physics phd ucsd

The first students to enroll at the new UC San Diego in 1960 were graduate students in physics. Today, our graduate program in physics ranks among the top 25 in the country. Housed within the School of Physical Sciences and located in historic  Revelle College , the department is at the heart of science education and research at UC San Diego. Teaching over 22,000 enrolled undergraduate and graduate students each year and publishing hundreds of scientific papers in prestigious journals, the UC San Diego Department of Physics is home to some of the best and brightest scientists from around the world. 

Only four women in history have won the Nobel Prize in Physics—one of them was UC San Diego Professor Maria Goeppert Mayer , who earned the award in 1963 for proposing the nuclear shell model of the atomic nucleus. The 2023-24 academic year marks the 60th anniversary of Dr. Mayer's achievement and will feature celebrations throughout the year to honor her legacy. Learn more about these planned events here. 

The Department of Physics is highly collaborative, featuring a breadth of faculty research in many areas:

• Astrophysics and Cosmology
• Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics
• Biological Physics
• Condensed Matter Physics
• High Energy Physics
• Plasma Physics & Nonlinear Dynamics
• Physics Education

The department supports the research efforts of our faculty and students who have access to various facilities, including:

• San Diego Supercomputer Center
• W.M. Keck Observatory
• Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
• ALMA Observatory
• Simons Observatory and Simons Array

More than 55 faculty members, plus adjunct professors and lecturers, mentor the next generation of scientific leaders. Over the years, our physicists have earned numerous awards and honors, including:

• The Nobel Prize
• Howard Hughes Medical Investigator
• Simons Investigator
• National Academy of Sciences membership
• American Physical Society fellowship
• AAAS fellowship
• NSF CAREER awards
• Sloan Foundation fellowships
• Blavatnik Young Scientist awards
• Beckman Young Investigator awards
• Searle Scholar awards
• Pew Scholar awards
• Keck Scholar awards
• Ellison Medical Foundation awards
• NIH Innovator awards

The Department of Physics supports educational excellence and training for current students through our annual Chair’s Challenge . Gifts of any size, when combined with matching funds and other gifts, make an impact on our students and their future. 

Undergraduate Students

Our primary goal for our undergraduates is to strengthen the outstanding research opportunities that we offer to them. We do this through student fellowships and awards—both during the academic year and during the summer. By doing this, we increase their opportunities to gain hands-on experience in a research laboratory setting.

Graduate Students

For our graduate students, we provide outstanding travel, presenting and networking research opportunities. These help our students attend important symposia and conferences, which are crucially important to a well-rounded education experience, as well as to career success.

Diversity & Outreach Initiatives

The UC San Diego Department of Physics is committed to improving access to and inclusion in the physical sciences for students, scientists and the public at large. Physics faculty, staff and students coordinate various outreach activities with these goals:

• to inspire middle and high school students to pursue education and careers in STEM fields
• to increase the scientific literacy of the public
• to broadly disseminate our research

We also participate in diversity initiatives aimed at increasing the numbers and success of women and underrepresented minorities in the physical sciences through programs like Graduate Women in Physics. We are committed to improving the climate for all our students and researchers.

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[ undergraduate program | graduate program | courses ]

All courses, faculty listings, and curricular and degree requirements described herein are subject to change or deletion without notice.

Daniel P. Arovas, PhD

Richard D. Averitt, PhD, Vice Chair of Graduate Education

James G. Branson, PhD

Leonid V. Butov, PhD

Joseph C. Y. Chen, PhD, Emeritus

R. Sekhar Chivukula, PhD

Massimiliano Di Ventra, PhD

Patrick H. Diamond, PhD

C. Fred Driscoll, PhD, Emeritus

Daniel H. E. Dubin, PhD, Emeritus

Olga Dudko, PhD

Robert C. Dynes, PhD, Emeritus

Zachary Fisk, PhD, Emeritus

Michael M. Fogler, PhD

Donald R. Fredkin, PhD, Emeritus

George M. Fuller, PhD, Director, Center for Astrophysics and Space Sciences

Nigel Goldenfeld, PhD, Chancellor’s Distinguished Professorship

John M. Goodkind, PhD, Emeritus

Kim Griest, PhD, Emeritus

Benjamin Grinstein, PhD

Alexander Groisman, PhD

Jorge E. Hirsch, PhD

Michael Holst, PhD, Chancellor’s Associate Chair

Terence T-L. Hwa, PhD, Presidential Chair

Kenneth A. Intriligator, PhD, Dan Broida Chair in Elementary Particle Physics

Elizabeth E. Jenkins, PhD

Barbara Jones, PhD, Emerita , Academic Senate Distinguished Teaching Award

Suckjoon Jun, PhD

Brian Keating, PhD, Chancellor’s Distinguished Professorship

Dusan Keres, PhD

David Kleinfeld, PhD, Experimental Biophysics Endowed Chair

Julius G. Kuti, PhD

Ralph H. Loveberg, PhD, Emeritus

Aneesh V. Manohar, PhD

M. Brian Maple, PhD, Bernd T. Matthias Endowed Chair

John A. McGreevy, PhD

Carl E. Mcllwain, PhD, Emeritus

Thomas W. Murphy, Jr., PhD

Xuong Nguyen-Huu, PhD, Emeritus

Kaixuan Ni, PhD

Melvin Y. Okamura, PhD, Emeritus

Thomas M. O’Neil, PhD, Emeritus

José Onuchic, PhD, Emeritus , Academic Senate Distinguished Teaching Award

Laurence E. Peterson, PhD, Emeritus

Ivan K. Schuller, PhD,  Director, Q-MEEN-C, CMRR Endowed Chair

Lu J. Sham, PhD, Emeritus

Vivek A. Sharma, PhD, Academic Senate Distinguished Teaching Award

Oleg Shpyrko, PhD, Academic Senate Distinguished Teaching Award , Chair

Elizabeth H. Simmons, PhD, Executive Vice Chancellor

Sunil K. Sinha, PhD, Emeritus

Douglas E. Smith, PhD

Clifford M. Surko, PhD,  Emeritus

Robert A. Swanson, PhD, Emeritus

David Y. Wong, PhD, Emeritus

Shelley Wright, PhD

Congjun Wu, PhD,  Emeritus

Frank Würthwein, PhD, Director, San Diego Supercomputer Center

Avraham Yagil, PhD

Associate Professors

Kam Arnold, PhD

Raphael Flauger, PhD

Alex Frañó Pereira, PhD

Daniel Green, PhD

Tarun Grover, PhD

Elena Koslover, PhD

Tongyan Lin, PhD

Liang Yang, PhD

Associate Teaching Professors (LSOE)

Andrew Meyertholen, PhD, Vice Chair of Undergraduate Education

Philbert Tsai, PhD, Academic Senate Distinguished Teaching Award

Assistant Professors

Monica Allen, PhD, Theodore Foster Endowed Chair in Physics

Julio Barreiro Guerrero, PhD

Javier Duarte, PhD, William A. Lee Chancellor’s Endowed Junior Faculty Fellowship

Aobo Li, PhD

Seungeun Oh, PhD

Tenio Popmintchev, PhD

Mattia Serra, PhD

Yi-Zhuang You, PhD

Assistant Teaching Professors (LPSOE)

Jessica Arlett, PhD

Gurleen Bal, PhD

Brian Shotwell, PhD

Adjunct Professors

Dimitri N. Basov, PhD

Chunhui Du, PhD

Jérémie Palacci, PhD

Raj K. Pathria, PhD, Emeritus

Marcelo Javier Rosenberg, PhD

Tatyana Sharpee, PhD

Massimo Vergassola, PhD

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Honoring the Historic Contributions of Mayer Hall to the Field of Physics

Physicists receive $12.6m from department of energy to continue exploring next-generation computing, honoring a uc san diego landmark and its lasting impact on physics.

Event Calendar

Ucsd physics colloquium.

There are no scheduled seminars at this time.

UCSD Physics Seminars

View all seminars, physics news, uc san diego chapter of the society of physics students (sps) wins outstanding chapter award, physics undergraduate natalie lam awarded llnl/sps scholarship, society of physics students - zone 18 meeting - april 22-23, 2022 @ usd, physics graduate student yu-hsuan “eltha” teng awarded prestigious scholarship from the government of taiwan, ucsd physics undergraduate megan grace li 2021 universities space research association distinguished undergraduate, biophysics undergrad mara casebeer named 2021 goldwater scholar, scientists use geometry to track cell migrations, foresight institute awards 2020 feynman prizes in nanotechnology to uc san diego physics professor massimiliano di ventra, in memoriam - harry suhl (1922-2020), giving to physics.

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Graduate students

Astronomy and Physics Graduate students work with Physics faculty and CASS/Physics research scientists on novel problems in Astronomy and Astrophysics leading to a doctoral thesis, while receiving training in instrumental observational, computational, and theoretical science. The Astronomy Graduate Program started in July 2021. This page includes all graduate students working with faculty in Astronomy & Astrophysics.

Prakamya Agrawal

Astronomy Graduate Student

Advisor: Kam Arnold

p9agrawal[@]ucsd.edu

Aneesh Baburaj

Physics Graduate Student

Advisor: Quinn Konopacky

ababuraj[@]ucsd.edu

Bryce Bixler

bbixler[@]ucsd.edu

Mingyun Cao

Advisor: Pat Diamond

m2cao[@]ucsd.edu

Casey Carlile

Advisor: Alison Coil

cmcarlile[@]ucsd.edu

Matthew Chu

Advisor: Brian Keating (Physics)

mrchu[@]ucsd.edu

Ilyse Clark

Advisor: Karin Sandstrom

iyclark[@]ucsd.edu

Advisors: JB Ruffio & Quinn Konopacky

bdacus[@]ucsd.edu

Clarissa Do O

cdoo[@]ucsd.edu

Lindsey Hands

lhands[@]ucsd.edu

Sophia Haight

Advisor: Steve Boggs

sohaight[@]ucsd.edu

William Hicks

Advisor: Mike Norman

whicks[@]ucsd.edu

Alyssa Johnson

alj010[@]ucsd.edu

Preethi Karpoor

Advisor: Chris Theissen

pkarpoor[@]ucsd.edu

Yue "Samuel" Lu

Advisor: Dusan Keres

yul232[@]ucsd.edu

Kyle Kehrer

Advisor: George Fuller (Physics)

kkehrer[@]ucsd.edu

Hannah Koziol

hkoziol[@]ucsd.edu

Jayke Nguyen

jsn001[@]ucsd.edu

Fredy Ramirez

f3ramire[@]ucsd.edu

Michael Randall

mrandall[@]ucsd.edu

Sanchit Sabhlok

Advisor: Shelley Wright

ssabhlok[@]ucsd.edu

bsappey[@]ucsd.edu

Shasha Shayan Arani

sshayanarani[@]ucsd.edu

Emma Softich

Advisor: Adam Burgasser

esoftich[@]ucsd.edu

Jake Spisak

Advisor: Brian Keating (Physics) & George Fuller (Physics)

jspisak[@]ucsd.edu

Yu-Hsuan "Eltha" Teng

yuteng[@]ucsd.edu

Cameron Trapp

ctrapp[@]ucsd.edu

ttsan[@]ucsd.edu

Aravind Valluvan

avalluvan[@]ucsd.edu

Ryan Rickards Vaught

rjrickar[@]ucsd.edu

Lingfeng Wei

l3wei[@]ucsd.edu

James Wiley

jhwiley[@]ucsd.edu

Thomas Wong

h7wong[@]ucsd.edu

y7xu[@]ucsd.edu

Yimiao "Stella" Zhang

yiz020[@]ucsd.edu

Physics of Life

Research in the Physics of Life seeks to unravel the physical principles underlying organization and functions in living systems. At UCSD Biophysics, we are at the forefront of this rapidly advancing discipline. Consistent with broad yet fundamental training, we use experimental, theoretical, and computational techniques to solve problems at the interface of physics and biology. We have a strong and diverse group of faculty, covering a wide range of biophysics research , including all major themes identified by the National Academies' first ever decadel survey on biological physics .

