Three of our undergraduate students have been selected to begin summer programs at the Mayo Clinic this summer via the Mayo Clinic & Illinois Alliance for Technology-Based Healthcare.
Read their full bios and learn about the other students selected in this IHSI article by Hannah Wirth.
Karen Ann Subin
Molecular and Cellular Biology | Psychology
Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, FL
Karen is interested in how genetic, hormonal, inflammatory, environmental, and systemic factors contribute to disparities in women’s healthcare. At Illinois, she conducts research in the Antonson Developmental Neuroimmunology Lab studying how influenza infection during pregnancy may influence fetal brain development and postnatal behavioral outcomes. At Mayo Clinic, she will study the genetic and molecular mechanisms driving lung cancer development and progression.
Sofia La Velle
Psychology | Spanish
Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN
Sofia is interested in health equity and social psychology. At Illinois, she works in the Attachment and Close Relationships Laboratory exploring attachment and communication styles through a murder-mystery themed escape room. At Mayo Clinic, Sofia will study diabetes and nutrition within family medicine.
Cozette Thatcher Merza
Psychology
Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN
Cozette is interested in neurology, neurosurgery, postpartum psychiatry, and neurophysiology. At Illinois, she works in the Steel Lab studying how distributed brain networks contribute to intelligent behavior and how these systems change with aging and neurological and psychiatric disorders. At Mayo Clinic, Cozette will study pediatric epilepsy diagnosis and treatment, including multimodal imaging, invasive EEG monitoring, pharmacotherapy, and dietary management.