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2025
2025
December
December
Our graduate student, Abrory Pramana, earned second place in the oral presentation category at the Biomedical Innovation and Scientific Competition (BIONICS) 2025 in Indonesia. Congratulations to Abrory on this outstanding achievement!
November
November
Our graduate student, Abrory Pramana, has been selected as a semifinalist in the Biomedical Innovation and Scientific Competition (BIONICS) 2025 in Indonesia. He submitted a research project titled βElevated Risk of Colorectal Cancer in hnRNPI Knockout Mice After AOM/DSS Challenge through Dysregulation of the PI3K-AKT Signaling Pathway.β The final round of the competition will take place in Indonesia on December 21, 2025. We congratulate Abrory on this achievement and wish him the very best of luck in the final round!
October
October
We are pleased to welcome Francisco J. M. Villegas as our new graduate student. Frank was previously a member of our laboratory, having joined us during the Fall 2024 semester. He earned his bachelorβs degree from TecnolΓ³gico de Monterrey and will now begin his masterβs program in our lab. Building on the strong foundation established during his internship, Frank will continue his research under the supervision of Prof. Yuan-Xiang Pan. He got a scholarship named "Postgraduate Scholarships in Science and Humanities Abroad 2025" from Mexico's Secretariat of Sciences, Humanities, Technology, and Innovation (SECIHTI). We wish him great success as he begins this exciting new chapter of his academic journey.
September
September
We are pleased to welcome Francisco J. M. Villegas as our new graduate student. Frank was previously a member of our laboratory, having joined us during the Fall 2024 semester. He earned his bachelorβs degree from TecnolΓ³gico de Monterrey and will now begin his masterβs program in our lab. Building on the strong foundation established during his internship, Frank will continue his research under the supervision of Prof. Yuan-Xiang Pan. We wish him great success as he begins this exciting new chapter of his academic journey.
August
August
Congratulations, Bonnie Weaver! π We are proud to celebrate Bonnie Weaver, who recently completed the researcHStart program at the University of Chicago. Bonnie presented her research poster titled: βHSP90AB1 Upregulation Potentially Drives Colorectal Cancer Risk in the hnRNPI KO Mice During AOM/DSS Challenge.β A special thank you to Dr. Hong Chen for her guidance and support of both our graduate students and our high school interns. We wish Bonnie continued success in her future cancer research endeavors and the very best as she embarks on her university studies!
Big News! π Dr. Hong Chen Featured in ACES News
Congratulations to Dr. Hong Chen on being spotlighted in ACES News! Weβre thrilled to see her impactful work and dedication recognizedβwell deserved!
Congratulations to our graduate student, Abrory Pramana, on successfully passing his preliminary examination proposal! Great job, Abrory! Your hard work and dedication have truly paid off. We look forward to seeing your continued progress and future accomplishments in this exciting project.
Big News! π Dr. Hong Chen Featured in Big Ten Cancer Research Symposium News
Congratulations to Dr. Hong Chen on being spotlighted in the Big Ten Cancer Research Symposium News! Weβre thrilled to see her impactful work and dedication recognizedβwell deserved!
From left to right: Abrory Pramana (graduate student), Bonnie Weaver, Henry Liu, and Dr. Hong Chen (Associate Professor in FSHN).
JuLy
JuLy
Welcome to Our Summer Internship Program! Weβre excited to welcome Bonnie Weaver from University Laboratory High School in Champaign, Illinois, and Henry Liu from High Technology High School in Lincroft, New Jersey. Bonnie joins us through the researcHStart program, and together with Henry, they will be working closely with our graduate student, Abrory Pramana, on exciting research projects this summer.
June
June
Our study, Gut microbiota dysbiosis in a novel mouse model of colitis potentially increases the risk of colorectal cancer, was published in the American Journal of Physiology-Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology [DOI: 10.1152/ajpgi.00040.2025]. This research was supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, the Division of Nutritional Sciences in the College of ACES, and the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research at the University of Illinois. Congratulations to all authors!
May
May
Congratulations to Dr. Guanying Bianca Xu on your well-deserved graduation! Your dedication, perseverance, and brilliance have truly inspired us all, and we wish you continued success in your next chapter.
Congratulations to Hehe Zhang and Sharon Dong on their graduation! Your accomplishments reflect your passion and perseverance. Cheers to this incredible milestone and the bright journeys ahead!
Dr. Guanying Bianca Xu and Dr. Hong Chen
Hehe Zhang and Sharon Dong
April
April
Our graduate student, Abrory Pramana, presented his research during the NSGSA Nutrition Symposium 2025 poster session. Great job, Abrory, and congratulations on all your hard work and dedication!! πΒ
Our undergraduate students, Sharon Dong, Vivia Nguyen, Nathan Coates, Avery Schultz, Nicoletta Spiliopoulos, Anna Zlatic, and Thuncanok Phunratanamala, did an excellent job presenting their research at the Undergraduate Research Symposium (URS) on April 26, 2025! We are so proud of all your hard work and achievements!π Thank you to our graduate student mentors, Elizabeth Brandley, Ruijie Zhang, and Abrory Pramana, for your mentorship. And thanks to Dr. Yuan-Xiang Pan and Dr. Hong Chen for their incredible mentorship and leadership!
Congratulations to our graduate student, Hehe Zhang, who passed her thesis defense. Good luck with your future journey, and keep in contact with us!
Abrory Pramana presented his research during the NSGSA Nutrition Symposium 2025 poster session.
Thuncanok Phunratanamala at URS 2025 poster session
Avery Schultz at URS 2025 poster session
Nicoletta Spiliopoulos at URS 2025 poster session
Sharon Dong & Vivia Nguyen at URS 2025 poster session
Anna Zlatic at URS 2025 poster session
Nathan Coates at URS 2025 poster session
March
March
This month, we celebrated our PI's birthday. Happy birthday to Dr. Hong Chen! We hope you are always healthy and cherished with happiness! π
Congratulations to our graduate student, Elizabeth Brandley, who passed her preliminary exam. One more step to get your PhD degree! Yey!Β ππ
Elizabeth Brandley presented her preliminary proposal during the examination.
February
February
Congratulations to our exceptional graduate students, Elizabeth Brandley and Abrory Pramana, for their well-deserved recognition from the Division of Nutritional Sciences (DNS)! Elizabeth has been honored with the 2025 James L. Robinson Nutrition Impact Award, while Abrory has received the prestigious 2025 William C. Rose Endowment Award. These awards will support their participation in academic conferences, where they will present their groundbreaking research to the scientific community. We are incredibly proud to have such talented researchers in our labβcongratulations again! ππ
Elizabeth Brandley
Abrory Pramana and Dr. Hong Chen
Abrory, Dr. Hong Chen, and Elizabeth celebrated together after the award ceremony, marking a proud and joyful moment for the entire team! πΒ
january
january
Happy LUNAR new year
Happy LUNAR new year
Happy Lunar New Year! Wishing everyone a year filled with health, happiness, and success. May this year bring you prosperity, joy, and countless beautiful moments! ππΒ
Happy new year, everyone! π
Happy new year, everyone! π
We hope everyone's winter break went great and welcome you back for the 2025 spring semester!
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