Applications will be accepted through February 16th. Applications are now open for the 2026 summer lab internships offered through Simmons Cancer Institute at Southern Illinois University (SIU). Paid

Andrew Wilber, PhD, an SIU School of Medicine researcher and educator, studies how red blood cells produce hemoglobin and how gene-based therapies could improve treatment for inherited blood disorders such as sickle cell disease and β(beta)-thalassemia. His work aims to reduce or eliminate the need for lifelong blood transfusions while advancing more accessible therapies, reflecting SIU Medicine’s commitment to discovery, education and patient-focused innovation.

Dr. Judy Davie has built a career grounded in discovery, collaboration and mentorship, studying how genes guide muscle development and how cancers disrupt those processes.

A young girl sits in a chair in the corner of a hospital room. She watches as a nurse quietly adjusts her grandfather’s oxygen tube and smooths the blanket at his side. A physician kneels to explain

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

Dr. Pandey will be able to push forward her dissertation project, which investigates how aryl hydrocarbon receptor signaling can protect and repair inner-ear hair cells damaged by noise or medication for further research.

Jeffrey Parrilla-Carrero , PhD knows the face of addiction. As a boy in Puerto Rico, he watched his father battle alcohol use disorder, cycling through attempts to quit that ended in disappointment

2025 Spring Research Seed Grants launch projects on rheumatoid arthritis and balance disorders. Two early-stage research projects at SIU School of Medicine are taking on complex, chronic diseases that

As families flocked to the Illinois State Fair for deep-fried delicacies and dizzying rides, an essential team worked quietly behind the scenes to ensure their safety.