Faculty

The Department of Molecular and Cell Biology (MCB) at the University of California at Berkeley offers outstanding opportunities for scientific training in a highly interactive environment that enables doctoral students to pursue any of a wide range of modern fields of biological research. The Department of Molecular and Cell Biology is organized into five divisions and includes over 90 faculty.

The divisional organization offers the advantages of mid-sized, thematically focused, scientific groupings within the larger, more diverse academic environment in molecular and cell biology. The common purpose of the divisions is to foster and maintain a closely knit, stimulating and active community for study. The department is also part of a much more extensive biological sciences community at Berkeley. Often, faculty maintain affiliations with multiple divisions, as well as other graduate programs and institutes at Berkeley. These affiliations are included in the table below. Clicking on a faculty member's name will take you to their lab website. You can click on column headings to sort.

BBS - Biochemistry, Biophysics & Structural Biology CDP - Cell Biology, Development & Physiology GGED - Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development IMM - Immunology and Molecular Medicine

 

Name Title Divisions  Roles Keywords
Hillel AdesnikAssociate Professor (Affiliated) of Cell Biology, Development and PhysiologyCDPDynamics of neural circuits underlying information processing in the cerebral cortex.
Ana ArrudaAssistant Professor (Affiliated) of Cell Biology, Development and PhysiologyCDPOrganelle Architecture, Endoplasmic reticulum function, Metabolic regulation in health and disease
Greg BartonHoward Hughes Investigator and Professor of Immunology and Molecular MedicineIMMInnate immune system
Helen BateupAssociate Professor of Molecular TherapeuticsMTXMolecular mechanisms of synapse and circuit plasticity
Diana BautistaCDP Division Head, Howard Hughes Investigator, and Professor of Cell Biology, Development and PhysiologyCDPDivision HeadMolecular mechanisms of transduction in touch and pain receptors
Robert BeattySenior Continuing Lecturer of ImmunologyIMMGSI AdvisorInfectious disease immunology
Eric BetzigHoward Hughes Investigator and Professor of Cell Biology, Development and PhysiologyCDPDevelopment of new tools for imaging and image analysis to enable biological discovery
David BilderProfessor of Cell Biology, Development and PhysiologyCDPGAC Member Genetics of cell and tissue architecture
Gloria BrarAssociate Professor of Cell Biology, Development and PhysiologyCDPRegulation of meiotic translation, the roles of pervasive short translation products, and the co-option of stress responses for cellular differentiation through meiosis
Steven E. BrennerProfessor (Affiliated) of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and DevelopmentGGEDComputational Genomics
Stephen BrohawnAssociate Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural BiologyBBSMolecular basis of sensory transduction and cellular electrical signaling
Carlos BustamanteHoward Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and Raymond and Beverly Sackler Chair and Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural BiologyBBSStructural characterization of nucleo-protein assemblies
Jamie H. D. CateProfessor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural BiologyBBSMolecular Basis for Protein Synthesis by the Ribosome
Phillip ClevesAssistant Professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and DevelopmentGGED
Kathleen CollinsBBS Division Head, Walter and Ruth Schubert Family Chair, and Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural BiologyBBSDivision Head (spring)Biology, biochemistry, and biotechnology of retroelements, retroelement reverse transcriptases, and functional RNAs
Laurent CoscoyProfessor of Immunology and Molecular MedicineIMMYear 1 AdvisorMolecular mechanisms of immune evasion in viral infection
Jeffery CoxC.H. Li Chair of Biochemistry and Molecular Endocrinology and Professor of Immunology and Molecular MedicineIMMMolecular mechanisms of pathogenesis and immune evasion in mycobacteria
Yang DanHoward Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and Professor of Molecular TherapeuticsMTXInformation processed by neuronal circuits
Xavier DarzacqEdward E. Penhoet Distinguished Endowed Chair in Global Health and Infectious Disease and Professor of Molecular TherapeuticsMTXGAC MemberTranscription regulation during cellular differentiation
Abby DernburgHoward Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and Professor of Cell Biology, Development and PhysiologyCDPChromosome organization and dynamics during meiosis
Andrew DillinHoward Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and Thomas and Stacey Siebel Distinguished Chair in Stem Cell Biology and Professor of Immunology and Molecular MedicineIMMMy laboratory works on the genetic and molecular mechanisms that regulate aging and aging-related disease.