Groisman , Alexander (Ex): Microfluidics, perfusion chamber, rigidity sensing

Kleinfeld, David (Ex): Neurophysics, Active sensing, Microcirculation

Oh, Seungeun (Ex): Live cell spectroscopy

Smith, Doug (Ex): Viral DNA packaging, Chromatin assembly, Physics of knot

Tan, Tzer Han (Ex): Active matter, Morphogenesis, Pattern formation

Hwa, Terence (Ex/Th): Quantitative and Systems Biology

Jun, Suckjoon (Ex/Th): Quantitative Cell Physiology

Rappel, Wouter-Jan (Ex/Th): Cell Migration, Chemotaxis, Cardiac arrhythmias

Dudko, Olga (Th): Synaptic transmission, Viruses, Chromatin 

Goldenfeld, Nigel (Th): Turbulence, Condensed matter physics

Koslover, Elena (Th): Physics of Intracellular Active Transport

Serra, Mattia (Th): Nonlinear dynamics, Mathematical Modeling, Morphogenesis 

Hueschen, Christina (Ex): Mechanobiology, Parasites, Active matter

Are you a prospective graduate student?

At the University of California, San Diego, we're not just participating in the field of biological physics — we're leading it. We are globally recognized for pushing the boundaries of interdisciplinary research. Our endeavors in uncharted territories of science, from quantitative cell physiology to neuroscience, reflect our pioneering ethos.

Why UCSD Biological Physics?

Prestigious Pedigree: Rooted in physics, our faculty members wield substantial influence on biological science, crafting a unique narrative of groundbreaking research and discovery.

Collaborative Spirit: Our work is characterized by a seamless integration of theoretical constructs with experimental innovation, facilitated by a highly cooperative environment that transcends traditional academic barriers.

Expansive Growth: With a robust expansion plan, our faculty will include over 15 core faculty members by 2027, making our research breadth unparalleled and our academic ecosystem one of the most fertile for budding scientists.

Experience and Experimentation: A Dual Pathway

We champion a dynamic learning approach where new students—regardless of initial research interest—immerse themselves in a breadth of perspectives. Informal rotations through 2-4 research groups offer a dual pathway in theory and experiment, ensuring comprehensive exposure and a solid foundational understanding.

Financial Support and Academic Freedom

Guaranteed Funding : Graduate students will enjoy financial stability through research grants and teaching assignments, ensuring they can focus on first-class research.

Collaborative Mentorship: Thanks to the vast expertise of our faculty, students can benefit from joint thesis advisories with complementary and synergistic expertise (e.g., one theorist and one experimentalist).

Your Invitation to Innovate 

We are always on the lookout for courageous minds ready to set the pace in new research domains. If you have the drive to break new ground and the resolve to make significant impacts, UCSD biological physics is your stage. Positions are open for stellar graduate students ready to join the ranks of change-makers.

For practical information about the application and selection process, please visit this page . Our new deadline is Dec 20, 2023.

How do living systems represent and process information?

Trained in theoretical physics, Ter ence entered biology initially to study genomics, biomolecular interactions and combinatorial gene regulation. He subsequently launched a microbiology wet-lab and developed a unique quantitative approach to study bacterial physiology. In the 2010s, the Hwa lab established a number of bacterial growth laws and formulated a principle of proteomic resource allocation. The Hwa lab aims to uncover underlying principles governing the spatiotemporal dynamics of microbial communities, and to apply these principles to synthetic biology applications.

Prof. Jun was trained as a theoretical physicist. He started his lab as a Bauer Fellow at Harvard University in 2007, and transitioned to experimental quantitative biology. In 2012, he moved his lab to UCSD, significantly contributing to the institution's reputation as a leading force in the field. He has been an Allen Distinguished Investigator (2013), a Pew Scholar (2013), and a Scialog Fellow (2015); and honored with the NSF CAREER award (2013), the Lattimer Award (2019), and the Michael and Kate Bárány Award from the Biophysical Society (2022). New students and postdocs in Jun lab choose their projects on fundamental problems in quantitative cell physiology after extensive exploratory periods within a protected environment. See, also, Prof. Jun’s short Living Histories talk .

Kleinfeld Lab

We seek to discover principles that explain the design and function of brain-wide systems, guided by control theory and with a focus on rodent-based experiments.

How do macroscopic functions of life emerge from microscopic interactions?

Goldenfeld Group

Nigel holds the Chancellor's Distinguished Professorship in Physics and joined UCSD in Fall 2021 after being at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from 1985-2021. Nigel's research spans condensed matter theory, the theory of living systems, hydrodynamics and non-equilibrium statistical physics. In particular, Nigel is interested in how patterns evolve in time, focusing on emergent states of matter and work extensively to understand living systems.

Serra Group

Mattia earned his Ph.D. in Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos at ETH Zurich and was a Schmidt Science Fellow in Applied Mathematics at Harvard. The Serra group develops innovative mathematical methods and models to predict complex systems. Examples of our research range from the discovery of hidden attractors on the ocean surface, relevant for search and rescue operations and ocean cleanup, to the identification of self-organizing principles of embryonic development.  

Tan lab's overarching vision is to understand how nonequilibrium forces lead to spatiotemporal organization in living matter, and in turn, how biological regulation harness this self-organizing capacity to make functional forms. By using a variety of model systems (including marine invertebrate embryos and mammalian organoids), the lab combines quantitative imaging, creative data analysis and collaboration with theorists to study the physical basis of biological organization.

What physics problems do organisms need to solve?

Dudko Group

We search for the physical principles that unify seemingly unrelated phenomena of the living world. We strive to capture these unifying principles in the form of analytically tractable (pen-and-paper) theories that are broadly applicable and that generate concrete, experimentally testable predictions.  With this approach, we have recently explored the spatiotemporal organization of chromosomes in the nucleus of a mammalian cell, the infection strategies of enveloped viruses, and the physics of memory and learning.  We welcome curious and motivated graduate students in theoretical physics who would like to discuss the possibility of joining us in these endeavors.

Koslover Group

The Koslover group is focused on physical modeling of dynamics and structure within eukaryotic cells. Many of the questions we address center on how cells manipulate and establish the architecture and distribution of their organelles as well as how organelle morphology modulates the transport of material throughout the cell. In particular we explore the structure-function relationship of extensive organelle systems such as the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondrial networks. We use a combination of pencil-and-paper theoretical modeling, meso-scale computational simulations, and analysis of live-cell imaging data from collaborating groups to establish the key physical principles and parameters that govern intracellular processes.

Rappel Group

Our lab uses computational, analytical, and experimental approaches to a variety of biological and biomedical problems. The goal of the research is to gain a better understanding of the fundamental mechanisms of the system. Areas of interest include eukaryotic cell migration, with a particular emphasis on chemotaxis, and cardiac arrhythmias.

We are interested in a variety of topics including viral DNA packaging in bacteriophages phi29, lambda, and T4,  function of ATP-dependent molecular motors,  single polymer dynamics (polymer physics, DNA properties, microrheology),  chromatin assembly and structure,  protein mediated DNA looping,  DNA Unzipping and physics of knot formation. Our techniques include  manipulation of single DNA molecules with Optical Tweezers, single DNA molecule imaging by fluorescence microscopy and  molecular Biology and Biochemistry.

Hueschen Lab

The Hueschen group wants to understand how parasitic cells and animals move, penetrate through tissue, and change shape. We use microscopy and other experimental approaches from cell and parasite biology, physical thinking, and mathematical models of self-organization. Current topics of interest include: the dynamics and patterning of cytoskeletal proteins inside parasitic cells like Toxoplasma and Plasmodium (malaria parasite); mechanisms of cell gliding motility; the mechanics of blood vessel penetration by parasites; and the mechanics of morphogenesis (shape change) in parasitic worms.

What can precision measurements reveal about biological functions?

Groisman Lab

The main area of research of our group is the development and application of new devices and techniques based on micro-flows and soft materials for cell biology and protein folding research. We collaborate with many bio-research laboratories in San Diego area and outside. Topics we are interested include chemotaxis and gradient response, microbial cultures in microchambers and perfusion chambers to study rolling, adhesion, migration of blood cells.

We are interested in how life controls its physical properties and how physical state impacts biological activity in sub-cellular and cellular level. Specifically, we are currently focusing on single-cell regulation of protein and lipid mass, volume, and density. We aim to understand the biological and biophysical nature of these controls at the single-cell level and utilize them to advance human health. For this aim, our lab utilize cutting-edge label-free optical microscopy tools including quantitative phase microscopy and nonlinear optical microscopy to explore these phenomenon in cells, small model organisms, and tissues.

Division Life

Coffee room seminar

We are a group of students and postdocs interested in biological physics and quantitive biology. We get together once per month (last Friday of the month) in the "coffee room" on the 7th floor of Urey Hall. The meeting consists of an informal seminar (typically 15-30 minutes) followed by a discussion session with snacks and drinks. The official purpose is to foster cross-talks between research groups. The unofficial (real) purpose is enjoy a little break in good company, around a beer. If you are interested in giving a talk, please contact Aman Sharma or Sreejith Santhosh. Learn more here .

Alumni of UCSD Biophysics

​​Fangzhou Xiao, Postdoc 2023, Jun lab alumnus

Current Position: Assistant Professor, School of Engineering (from January 2024), Westlake University, China

Fangwei Si, Postdoc 2022, Jun lab alumnus

Current Position: Assistant Professor, Department of Physics, Carnegie Mellon University, USA

"About the UCSD years, I could not remember how many top-notch scientists I talked to, and how many inspiring seminars I attended. But I am sure those interactions helped me grow into an independent researcher."

