Congratulations to our MCB PhD, MBT, and BA Class of 2026 graduates!

The MCB Department is proud of our newest graduates and all that they have accomplished! Please help us celebrate the 2026 MCB Commencement Honors awardees listed below.

 

2026 MCB PhD Commencement Honors
The following are the recipients of our annual PhD graduate awards for research, academic, and community achievement.

Congratulations to undergraduate bioengineers Arul Banerjea and Devon Krish, both new recipients of the prestigious Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship. Banerjea is a double major in Bioengineering and Molecular & Cellular Biology, works in the Tjian-Darzacq lab on single-molecule imaging and live-cell assays for Rett syndrome, and devotes time to raising funds for children affected by…

Our researchers have received a new grant from the Biohub non-profit research organization, looking to advance the field of Spatiotemporal omics - the ability to sample biomolecules at different locations and times to watch disease processes unfold. Amy Herr and her UCSF partners Jennifer Rosenbluth and Amrita Basu will be studying integrated organoid systems for immunotherapy toxicity.

Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology, Jeremy Thorner, will serve on the Editorial Board of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) journal. Thorner's three-year term with PNAS, one of the nation's most prestigious scientific journals, will commence on July 1, 2026 and end on June 30, 2029. Learn more about the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) here.  

 

A new study co-led by IB Professor Rauri Bowie utilizes advanced genomics to split the gentoo penguin into four separate species—marking the first new penguin species identified in over 100 years. Read the full article in Berkeley News.

Bioengineer Emma Berman is one of four finalists for the 2026 University Medal, Berkeley's highest honor for a graduating senior who has achieved academic excellence while making a positive impact on others.

The MCB Department is pleased to welcome ​​​​​​​Michael Ward, Professor of Molecular Therapeutics, as our newest faculty member effective July 1, 2026. Dr. Ward is an internationally recognized scientist and physician with expertise in age-related neurodegenerative disorders. Read more about Dr. Ward's research and appointment to UC Berkeley here.   

 

Congratulations to our faculty who received the departmental 2026 MCB Outstanding Faculty Awards!

Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology Nicholas Ingolia – Outstanding Contribution to Teaching

Professor of Cell Biology, Development and Physiology Kunxin Luo – Outstanding Contribution to Service

Professor of Cell Biology, Development and Physiology, Rebecca Heald, has been elected to serve as the American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) President in 2028. In her new role, Heald's priorities include "advancing dynamic, interdisciplinary scientific programming; expanding career development and mentoring opportunities; and reinforcing ASCB’s commitment to broadening participation in the life sciences." Read the ASCB press release to learn more here. 

Professor Rasmus Nielsen is a winner of the prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship this year. His laboratory works on the development and application of statistical and computational methods for analyzing genomic data in the context of evolutionary genetics, population genetics and medical genetics. Read the announcement in the Berkeley News.

Professor of Cell Biology, Development and Physiology, Gary Karpen and Professor of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, Russell Vance are among six UC Berkeley faculty newly elected to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). NAS members are selected in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research.

the Ontogen Medtech Biomedical Innovation Scholarship is intended to support promising biomedical engineering students who are passionate about building real-world medical devices and contributing to patient impact—especially students pursuing hands-on product development, manufacturing, and commercialization pathways. Applications due August 31

We are very proud to announce that fifteen Berkeley Bioengineers are receiving NSF Graduate Research Fellowships this year – one of the most competitive and prestigious awards for early-career PhD students. Congratulations to graduating seniors Esha Ananth, Emilie Petit and Christopher Zavala; recent BS alumni Sina Ghandian ’21, Pamela Herrera ’25, Cassandra Reyes ’24, Hanen…

PhD student James Pai, a member of Iain Clark's lab, is one of only 30 outstanding graduate students in the US who received a 2026 Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans. The Soros Fellowship is a highly competitive award for immigrants and children of immigrants who are poised to make significant contributions to American society.

Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology, Andreas Martin, has received the 2026 Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Award from The Protein Society. This award, sponsored by the Rigaku Corporation, honors outstanding achievements in protein science that significantly advance our understanding of biological systems. Read more about the 2026 Protein Society Award recipients here. 
 

Professor Michael Yartsev has been named to the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation’s 101st Class of Fellows for his trailblazing work in neuroscience and neuroengineering. One of the country's most prestigious awards, fellowships are given to innovators in a wide range of disciplines with a monetary stipend allowing them to pursue independent work at the highest level under “the freest possible conditions.”

The photograph on the April 2 cover of Science magazine features an image of an octopus mating captured by the late Roy Caldwell, professor emeritus of integrative biology at the University of California (UC), Berkeley. Read the tribute to Professor Caldwell in Science, contributed by Robert Full, Eileen A. Lacey, Tony Morelli, and Michael Caldwell. 

UC Berkeley News: One-of-a-kind experiment tracked plant evolution in response to climate change at 30 sites worldwide: Moisés Expósito-Alonso with the two lead authors of the new study, Tatiana Bellagio and Xing Wu (holding a tray of Arabidopsis seedlings).