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Chemistry of Life Processes Institute Announces Undergraduate Summer Scholars

Two undergraduate students in the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science have been selected to receive the Chemistry of Life Processes Institute Undergraduate Summer Scholars Fellowships in recognition of their outstanding work in multidisciplinary research and future potential.

Adam Matsil (biomedical engineering) and Michael Silliman (chemical and biological engineering) join Lilyana Nezirova (chemistry) in the fellowship program, which enables select undergraduates to conduct in-depth research under the close supervision of a CLP faculty member. Fellows work on their projects full-time for eight weeks in the summer and receive a $4,000 stipend for research and living expenses.
 
Adam Matsil, from Mount Kisco, New York, is a rising junior in biomedical engineering. As part of the laboratory of Guillermo Ameer, associate professor of biomedical engineering, Adam will be researching the best conditions under which to isolate endothelial progenitor cells from donated blood samples in hopes that they would differentiate and then be used to line synthetic arteriovenous grafts in order to decrease clotting during prolonged dialysis treatment. Outside of academics, Adam is involved with Plus Energy: Students Fighting Cancer, a cancer awareness group on campus. He is also the rush chairman for the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity. This will be his first experience working in the Ameer laboratory. After graduation, Adam will pursue a master’s degree in biomedical engineering.

Michael Silliman is a rising senior in chemical engineering. His research focuses on the induction of immunotolerance using antigen-coupled biodegradable PLGA microparticles in order to transplant islets cells more efficiently, with a goal of helping to treat diabetes. When not working in the laboratory of Lonnie Shea, professor of chemical and biological engineering, Michael serves as a counselor for Project Wildcat and serves on the executive board of Delta Upsilon fraternity. Upon graduation, Michael plans to pursue a doctorate in chemical or biological engineering with a desire to develop novel technologies for the treatment and diagnoses of various diseases.

The Chemistry of Life Processes Institute was founded in 2004 and was designed to unify the disciplines of chemistry, biology, engineering, and computational science. The Institute draws its membership from 25 faculty members whose departmental affiliations span three schools (Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, McCormick School of Engineering, and Feinberg School of Medicine) and seven departments within Northwestern University. Through research programs such as the CLP Undergraduate Summer Scholars Program, the Institute provides training and instruction to the next generation of multidisciplinary scientists. Additional information is available at http://www.clp.northwestern.edu/.