Microscopes and mentorship: Rebecca Burgess chose SIU
Rebecca Burgess, PhD, still remembers the first time she peered into a microscope as a child. Her father, a pathologist, invited her and her siblings to look at slides of tissue samples and tumors. Those moments sparked a lifelong curiosity. Why does a healthy cell stay healthy? What changes when a disease takes over? How do cells “decide” their function?
That curiosity led her to Miami University of Ohio for biochemistry, then to Mayo Clinic Graduate School, where she studied how epigenetic information is passed from one cell to the next. She continued her postdoctoral training at UT Southwestern Medical Center, focusing on blood stem function and maintenance during aging. But when it came time to start her own lab, Burgess chose a different path. She came to SIU School of Medicine.
“I wanted to be at a place where I could both teach and do meaningful research,” she said. “That combination was really important to me. SIU lets me do both.”
A focus on epigenetics
Burgess’ research examines the molecular “extra layer” that sits on top of DNA, known as epigenetics. Every cell in the body carries the same genetic code, but not every cell has the same function. A skin cell heals a wound. A brain cell transmits a signal. A stem cell has the potential to become many other kinds of cells.
“Epigenetics is how cells know who they are and what to do,” she explained. “When that system goes wrong, it can lead to disease.” Her work has shown how certain proteins help regulate which genes are turned on or off. She is especially interested in how those changes affect cellular protein synthesis and homeostasis, thereby regulating aging and disease in the blood and brain.
By studying these processes in animal models, her team can watch how cells behave over time. This helps them understand what might go wrong during aging or over the course of disease progression.
Research with future therapies in mind
The ultimate goal of Burgess’ work is to identify new opportunities for treatment. Instead of directly targeting the machinery that makes proteins, which could harm healthy cells, her lab is exploring how those processes are regulated differently in healthy and diseased cells.
“This could give us insight into new therapeutic windows or targets,” she said. “If we can find what makes a cancer cell lose control, or when precisely a brain cell starts to degenerate, we can look for ways to intervene.”
For patients and families in central and southern Illinois, this means having advanced biomedical research happening close to home. The discoveries made in Burgess’ lab may someday contribute to new diagnostic tools or therapies that improve quality of life.
Teaching the next generation
Equally important to Burgess is her role as a mentor. She currently guides three graduate students and a research assistant who is preparing for graduate school. She lights up when she talks about their growth.
“Here you can do high-level science while also having the chance to educate,” she said. “That combination is special. It’s why I came here.”
Unlike larger universities, where faculty may have limited contact with early-career students, SIU’s smaller class sizes give her the chance to work closely with learners. She values that intimacy, especially as students begin to see themselves as scientists.
“This is a challenging path,” she said. “You have to check in with yourself constantly. Does this feel like the right fit? Do you feel excited about the questions you’re researching? Those are the signals that keep you going.”
Collaboration is key
Burgess’ work bridges SIU’s Carbondale and Springfield campuses. She travels regularly between the two, using specialized equipment and connecting with colleagues across the system. Instead of viewing the distance as a barrier, she sees it as an advantage.
“At first I wondered if all the travel would be a challenge,” she said. “But it’s been one of the most rewarding parts of being here. I get to collaborate with faculty on both campuses and see the school as a whole.”
That collaboration gives her access to tools and expertise that strengthen her research. In Carbondale, she works closely with scientists focused on basic molecular questions. In Springfield, she connects with physician-scientists who see firsthand how diseases affect patients in the clinic. Together, those perspectives move discoveries from the bench toward real-world impact.
For Burgess, the back-and-forth flow of ideas mirrors the culture of SIU Medicine itself. It is a place where researchers and clinicians talk across disciplines and across miles, building solutions that might not emerge in more siloed environments.
A scientist with many passions
When she isn’t in the lab, Burgess often has a violin in hand. She once considered a career in music performance and still plays with the SIU orchestra. On long drives between campuses, she listens to podcasts ranging from science storytelling to economics.
For her, creativity, curiosity and teaching are all intertwined.
“I’ve always loved answering questions and solving puzzles,” she said. “Science gives me that same sense of discovery as music — it’s about exploring and finding meaning.”
