Ranjani Ramesh is among twelve Illinois students selected for the 2025 Mayo Clinic Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF). Ramesh is a junior James Scholar majoring in computer science at The Grainger College of Engineering, Siebel School of Computing and Data Science, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, with a minor in econometrics in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences.
The SURF program allows undergraduates to work at the forefront of biomedical research at one of the world’s leading medical centers. For 10 weeks over the summer, students work in laboratories at the Mayo Clinic on small research projects or as part of ongoing investigations, attend weekly seminars, and test their inclinations toward a career in biomedical research.
This year, 12 Illinois students were selected for the 2025 SURF program, bringing an array of skills and experiences. Many are already engaged in biomedical research at Illinois, with strong backgrounds in bioengineering, neural engineering, chemistry, computer science, and integrative biology, and with research interests ranging from personalized medicine and immunoengineering to neurodegenerative diseases and computational biological systems. Their participation in the SURF program will not only advance their academic and professional goals but also contribute to innovative research that addresses real-world challenges.
Ranjani Ramesh's research interests at the intersection of computer science, machine learning, and healthcare as well as statistical methods for biomedical data and translating machine learning models into clinically actionable tools, she plans to pursue a Ph.D. and contribute to the development of clinically meaningful, technology-driven solutions that address real-world medical challenges. Ranjani ‘s work spans medical image analysis, clinical decision support systems, and voice-assisted devices, with an emphasis on building accessible, deployable solutions for underserved populations. As a former Vice President of Technology and Software for Illinois Advancements Through Design and Engineering (iMade), a student-led organization focused on developing innovative, affordable healthcare solutions, she oversaw software development efforts across interdisciplinary teams and designed and managed the iMade website. Ranjani was the project manager for one of the flagship projects, Project Sandman, a voice-controlled smart bed designed to improve independence and comfort for ALS patients, reflecting the mission to build impactful, patient-centered technologies. As the Course Lead for CS 124 Honors, the only student-led honors computer science course at Illinois, Ranjani had the opportunity to mentor a diverse cohort of more than 300 students, foster a supportive learning community, and coordinate a large teaching team. Through collaborative leadership and student-centered programming, she has worked to make technical education more inclusive, engaging, and empowering for everyone involved. At Mayo Clinic, Ranjani will work with Dr. Kai Miller on a research project that applies machine learning and computational modeling to better understand and map brain activity, with the goal of improving outcomes in functional neurosurgery and neurological care.