6/16/2026 Hannah Wirth
This summer, 18 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign undergraduates will join researchers and clinical teams at Mayo Clinic in Arizona, Florida, and Minnesota, including six from the Department of Bioengineering at The Grainger College of Engineering. 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.
Written by Hannah Wirth
This summer, 18 University of Illinois undergraduates will join researchers and clinical teams at Mayo Clinic in Arizona, Florida, and Minnesota, including six from the Department of Bioengineering at The Grainger College of Engineering. 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. Below are the students from Bioengineering at Illinois who will be participating. See a full list of students here.
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.
Nadav Efrat
Computer Science | 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.
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.
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.
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.