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Life Inspiring

At the School of Molecular & Cellular Biology

We seek answers to fundamental questions about how organisms work and the many implications for life. Through a rich culture of collaboration, we drive new discoveries in human health and empower students with the critical and analytical skills needed for successful careers.

News from the School of MCB

Dr. Andrew Belmont
Dr. Andrew Belmont reflects on 37 years at Illinois, Gutgsell Professorship
“What will it mean to be human at the turn of the 22nd century?” was a course Dr. Andrew Belmont, Professor of Cell & Developmental Biology, once volunteered to co-teach. The new course was proposed as part of a university-wide effort to bridge the sciences and the humanities. When Belmont was...
Foellinger Auditorium Exterior
Brian Freeman awarded I. C. Gunsalus Professorship
The School of Molecular & Cellular Biology is pleased to announce that Brian Freeman, Professor of Cell & Developmental Biology, has received the...
Figure of TRiC and RNA polymerase II
Freeman Lab uncovers connection between TRiC and RNA polymerase II
Researchers from the University of Illinois School of Molecular & Cellular Biology are examining the influence on nuclear pathways from the molecular chaperone, TCP-1 Ring complex (TRiC).Cell and developmental biology professor Brian Freeman’s lab focuses on chaperonins like TRiC, which help...
Wei Qin holds a petri dish in front of projection screen showing bacteria. Photo by Fred Zwicky.
Professor Wei Qin receives ASM Award for Early Career Environmental Research
The School of Molecular & Cellular Biology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is pleased to announce that Wei Qin, Assistant Professor of Microbiology, has received the 2027 Award for...
The interior of Foellinger Auditorium
Q+A: Teaching 800 students Anatomy & Physiology
Despite its name, the School of Molecular & Cellular Biology rarely deals in small quantities, and no two people know that better than Drs. Michael Garcia and Ana Belen Ramos Hryb. Garcia and Hryb are the instructors for MCB 244 - Human Anatomy & Physiology: one of the university’s largest...
Lin-Feng Chen and Susan Martinis stand in front of projector screen with Phd student Xiaodan Lin
Liver Cancer Breakthrough: Researchers Discover Promising Therapeutic Target
University of Illinois researchers have made a breakthrough discovery in the fight against liver cancer. Collaborators Lin-Feng Chen, Susan A. Martinis, and graduate...
Fig. 1: This model shows the reliance of 3D genome architecture on nuclear type I myosins and the changes that occur upon their depletion.
Nuclear Type I Myosins Actively Support Nucleolar and Nuclear Structure and Function
In a new publication, University of Illinois scientists have begun to unravel how nuclear type 1 myosin influences the cell nucleus. Recently, they have found that the protein was essential for cell division and plays a critical role in shaping the activities of nuclear organization. The...
Woman with shoulder length red hair and eyeglasses wears light blue sweater
Meet Kristie Stramaski, new career advisor in the School of MCB
Please welcome Kristie Stramaski, Senior Coordinator of Career Advising, to the School of Molecular & Cellular Biology. This is a new position for the school and we are thrilled to have her join us!She spoke with us about the...
MCB students put arms around each other at a welcome event

Innovative education

How will you change the world?

Our mission is to empower students. In MCB you will receive a rigorous education and you can tailor a curriculum according to your passions. Our alumni have become physicians, researchers at top-tier institutions, and business leaders. They've launched biotechnology start-ups and founded free healthcare clinics. They are changing the world. You can, too.

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Impactful research

We are at the forefront of life-changing biomedical research. Combatting infectious diseases like influenza. Uncovering insights into neurological and metabolic disorders. Developing new treatments for diseases such as breast cancer. New and exciting research programs are being developed in neuroscience, immunology, microbial sciences, developmental biology, mechanobiology, and much more. Faculty, postdocs, graduate students, and undergraduates are all part of the MCB research community.

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