Faculty news – QB3 Berkeley

Molecular imaging pioneer Eva Nogales awarded the 2026 Vanderbilt Prize in Biomedical Science

June 30, 2026

Established in 2006, the Vanderbilt Prize in Biomedical Science recognizes scientists of national reputation who have a stellar record of research accomplishments and are known for mentoring others in science. Eva Nogales, PhD, an internationally known structural biologist whose expertise in cryo-electron microscopy and image analysis has produced groundbreaking insights into the function of macromolecules…

Philomathia Prize advances novel work on the physics of bioelectricity

June 22, 2026

Karthik Shekhar, assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering (CBE) at UC Berkeley, the John F. Heil Jr. Professor, and a member of the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, has been selected as the fifth recipient of the Philomathia Prize. The annual prize is awarded to an early-career Berkeley faculty member, from any discipline, who demonstrates…

Academic Innovation Catalyst accelerates Berkeley’s pipeline from breakthrough to impact

June 11, 2026

Matt and Lisa Sonsini’s $13.5 million commitment to fund a new Advanced Technology Entrepreneurial Center and proof-of-concept grants will expand a proven model for moving Berkeley research from the laboratory into the world. A transformational $13.5 million commitment from longtime UC Berkeley supporters Matt and Lisa Sonsini will dramatically expand the university’s capacity to translate…

Making the invisible visible

June 11, 2026

A landmark achievement in microscopy is poised to reveal the molecular machinery of life inside cells, at near-atomic detail. Inside every living cell, tens of thousands of different types of proteins are at work: ferrying molecular cargo, relaying signals, repairing DNA, deciding whether a cell should divide or die. Most of these proteins are too…

A breakthrough in electron microscopy delivers sharper images of our body’s tiniest proteins

June 11, 2026

UC Berkeley physicists have introduced phase contrast to the electron microscope, allowing scientists to see much smaller molecules and smaller structures inside cells. Nearly 100 years ago, a seemingly simple discovery revolutionized the microscope. The introduction of phase-contrast, which garnered a Nobel Prize in 1953, brought into clear view structures inside cells that had previously…

Back to the elements

May 11, 2026

Today’s high-tech electronics and green energy technologies would not function without rare earth elements (REEs). But extracting these substances from raw materials is a dirty process that relies on toxic chemicals and leaves behind polluted waste. Now, a Berkeley-led team may have solved this problem — thanks to a tiny virus. The researchers genetically engineered…

Collage of headshots of six UC Berkeley faculty members.

Russell Vance elected to National Academy of Sciences

May 04, 2026

The National Academy of Sciences announced its newest members this week, among them six eminent UC Berkeley faculty members, including former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen. Membership in the academy, now held by more than 135 living Berkeley faculty members, recognizes scientists for “their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research.” The National Academy of…

Karthik Shekhar receives Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholars award

May 04, 2026

Karthik Shekhar, an assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, has been named a 2026 Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar. Faculty who receive this award are within the first five years of their academic careers, have each created an outstanding independent body of scholarship, and are deeply committed to education. Each Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar receives an unrestricted…

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