Yuansheng Cao , Postdoc 2022, Rappel Group alumnus

Current Position: Assistant Professor, Department of Physics, Tsinghua University

Iftach Shaked, Postdoc 2022, Kleinfeld Lab alumnus

Current Position: Assistant Professor, Ariel U

Lauren McElvain, Postdoc 2022, Kleinfeld Lab alumnus

Current Position: Assistant Professor, USC

Thomas Broggini, Postdoc 2021, Kleinfeld Lab alumnus, Kleinfeld Lab alumnus

Current Position: Assistant Professor, Goethe U, Germany

Gautam Reddy, PhD 2020, Vergassola Group alumnus

Current Position: Assistant Professor, Department of Physics, Princeton University

Avaneesh Narla , Ph.D. student (2020 — 2023), Hwa Lab alumnus

Current Position: Stanford Science Fellow, Stanford University

Brian Taylor , Ph.D. student (2015 —2022), Hwa Lab alumnus

Current Position: Post-doc, Joint BioEnergy Institute

Tolga Caglar , Post-doc (2017 —2021), Hwa Lab alumnus

Current Position: Research Scientist, San Diego Supercomputer Center

Kapil Amarnath , post-doc (2017 — 2022), Hwa Lab alumnus

Current Position: Senior Engineer, Ginkgos BioWorks

Haicen Yue , PhD 2018, Rappel Group alumnus

Current Position: Assistant Professor, Department of Physics, University of Vermont

Brian Camley , Postdoc 2017, Rappel Group alumnus

Current Position: Assistant Professor, Department of Physics, Johns Hopkins University

Yaojun Zhang , PhD 2015, Dudko Group alumnus

UC San Diego Chancellor's Dissertation Medal recipient

Dongyang Li, PhD 2018, Jun lab alumnus

Current Position: Postdoc, Elowitz lab, California Institute of Technology, USA

“The biophysics program attracted people from diverse backgrounds with a wide span of research interests. One could learn how to overcome disciplinary barriers, communicate and collaborate with each other on shared scientific pursuits more effectively. This unique experience also made me feel at home with similar-minded people."

John T. Sauls, PhD 2019, Jun Lab alumnus

Current Position: Head Of Engineering, PhAST

“In my experience, the caliber of ideas coming from the researchers in the qBio/physics program was surpassed only by their willingness to share those ideas and help you develop your own.”

Jonas Cremer , post-doc (2012 — 2018), Hwa Lab alumnus

Current Position: Asst Professor, Stanford University

Markus Arnoldini , post-doc (2014 — 2016), Hwa Lab alumnus

Current Position: Junior group leader ETH, Switzerland

Yonitan Aljadeff, Postdoc 2015, Kleinfeld Lab alumnus

Current Position: Assistant Professor, UCSD

Mya Warren , post-doc (2010 — 2015), Hwa Lab alumnus

Current Position: Principal Data Scientist, Creyon Bio, Canada

Tomoya Honda , Ph.D. student (2012 — 2018), Hwa Lab alumnus

Current Position: Research Scientist, Lawrence Berkeley lab

Jeffrey D. Moore, PhD 2013, Kleinfeld Lab alumnus 

Andy Y. Shih, Postdoc 2012, Kleinfeld Lab alumnus

Current Position: Associate Professor, U Washington

Barrett Deris , Ph.D. student (2007 — 2013), Hwa Lab alumnus

Current Position: Instructor, Layola University, New Orleans

Markus Basan , post-doc (2010 — 2013), Hwa Lab alumnus

Current Position: Assoc Professor, Harvard Medical School

Tony Hui , Ph.D. student (2007 — 2014), Hwa Lab alumnus

Current Position: Asst Professor, Harvard School of Public Health

Minsu Kim , post-doc (2008 — 2012), Hwa Lab alumnus

Current Position: Professor, Emory University

Pablo Blinder, Postdoc 2012, Kleinfeld Lab alumnus

Current Position: Associate Professor, Tel Aviv U

Conghui You , post-doc (2008 — 2013 ), Hwa Lab alumnus

Current Position: Professor, ShenZhen University, China

Rutger Hermsen , post-doc (2009 — 2012), Hwa Lab alumnus

Current Position: Professor, Utrecht University, the Netherlands

Faruck Morcos , post-doc (2010 — 2012), Hwa Lab alumnus

Current Position: Assoc Professor, Univ of Texas, Dallas

Patrick Drew, Postdoc 2010, Kleinfeld Lab alumnus

Current Position: Associate Professor, Penn State

Rae Robertson Anderson , PhD 2007, Smith Group alumnus

Current Position: Associate Provost, USD

Lee F. Schroeder, MD/PhD 2009, Kleinfeld Lab alumnus 

Current Position: Associate Professor, U Michigan

Nozomi Nishimura, PhD 2006, Kleinfeld Lab alumnus

Current Position: Associate Professor, Cornell

Robert White , post-doc (2004 — 2006), Hwa Lab alumnus

Current Position: Dean of STEM, Butte College

Jian Liu , post-doc (2005 — 2007), Hwa Lab alumnus

Current Position: Professor, Johns Hopkins U

Erel Levine , post-doc (2005 — 2009), Hwa Lab alumnus

Current Position: Professor, Northeastern University

Matt Scott , post-doc (2006 — 2008), Hwa Lab alumnus

Current Position: Professor, Waterloo U, Canada

Stefan Klumpp , post-doc (2006 — 2009), Hwa Lab alumnus

Current Position: Professor, Goettingen University, Germany

Karunesh Ganguly, MD/PhD 2002, Kleinfeld Lab alumnus

Current Position: Professor, UCSF

Philbert S. Tsai, PhD 2004, Kleinfeld Lab alumnus

Current Position: Associate Teaching Professor, UCSD

Rune W. Berg, PhD 2003, Kleinfeld Lab alumnus

Current Position: Professor, U Copenhagen

Christopher Schaffer, Postdoc 2005, Kleinfeld Lab alumnus

Current Position: Professor, Cornell

Ralf Bundschuh , post-doc (1997 — 2001), Hwa Lab alumnus

Current Position: Professor, Ohio State U

Ulrich Gerland , post-doc (2000 — 2003), Hwa Lab alumnus

Current Position: Professor, Tech University Munich, Germany

Nicolas Buchler , post-doc (2001 — 2003), Hwa Lab alumnus

Current Position: Professor, North Carolina State U

Weiqun Peng , post-doc (2001 — 2004), Hwa Lab alumnus

Current Position: Professor, George Washington U

Tom Kuhlman , Ph.D. student (2003 — 2007), Hwa Lab alumnus

Current Position: Professor, UC Riverside

Michale Fee, Postdoc 1995, Kleinfeld Lab alumnus

Current Position: Chair/Professor, MIT

Thomas D. Parsons, DVM/PhD 1990, Kleinfeld Lab alumnus

Current Position: Professor, U Pennsylvania

David Golomb, Postdoc 1993, Kleinfeld Lab 

Current Position: Professor, Ben Gurion U.

Monica Allen Principal Investigator

Ph.D in Physics, Harvard University mtallen [at] physics.ucsd.edu Office: Mayer Hall Addition 3611 Curriculum Vitae

Heather McMaster Administrative Assistant

hmcmaster [at] physics.ucsd.edu Office: Mayer Hall 3138 Phone: 858-822-2374

Jacob Ding Fund Manager

ading [at] physics.ucsd.edu

Leonard Cao Graduate Researcher

B.Sc. in Physics and Math, HKU

Chen Wu Graduate Researcher

M.Sc. in Applied Physics, Stanford

Qixuan Zhang Graduate Researcher

B.Sc. in Materials Physics, USTB

Lingyuan Lyu Graduate Researcher

B.Sc. in Physics, Harvey Mudd College

Michael Skripalsh Graduate Researcher

B.Sc. in Physics, University of Washington

Deanna Diaz Graduate Researcher

M.Sc. in Physics, CSU Long Beach

Ruolun Zhang Undergraduate

Physics, UCSD

Trevor Senaha Undergraduate

Andrew dai undergraduate, alexandre leroy undergraduate.

Chemistry, UCSD

Tye Moore Undergraduate

Mark yan undergraduate.

Physics and CS, UCSD

Zachary Sherman Undergraduate

Sneh pancholi undergraduate, employment opportunities we seek to build a diverse and creative team of scientists with expertise spanning physics, engineering, and materials science. inquiries for positions at all levels are welcome..

• Postdoctoral Research Associates: Please arrange for your CV and three letters of reference to be emailed to mtallen [at] physics [dot] ucsd [dot] edu. Experience with scanning probe microscopy, microwave electronics, 2D materials, or device fabrication is desirable.
• PhD Candidates: If you are interested in joining our group, please apply to the Physics PhD program at UC San Diego and mention my name in your application. Prospective and current graduate students are welcome to email me to discuss research opportunities.
• Undergraduates: Several short-term research projects are available. If interested, please send an email to mtallen [at] physics [dot] ucsd [dot] edu.

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Prospective students, research in geophysics.

For an overview of the latest geophysics research at Scripps, please see the Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics annual report .  For a broader view of Earth Sciences research at Scripps, see the Earth Section annual report .

Faculty and Researchers in GP Curricular Group

• Yehuda Bock
• Adrian Borsa
• Catherine Constable
• Steven Constable
• Wenyuan Fan
• Yuri Fialko
• Helen Amanda Fricker
• Alice Gabriel
• Jeffrey Gee
• Peter Gerstoft
• Jamin Greenbaum
• Jennifer Haase
• Matti Morzfeld
• Ross Parnell-Turner
• David Sandwell
• Peter Shearer
• Dave Stegman
• Vashan Wright

Information for the Geophysics PhD and Master’s degree programs

Students in the Geophysics (GP) graduate program study Earth and other planets to advance our fundamental understanding of their origin, composition, and evolution, and explore the implications for life, for the environment, and for society.

The graduate program provides a broad education in the fundamentals of geophysics, alongside research and coursework spanning multiple specializations. Our flexible curriculum and multidisciplinary researchers enable us to welcome graduate students from a diverse range of backgrounds in science and engineering, producing graduates who are well prepared for future careers in academia, industry, or public service.

Our multidisciplinary program offers graduate students a unique hands-on, collaborative learning environment. A core academic curriculum provides the foundation for working on research projects that emphasize observational techniques and the collection of novel datasets linked to testing new theoretical and computational approaches. GP students participate extensively in field experiments, instrument development, laboratory investigations, and shipboard expeditions. Many students take advantage of the opportunity to serve as a teaching assistant at some point during the course of their degrees.

Is our Geophysics graduate program for you?

At Scripps you can enroll for either a PhD or Masters (MS) degree. Many PhD students complete an MS en route to the PhD by completing sufficient units of coursework. 

If you missed our annual Pre-Application Virtual Open House on November 16th, you can access the information that was presented that may help you decide what areas of research interest you and answer questions about the application process. Please register here and access the presentations here .

