovation (CAII) to develop software for a mobile application that delivers dietary assessment and personalized guidance utilizing some of the latest advancements in Artificial Intelligence, including computer vision and large language models. Sophia is involved with the National Society of Black Engineers chapter and will serve as President next year. She is also part of the Welcome Committee for the Morrill Engineering Program and a Center for Academic Resources in Engineering tutor. At Mayo Clinic, Sophia will work with Dr. DeLisa Fairweather conducting immunological research focused on finding individualized therapies and improved diagnosis for chronic inflammatory diseases as it pertains to the cardiovascular system.
Pablo Zamora is a junior with a double major in integrative biology honors and psychology with a minor in chemistry. He is interested in epigenetics and positive psychology and plans to become a medical research physician. At Illinois, he works in the Steelman Lab under Prof. Andrew Steelman studying neuroimmunology in rats, currently focusing heavily on Multiple Sclerosis. Pablo is a member of the Pre-Health Psychology Association, which aims to guide undergraduates to primarily consider the humanity of patient care, hosting skill-based workshops, informational meetings, social events, and more, with the goal of humanizing the future of healthcare and helping students navigate their undergraduate studies within their respective healthcare pathways. At Mayo Clinic, Pablo will work with Dr. Maria I. Lapid to examine the viability of using Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (a non-Invasive Electrical Stimulation to the Brain) alongside traditional treatment for Treatment-Resistant Depression. Raised in a lower-middle class Hispanic family that values education, Pablo plans to establish himself as an asset to his PI, building a foundation from which they might continue to work together past the 2025 SURF program.
We look forward to seeing what these students accomplish with the combined knowledge and experience gained from their time at two world-class research institutions. Join us for a poster session at the Beckman Institute in September to learn more about the fellows' research experiences at Mayo Clinic. Follow IHSI on social media and subscribe to the Mayo Clinic & Illinois Alliance mailing list for updates on educational opportunities and an invitation to the fall poster session.