Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Institute

Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Institute As the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's uniting institute for interdisciplinary health s

IHSI supports faculty-driven research by organizing around health challenges, team building, coordinating projects, and managing grant efforts. IHSI fosters connections between academic researchers and clinical partners, providing outreach support, and creating educational opportunities. IHSI makes a point to fuse technological advances with health science research and fosters medical breakthrough

s that help people help themselves. Comment policy: https://publicaffairs.illinois.edu/services/social-media/social-media-comment-policy/

We are continuing to spotlight a few IHSI Affiliates who are serving as mentors to Community-Academic Scholars this summ...
05/28/2026

We are continuing to spotlight a few IHSI Affiliates who are serving as mentors to Community-Academic Scholars this summer.

IHSI Affiliate Anuj Tiwari is a Senior Research Associate at the Discovery Partners Institute. He uses satellite images, remote sensors, AI, and more to improve community health.

Dr. Tiwari is working with Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD)to help the helpers. He has invited scholars Aman Saji and Mahn Nguyen to to design and evaluate an AI-supported system that automates evidence-grounded drafting for public health accreditation.

Learn more about Dr. Tiwari, and his passion for using geospatial science and AI to improve community health!

https://healthinstitute.illinois.edu/news-events/news/ihsi-affiliate-spotlight-anuj-tiwari

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05/28/2026

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With summer undergraduate research programs kicking off this week, it seems fitting to highlight some of the faculty w...
05/27/2026

With summer undergraduate research programs kicking off this week, it seems fitting to highlight some of the faculty who provide mentorship in these programs. First up is Catalina Alzate.

In the Critical Anatomies Lab, IHSI Affiliate Catalina Alzate, professor of design in the College of Fine and Applied Arts at Illinois, invites collaboration from campus researchers and community organizations interested in exploring topics such as health equity, community-based health care, and emerging technologies.

Most recently, the lab has initiated a new research cluster to critically examining how AI is shaping community-based health care delivery models.

Prof. Alzate has invited Community-Academic Scholar Zoe Rains to join her collaboration with the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District's Great Start program better understand how AI technologies specifically impact maternal health and doula care providers and the communities they serve. The team is using equity-centered research and participatory design to explore the impacts of AI and to envision future care practices grounded in social justice.

Check out the full spotlight to learn more about Prof. Alzate's research program, future directions, and an invitation to visit the Critical Anatomies lab: https://healthinstitute.illinois.edu/news-events/news/ihsi-affiliate-spotlight-catalina-alzate

🧡💙“How can we help?” 💙🧡According to Speech & Hearing Science Professor Laura Mattie, that could easily be the unofficial...
05/21/2026

🧡💙“How can we help?” 💙🧡

According to Speech & Hearing Science Professor Laura Mattie, that could easily be the unofficial motto of the Emerging Research Leaders Academy (ERLA).

ERLA builds more than leadership skills—it creates a community of peers, mentors, and program leaders invested in participants’ success.

“Every interaction leaves me confident that I can reach out with any question, knowing they will guide me or connect me to the right resources,” said Prof. Mattie, whose research in the UIUC Development in Neurogenetic Disabilities Lab focuses on supporting positive development among children with neurogenetic disabilities like Down syndrome.

And you don’t need to conduct health-related research to participate!

ERLA alumni span fields from atmospheric science and crop science to advertising, linguistics, labor relations, and recreation, sport & tourism.

🔸🔸Nominations are DUE May 29, 2026🔸🔸

Submit a nomination: https://redcap.healthinstitute.illinois.edu/surveys/?s=CCYHYMM8FL93FYJ4

View details and eligibility: https://healthinstitute.illinois.edu/education-training/emerging-research-leaders-academy

The Emerging Research Leaders Academy is facilitated by IHSI in partnership with Beckman Institute at Illinois, Carle Illinois College of Medicine, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, College of Applied Health Sciences at Illinois, The Grainger College of Engineering, and Research's Office of Proposal Development.

Congratulations to Deborah Miller on receiving a 2026 Chancellor’s Staff Excellence Award! 🎉As IHSI Director of Partners...
05/13/2026

Congratulations to Deborah Miller on receiving a 2026 Chancellor’s Staff Excellence Award! 🎉

As IHSI Director of Partnerships and Translation and Mayo Clinic & Illinois Alliance Program Manager, Deborah helps bring people together to advance health innovation and turn research ideas into real-world impact.

We’re grateful for her leadership and dedication to addressing today’s biggest health challenges.

Read more: https://news.illinois.edu/fifteen-employees-honored-with-2025-chancellors-staff-excellence-award/

Meet the 2026 Community-Academic Scholars 🧡💙This summer, these students will spend 10 weeks working with a community men...
05/11/2026

Meet the 2026 Community-Academic Scholars 🧡💙

This summer, these students will spend 10 weeks working with a community mentor and an academic mentor on projects designed to make a direct impact on the communities they serve.

Not only will the students support and advance important research, they will develop a better understanding of the unique considerations and benefits of community-engaged research.