Potential Advisors and Projects for Fall 2024 Admission

The following faculty and research scientists are interested in seeking new students for Fall 2024 intake. If you wish to find out more about their research, please email them individually. If you are not sure what specific area of research you wish to pursue, or have any questions, please email the admissions coordinators,  Jennifer Haase  at [email protected] for help and guidance.

Yehuda Bock   [email protected] Geodesy, Natural Hazards. Our SOPAC group is application oriented with several research projects that can support students. These include (1) tsunami early warning systems with U.S. and Chilean agencies, (2) machine learning models for detecting transient crustal and atmospheric processes using 30-year GPS displacement and atmospheric delay time series, (3) Integration of radar interferometry and GPS for surface mapping of plate boundary deformation and subsidence due to groundwater extraction (4) Development of a dynamic reference frame for the U.S. National Spatial Reference System maintained by the National Geodetic Survey (NGS). Projects (3) and (4) are supported by NASA, California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and California Department of Water Resources (DWR), and are in collaboration with Prof. David Sandwell’s research group.

Cathy Constable   [email protected]
 Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism. Projects could include 1) making time varying paleomagnetic field models on time scales from millennia to millions of years; 2) Building stochastic models for geomagnetic  paleosecular variation; 3) Using paleomagnetic observables to improve realism in products of numerical  geodynamo simulations. Website: igppweb.ucsd.edu/~cathy

Steven Constable   [email protected] Marine electromagnetic methods. Projects include the study of offshore groundwater, marine gas hydrate, tectonic plate boundaries, and pretty well any other geological feature found offshore. We collect and interpret our own field data, but the lab is also interested in developing algorithms and software needed for data processing and modeling/inversion of EM data. Website:  marineemlab.ucsd.edu

Wenyuan Fan   [email protected] Observational seismology. We focus on seismic sources and use onshore and offshore, dense array seismic observations to investigate earthquakes, slow earthquakes, subduction zone processes, environmental processes, and their interaction and triggering. Website: igppweb.ucsd.edu/~wenyuanfan

Yuri Fialko   [email protected] Space geodesy (InSAR/GNSS), earthquake and volcano deformation, active tectonics, numerical modeling, theoretical and experimental rock mechanics. Potential projects include studies of time-dependent deformation in California, Tibet, and Turkey. Website:  igppweb.ucsd.edu/~fialko

Alice Gabriel   [email protected]   Computational and theoretical seismology. Projects are available which use high-performance computing and physics-based modeling constrained by a multitude of observations. Application areas range from the seismic cycle in subduction zones and tsunami genesis, to strong ground motion scenarios in complicated settings, to induced seismicity. Projects may involve utilising new methods in terms of numerical discretisation, uncertainty quantification, imaging and monitoring. Website:  scripps.ucsd.edu/profiles/algabriel

Gabi Laske   [email protected] Observational seismology. Research projects typically cover aspects of structural seismology.  Primary targets are the measurement and tomographic modeling of surface wave dispersion in  combination with other seismic observables. Our research projects often involve the collection and analysis of ocean bottom seismic data in the Pacific ocean. A new project  is the OHANA project that focuses on the seismic imaging of 4-50 Myr old Pacific lithosphere  halfway between Hawaii and California. Website: igppweb.ucsd.edu/~gabi

Ross Parnell-Turner [email protected] Marine geophysics. Projects include 1) studying how the Iceland mantle plume controls seafloor uplift and oceanic circulation using reflection seismic and deep sea drilling data; 2) investigating volcanic eruption cycles on fast-spreading mid-ocean ridges; and 3) exploring how oceanic plate spreading is accommodated by slip on low-angle detachment faults. We collect data at sea and develop numerical models; methods include passive microearthquake monitoring, reflection seismology, and seafloor mapping using autonomous robots. Website: rosspt.weebly.com

David Sandwell   [email protected] Geodynamics, space geodesy, global seafloor mapping. We are improving the accuracy and spatial resolution of the marine gravity field using data from satellite radar altimeters inclusing the new SWOT altimeter. The improved marine gravity is important for exploring unknown tectonics in the deep oceans as well as revealing thousands of uncharted seamounts. In addition, we are developing methods to combine the high accuracy of point GPS time series with the high spatial resolution from radar interferometry to measure interseismic velocity along the San Andreas Fault system associated with earthquake hazard.  Several faculty at IGPP were recently funded by the National Geodetic Survey to train graduate students in the  broad field of Geodesy.  These fellowships are open to both U.S. citizens and permanent resident aliens. Website: https://topex.ucsd.edu

Peter Shearer   [email protected] Seismology. Peter Shearer may have funding to support a student to study earthquakes and/or Earth structure. Website: https://igppweb.ucsd.edu/~shearer/mahi/

Adam Young   [email protected] Coastal hazards, processes, and geomorphology. We use field based and remote sensing instrumentation to quantify coastal processes and change, and evaluate how coastal change impacts society. Example research topics include coastal erosion, coastal cliffs, beach morphology, coastal sediment, sediment budgets, and anthropogenic influences on the coastal system. Website: https://adyoung.scrippsprofiles.ucsd.edu

Requirements for Admission

In addition to the general requirements for admission to the PhD program , a major in physics, mathematics, or earth sciences is recommended.  GRE scores are not required for Fall 2024 admission.

There are various application fee waiver programs offered by the UC San Diego Graduate Division . Please inquire with [email protected] .

GP Applicant evaluation Criteria

Factors which we use to evaluate applicants include, but are not limited to, (1) Academic Preparation; (2) Scholarly potential; (3) Diversity, equity, and inclusion contributions; (4) Alignment with the program; (5) Realistic self-appraisal; and (6) Long-term goals.

Applicants should ensure that they represent themselves accurately with the best possible information in all of the above areas. The admissions committee will consider all aspects of the application including the statement of purpose, transcripts, balance of coursework, letters of recommendation, and responses to optional questions about additional experiences. GRE scores may be included if you wish, and may serve as part of our holistic review, but they are not required. Please inquire with [email protected] .

For full consideration, please submit applications by December 6, 2023 . Applications submitted after the deadline may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Financial Support

All PhD applicants are considered for financial support. Student support during the first year may come from a variety of sources including external or departmental fellowships and research grants.  More information about funding can be found here . 

Additional Information

• A list of current GP graduate students .
• Graduate student handbooks .

Program of Study for PhD

Students are admitted to the GP curricular group within the Geosciences of the Earth, Oceans, and Planets (GEO) Program based on their interests and the affiliations of their adviser. Each student is assigned a first year advisory committee, comprising their primary advisor and the three person GP departmental committee. Although students may change curricular groups in the course of the year, they must choose which departmental exam they will take. Departmental exams have similar structures among the curricular groups within GEO (a written exam at the end of spring quarter of their first year and an oral exam before the beginning of fall quarter of their second year).

Students are encouraged to begin a research project from the beginning and typically do not hold teaching assistant positions during their first year. Students may change advisers during their first year, but it is important for them to find an adviser by the end of the first year so that they are ready to work on research over the summer and develop a thesis proposal during their second and third years. Students are normally expected to present this proposal at their qualifying exam by the end of their third year.

No single course of study is appropriate to every student in the geophysics curricular group: instead, there is a sequence of foundational classes that each student is expected to complete successfully during the first year, together with a three-quarter seminar sequence on Geophysical Research Skills. Additional graduate class electives or research units (SIO299) under the guidance of a specific instructor provide a minimum of 12 units/quarter required for full-time study. Electives should be chosen from the broad range of available topics in consultation with the first-year guidance committee and the student’s advisor to provide breadth of expertise and to support the individual interests of the student. Some students will find it useful to take courses offered by other curricular groups across Scripps or by other departments on UCSD General campus.

The content of the foundational courses combined with the research skills acquired during the first year seminar forms the basis for the written departmental examination. A list of graduate classes offered by the GP faculty is provided below.

Students are also encouraged to attend Geophysics and Earth Section seminars for exposure to a broad range of geophysical research topics.

Program of Study for MS

The geophysics master’s degree provides a solid grounding in the fundamentals of geophysics for students intending to pursue professional positions in government, industry, or nonprofit organizations or to apply to PhD programs. Two different degree options are available:

MS Plan I—Thesis

This plan combines course work and research, culminating in the preparation of a thesis. A minimum of thirty-six units of credit is required: twenty-two units are expected from Foundational Courses (see below); and twelve units of research work (SIO299) lead to the thesis. Students should contact a thesis adviser and co-adviser prior to, or as part of, the application process. Students are rarely accepted into the program without this prior consultation. This two-member faculty committee, in consultation with the student and the Geophysics Curriculum Advisor, will select the courses and research topic to be completed in two years or less.

MS Plan II—Comprehensive Exam

This course of study is intended to be completed in a single year and requires a minimum of thirty-six credit units. Twenty-two units are expected from the Foundational Group and the remaining twelve units will be selected in consultation with the student’s faculty mentor and geophysics departmental committee. Students must pass a written comprehensive examination at the end of the spring quarter of the first year, which will cover material in the foundational course work.

Foundational classes:

• SIOG 200 A/B/C Geophysics Research Skills: Geophysics 1 st year seminar (2 units/ quarter)
• SIOG 223A Geophysical Data Analysis I (4 units)
• SIOG 223B. Geophysical Data Analysis II (4 units)
• SIOG 225. Physics of Earth Materials (4 units)
• SIOG 234. Geodynamics (4 units)
• SIOG 221. Plate Tectonics in Practice (4 units)
• SIOG 222. Introduction to Industry Reflection Seismic Methods (4 units)
• SIOG 224. Internal Constitution of the Earth (4 units)
• SIOG 227A. Introduction to Seismology (4 units)
• SIOG 227B. Structural Seismology (4 units)
• SIOG 227C. Seismological Sources (4 units)
• SIOG 228. MS Research Seminar for students in contiguous BS/MS programs
• SIOG 229. Fundamentals of Gravity and Geodesy (4 units)
• SIOG 230. Introduction to Inverse Theory (4 units)
• SIOG 231. Geomagnetism and Electromagnetism (4 units)
• SIOG 232. Ethical and Professional Science (2 units)
• SIOG 233. Introduction to Computing (4 units)
• SIOG 236. Satellite Remote Sensing (4 units)
• SIOG 238. Numerical Methods for PDEs (4 units)
• SIOG 239. Special Topics in Geophysics (4 units)
• SIOG 240. Marine Geology (4 units)
• SIOG 247. Rock Magnetism and Paleomagnetism (4 units)

Potential Upper Division UG Electives (if appropriate):

• SIO 105. Sedimentology and Stratigraphy (4 units)
• SIO 110. Introduction to GIS and GPS for Scientists (4 units)
• SIO 113. Introduction to Computational Earth Science (4 units)
• SIO 160. Introduction to Tectonics (4 units)
• SIO 161. Seismology (4 units)
• SIO 162. Structural Geology (4 units)
• SIO 182A. Environmental and Exploration Geophysics (4 units)

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Applied Physics- Electronic Devices & Materials

The program focuses on the fundamental physics and device applications of advanced electronic and optoelectronic devices, MEMS, microfluidic and biomedical devices, as well as on the science and engineering of new materials and device structures at the micro-, nano-, and atomic scales. This program is highly interdisciplinary and explores broader applications in revolutionizing electronics, optoelectronics, and medicine.

