MDI Biological Laboratory
Summer Student Spotlight

SURF2026: Meet Anna Yegorova

  • August 4, 2026
For University of Maryland student Anna Yegorova, the 2026 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship program offered the perfect combination of cutting-edge regenerative biology research and the chance to spend a summer in one of the most beautiful places in the country.

One of our first hikes in Acadia when we arrived. (Photo by Anna Yegorova)

What inspired you to spend your summer in the SURF program at the MDI Biological Laboratory?

What drew me to the SURF program at MDI Bio Lab was the research and the nature. Working in the Murawala lab has allowed me to learn more about my interests going forward. I hope to continue research in regeneration, especially looking at spinal cord injuries.

Apart from research, having Acadia National Park so close really motivated me to come here. This summer, I have really enjoyed going on hikes, swimming in lakes, fishing, and painting everything I see!

What’s one piece of advice from a scientist that you’ll carry with you?

The best advice I’ve received from a scientist this summer is to never stop asking questions. Over the course of this program, I learned so much from the scientists around me, whether it was about specific lab procedure, or next steps in graduate school.

If you had one sentence to describe your research to someone outside of science, what would you say?

I am looking at how spinal cord cells in axolotls can change their identity to rebuild a tail after an injury, as well as how the immune system responds to these cells in the case of them moving to the wrong parts of the tissue.