Congratulations to this year’s scholars:

🔸 Ace Aceves | biochemistry

🔹Tori Arduini | Natural Resources & Environmental Sciences (NRES)

🔸Celia Barkley | NRES

🔹Alisha Daga | Industrial and Enterprise Systems Engineering

🔸Grace Fan | Psychology

🔹Sydney Geiger Bryce | earth, society & environmental sustainability

🔸Zahra Ghadeer | Molecular & Cellular Biology(MCB)

🔹Lina Gil | Spanish and psychology)

🔸Amanda Jamrog | History

🔹Isabel Jimenez | Kinesiology

🔸Ellie Kim | Neuroscience

🔹Alan Medina | MCB

🔸Manh Nguyen | Statistics

🔹Zoe Rains | psychology

🔸Aman Saji | electrical and computer engineering (ECE)

🔹Roshellie Salgado (neuroscience)

🔸Rebecca Song | conservation biology and urban studies

🔹Jaritzi Villegas | (Civil and Environmental Engineering

🔸Wonjin Yang (Mathematics)

Learn more about the scholars and their projects:
https://healthinstitute.illinois.edu/news-events/news/the-2026-community-academic-scholars-are-poised-to-make-an-impact

Do you know a forward-thinking associate professor, newly promoted professor, or mid-career researcher interested in lea...
05/05/2026

Do you know a forward-thinking associate professor, newly promoted professor, or mid-career researcher interested in leadership and innovation?

The Emerging Research Leaders Academy (ERLA) provides the tools, training, and network for mid-career faculty and researchers to achieve research success.

We're now accepting nominations for the 2026-27 cohort of emerging research leaders.

You don't need to research health to apply. ERLA is open to faculty across campus.

Applicants must be nominated by a department head, dean, or director, so be sure to get started early!

🔸🔸 Nominations are DUE May 29, 2026.🔸🔸

Submit a nomination: https://lnkd.in/gMjx65ah

View details and eligibility: https://lnkd.in/gPstCPYd

The Emerging Research Leaders Academy is facilitated by IHSI in partnership with Beckman Institute at Illinois, Carle Illinois College of Medicine, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology
College of Applied Health Sciences at Illinois, Liberal Arts & Sciences at Illinois, The Grainger College of Engineering, and the Office of Proposal Development at .

IHSI 🧡's Undergraduate Research Week! Every year, members of the IHSI Team volunteer as judges for the symposium. Additi...
04/30/2026

IHSI 🧡's Undergraduate Research Week! Every year, members of the IHSI Team volunteer as judges for the symposium. Additionally, we get to see what our past scholars and fellows have been up to!

We are pleased to acknowledge 12 undergraduates involved in today's Undergraduate Research Symposium that have participated in IHSI's undergraduate research programming, including the Commiunity-Academic Scholars (CAS), Health Equity Research Experience at Mayo Clinic (HERE), and the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship at Mayo Clinic (SURF).

Alexander Chang (SURF 2024)

Cindy Chen (SURF 2025)

Sharon Ignatius Newton (SURF 2025)

Rayyan Iqbal (SURF 2025)

Roxana Jafari Haddadian (SURF 2025)

Lucas Jimenez (SURF 2025)

Devina Joshi (HERE) 2025)

Manasi Kulkarni (SURF 2025)

Delaney Marringa (SURF 2024)

Ranjani Ramesh (SURF 2025)

Cecilia Santiago (CAS 2024)

Lara Terpetschnig (CAS 2025)

They are presenting throughout the day. Be sure to check them out!!

Additionally, congratulations to Sharon Ignatius Newton for receiving a Research Support Grant. And to Ranjani Ramesh, Delaney Marringa and Lucas Jimenez for receiving Conference Travel Grants!

Learn more about IHSI's undergraduate research programs by visiting: https://healthinstitute.illinois.edu/education-training/student-fellowships-programs

This month, the IHSI team is discussing humor and the gendered differences in perceptions of what is funny and what is a...
04/29/2026

This month, the IHSI team is discussing humor and the gendered differences in perceptions of what is funny and what is acceptable in the workplace.

Humor is an essential way we connect with each other. Often used to lighten the mood, humor itself is not light.

It quietly encodes who gets to be funny, who is allowed to take up space, whose humor gets dismissed, and how different voices are treated in public or professional settings.

Humor is not neutral – it reflects power.

Check out the resources and consider:

🔹Are we reacting to the humor itself or to our expectations of the person delivering it?

🔸What can we do to ensure humor is inclusive rather than limiting?

https://healthinstitute.illinois.edu/about/diversity-equity-inclusion/diversity-resources/learn-about-humor-and-power-dynamics

Get to know one of IHSI's newest affiliates!Marie Channell, a professor in the Department of Speech & Hearing Science at...
04/22/2026

Get to know one of IHSI's newest affiliates!

Marie Channell, a professor in the Department of Speech & Hearing Science at Illinois, studies how language, thinking, and social-emotional skills develop in children and teens with Down syndrome and other neurodevelopmental conditions associated with intellectual disability in the Intellectual Disabilities Communication Lab at UIUC.

In this spotlight, Prof. Channell talks about her research career has evolved to include a more patient-centered approach to her work and enabled her to recognize young people living with Down syndrome and their caregivers as experts with insights into the challenges and potential solutions that she is studying.

Learn more: https://healthinstitute.illinois.edu/news-events/news/ihsi-affiliate-spotlight-marie-channell

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