Neurons use viral-like particles to communicate remotely. However, the underlying biochemistry is unclear. To address this challenge, we combined quantitative imaging with cell biology to study how protein-lipid interaction facilitates the biogenesis and trafficking of Arc capsids in neurons. Results provide insights into trafficking mechanism shared by structurally resembled capsid proteins. 

I will discuss our research on signaling complexes organized by neuronal ion channels, focusing on those functioning at plasma membrane-endoplasmic reticulum membrane contact sites.  I will also present our work developing and disseminating "open source" renewable recombinant antibodies validated for neuroscience research. 

Tissue Engineered Age-Mimetic Models for Next-Generation Vesicle-Based Therapies

Abstract: Aging is a major risk factor for a variety of diseases, with projections indicating that by 2030 more than 15% of the population will be over the age of sixty underscoring its importance. Despite all this, the mechanisms by which aging affects disease progression, diagnostics, and therapeutic efficacy remain poorly understood, with a large gap in clinical translatability. Tissue engineered age-mimetic models offer a powerful platform to bridge this gap, enabling a controllable system for recapitulating the aged environment and assessing therapeutic efficacy, and incorporating factors such as the extracellular matrix and cell signaling through the use of extracellular vesicles (EVs). EVs have recently emerged as key regulators in the microenvironment that influence disease progression and therapeutic efficacy. In this talk, I will discuss our unique approach to using the age-mimetic tissue-engineered models to study novel vesicle therapies.

Biography: Pinar Zorlutuna is the Roth-Gibson Professor of Bioengineering in Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering (AME) Department, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department, and in Bioengineering Graduate Program at the University of Notre Dame. Her research explores designing biomimetic environments for understanding and controlling cell behavior, and cell-cell and cell-environment interactions using tissue engineering and micro- and nanofabrication approaches. She received various awards including NSF CAREER Award and PECASE, and she is a National Academy of Sciences Kavli Fellow.

Leveraging the Natural Cellular and Biomolecular Interactions in Blood for the Design of Targeted, Anti-Inflammatory Particle Therapeutics

Abstract: Vascular-targeted particle therapeutics offer the possibility of increased drug effectiveness while minimizing side effects often associated with systemic drug administration. Factors that influence the likelihood of targeted particle therapeutics reaching the vascular wall are the ability to identify 1) a disease-specific target, 2) the appropriate drug carrier type and geometry for efficient interaction with the vascular wall, and 3) a drug-carrier combination that allows for the desired release of the targeted therapeutics. Dr. Eniola Adefeso's work focuses on probing the role of particle geometry, material chemistry, and blood rheology/dynamics on the ability of vascular-targeted drug carriers to interact with the blood vessel wall - an important consideration that will control the effectiveness of drug targeting regardless of the targeted disease or delivered therapeutically. This presentation will highlight the carrier-blood cell interactions that affect drug carrier binding to the vascular wall and alter critical neutrophil functions in disease. In this talk, Dr. Eniola-Adefeso will present the material design parameters for optimal drug carriers' design for active and passive use in treating acute lung injury and other inflammatory diseases.

Biography: Lola Eniola-Adefeso is the 10th dean of the University of Illinois Chicago College of Engineering. A highly respected chemical and biomedical engineer with over 25 years of professional experience, she is dedicated to enhancing the College’s excellence and impact by building on its legacy of renowned research to address societal challenges and attracting and supporting diverse undergraduate and graduate students prepare for 21st century challenges. An accomplished scholar with a track record of interdisciplinary work, Eniola-Adefeso has published more than 70 peer-reviewed publications and secured millions of dollars in federal research funding. She has had entrepreneurial successes that have resulted in three patent filings – including one patent currently being licensed to a biotech company. She is highly recognized in the scientific community and has earned numerous honors and awards. Among her national leadership roles are serving as president of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, and as director of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. She also participates on the National Academies Study Committee: Quadrennial Review of the National Nanotechnology Initiative. Throughout her career, Eniola-Adefeso has championed efforts to bring greater diversity to the field of engineering. She led the multi-institutional NextProf engineering program, which aims to increase the number of PhD students and postdocs from traditionally underrepresented groups in engineering who are transitioning into academic careers. She also co-founded BME Women Faculty UNITE and helped plan and lead Forging Futures Together by Strengthening Collaborations, an inaugural summit of engineering deans from Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Big 10+ engineering institutions held in June 2024. Prior to joining the UIC community, Eniola-Adefeso served as a professor of chemical engineering, biomedical engineering and macromolecular science and engineering at the University of Michigan, where she held the Vennema Endowed Professorship and was named a University Diversity and Social Transformation Professor. A Meyerhoff Scholar at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, she received her PhD in chemical and biomolecular engineering from the University of Pennsylvania.

