Professor of Molecular Therapeutics Yang Dan and Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology Donald Rio have been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAAS). The Academy selects members for their exceptional contributions with the aim to connect across disciplines to advance the common good. Read more about the individuals elected in 2025 here. 
 

Five MCB faculty and one PhD candidate were recently named 2025 Molecular Therapeutics Initiative (MTI) Innovator Awardees:
 

Professor of Molecular Therapeutics James Olzmann has received a 2025 L&S Faculty Award, the Beatriz Manz Award, from Berkeley's College of Letters & Science. This award recognizes exceptional scholarship, service to the College and community, and transformational teaching. Read more about Olzmann and the other L&S Faculty Award recipients here. 

Congratulations to MCB undergraduates Carolyn Nguyen (Nuñez Lab), Karla Tapia (Hurley Lab), Shriprithi Vel Murugan (Hurley Lab), and Selina Wu (Hurley Lab) who were recently named Spring 2025 Ignite Scholars by the Bakar Fellows Program. The scholars will gain hands-on translational research experience, mentorship from Bakar Faculty and Innovation Fellows, and financial support to launch their careers in STEM fields.

Professor of Immunology and Molecular Medicine David Raulet and MCB graduate student Elle Andrews have both received 2025 Graduate Mentorship Awards from UC Berkeley's Graduate Assembly. Raulet was awarded the Graduate Assembly Faculty Mentor Award and Andrews the Outstanding Graduate Peer Mentor Award. These awards are in acknowledgement of an outstanding commitment to helping UC Berkeley graduate students to succeed academically, professionally, and personally. Learn more about the graduate mentorship awards and recipients here. 

Professors of Cell Biology, Development and Physiology Diana Bautista and David Bilder are among seven Berkeley faculty members elected to American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). AAAS fellows are recognized for their achievements across disciplines and have a distinguished lifetime honor within the scientific community. Read more about the 2024 AAAS fellows here. 

Associate Professor of Molecular Therapeutics Helen Bateup and Associate Professor of Immunology and Molecular Medicine Sarah Stanley are among five UC Berkeley instructors to receive the 2025 Distinguished Teaching Award. This award is the campus's highest honor for teaching excellence. The recipients will be honored at the Distinguished Teaching Award Ceremony on Wednesday, April 23, at 5:30 p.m. in the West Pauley Ballroom, Martin Luther King Jr. Student Center.

Congratulations to Xavier Darzacq on his promotion to MCB Professor of Molecular Therapeutics!

The Darzacq Lab studies transcription regulation during cellular differentiation. Read more about the Darzacq lab and their research.  

The Department of Molecular & Cell Biology will be hosting a symposium to honor of the life and contributions of Professor Bruce N. Ames on March 23, 2025 from 9 am - 7 pm in 245 Li Ka Shing. The symposium entitled "A Passionate Curiosity— Enzymes, Gene Regulation, Mutagenesis, Carcinogenesis and Micronutrients" features a series of talks by esteemed colleagues of Ames and a reception to follow.

Assistant Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology, James Nuñez, was named one of the 2025 Sloan Research Fellows. Nuñez was one of six early career researchers at UC Berkeley to receive the award, which honors "exceptional researchers at U.S. and Canadian educational institutions whose creativity, innovation and research accomplishments make them stand out as the next generation of leaders." Read more about the 2025 Sloan Fellows at UC Berkeley and the Alfred P.

Professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development, Noah Whiteman, was awarded the 2025 Genetics Society of America Medal. This award acknowledges Whiteman's outstanding contributions to the field of genetics. Read more about the Genetics Society of America Award receipients and Whiteman's research here. 
 

Professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development, Nicole King, and Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology, Sabeeha Merchant, were appointed as 2025 Vallee Visiting Professors (VVPs). This honor by the Valle Foundation pairs outstanding scientists with premier biomedical research institutes worldwide in an informal arrangement that promotes intellectual exchanges and fosters new partnerships. Learn more about the 2025 Vallee Visiting Professors here. 
 

Welcome to MCB's newest faculty member, Phillip Cleves, who will join us as an assistant professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development (GGED) on January 1, 2026. The Cleves Lab researches the molecular, cellular, and developmental basis of how intracellular beneficial microbes invade and persist in animal cells to form symbiosis. They use ecologically critical cnidarian-algal symbioses as model systems to discover fundamental mechanisms of how beneficial microbes can manipulate animal cell biology and to gain key molecular insights into the ongoing destruction of coral reef ecosystems due to ocean warming.

Professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution and Development Noah Whiteman will be speaking about his new book, Most Delicious Poison: The Story of Nature’s Toxins—From Spices to Vices, on March 5th at 5:00 pm in the Berkeley Morrison library. Learn more about the event here. 

We are excited to announce the recipients of the 2025 MCB Lisa Eshun-Wilson Community Award. This award was established to recognize the outstanding contributions of our MCB graduate students and postdocs who have demonstrated exemplary commitment to fostering a welcoming and equitable community.

Congratulations to MCB postdoc Grace Liu (Vance Lab) on being named one of the 2024 Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Hanna Gray Fellows! Liu was selected by HHMI along with 25 outstanding early career scientists for demonstrating a commitment to making foundational discoveries while building an inclusive culture in academic science.

Professor of Molecular Therapeutics Jennifer Doudna was honored by President Biden with the National Medal of Technology and Innovation. This award is one of the nation’s highest honors for exemplary achievement and leadership in science and technology. Read more about Doudna and the other receipients of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation here.