Research areas:

• Compound semiconductor epitaxial growth and heterostructure devices
• Hybrid and monolithic heterogeneous integration of high-performance materials to Silicon
• Advanced CMOS devices and circuits
• Spin-related devices
• Advanced optical MEMS, bio-MEMS and RF MEMS
• Organic and inorganic semiconductor nanostructures
• Micro- and nano-fabrication
• Advanced technologies for nanoscale imaging and metrology
• Advanced nano-sensors (photo, force, temperature, chemical, biological)
• Electro-neural interfaces and neural probing
• Photovoltaics, thermoelectrics, and renewable energy
• Fusion energy materials and engineering
• Structure-Property correlation in novel materials and devices
• Nanolasers and nanophotonics
• Artificial photosynthesis and CO2 reduction
• Printed and flexible electronics
• Microfluidic and nanofluidic devices
• Bioelectronic and biophotonic devices
• Medical devices

Application areas:

• Wireless communications and other high-frequency systems
• High-speed optical communications and microwave photonics
• Information storage and manipulation
• Digital VLSI systems
• Renewable and clean energy harvesting devices and systems
• Biological and chemical sensing
• Reliable human-machine interfaces and prosthetic devices
• Drug delivery and medicines
• Bioinspired devices and systems
• Cell-based and molecular-based assays for medicine

Sample Program Description:

The synthesis of novel material structures, such as epitaxial III-V compound semiconductor materials, is performed using our molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and organometallic vapor phase epitaxy (OMVPE) facilities. Charles Tu is involved with the epitaxial layer growth of heterojunctions and nanostructures of binary, ternary, and quaternary III-V compound semiconducting alloys. This includes some exciting work on dilute nitrides (~1% nitrogen in III-V compounds) for intermediate band solar cells and for nanowire solar cells.

The rational growth of nano-materials and structures including semiconductor nanowires and (radial, axial, and branched) heterostructures using CVD, MOCVD, solution growth, and by nanofabrication, have opened up interdisciplinary research in the areas of materials science, chemistry, solid state physics, and nanofabrication. The exciting examples include ultra-high sensitivity nanowire photodetectors, zero subthreshold slope nanowire NEMS-FET, high-efficiency nano-tree photovoltaic cells for hydrogen production from sea water, as well as high-density nanowire artificial neurosensory retina arrays. In addition, Tse Nga Tina Ng is developing novel device fabrication techniques for flexible electronics, to enable new form factor and functionalities through scalable additive manufacturing.

With continuous reduction of device dimensions for faster operation, reduced power, and increased density and functionality, structure-property correlation at nano to atomic scales becomes vital to understand the influence of material imperfections on their device performance. As such, materials characterization is carried out by a range of techniques within the department. It is used to determine the microstructural, electrical, electro-optic, galvanomagnetic and optical properties of bulk layers, heterojunctions, quantum wells, superlattices, and other nanostructures. In-situ microscopy is used to gauge atomic scale reactions and processes in advanced semiconductor devices. S. S. Lau, Shadi Dayeh and their associates are working on electronic materials science and technology, including hetero-materials integration and flexible electronics.

Optoelectronics research at UCSD includes the study of optoelectronic and high-speed heterostructure devices and systems. Nano- and micro-scale engineered materials and devices (e.g., Nanolasers and Nanophotonics integration into photonic lightwave circuits (PLC)) for CMOS compatible manufacturing and integration with electronics. William Chang, Shayan Mookherjea, Shaya Fainman and Paul Yu are primarily interested in optical guided wave devices, quantum well and superlattice guided wave switches, modulators, and high power detectors and sensors, for microwave signal transmission in fibers and via free space.

For electronic circuits, there is a major research effort in the area of high-frequency transistors and ICs. The objectives of this program include exploring a variety of semiconductor materials for microwave and mm-wave transistor operation, as well as for ultralow power; determining limits of device scaling and performance; device modeling; developing advanced transistor circuits; and the integration of electronic and photonic devices. Material systems currently being investigated for transistors include GaN, silicon-on-insulator,  and graphene.  Compound semiconductors GaSb and GaInAs are also being investigated to fabricate tunneling MOSFETs which promise to dramatically reduce power dissipation in digital circuits. This research area is currently being pursued by Peter Asbeck and Yuan Taur.

The scaling of IC technology to 10 nm with a supply voltage below 0.5 V demands paradigm shifts in both the material and device architecture. Low dimensionality materials are promising candidates for nanometer scale transistors because of their near atomic thickness and diameters. To contain the off state power, a turnoff slope steeper than the conventional thermal limit is required. Yuan Taur’s group conducts in depth analysis and comprehensive modeling of tunnel FETs as well as MOSFETs made in 2D and 1D semiconductors. The research outcome on the switching delay and power as a function of power supply voltage gives key insights to the direction of future IC technology post 10 nm node below 0.5 V supply voltage.

Another area of high-frequency research is RF MEMS (Radio Frequency Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) with a goal of creating miniature switches and varactors with very low loss up to 100 GHz. These devices are used in reconfigurable radios front-end circuits such as tunable antennas, tunable filters, tunable power amplifiers. RF MEMS devices are built using surface micromachining techniques on silicon and glass wafers, and can therefore be fabricated on a very large scale at low cost. They have the potential to change the way we build wideband radios, and with applications in defense and commercial communication systems (3G, 4G, etc.). This research is currently pursued by Gabriel Rebeiz.

The biomedical device research includes applications of microfluidic, electronic, photonic, and acoustic technologies to produce lab-on-a-chip devices for medical research and point-of-care clinics. We apply engineering methods to develop unique tools to accelerate discoveries in medicine, to translate medical discoveries to clinical applications for improved patient outcomes, and to significantly reduce the cost of health care. Examples of projects include (a) lab-on-a-chip flow cytometers for cell analysis for immunology, cancer clinics, infectious diseases, and food safety, (b) whole blood analysis devices for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and kidney disease patients receiving peritoneal dialysis, (c) microfluidic devices for detection and isolation of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) for cancer prognosis, (d) microfluidic devices for on-chip micro-RNA detection and profiling for early cancer detection, (e) biomedical devices for human microbial studies, (f) nanoparticle synthesis and in vivo interaction of nano-drug delivery devices and imaging contrast agents with ultrasound, and (g) Optofluidics integrating opto-electro-fluidic devices into systems at the micro and nanometer scales for in vivo point of care medical diagnostics. The research is currently pursued by Yuhwa Lo, Shadi Dayeh, Sadik Esener, Zhaowei Liu, Shaya Fainman, Drew Hall, and Tse Nga Tina Ng.

Shadi A. Dayeh

Y. Shaya Fainman

Eric Fullerton

Drew A. Hall

Duygu Kuzum

Zhaowei Liu

Vitaliy Lomakin

Shayan Mookherjea

Abdoulaye Ndao

Kenji Nomura

Gabriel M. Rebeiz

Emeritus Faculty

Silvanus S. Lau

Farrokh Najmabadi

Charles W. Tu

Graduate Student Organizations

Society for women in graduate studies in chemistry and biochemistry (swigs).

The mission of SWIGS is to foster a community among STEM women, in order to help women achieve success during and after graduate school. They work towards this mission in three areas: 1. Professional Development: organizing seminars, networking opportunities, and other events for preparation in post-PhD success; 2. Well-being: improving mental and physical wellness through community activities, social gatherings, and individualized mentorship; and 3. Outreach: mobilizing women to teach and inspire young scientists from underrepresented groups.

Contact:    [email protected]

Chemistry Graduate Student Council (CGSC)

Chemistry Graduate Student Council (CGSC) is an organization seeking to improve the learning experience for the graduate student population in the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department. CGSC represents the graduate student interest to administration and faculty to open consistent channels of communication and help to sustain a social, well-connected community of graduate students by facilitating a variety of events and social gatherings. 

Contact:    [email protected]

American Chemical Society Student Affiliates (ACS-SA)

American Chemical Society Student Affiliates (ACS-SA) strives to serve UCSD chemistry majors by providing a friendly environment for the intellectual exploration of relevant industrial chemistry and chemical research topics. We aim to provide students interested in science with networking, outreach and volunteering opportunities that will help them define their goals, choose their career path and pursue their intended career. 

Contact:    [email protected]

Physics Grad Council (PGC)

The Physics Graduate Council (PGC) exists to vocalize and advocate for the rights, concerns, and objectives of the graduate students in the Physics Department at UC San Diego. The PGC will act as the officially recognized liaison between the Physics Department administration and faculty and the graduate student body of said department. 

Contact:    [email protected]

Graduate Women in Physics (GWIP)

Graduate Women in Physics (GWIP) exists to support women graduate students in the Physics Department through the challenges they encounter as members of an underrepresented group in the field of physics. 

Contact:    [email protected]

Astro Graduate Council

The Astro Graduate Council (AGC) exists to vocalize and advocate for the rights, concerns, and objectives of the graduate students in the Physics Department at UC San Diego. The PGC will act as the officially recognized liaison between the Physics Department administration and faculty and the graduate student body of said department.

Contact:  [email protected] 

Mathematics Graduate Student Council at UCSD

The purpose of the Mathematics Graduate Student Council at UCSD is to advocate for the economic, educational, professional, teaching, and diversity related interests of the math graduate student body. The Council is the liaison between the math graduate students and Mathematics Department administration and faculty. In addition, the Council pursues initiatives that improve math graduate student life and build community in the Mathematics Department.

Contact:  [email protected]

Graduate Sports Program

Graduate students in UCSD often find themselves in highly stressful environments, with long hours spent in research labs, deadlines to meet, and high expectations to fulfill. This can take a toll on their mental and physical well-being, leading to burnout and decreased productivity. To address the need for an outlet to relieve stress and improve overall well-being, GSP proposes to establish an inter-departmental graduate student sports organization at UCSD. This organization aims to bring together graduate students from different departments, and all skill levels, to play sports together for recreation and community  

Contact:  [email protected]

Graduate Programs

• Biochem & MolBiophysics PhD

Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics PhD

The Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics PhD Program ranks in the top 10 nationally and represents a traditional strength in the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department at UCSD. The goal of the program is to prepare students for careers in the biochemical sciences as researchers and educators by expanding their knowledge of structural biology, protein, RNA, and lipid biochemistry, experimental and computational biophysics, and systems biology while developing their ability for critical analysis, creativity, and independent study. A high graduation rate in an average of just over five years can be attributed to the quality of applicants admitted, the flexibility of our program of study, the opportunity for students to begin research in the first year, and the affordability of education made possible by our generous financial support policies.