The ability to craft an effective funding proposal is a skill that can reap a lifetime of rewards. As a graduate student, now is the time to hone your grantwriting proficiency. In this workshop, designed for students in STEM fields, you will learn how to identify funding opportunities, strategize the components of an effective proposal, and think like a grantwriter. Come with questions about this mysterious genre, leave with a template that you can adapt to become a competitive applicant for prestigious university, national, and international funding competitions. 

Register in advance for the link to this online workshop. 

See more Graduate College Workshops.

What is a faculty interview actually like? What sorts of questions will I be asked? How should I talk about my research and teaching? What do I do if there are technical problems? Get answers to these questions and more as you learn the basics of the first-round faculty interviews.

No registration required. This session will take place on Zoom at https://go.grad.illinois.edu/eventspace

See the full listing of Graduate College workshops at https://go.grad.illinois.edu/workshops

*If you require any disability-related accommodations to participate in this workshop more fully, please email gradsuccess@illinois.edu

Preparing for the academic job market? The Writers Workshop will review genre expectations for statements of teaching philosophy and provide examples from a range of disciplines. We will share strategies for drafting, strengthening, and tailoring your own statement.

This presentation will be held via Zoom and is open to all current U of I affiliates (students, faculty, and staff). You will need to be logged into your Illinois Zoom account to join. 

Please register with your Illinois email by September 16 to receive the Zoom details on the morning of the event. If you register on the day of, please email wow@illinois.edu immediately to request the Zoom details - we will do our best to get them to you prior to the event.

All registrants will receive access to the presentation materials via email the following business day. All Zoom presentations are recorded and recordings will be included in the presentation materials.

What can you ask for and how do you ask for it? After you receive a faculty job offer, you have a short period to evaluate it, negotiate and make your decision. In this workshop, you will learn how to develop a strategy to help you know when and how to negotiate effectively. 

No registration required. This session will be take place on Zoom at https://go.grad.illinois.edu/eventspace

See the full listing of Graduate College workshops at https://go.grad.illinois.edu/workshops

*If you require any disability-related accommodations to participate in this workshop more fully, please email gradsuccess@illinois.edu

The Writers Workshop will review genre expectations for diversity statements and provide examples from a range of disciplines. We will share strategies for drafting and tailoring your own diversity statements.

This presentation will be held via Zoom and is open to all current U of I affiliates (students, faculty, and staff). You will need to be logged into your Illinois Zoom account to join. 

Please register with your Illinois email by September 23 to receive the Zoom details on the morning of the event. If you register on the day of, please email wow@illinois.edu immediately to request the Zoom details - we will do our best to get them to you prior to the event.

All registrants will receive access to the presentation materials via email the following business day. All Zoom presentations are recorded and recordings will be included in the presentation materials.

Join Mindfulness & Movement to experience an expertly led program, intentionally created to guide participants through mindfulness meditations and easy stretching exercises in a relaxing, virtual atmosphere! This six-week series takes place every Wednesday from 12:15pm-12:45pm, starting on September 3, 2025.  Registration closes on Wednesday, August 27 or when the class is full.

Join us at noon on Wednesdays this fall for yoga with a view! All sessions are free and will be held in Beckman's 5th floor tower room. All are welcome to bring their own mat! 

Create the "write" habit! Our writing group provides graduate students with dedicated time to make progress on writing in a supportive atmosphere. The writing group provides structured writing, break, and discussion time, with each meeting consisting of a short goal-setting conversation, quiet writing time, and a concluding reflection and wrap-up. You will be working on your own current writing (e.g., thesis, dissertation, manuscript). These groups are ideal for graduate students who are seeking to create or return to a writing routine, make progress and meet deadlines on long-term projects, or jump-start a new writing project. Find more information and our Writing Group FAQs here.

Our writing groups are held every Tuesday from 9:00am-12:00pm, and we encourage you to attend regularly. We will not meet on campus holidays.

This event will be held in a hybrid format: Join us in-person in the Main Library Orange Room. Or, join us online. The Zoom link will be in your registration confirmation email and in the weekly reminder emails.

The Writers Workshop will email you a weekly reminder. You only need to register once for the recurring writing group. Please register using your University of Illinois email.

Create the "write" habit! Our writing group provides graduate students with dedicated time to make progress on writing in a supportive atmosphere. The writing group provides structured writing, break, and discussion time, with each meeting consisting of a short goal-setting conversation, quiet writing time, and a concluding reflection and wrap-up. You will be working on your own current writing (e.g., thesis, dissertation, manuscript). These groups are ideal for graduate students who are seeking to create or return to a writing routine, make progress and meet deadlines on long-term projects, or jump-start a new writing project. Find more information and our Writing Group FAQs here.

Our writing groups are held every Friday from 9:00am-12:00pm, and we encourage you to attend regularly. We will not meet on campus holidays.

This event will be held in a hybrid format: Join us in-person in the Main Library Orange Room. Or, join us online. The Zoom link will be in your registration confirmation email and in the weekly reminder emails.

The Writers Workshop will email you a weekly reminder. You only need to register once for the recurring writing group. Please register using your University of Illinois email.