Commencement 2026

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Professor Elaine Hsiao Will Be Honored in Inaugural UCLA College Lecture Awards

Professor Elaine Hsiao Will Be Honored in Inaugural UCLA College Lecture Awards

The Inaugural UCLA College Lecture Awards will be held this Fall. The event will pay tribute to the best Bruin ideals of higher education and will honor five College faculty members, each of whom will share insights into their research and scholarship: Eric Avila (division of undergraduate education), Martha Bailey (division of social sciences), Wesley Campbell (division of physical sciences), Helen Deutsch (division of humanities) and Elaine Hsiao (division of life sciences).
PhD candidate Katelyn Mooney in the Deters’ lab receives prestigious National Institute on Aging (NIA) F31 Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award

PhD candidate Katelyn Mooney in the Deters’ lab receives prestigious National Institute on Aging (NIA) F31 Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award

UCLA Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program PhD candidate Katelyn Mooney in the Deters' lab has been awarded a prestigious National Institute on Aging (NIA) F31 Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award. Her project, *"Investigating APOE-TOMM40 Haplotypes, Social Factors, and Vascular Risk Factors on Cognitive Decline,"* examines how genetic risk, social experiences, and vascular health interact to influence cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease risk in older adults. This research aims to improve our understanding of Alzheimer's disease and support more equitable approaches to prevention and treatment.
Xiao lab Postdoc, Yuyun Zhang, Receives Pilot Grant from BrightFocus Foundation and Alzheimer’s LA

Xiao lab Postdoc, Yuyun Zhang, Receives Pilot Grant from BrightFocus Foundation and Alzheimer’s LA

Yuyun Zhang, PhD, postdoctoral scholar in the laboratory of Xinshu (Grace) Xiao, PhD, has received an early-stage pilot grant from the BrightFocus Foundation to study how "jumping genes," which make up nearly half of our genome, sneak into the RNA of Alzheimer's risk genes in the human brain. Using genomic data from more than a thousand brain donors, her work asks what these hidden RNA changes mean for Alzheimer's risk.
Professor Stephanie Leal Receives BRI’s Excellence in Academic Mentoring 2026 Award

Professor Stephanie Leal Receives BRI’s Excellence in Academic Mentoring 2026 Award

Professor Stephanie Leal is awarded the PI 2026 Brain Research Institute (BRI) Excellence in Academic Mentoring Award.  This is an annual award that recognize BRI members who have demonstrated persistent and impactful mentoring.  Professor Leal's efforts were recognized for exceptional commitment to mentoring, trainee development, and fostering the success of students and early-career researchers across the UCLA neuroscience community.

Educational Programs

The department is proud of its long history in training the next generation of thinkers and leaders in science and medicine. The department offers an Undergraduate Program (B.S. in Physiological Science) as well as a two-year, research-oriented Master’s Program (M.S. in Physiological Science). We are a co-founder and home to the Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology (MCIP) Interdepartmental Ph.D. Program, which is one of 11 Ph.D.-granting programs in the Graduate Programs in Biosciences (GPB) at UCLA. The department is also highly engaged with the Undergraduate Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program (UNSIDP). Specifically, IBP provides administrative expertise and support for UNSIDP’s leadership; staff; instruction; curriculum; courses; teaching assistants; and financial support for selected activities.

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