Cancer Center at Illinois

10/31/2025

SCIENCE IN ACTION 🔬🧬

10 students from presented at the 2025 International Cancer Education Conference, a national forum that brings together researchers, educators, health professionals, and students. Congratulations to all who presented! 🎉

🔗 https://go.illinois.edu/ICEC

10/29/2025

Uncertainty is a major challenge in the fight against cancer, but what if doctors could predict if a treatment will work?

researchers are turning that idea into a possibility.

They've developed a model that uses a patient's blood to predict how likely they are to respond to immune checkpoint blockade drugs, a type of immunotherapy treatment.

🔗 https://go.illinois.edu/KunWang

10/27/2025

🔶SCIENCE SIMPLIFIED!

We're breaking down: Cancer Vaccines

CCIL researchers have developed a method to make cancer vaccines more effective. They created an injectable hydrogel that attracts immune cells to the injection site and shows them mRNA, which has instructions to help recognize and attack cancer cells.

🔗 Read more: https://go.illinois.edu/WangmRNA

Is there a cancer related term you want to know more about? Comment below!

10/23/2025

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is honoring Breast Cancer Awareness Month 💕 with a deep dive into the incredible research being conducted at the Cancer Center at Illinois 🧡💙

10/21/2025

🎥 IN THE NEWS: Breast Cancer Awareness Month 💗

CCIL researcher Michael Oelze shared his ultrasound technology research with 3 News, highlighting the ways it holds potential to help patients.

🔗 https://go.illinois.edu/OelzeWCIA

10/17/2025

researchers are developing technology that will make sure tumor tissue and cells are completely removed during surgery.

🔗 The principal investigator is reflecting on what the team has accomplished in the first year of a five-year project: https://go.illinois.edu/Boppart

10/14/2025

ULTRASOUND IMAGING: An important tool used in cancer care to detect the disease, guide treatment, and track progress.

New federal grants totaling $2.6 million will support CCIL researcher Michael Oelze's efforts to solve problems with existing ultrasound technologies and increase accessibility to new breakthroughs in the field.

🔗 https://go.illinois.edu/Oelze

10/13/2025

THIS WEEKEND‼️

Register NOW for a webinar on navigating mental health during a cancer diagnosis. An oncology clinical counselor will share strategies for coping and finding empowerment.

October 18, 2025 | 9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. CT | Zoom

https://lnkd.in/gf58Z9FS

10/11/2025

REGISTER NOW: Exploring Cancer Cells through Minecraft

🕔 October 15 | 5:00 - 6:00 p.m.
📍 Beckman 1005

Researchers have transformed the way we can see cancer cells by building them in Minecraft. Hear from Zane Thornburg about "CraftCells: A Window into Biological Cells," an experience that allows users to explore, build and manipulate structures.

REGISTER: https://go.illinois.edu/ZaneThornburg

10/10/2025

Congratulations to Chemistry at Illinois alumnus Omar M. Yaghi, awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry for his work in the development of metal–organic frameworks 👏

alumnus Omar M. Yaghi is one of the three scientists who won the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. 🏅

Yaghi and his co-recipients are credited with developing metal-organic frameworks that can be used to store toxic gases, catalyze chemical reactions, or to capture carbon dioxide or water from the atmosphere.

Yaghi is one of 12 alumni and 14 faculty at Illinois to receive a Nobel Prize, at least six of whom have received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

“We are so proud of Omar. He is a testament to the brilliant and creative students who come to the department of chemistry at the U. of I. to explore their passion for science,” said Illinois chemistry professor and department head Catherine J. Murphy. “He carries on a long-standing tradition of excellence in this department.”

📎 https://bit.ly/3J1jeow

10/09/2025

PFAS - also known as "forever chemicals" because they don't break down easily - are found in many places, from water to household products.

In a recent study, researchers identified how PFAS disrupt cells and found a way to repair them. The team is now collaborating with surgeons at Cleveland Clinic to identify patients with a higher risk of developing kidney cancer based on PFAS levels.

🔗 https://go.illinois.edu/Irudayaraj

10/08/2025

The CCIL had a busy weekend out in the community! 🧡💙

🟠 We were at Dark Tower Comics Champaign for the Beckman STEM Crawl, showcasing unique science activities 🔬
🔵 The CCIL had a booth at Fighting Illini Volleyball's Pink Match to fight breast cancer! 💕

COMING UP: Catch us at Fighting Illini Soccer's Kick Cancer game this Sunday!
⚽ Demirjian Park | 1 p.m.