REU Site: Frontiers in Biomedical Imaging

伊利诺伊大学厄巴纳-香槟分校（UIUC）的REU生物医学成像前沿网站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，并激发好奇心和兴趣。 同样，生物科学和医学的研究也总是需要细胞、组织和器官的清晰图像，以发现生命机制，并检测和理解疾病的复杂病理过程。因此，成像是这个REU网站的核心，作为教育，工程，生物科学和医学之间的桥梁。学生获得先进的技能，在国家的最先进的成像技术和跨学科的研究，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。该计划采用文献支持的指导和培训策略，直接解决代表性不足的群体过渡到工程或相关课程的研究生学位课程的管道泄漏。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夏季体验来激励和培训STEM领域的本科生。我们的目标是创建一个连贯的跨学科计划，以所有规模的生物学和人体组织的可视化为中心，并为学生建立一个榜样，导师和同龄人的网络，以支持和鼓励他们过渡到研究生院。在各种STEM学科的本科生和大三学生将被招募，特别努力针对女性和少数民族服务机构和研究机会有限的小型学院的代表性不足的少数民族。学生开始这个为期10周的暑期课程，为期3天的“生物成像训练营”，通过讲座，演示，实验室活动和图尔斯参观，以及社会介绍，提供生物学，成像和显微镜的基础知识。然后，学生们在成像和生物可视化方面进行深入的研究项目，由一名教师和研究生密切指导。所有研究项目，从使用荧光显微镜成像单分子到基于MRI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）生物样品的假设驱动分析，以及（3）分析或计算组件。学生也有独特的临床医学影像沉浸体验，通过每两周一次的社交活动与他们的同龄人分享经验，参加研究研讨会和专业发展会议，并与校园内其他雷乌斯的参与者互动，以扩大他们的网络。夏季成就在海报和口头报告在校园本科研究研讨会，吸引了来自整个中西部的本科研究人员，以及提交摘要的生物医学工程学会（BMES）年会，在那里他们重新召集在秋季继续教育，网络，该奖项反映了NSF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.