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Across the Bay, across disciplines
Current students and faculty – remember to register for our annual retreat, October 9!
Two universities, one mission
We award a Ph.D. in Bioengineering jointly from UC Berkeley and UC San Francisco, among the top public universities in the world in health sciences and engineering. Drawing on the strengths of both campuses, our program trains future leaders and innovators in bioengineering.
Recent News
Alumna Desai leads new Vanderbilt institute
Tejal Desai, BioE PhD alumna, current dean of engineering at Brown University and former Chair of Bioengineering & Therapeutic Sciences at UCSF, has been named the leader of Vanderbilt’s Institute of Innovation, Technology and Translation. Based at their new San Francisco campus, we welcome Professor Desai back to the Bay!
Alex Marson elected to the NAM
Professor Alex Marson has earned one of the highest honors in health and medicine through election to the National Academy of Medicine, recognizing his work in reprogramming human immune cells to fight disease.
Novel Biosensor Uses DNA ‘Barcodes’ to Uncover Disease Signals in Cells
A team led by Seth Shipman built a new biosensor, called the “Detectron,” that can detect specific RNA molecules inside a cell and report back with an easy-to-read DNA “barcode.”
Maya Overton wins Best Poster at SCP ’26
Congratulations Maya Overton of Herr Lab, winner of Best Poster at the Single Cell Proteomics Conference (SCP2026)!
Two new CEND Fellows
Congratulations to Augusta Uwamanzu-Nna and Maria Astolfi, both named to the 2026-27 cohort of CEND Fellows. The UC Berkeley Wheeler Center for Emerging and Neglected Diseases provides funding to graduate students working on solutions for infectious diseases that affect marginalized or underserved communities.
Drew Ramos named Nucleate Venture Fellow
PhD Candidate Drew Ramos, a member of Adam Abate’s lab, has been named to the 2026 class of Berkeley Life Sciences Entrepreneurship Center – Nucleate Venture Fellows!
Student Profile: Alonso Torres
Alonso Torres had used all he learned growing up, in the military, as a parent, and completing his PhD to build a full and balanced life. Read more at https://bioeng.berkeley.edu/profile/student-profile-alonso-torres
Congratulations new NSF Fellows!
We are very proud to announce that seven of our current students are receiving NSF Graduate Research Fellowships this year – one of the most competitive and prestigious awards for early-career PhD students. Congratulations to Taylor Elliot, Julia Jamieson, Samantha Lydon, Joyce Mo, Uma Paithankar, Vi Nguyen and Margaret Zhang.
Outstanding work!
