The Cancer Center at Illinois' (CCIL) “Get to Know a Cancer Scholar” series provides readers a connection with the amazing trainees who comprise the CCIL’s cohort of student-researchers. This installment features bioengineering undergraduate Zaeem Qureshi. "I was interested in understanding cancer prevention and treatment from an engineering perspective," said Qureshi. "The Cancer Scholars Program provided both the background and exposure to contribute meaningfully, and it exceeded my expectations."
Written by Craig Richard
The Cancer Center at Illinois' (CCIL) “Get to Know a Cancer Scholar” series provides readers a connection with the amazing trainees who comprise the CCIL’s cohort of student-researchers. This installment features bioengineering undergraduate Zaeem Qureshi.
Zaeem Qureshi
What interested you in the Cancer Scholars Program?
I was interested in understanding cancer prevention and treatment from an engineering perspective. As a bioengineer, I was especially curious about how molecular modeling could impact research. The Cancer Scholars Program provided both the background and exposure to contribute meaningfully, and it exceeded my expectations.
What have you learned during your time in the Cancer Scholars Program?
Through the program, I gained a broad understanding of different areas in cancer research and their roles in prevention and treatment. Working alongside students from diverse disciplines also showed how different skillsets contribute to a common goal. Through peer mentorship, I entered computational chemistry research and learned to run molecular simulations for disease-focused studies.
Why is doing cancer research personally meaningful to you?
Cancer research is personally meaningful to me because of my experiences with family members affected by the disease. Its complexity and evolving nature motivate me to pursue solutions that can adapt to it.
How would you explain your research project to a friend outside science?
My undergraduate research involved using supercomputing and biophysics to model chemical interactions at the atomic level. It can be thought of as setting up a biological system like a simulation, applying physical rules, introducing a change, and observing how the system responds. This helps uncover mechanisms behind therapeutic interactions and cancer-related molecules.
What are your future career goals and how has Cancer Scholars influenced these goals?
In graduate school, I plan to focus on imaging and apply dynamical systems and AI to develop more quantitative approaches to cancer analysis. The program helped solidify my interest in combining computational methods with translational applications.
What advice would you give to someone who is interested in doing cancer research?
Identify a technical area that interests you, such as imaging, computational biology, or wet lab research, and understand how it connects to cancer. At the same time, stay flexible and open to building new skills.
What hobby or interest helps you recharge after a long week?