The 2026 Summer Undergraduate Research Fund (SURF) Awards have been announced. Out of the 39 total awardees, MCB is pleased to share that twelve of the students are Molecular and Cell Biology Majors. MCB recipients are:
Caroline Burkhardt ’28 (Anthropology & Molecular and Cell Biology, CLAS), Project Title: Chronic Illness Experiences on the Hopi Reservation, Faculty Mentor: Dr. Sarah Willen, Anthropology
Rakshan Chadha ’27 (Molecular and Cell Biology & Statistics, CLAS) Project Title: Optimizing Tumor Delivery of Barium Titanate Nanoparticles for Radiation Therapy in a Murine Pancreatic Cancer Model, Faculty Mentor: Dr. Henry Smilowitz, Cell Biology
Brady Cheneski ’28 (Physiology and Neurobiology & Molecular and Cell Biology, CLAS) Project Title: Exploring the Role of Hypothalamic Inputs to the Dentate Gyrus in Aversive Context Discrimination and Generalization, Faculty Mentor: Dr. Sebnem Tuncdemir, Neuroscience
Anna Coulter ’27 (Molecular and Cell Biology, CLAS) Project Title: Synthesis of Photoswitchable NF 110 Analogs: Investigating P2X3 Receptors in Oral Pain, Faculty Mentor: Dr. Michael Kienzler, Chemistry
Elizabeth Evans ’28 (Molecular and Cell Biology, CLAS) Project Title: Altered Proliferation Dynamics of MyoD- and Myf5-Deficient Satellite Cells During Skeletal Muscle Regeneration, Faculty Mentor: Dr. David Goldhamer, Molecular and Cell Biology
Katherine Foley ’27 (Molecular and Cell Biology, CLAS) Project Title: Characterization of Scx+ Cell Proliferation in Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva, Faculty Mentor: Dr. David Goldhamer, Molecular and Cell Biology
Shailaja Gillett ’27 (Molecular and Cell Biology, CLAS) Project Title: Parafibromin/β-Catenin Interaction as a Potential Mechanism for CDC73 Tumor Suppressive Functions, Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jessica Costa, Regenerative Medicine and Skeletal Development
Maya Kelly ’27 (Molecular and Cell Biology, CLAS) Project Title: A Novel Role for RNA Modifications in Substance Use Disorder, Faculty Mentor: Dr. Gregory Sartor, Pharmaceutical Sciences
Wesley Ong ’27 (Molecular and Cell Biology, CLAS) Project Title: Investigating the Molecular Building Blocks of Hypocretin/Orexin Synapses Faculty Mentor: Dr. Alexander Jackson, Physiology and Neurobiology
Tuyet Nhung Phan ’28 (Molecular and Cell Biology, CLAS) Project Title: Development of Doxycycline-Inducible CRISPR-Interference Screening System to Identify Genes, Involved in Tet2-Deficient Clonal Hematopoiesis, Faculty Mentor: Dr. Hideyuki Oguro, Cell Biology
Jay Podziewski ’27 (Molecular and Cell Biology, CLAS), Project Title: The Electroporation of Atlantic Horseshoe Crab (Limulus polyphemus) Amebocytes as a First Step Towards Sustainable LAL Production, Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kate Castellano, Institute for Systems Genomics
Gabrielle Grace Setiadi ’27 (Molecular and Cell Biology & IMJR: Bioinformatics, CLAS), Project Title: The Role of BRD4 in Alveolar Macrophage Activation, Faculty Mentor: Dr. L. Cody Smith, Pharmaceutical Sciences