Jennifer A. DoudnaHoward Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, Li Ka Shing Chancellor's Chair in Biomedical and Health Sciences, and Professor of Molecular TherapeuticsMTXRNA-mediated gene regulation
David G. DrubinErnette Comby Chair in Microbiology Professor of Cell Biology, Development and PhysiologyCDPActin and microtubule cytoskeletons in yeast and mammalian cells
Michel DuPageAssistant Professor of Immunology and Molecular MedicineIMMEpigenetic control of the functional plasticity of T cells in disease
Michael B. EisenHoward Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, Raymond & Beverly Sackler Chair in Computational Biology, and Professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and DevelopmentGGEDGenomics/Bioinformatics
Marla FellerPaul Licht Distinguished Professor in Biological Sciences and Professor of Cell Biology, Development and PhysiologyCDPThe development and function of retinal circuits
Yvette FisherAssistant Professor, Affiliated of Cell Biology, Development and PhysiologyCDPFlexibility of neural circuits for navigation
John G. FlanneryProfessor of Molecular TherapeuticsMTXMolecular mechanisms underlying diseases of the retina
Daniel A. FletcherProfessor (Affiliated) of Cell Biology, Development and PhysiologyCDPMechanics and dynamics of cell movements on the purified protein, single cell, and tissue levels
Meng-meng FuAssistant Professor of Cell Biology, Development and PhysiologyCDPCytoskeleton and transport in glia
Hernan G. GarciaAssociate Professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and DevelopmentGGEDEquity AdvisorPhysical biology. Transcriptional regulation. Development of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster
Britt GlaunsingerHoward Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and Professor of Molecular TherapeuticsMTXVirology; messenger RNA processing and degradation
Andrea GomezAssistant Professor of Cell Biology, Development and PhysiologyCDPInstructive cues for neural form and function
Iswar HariharanWilliam V. Power Chair in Biology and American Cancer Society Research Professor and Professor of Cell Biology, Development and PhysiologyCDPMechanisms of control of growth and cell proliferation. Regulation of regenerative growth.
Richard HarlandDean of Biological Sciences, C.H. Li Distinguished Professor, and Professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and DevelopmentGGEDInterim DeanMolecular biology of development
Eva HarrisProfessor (Affiliated) of Immunology and Molecular MedicineIMM
Lin HeThomas and Stacey Siebel Distinguished Chair in Stem Cell Research and Professor of Cell Biology, Development and PhysiologyCDPmicroRNA functions in cancer development, mouse tumor models
Rebecca HealdDepartment Co-Chair, Flora Lamson Hewlett Chair, and Professor of Cell Biology, Development and PhysiologyCDPCo-ChairMitotic spindle assembly and function in Xenopus laevis
Dirk HockemeyerC.H. and Annie Li Chair in Molecular Biology of Diseases and Associate Professor of Cell Biology, Development and PhysiologyCDPYear 2 AdvisorTelomere biology of human stem cells
James HurleyKirsch Springer Chair in Biological Sciences and Professor of Cell Biology, Development and PhysiologyCDPGSI AdvisorStructural membrane biology
Nicholas IngoliaProfessor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural BiologyBBSYear 1 AdvisorMolecular basis and physiological roles of the Translational control of gene expression through global and genome-wide analyses
Ehud IsacoffProfessor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural BiologyBBSIon channel function and synaptic plasticity
Gary KarpenProfessor of Cell Biology, Development and PhysiologyCDPYear 1 AdvisorChromosome structure and function
Nicole KingHoward Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and Professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and DevelopmentGGEDChoanoflagellates, animal origins, and the evolution of host-microbe interactions
David KirnAdjunct Professor of Immunology and Molecular MedicineIMM
Arash KomeiliProfessor (Affiliated) of Cell Biology, Development and PhysiologyCDPAssembly and Subcellular Organization of Bacterial Organelles
Doug KoshlandRichard and Rhoda Goldman Distinguished Chair in the Biological Sciences & Professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and DevelopmentGGEDYear 2 AdvisorMechanisms and principles that mediate desiccation tolerance and the structure, integrity, and evolution of chromosomes
Richard H. KramerCH and Annie Li Chair in Molecular Biology of Diseases and Professor of Cell Biology, Development and PhysiologyCDPChemical signaling within and between neurons
John KuriyanHoward Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and Chancellor's Adjunct Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural BiologyBBSStructural and functional studies of signal transduction and DNA replication
