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Meet Madisen Humphrey, a participant in the 2025 American Cancer Society (ACS) Center for Innovation in Cancer Research Training (CICRT) Internship Program at the University of Illinois Cancer Center.

One of the Cancer Center's summer research programs, CICRT was a 10-week research-intensive immersion summer program for undergraduate students pursuing careers in biomedical fields, cancer research and other health professions. Students participate in cancer research with a mentor and receive a stipend. They also participate in cohort building and career development. Eligible applicants must be rising sophomores, juniors or seniors in STEM disciplines, not have a bachelor’s degree by the program’s end, and be available full-time during the summer.

A sophomore at Spelman College, Humphrey's goal is to become a physician: "Right now I'm kind of in between dermatology and gynecology, but I have an overall goal of being able to become a physician that helps individuals in underrepresented communities and, overall, help them to learn how to understand their bodies better in order to promote better health outcomes and all.”

Click to watch a video about her summer cancer research experience.

Cancer Center member Saria Lofton, PhD, RN, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Population Health Nursing Science at the UIC College of Nursing, mentored Humphrey. A health disparities nurse researcher, Lofton is interested in the impact of the food environment on cardiometabolic and cancer risk, particularly in Black women.

Humphrey presented her project, “Understanding Provider Perspectives on Food in Medicine Programs: Implications for Chronic Disease and Breast Cancer Prevention,” during the Cancer Center’s summer cancer research symposium.

Last summer, Humphrey was part of the Cancer Health Engagement Summer Scholars (CHESS) Program at the Cancer Center, where she presented on “Psychological Factors and their Association with Biomarkers of Cancer Risk in Obese African American Adults.”

Summer research programs are a critical part of the mission of the Cancer Center Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination (CRTEC) team to build pipeline programs to train cancer researchers. The goal is to educate, support and retain trainees to address the needs of the Cancer Center’s diverse patient population.

Click this link to learn more about our summer research programs.