Program Overview

Programs of study are tailored to the needs of individual students, based on their prior training and research interests. However, progress to degree is generally similar for all students. During the first year, students take courses, begin their teaching apprenticeships, choose research advisors, and embark on their thesis research; students whose native language is not English must pass an English proficiency examination. Beginning the first summer, the emphasis is on research, although courses of special interest may be taken throughout a student's residency. At the end of their first year, students choose the departmental members of their thesis committee and begin to prepare a written research proposal. During their second year, they complete their research proposal and defend it orally. In the third year, students advance to candidacy for the doctorate by defending the topic, preliminary findings, and future research plans for their dissertation. Subsequent years focus on thesis research and writing the dissertation. Most students graduate during their fifth year.

Research Opportunities

Research opportunities for graduate students are comprehensive and interdisciplinary, spanning biochemistry; biophysics; structural biology, protein, RNA, and lipid biochemistry, experimental and computational biophysics, and systems biology. Please refer to the faculty pages for full descriptions of the on-going research of faculty in the Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics PhD Program. State-of-the-art facilities and laboratories support these research programs.

UCSD is a thriving community that stretches across campus with opportunities for research and collaborations among a large number of faculty in the Division of Biology, the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, the School of Medicine, the La Jolla Institute of Immunology, the Salk Institute, and many others.

Special Training Programs

Interdisciplinary research and collaboration at UCSD is enhanced through a variety of training grants. These programs provide financial support for exceptional graduate and postdoctoral scholars and also unite researchers from across campus and throughout the La Jolla research community in special seminars, retreats, and courses. Doctoral students usually apply for training grants in their second year.

• Molecular Biophysics Training Grant
• Contemporary Approaches to Cancer Cell Signaling and Communication
• Interfaces Graduate Training Program
• Molecular Pharmacology Training Program

Teaching apprenticeships are a vital and integral part of graduate student training, and four quarters of teaching are normally required. See the Teaching Assistants page to apply. Students can gain experience teaching both discussion and laboratory sections. Excellence in teaching is stressed, and the department provides a thorough training program covering both fundamentals and special techniques for effective instruction. Further training is provided by the Teaching and Learning Commons on campus. Performance is evaluated every quarter, and awards are bestowed quarterly for outstanding teaching performance.

Financial Support

Students in good academic standing receive a 12-month stipend; fees and tuition are also provided. Support packages come from a variety of sources, including teaching and research assistantships, training grants, fellowships, and awards. Special fellowships are awarded to outstanding students based on their admission files. See Ph.D. Program Support Policy for more information.

Health and Dental Plan

A primary health care program, major medical plan, and dental plan are among the benefits provided by the University's registration fee (see Graduate Student Health Insurance Program, GSHIP) . Minor illnesses and injuries can usually be treated at the Student Health Center . Counseling is provided free of charge through Counseling and Psychological Services .

Creative, bright, and motivated students from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply. We admit for Fall quarter entrance only. The application deadline is in mid-December. The Admissions Committee reviews files individually and in comparison to others, and offers are made beginning mid-January. Admitted applicants are invited to visit the campus. Application information is available here . See UCSD Ph.D. Admissions FAQ page for general information.

PostGraduate Placement

Graduates typically obtain jobs in academia or in the biotech/pharmaceutical industry. La Jolla is home to the third largest Biotech/Pharmaceutical industry mecca. Many of our alumni stay in San Diego and obtain positions in one of the over 300 companies that are located near UCSD. During their PhD, students can take advantage of the many internships that are available at these companies. A large proportion of our graduates attain postdoctoral research positions in leading academic institutions. The Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics Program provides career advising throughout the PhD. UCSD's Career Services Center and the Physical Sciences Student Success Center provides many resources for students, including the chance to videotape yourself in a mock interview!

• BMB Degree Requirements
• BMB Financial Support
• Chemistry PhD
• Masters Program
• Joint Doctoral Program
• Teaching Assistants
• Student Spotlight
• Graduate Events
• Course Offerings
• Room Requests

Undergraduate Research

Undergraduates in physics are involved in laboratories at levels that range from assisting a graduate student or postdoctoral fellow with their respective project to running their own research project. In both cases the work  may  even lead to a publication in a scientific journal. Typically, assistance involves data analysis, programming laboratory equipment, and help with sample preparation and data collection and is the route followed for stays of one year or less in a laboratory. Independent projects, which often occur during the second of a two year stay in a laboratory, involve both independent work that is relevant to the mission of the laboratory or trying out "a crazy idea" that just may work. Below is a sampling of faculty research that undergrads can get involved in!

Joining a Physics Faculty Lab or Group

Click here  to see the faculty who typically hire undergrad researchers and how to reach out to them.  

Getting Units for Your Research

Click here to learn about signing up for Special Studies (i.e. research classes such as PHYS 98, 99, 199, and 199H).  

Publishing Your Research

Looking to get published? Click  here  to see a list of undergraduate research journals.  

Presenting Your Research

Looking to present your research? Check out the following:

• UCSD Undergraduate Research Conference (URC)
• UCSD Summer Research Conference (SRC)
• The National Conferences on Undergraduate Research (NCUR)
• Acta Astronautica

Please check the Research & Related Internships section of the Physics Department Handbook for more exhaustive information relating to research in physics. 

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Professor Michael Buckingham

Scripps Institution of Oceanography

Previously a Distinguished Professor of Ocean Acoustics in the Marine Physical Laboratory at SIO, Dr. Buckingham continues his research program which includes serving as lead Principal Investigator for an Office of Naval Research-funded project and other research activities. Professor Buckingham serves as a PhD student mentor as well as performs important, informal advising and mentoring activities.

Buckingham’s research focuses on ocean acoustic propagation, ambient noise in the marine environment, and acoustic imaging. His experiments involve the identification of objects in the ocean using naturally occurring sounds, produced as a result of bubbles forming near the surface. This system, described as “acoustic daylight” uses an experimental electronic imaging system that reveals objects in the ocean by listening to ambient underwater noise and displaying the objects as a simple video image. His recent theoretical research concerns sound and shear wave propagation through saturated granular materials, notably marine sediments. He is the recipient of several awards, including the A.B. Wood Medal from the Institute of Acoustics, UK, the Pioneers of Underwater Acoustics Medal from the Acoustical Society of America (ASA), and the Gold Medal from the ASA.

Degrees: Ph.D. in Physics, University of Reading, England; BSc with honors in Physics, University of Reading, England.

  Learn more about Professor Buckingham's work here .

Professor Paterno Castillo

Previously a Professor of Geology, Dr. Castillo continues his active research program which includes his work as a co-Investigator and a mentor to a Principal Investigator on two recently funded National Science Foundation (NSF) projects. Professor Castillo continues to serve on graduate student committees.

Professor Castillo's research interests include:

• Petrology and isotope geochemistry of MORB and OIB
• Petrologic and tectonic evolution of the western Pacific
• Mantle geodynamics

Degrees: B.S., University of the Philippines; M.S., University of Akron; Ph.D., Washington University.

Learn more about Professor Castillo’s work here.

Professor Daniel Hallin

Department of Communication

Previously a Distinguished Professor of Communication, Dr. Hallin remains highly active in his research and continues advising Ph.D. students and serving on committees. He recently performed research on transnational pandemic communication. Several other research projects that he is working on significantly contribute to the intellectual mission and life of the Department and provide opportunities for work with students. These include the Journalistic Role Performance Project, based on surveys of journalists and content analysis in 37 countries, and continued work on comparative analysis of Latin American media systems, including a comparative project on anti-populism and the media in Latin America. His BioBib reflects his continued dynamic career with the publication of eight new journal articles (one jointly with one of our graduate students), four book chapters and miscellaneous other publications since his previous review.  He recently completed a second edition of his book on health news, Making Health Public , updated to reflect new research on the COVID pandemic.

Hallin's research concerns journalism, political communication, and the comparative analysis of media systems. He has written on the media and war and more recently on health news and the mediatization of health and medicine. He has also written on television coverage of elections, demonstrating the shrinking "sound bite" and offering an interpretation of its meaning for political journalism, and on the rise and decline of journalist professionalism in the United States. In recent years, he has turned his attention to the comparative analysis of media systems, focusing on Western Europe and on Latin America, and trying to bring into political communication and media studies the tradition of comparative historical and institutional analysis that can be found in sociology and comparative politics.

  Degrees: Ph.D., Political Science, UC Berkeley.

Learn more about Professor Hallin’s work here .

Thomas Levy

Department of Anthropology

An anthropological archaeologist of complex societies, Dr. Levy now focuses on marine archaeology, climate change and cyber-archaeology in the eastern Mediterranean, specifically Israel and Greece. Tom supervises and mentors graduate students and is founder of the Qualcomm Institute's Center for Cyber-Archaeology and Sustainability, where he serves as co-director. Having published well over a dozen books and more than 250 articles in addition to being the recipient of numerous awards, Dr. Levy has recently been honored with the publication by Springer of a two-volume peer reviewed Festschrift, a mark of distinction recognizing the legacy of his groundbreaking and prolific scholarship.

Degrees: Ph.D., Archeology and Prehistory, University of Sheffield.

Learn more about Professor Levy’s work here .

Professor James McKerrow

Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

Previously a Distinguished Professor of Pathology, Dean of the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Associate Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences, Dr. McKerrow now focuses on the work of his lab screening for new drug therapy targeting human pancreatic adenocarcinomas. This is a unique project attempting to drive differentiation of pancreatic cancer metastases into benign tissues and is a collaboration with Janssen (J&J) in Del Mar.

Degrees: B.S., Haverford College; Ph.D., UC San Diego; MD, State University of New York.

Learn more about Professor McKerrow's work here .

Professor Mark D. Ohman

A biological oceanographer, Professor Ohman’s research interests include the effects of climate change and climate variability on the California Current Ecosystem, the population ecology of marine zooplankton, copepod biology, demographic estimation methods, and the use of autonomous methods in zooplankton ecology. He founded and remains active in the California Current Ecosystem Long-Term Ecological Research site, supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation. Professor Ohman collaborates extensively internationally.  He is the recipient of multiple awards for his teaching and research, and is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science as well as a Sustaining Fellow of the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography.  

Degrees: Ph.D., Oceanography, University of Washington; M.A., Biology, California State University, San Francisco; B.A., Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz

Learn more about Professor Ohman's work here .

Professor Charles Perrin

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Referred to as " The Icon of Organic Chemistry ," Dr. Perrin is an internationally recognized leader in the area of physical organic chemistry. He has taught at UC San Diego for 60 years and continues to contribute in the areas of teaching, research and service. He served as Chair of an international Task Force that published a 180-page update of the IUPAC Glossary of Physical Organic Chemistry.

Degrees: Ph.D. and A.B. ( scl ), Harvard University.

Learn more about Professor Perrin’s work here .

