How does your immune system learn to fight? Ask a UC Berkeley research fellow. Each year, Berkeley’s Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) empowers undergraduates across the College of Letters & Science to pursue an original research project for seven weeks. In addition to funding, SURF fellows are supported by a faculty mentor and a small research cohort. Jean Choi, a molecular and cell biology major, worked in the Robey Lab last summer to investigate T cells in the thymus gland. T cells help the body recognize and respond to infections and harmful cells. By using living tissue slices and flow cytometry, Jean tracked their development to better understand the roots of autoimmune disease and their decline with aging. “Thanks to SURF, I was able to fully immerse myself in research over the summer,” Jean said. “It was inspiring to work with such a passionate cohort of fellow scientists and to hear about the questions my peers were exploring. SURF gave me the opportunity to t...