Junior in Bioengineering
Hometown: Dunlap, Illinois
Research Project: Cellular and Vesicular Response to Metabolic Perturbations Determined by Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy (FLIM)
Faculty Sponsor: Prof. Stephen Boppart
Research Mentor: Janet Sorrells

Elisabeth has received several scholarships, research fellowships and awards since her first year at Illinois. In 2019, she received the Chancellor’s Honors Program Summer Research Award and the Research Support Grant from the Office of Undergraduate Research. She was also an undergraduate research fellow in the Frontiers in Biomedical Imaging REU and the Beckman Undergraduate Fellows Program. She is also in the Cancer Scholars Program Class of 2022.

In January 2019, Elisabeth joined Prof. Boppart’s Biophotonics Imaging Laboratory as a research assistant. Her current project using FLIM will increase our understanding of how cells and vesicles concurrently change in disease states like metastatic breast cancer.

In addition to academics and research, Elisabeth volunteers at Carle Hospice, HeRMES Clinic, and nursing homes. She also assisted in activities for STEM summer camps for high school students and teachers. Currently, Elisabeth is a Cancer Center Ambassador. In this role, she does outreach to student organizations to encourage involvement and speaks at events to promote the Center’s campaigns to ensure cancer research is a priority.

Elisabeth’s post-graduation interests include oncology, imaging, and medicine. She would like to pursue an MD-MS in Bioengineering in order to participate in biomedical research involving cancer or geriatrics.

Fun Facts:
Elisabeth loves practicing music (especially violin), biking anywhere with trees and water, learning new vocabulary in any language, and enjoying a good book.