Nicholas Spitzer

Division of Biological Sciences, Institute of Engineering in Medicine

Previously a Professor of Biological Sciences, Dr. Spitzer focuses on a form of neuroplasticity called neurotransmitter switching, in which neurons change the transmitters that they make and release in response to sustained sensory or motor activity. He has been described as " an icon at UC San Diego ," having taught and researched on campus for over 50 years.

Professor Spitzer was founding editor-in-chief of BrainFacts.org at the Society for Neuroscience and a founding co-director of the Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind at UC San Diego.

Degrees:  Ph.D., Neurobiology, Harvard University.

Learn more about Professor Spitzer's work here .

Professor Shirley Strum

Professor Strum is a renowned biological anthropologist who specializes in primatology and has made enormous contributions to wildlife and habitat conservation. Dr. Strum has published important work during her time as an active professor at UC San Diego, and the baboons she studies have been included in 25 nature documentaries over the years. She continues to teach courses such as Conservation and Human Predicament and Conservation and the Media as well as mentor Masters and Ph.D. students.

A biological anthropologist specializing in primate studies, conservation, and science studies, Strum has studied one population of baboons in Kenya for 51 years. During that time her research has discovered new patterns in:

• The male dominance hierarchy showing that males rely on social strategies of aggression and defense;
• Social complexity in baboon social life;
• Cognition in the wild employing distributed cognition and situated action developed for humans and applied to baboons;
• How the social and ecological are entangled and the use and misuse of nonhuman primate models in evolutionary interpretations of humans.

Degrees: Ph.D., Anthropology, UC Berkeley.

Learn more about Professor Strum's work here .

Professor Suresh Subramani

Department of Molecular Biology

  Professor Subramani joined the faculty in the Department of Biology at UC San Diego in 1982 and retired in 2018. His service to UC has included serving as the Executive Vice Chancellor (2010-16), Associate Vice Chancellor (2009-10), Interim Dean of the Division of Biosciences (2006-07), and Chair of Biology (1999-2000). Dr. Subramani continues to exemplify excellence in research, teaching via mentorship, and service. He serves as the Global Director of the Tata Institute for Genetics and Society , which has efforts in San Diego and India, and is actively engaged in the School of Biological Sciences and the Department of Molecular Biology while also providing mentorship to undergraduate students and post-doctoral researchers.

Dr. Subramani has been a pioneer in the area of peroxisome biology. Abnormalities in peroxisome biogenesis are closely associated with the development of debilitating human diseases, including Zellweger syndrome, rhizomelic chondrodysplasia punctata and infantile Refsum disease. His current work focuses on the the trafficking of peroxisomal membrane proteins via the endoplasmic reticulum, their budding into pre-peroxisomal vesicles (ppV) and the proteins and mechanisms involved in this ppV budding;

  Degrees: Ph.D., Biochemistry, UC Berkeley.

Professor Clifford Surko

Department of Physics

  An internationally renowned plasma physicist, Professor Surko came to UC San Diego in 1988 and retired in 2022. Dr. Surko continues to do experiment-based research in atomic and plasma physics that involves positrons as well as mentor scholars at all levels.

  Professor Surko's group is currently engaged in research in four areas:

• Developing tools for research with low-energy antimatter
• Study of positron-matter interactions
• Creation and study of an electron-positron “pair” plasma
• Studying fluid dynamics using magnetized electron plasmas

  Professor Surko is a fellow of the American Physical Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He is a recipient of the American Physical Society’s James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics.

Degrees: Ph.D., Physics; and A.B., Physics and Mathematics, UC Berkeley.

Learn more about Professor Surko’s work here .

Professor Lynne Talley

Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO)

Previously a Distinguished Professor of Physical Oceanography in Climate, Atmospheric Sciences, and Physical Oceanography, Professor Talley continues her very active and well-funded research program which includes serving as co-PI for three large projects, SOCCOM, GO-BGC, and US GO-SHIP. Dr. Talley also mentors PhD students and a postdoc.

Talley’s research focuses on the general circulation of the ocean and the role of various oceanic and atmospheric conditions that affect ocean currents and property distributions, and the role of the ocean in climate. Her work involves analysis of data from most of the world’s oceans, depicting the movement of heat, salinity, and water masses, and the formation of water masses, particularly in subpolar regions. Her particular emphases over the last decade have been Southern Ocean processes and installation of a global biogeochemical profiling float array as part of an NSF-funded team.

Degrees: Ph.D., Oceanography, Massachusetts Institute of Technology/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution; B.M., Piano performance, Oberlin Conservatory of Music;  B.A., Physics, Oberlin College.

Learn more about Professor Talley's work here .

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MD I Students

​​​Fa​tema Abdurrob

Email: [email protected]

Undergraduate Institution: Boston University (2014), B.A. Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, and English; M.A. in Biotechnology Research Interests: Neurodegeneration, Gut-Brain Axis, Circadian Rhythms Laboratory Rotation: Richard Daneman (Su '23)

Parwana Khazi

Email: [email protected]

Undergraduate Institution: Santa Clara University (2020), B.S. Biomedical Biology and Public Health Science, B.A. Spanish Studies; University of California, Los Angeles (2022), M.S.S. with a Concentration in Anthropology Research Interests: Global Health, Epidemiology/Biostatistics, Anthropology, Migration, Health Policy Laboratory Rotation: Tala Al-Rousan (Su '23)

Matthew Jundong Kim

Email: [email protected]  

Undergraduate Institution: Cornell University (2019), B.S. Biological Engineering Research Interests: Genomics, Stem Cells, Bioengineering, Regenerative Medicine Laboratory Rotation: Neil Chi (Su '23)

Elida Kocharian

Email: [email protected]

Undergraduate Institution: Harvard University (2021), A.B. Earth & Planetary Sciences and Environmental Engineering Research Interests: Biochemistry, Metabolism, Microbiology Laboratory Rotation: Christian Metallo, Salk (Su '23)​

Matthew Levy

Email: [email protected]

Undergraduate Institution: Georgia Tech (2020), B.S. Biomedical Engineering Research Interests: Cancer Immunology, Gene Therapies Laboratory Rotation: Fotis Asimakpopulos (Su '23)

Ben Liebman

Email: [email protected]

Undergraduate Institution: Hampshire College (2016), B.A. Molecular Biology; University of Vermont (2021), M.S. Pharmacology Research Interests: Wound Healing and Tissue Regeneration Laboratory Rotation: Richard Gallo (Su '23)

Shelby McGriff

Email: [email protected]

Undergraduate Institution: University of Florida (2020), B.S. Behavioral & Cognitive Neuroscience Research Interests: Neuroscience, Pharmacology, Neuropsychiatric Disorders Laboratory Rotation: Ed Callaway (Su '23)

Cristina Mora

Email: [email protected]

Undergraduate Institution: University of California, Berkeley (2013), B.S Environmental Sciences; San Francisco State University (2019), M.S. Cell and Molecular Biology Research Interests: Stem Cell Disease Modeling, Neurodevelopment, Regenerative Medicine, Neuroscience Laboratory Rotation: Nicole Coufal (Su '23)

Foxy Robinson

Email: [email protected]

Undergraduate Institution: University of California, Davis (2019), B.S. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, B.A. African American and African Studies Research Interests: Cancer Biology, Stem Cell Research, Genetics Laboratory Rotation: Christina Towers, Salk (Su '22), Leslie Crews (Sp '23), & Christian Metallo, Salk (Su/Fa '23)

Aileen Szczepanski

Email: [email protected]

Undergraduate Institution: Carthage College (2019), B.A. Biology Research Interests: Cancer Biology, Cardiovascular Research, Regenerative Medicine, Gene Regulation, Epigenetics Laboratory Rotation: Neil Chi (Su '23) Publications

Taariq Woods​

Email: [email protected]

Undergraduate Institution: University of Massachusetts Amherst (2021), B.S. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Research Interests: Clinical Decision Support, Patient Risk Assessment, Computational Precision Medicine Laboratory Rotation: Jejo Koola (Su '23)

MD II Students

Mark Buckup

Email: [email protected]

Undergraduate Institution: Stanford University (2019), B.S. with Honors in Bioengineering Research Interests: Biomedical Imaging, Regenerative Medicine, Medical Devices, Bioengineering Laboratory Rotation: Shaochen Chen (Su '22), Albert Hsiao (Su '23), & Francisco Contijoch (Su '23)

Email: [email protected]

Undergraduate Institution: Stanford University (2020), B.A. Psychology, M.S. Statistics Research Interests: Computer Vision, Medical Imaging, Data Analytics, Precision Health Laboratory Rotation: Albert Hsiao (Su '22), Francisco Contijoch (Wi '23), & Andrew McCullough (Su '23)

Tanya Kumar

Email: [email protected]

Undergraduate Institution: University of California, Berkeley (2019), B.S. Microbial Biology Research Interests: Microbiome, Immunology/Infection, Bioengineering Laboratory Rotation: Rob Knight (Su '21), Gurol Suel (Wi '23), & Jeff Hasty (Su '23)

Email: [email protected]

Undergraduate Institution: Smith College (2020), B.A. Neuroscience Research Interests: Neuroscience, Cancer Biology, Immunology Laboratory Rotation: Axel Nimmerjahn (Su '22), Richard Daneman (Su '23), & Jing Yang (Su '23)

Brandon Liu

Email: [email protected]

Undergraduate Institution: California State University, Los Angeles (2019), B.S. Biochemistry Research Interests: Chemical Biology, Pharmacology, Drug Discovery Laboratory Rotation: Christopher Parker, Scripps Research (Su '22), Neal Devaraj (Su '22), & Michael Erb, Scripps Research (Su '23)  Publications​

Grace McAuley

Email: [email protected]

Undergraduate Institution: University of California, Los Angeles (2020), B.S. Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology Research Interests: Hematopoietic Stem Cell Gene Therapy, Immunotherapy, Immunology, Regenerative Medicine, RNA Therapeutics Laboratory Rotation: Dan Kaufman (Su '23), Gene Yeo (Su '23), Don Cleveland (Su '23) Pubmed Publications ASH Publications

Katie Mostoller

Rachel Oshiro

Email: [email protected]

Undergraduate Institution: Harvard University (2019), A.B. Molecular and Cellular Biology Research Interests: Developmental Biology, Bioengineering, Biochemistry Laboratory Rotation: Joseph Gleeson (Su '22), Xin Jin, Scripps Research (Su '23), & Bing Ren (Su '23)

Logan Sigua

Email: [email protected]

Undergraduate Institution: Boston University (2019), B.S. Chemistry Research Interests: Chemical Biology, Chromatin Biology Laboratory Rotation: Fleur Ferguson (Su '22), Michael Erb, Scripps Research (Su '22), Ben Cravatt, Scripps Research (Su '23), & Li Ye, Scripps Research (Su '23)

Anna Tifrea

Email: [email protected]

Undergraduate Institution: California Institute of Technology (2022), B.S. Physics Research Interests: Biophysics, Bioengineering, Medical Imaging Laboratory Rotation: Wouter-Jan Rappel (Su '22), Elizabeth Villa (Su '23), and Karen Cristman & Mariana Alperin (Su '23)

Email: [email protected]

Undergraduate Institution: Pomona College (2020), B.A. Molecular Biology Research Interests: Neuroscience, Neuroimmunology, Neurodegenerative Diseases Laboratory Rotation: Nicole Coufal (Su '22), Matthew Shtrahman (Su '23), & Nicola Allen (Su '23)

Lauren Wedekind

Email: [email protected]

Undergraduate Institution: Stanford University (2016), B.A. Human Biology; London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (2017), M.S. Public Health; University of Oxford (2022), Ph.D. Biomedical Sciences Graduate Department: Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford Research Interests: Diabetes, Opthalmology, Genetic Epidemology, Clinical Epidemiology Laboratory Rotation: NIH (National Institutes of Health Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program) Thesis Lab: Dr. Robert Hanson (NIH/National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) and Prof. Mark McCarthy (University of Oxford) Publications

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UC San Diego Among Multidisciplinary Awards Providing $221M Nationally for Cutting-Edge Projects

• Debra Bass - [email protected]

Published Date

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To bolster the success of cutting-edge technologies, the Department of Defense (DoD) has announced a $221 million allocation towards basic defense-related research projects. UC San Diego researchers and scientists are leading teams or part of teams on four key projects. 

