Congratulations to MBM trainees Sara Bell and Taylor Jorgensen for making it to the finals in this year’s Research Live Showcase!
Sara Bell, who is pursuing her PhD in Chemistry, presented her research on “Single Cell Chemistry of the Brain.” Taylor Jorgensen, who is pursuing her PhD in Neuroscience, presented on “Circadian Rhythms in Astrocytes.”
Because of COVID-19-related restrictions on in-person meetings, this year’s event was held virtually on April 12, 2021. Graduate students entered the competition by submitting a short video of their presentations along with a single slide. The showcase featured each finalist’s video side-by-side with their slide.
The MBM Program encourages trainees to enter this competition each year as part of their training in communicating their research to the public. Graduate students from across the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus participate, and only a very select few are chosen as finalists.
In 2019, Gelson Pagan-Diaz was a finalist for his research on “Understanding the Brain by Building BRaNEs” (Bioengineering). In 2018, Whitney Sinclair and Collin Kaufman both made it to the finals. Sinclair presented “Inhale, Exhale” about her lung-on-a-chip research, and Kaufman presented “Using Cells to Make a Walking Robot.” (There was no Research Live Showcase in 2020 due to the pandemic).
Learn More About the 2021 Showcase >>