REU Site: Frontiers in Biomedical Imaging

伊利诺伊大学厄巴纳-香槟分校（UIUC）的REU网站生物医学成像前沿提供了生物医学成像领域最先进的跨学科研究环境，以激励和培训工程领域代表性不足的本科生，鼓励他们过渡到研究生学位课程。在整个教育过程中，图像被用来清晰地传达复杂的思想，激发好奇心和兴趣。同样，在生物科学和医学领域的研究总是需要细胞、组织和器官的清晰图像，以发现生命的机制，探测和理解疾病的复杂病理过程。因此，成像是这个REU站点的核心，作为教育、工程、生物科学和医学之间的桥梁。学生在最先进的成像技术和跨学科研究方面获得了先进的技能，他们可以随身携带到研究生院。他们接触到成像技术和医学应用的广度，同时专注于生物学和医学科学前沿的特定项目。该项目采用文献支持的指导和培训策略，直接解决管道泄漏问题，帮助代表性不足的群体过渡到工程或相关项目的研究生学位项目。该计划还提供了丰富的技术技能，专业精神和职业准备。该计划是实时评估和完善，以不断提高学生的经验和价值。这个REU网站致力于通过生物医学成像研究的暑期体验来激励和培训STEM领域的本科生。目标是创建一个连贯的跨学科项目，以所有尺度的生物学和人体组织的可视化为中心，并为学生建立一个由榜样、导师和同伴组成的网络，以支持和鼓励他们向研究生院过渡。在各种STEM学科的本科、二年级和三年级学生的招聘中，将特别努力针对女性和少数族裔，以及少数族裔服务机构和研究机会有限的小型学院。学生们从为期3天的“生物成像训练营”开始这个为期10周的暑期课程，通过讲座、演示、实验室活动、参观和社交介绍，提供生物学、成像和显微镜的基础知识。然后，学生在一名教师和研究生的密切指导下，从事成像和生物可视化方面的深入研究项目。所有的研究项目，从使用荧光显微镜成像单分子到基于核磁共振成像的活体哺乳动物大脑成像，都有三个基本要素：(1)成像和/或显微镜，(2)生物样本的假设驱动分析，(3)分析或计算成分。学生们也有独特的临床医学成像沉浸体验，通过两周一次的社交活动与他们的同伴分享经验，参加研究研讨会和专业发展会议，并与校园内其他reu的参与者互动，以扩大他们的网络。夏季成果在校园本科生研究研讨会上的海报和口头报告中达到高潮，该研讨会吸引了来自整个中西部的本科生研究人员，并向生物医学工程学会（BMES）年会上提交了一份摘要，他们在秋季再次召开会议，继续接受教育，建立网络和丰富职业生涯的机会。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The REU site Frontiers in Biomedical Imaging at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) provides a state-of-the-art, interdisciplinary research environment in biomedical imaging to inspire and train undergraduates from under-represented demographics in engineering to encourage their transition to graduate degree programs. Throughout education, images are used to clearly convey complex ideas and to stimulate curiosity and interest. Likewise, investigations in the biological sciences and in medicine invariably require clear pictures of cells, tissues, and organs to discover mechanisms of life and to detect and understand the complex pathological processes of disease. Therefore, imaging is the centerpiece for this REU Site, serving as a bridge between education, engineering, the biological sciences, and medicine. Students gain an advanced skillset in state-of-the-art imaging technologies and interdisciplinary research that they can carry with them to graduate school. They are exposed to the breadth of imaging techniques and medical applications while simultaneously focusing on a specific project at the forefront of biology and medical science. This program applies literature-supported mentorship and training strategies to directly address pipeline leaks for the transition of under-represented groups to graduate degree programs in engineering or related programs. The program also provides enrichment of technical skills, professionalism, and career-readiness. The program is assessed and refined in real-time to continually improve the student experience and value. This REU Site is dedicated to inspiring and training undergraduates in STEM fields through a summer experience in biomedical imaging research. The goal is to create a coherent interdisciplinary program centered on the visualization of biology and human tissues at all scales, and for students to develop a network of role models, mentors, and peers to support and encourage their transition to graduate school. Undergraduate sophomores and juniors in a variety of STEM disciplines will be recruited with special efforts directed toward females and under-represented minorities at minority-serving institutions and small colleges with limited research opportunities. Students begin this 10-week summer program with a 3-day "Bioimaging Bootcamp" to provide foundational knowledge in biology, imaging, and microscopy through lectures, demonstrations, lab activities, and tours, together with social introductions. Students then engage in intensive research projects in imaging and biological visualization, closely mentored by a faculty member and graduate student. All research projects, ranging from imaging single molecules using fluorescence microscopy to MRI-based imaging of the brain in living mammals, have three essential elements: (1) imaging and/or microscopy, (2) a hypothesis-driven analysis of biological samples, and (3) an analytical or computational component. Students also have unique clinical medical imaging immersion experiences, share experiences with their cohort through biweekly social activities, attend research seminars and professional development sessions, and interact with participants in other REUs on campus to expand their network. Summer achievements culminate in poster and oral presentations at a campus undergraduate research symposium that draws undergraduate researchers from throughout the Midwest, as well as the submission of an abstract to the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) Annual Meeting, where they reconvene in the Fall for continued education, networking, and career-enriching opportunities.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.