This significant investment is part of the Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) awards program, aimed at fostering innovative solutions to complex challenges faced by the military.

This year's funding will support 30 teams across 73 U.S. academic institutions , with an average award amount of $7.5 million over five years. These grants, subject to satisfactory research progress and funding availability, are expected to accelerate scientific breakthroughs and facilitate the transition of basic research into practical applications.

"Celebrating UC San Diego's pivotal role in advancing critical defense research, we are honored to lead and participate in groundbreaking projects that promise to enhance the landscape of U.S. defense advantage and scientific discovery,” said Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla. “Our commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration and innovative solutions underscores our university's unwavering dedication to addressing the complex challenges facing our nation and the world."

Since its inception in 1985, the MURI program has been instrumental in advancing crucial technologies for military and civilian purposes. Notable achievements include breakthroughs in quantum sensing and detection physics for landmines.

This is the second year that the university has had a strong showing amongst awardees. In 2022 UC San Diego was a record-setter among MURI-competing institutions with five awards: two as the lead institution and three as a partner.

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"UC San Diego is proud to be at the forefront of transformative research initiatives that enhance our nation's defense capabilities and drive innovation across diverse scientific disciplines,” said Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation Corinne Peek-Asa. “Through our continued collaboration with the Department of Defense and other esteemed institutions, we remain steadfast in our commitment to advancing knowledge and fostering a brighter, more secure future for all."

In an effort to promote continued diversity and inclusion, the Fiscal Year 2024 competition allocated additional funding to support historically Black colleges and universities and minority-serving institutions. Seven such proposals were selected to receive support in the MURI projects, underscoring the program's commitment to fostering talent from all backgrounds.

UC San Diego is proud to be at the forefront of transformative research initiatives that enhance our nation's defense capabilities and drive innovation across diverse scientific disciplines.

Dr. Bindu Nair, Director of the Basic Research Office in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, emphasized the program's commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration. 

"The science and engineering challenges we face today are highly complex and cross-disciplinary," Dr. Nair stated. "The MURI program acknowledges these complexities by supporting teams whose members have diverse sets of expertise as well as creative scientific approaches to tackling problems."

The rigorous selection process involved a comprehensive review of 276 white papers, culminating in 30 final awards. Among the recipients, UC San Diego stands out for its notable contributions. Projects with UC San Diego participation include researchers Boris Kramer, Jorge Cortes, Kamalika Chaudhuri and Matthew Alford promise groundbreaking advancements in various domains, ranging from multi-agent systems to deep-sea exploration.

With these investments, the DoD aims to stay at the forefront of technological innovation, ensuring the nation's defense capabilities remain robust and resilient in an ever-evolving landscape of threats and challenges.

UC San Diego is notable for being the lead or part of four notable projects in various disciplines: 

Synchronization in Natural and Engineered Systems with researcher Jorge Cortes

• Project title: NEURAL‐SYNC: From Synchronized Oscillations to Neural Computing, Communication, and Adaptation (led by UC Santa Barbara)
• Researcher Jorge Cortes, a professor in the UC San Diego Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department 
• Cortes’ team will contribute to the development of modeling, control, and learning tools to learn how things synchronize in complex systems like the brain. His group will pay particular attention to mathematical tools to understand the oscillatory organization of neural wave-based computation and wave-mediated functional adaptation in the brain. Specifically, leading a thrust to study how waves in the brain help with thinking and adapting to different situations.
• Sponsored by the Army Research Office

The Deep Sea Benthic Boundary Layer; Interactions and Coupling with the Deep Seabed 

• Project Title: Abyssal Boundary Layers: High‐Resolution, Interdisciplinary Observations and Theory (led by UC San Diego)
• Researchers Matthew Alford (principal investigator), a professor, seagoing physical oceanographer and head of Scripps’ Oceans and Atmospheres Section of Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and co-PIs Gunnar Voet, a physical oceanographer and project scientist, and Thomas Peacock, a professor at  Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
• Alford’s team will explore an understanding of how the ocean interacts with the seafloor, a crucial research component for various reasons. First, the turbulent structure of the ocean near its bottom influences its conveyor belt circulation, which brings heat to the deep sea, warming the cold waters sinking near the Earth’s poles. Second, understanding the physics and ecosystems of the near-bottom ocean is vital due to increasing human activities such as Naval operations, seabed mining, and laying seafloor cables.
• Sponsored by the Office of Naval Research

A New Mathematical Paradigm for Integrating Data, Models, Decisions 

• Project Title: Mathematics of Digital Twins
• Researcher Boris Kramer, assistant professor in the UC San Diego Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department (led by Stanford University)
• Kramer’s team will develop fast computational models that take into account the nature of decision-making that digital twins have to make. A digital twin is a virtual replica of a physical asset, e.g., an airplane or a car. The digital twin can simulate the physical twins' behavior in real time and make predictions about its future state. Kramer’s team will study digital twins for control of a physical system, and how they can reliably decide among a myriad of options in mission planning, maintenance, etc. of the physical twin.
• Sponsored by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research

Theory and Algorithms for Learning and Decision‐Making in Multi‐Agent Systems

• Project title: Algorithms, Learning, and Game Theory: The Foundations of Multi‐Agent Systems (led by Columbia University)
• Kamalika Chaudhuri, professor of machine learning with the Department of Computer Science and Engineering
• This project will examine how decisions are made when there is a complex, contentious interaction and incomplete observation. The study combines Game Theory, Algorithms, and Learning techniques to figure out what might happen when these interactions occur. Over the past ten years, these three areas have become closely linked, especially with the rise of deep learning technology. Chaudhuri’s role is to investigate games between multiple agents in deep learning as well as in adversarial settings.

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Multiphysics Modeling of Injury Pathways and Electrical Signaling Underlying Traumatic Brain Injury

Dr. rudraraju, shiva, seminar information.

Seminar Series Biomechanics & Medical Devices

Seminar Date - Time April 19, 2024, 9:00 am - 10 AM

Seminar Location EBU II 479, Von Karman-Penner Seminar Room

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a pathophysiological condition caused due to concussion, impact or blast loading of the brain. In TBI, severe and/or repeated mechanical insults propagate through the brain tissue, resulting in the loss of neuronal function and associated morphological and physiological abnormalities. To investigate the initiation and evolution of neuronal-scale injury, we model the underlying mechano-chemical pathways and electrical signaling physics using a novel spatio-temporal numerical representation of neuronal deformation and action potential propagation. The neuron microstructure is modeled mechanically as a continuum viscoelastic network, chemically as a reaction-diffusion ensemble of pro-inflammatory biomarkers, and electrically as a diffusive media for ionic transport. We will discuss: (1) mechanical and chemical metrics underlying neuronal response under varying loads and loading rates, and (2) saltatory conduction of action potentials, including the effects of myelin sheath and the peri-axonal space. The goal of this framework is to estimate injury curves (strain and strain rate bounds on brain loading) that characterize tolerable loading conditions to avoid the onset of TBI. This work is supported by ONR under the PANTHER TBI program.

Shiva Rudraraju is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He heads the Computational Mechanics and Multiphysics Group at UW-Madison, and his research interests are broadly in computational modeling of mechanics and multiphysics driven morphological processes in structural and biological materials. His research is supported by ONR, ARO and NSF. He received his PhD in Mechanical Engineering and Scientific Computing from the University of Michigan Ann Arbor and undergraduate degree from IIT Dhanbad, India.

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Stanford Biomedical Physics (BMP) PhD Program

Medical Physics Track Under BMP PhD Program

Program Overview

The Departments of Radiology and Radiation Oncology are proud to offer a new PhD program in Biomedical Physics (BMP). This program, supported by and integrating faculty from these two departments, was formally approved by the university in May 2021 and welcomed its first class of students in fall 2022. This program aims to offer unique interdisciplinary training in physics and engineering applied to solve clinical problems. This burgeoning translational field integrates topics including medical physics, diagnostic imaging, and molecular imaging and diagnostics. Synergistic with multiple departments and institutes from the School of Medicine, Engineering, and Humanities and Sciences, the BMP program leverages Stanford’s outstanding faculty, research, and resources to create a world-class training program. It targets physics, bioscience, and engineering students seeking to become the next generation of leaders focused on addressing the technical challenges of clinical medicine.

Students admitted to the BMP PhD program can choose to complete a CAMPEP curriculum that will allow them to pursue medical physics residencies and certification by the American Board of Radiology (ABR) in preparation for a career in clinical physics. This subtrack of BMP is offered in collaboration with the Medical Physics Certificate Program.

Admission Requirements and Process

Prerequisites

All students pursuing the BMP PhD program will have to complete the requirements for the BMP PhD program. Undergraduates with a major or minor in physics or equivalent of a minor in physics are encouraged to apply if interested in pursuing the Medical Physics Track.

Degree Requirements

• The Medical Physics Track follows the BMP PhD degree requirement described on Stanford Bulletin , but with different course requirements. In addition to 3 listed core courses, students are required to finish 4 more courses including:
• BMP 251 Medical Physics and Dosimetry
• BMP 252 Radiation Therapy Physics
• BMP 269A Medical Imaging Systems l, and
• BMP 269B Medical Imaging Systems lI

Students must complete the BMP requirements and also take the required CAMPEP courses.

Medical Physics CAMPEP students

Enrolled in Program

No graduates at this time.

Admissions and Graduation Data

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Sean Burchesky ’23, PhD, Physics

Starfish space.

Department or Degree Program? PhD, Physics

What are your post-graduation plans? Working at Starfish Space.

What advice do you have for Harvard GSAS students, now that you are graduating? Network.