Liana LareauAssistant Professor (Affiliated) of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and DevelopmentGGED
Samantha LewisAssistant Professor of Cell Biology, Development and PhysiologyCDPMitochondrial biology; mitochondrial genome integrity in health and disease
Lorenzo LonesAssistant Professor of Teaching, Division of Cell Biology, Development and PhysiologyCDPBiology education, STEM pedagogy, active learning, assessment
Bronwyn LucasAssistant Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural BiologyBBSIn cell structural biology
Ellen LumpkinProfessor of Cell Biology, Development and PhysiologyCDPHead AdvisorMolecular mechanisms in somatosensory decoding
Kunxin LuoProfessor of Cell Biology, Development and PhysiologyCDPSignal transduction pathways mediated by receptors and the mechanisms controlling the activity of the receptor kinases
Michael MarlettaClass of 1936 Chair and Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural BiologyBBSStructure/Function Relationships in Proteins; Enzyme Catalysis; Molecular Mechanisms of Cell Signaling
Susan MarquseeProfessor of Molecular TherapeuticsMTXDeterminants of protein structure and folding
Megan MartikAssistant Professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and DevelopmentGGEDNeural crest in development, disease, evolution, and tissue regeneration
Andreas MartinHoward Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural BiologyBBSEnergy-dependent proteases and molecular machines
Sabeeha MerchantWarren C. Eveland Endowed Chair in the Biological Sciences and Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural BiologyBBSDivision Head (fall)Biochemistry of metals; photosynthesis and bioenergy; genomics of algae
Barbara MeyerHoward Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and Professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and DevelopmentGGEDSex determination in C. elegans
Craig T. MillerGGED Division Head, Judy Chandler Webb Endowed Chair in the Biological Sciences, and Professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and DevelopmentGGEDDivision HeadDevelopmental and evolutionary genetics
Evan MillerAssociate Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural BiologyBBSYear 2 AdvisorChemical biology, neuroscience, organic chemistry, fluorescence, imaging
Priya MoorjaniAssistant Professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and DevelopmentGGEDHuman Population Genetics and Evolutionary Biology
Ahmad NabhanAssistant Professor of Cell Biology, Development and PhysiologyCDPDecoding and recoding stem/niche communication in regeneration and fibrosis
Dipti NayakAssistant Professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and DevelopmentGGEDPhysiology and evolution of archaea; biochemistry of methanogenesis; genome editing tools for archaeal genetics
David NguyenAssistant Professor (Affiliated) of Immunology and Molecular MedicineIMMApplications of genome editing in the immune system as applied to understanding and correcting mutations causing primary immunodeficiency (PID)
Eva NogalesHoward Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural BiologyBBSStructure-function of macromolecular assemblies: cytoskeleton self-assembly and nucleic acid transactions
Daniel K. NomuraProfessor of Molecular TherapeuticsMTXUsing chemoproteomic platforms for drug discovery against the undruggable proteome and incurable diseases
James NuñezAssistant Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural BiologyBBSEpigenome editing, epigenetic memory and inheritance; CRISPR technology development
Molly OhainleAssistant Professor of Immunology and Molecular MedicineIMMCellular barriers to viral infection, host-virus arms race, HIV functional genomics
James OlzmannProfessor of Molecular TherapeuticsMTXRegulation of cellular lipid homeostasis: lipid droplets, lipotoxicity, and ferroptosis
Eunyong ParkAssociate Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural BiologyBBSGSI AdvisorStructure and mechanism of membrane transport proteins; cryo-EM; biochemistry; biophysics
Margaux PinneyAssistant Professor (Affiliated) of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural BiologyBBS
Daniel PortnoyDistinguished Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural BiologyBBSMolecular and cellular basis of microbial pathogenesis
Michael RapeMTx Division Head, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, Dr. K. Peter Hirth Endowed Chair in Cancer Research, and Professor of Molecular TherapeuticsMTXDivision Head, Year 1 Advisor, Year 2 AdvisorProtein ubiquitination, degradation and the control of cell division and differentiation
David RauletEsther and Wendy Schekman Chair in Basic Cancer Biology, and Professor of Immunology and Molecular MedicineIMMInnate immune responses to cancer and infections mediated by natural killer cells and T cells
Filipa Rijo-FerreiraAssistant Professor (Affiliated) of Immunology and Molecular MedicineIMMCircadian rhythms in parasitic diseases
Donald RioRichard and Rhoda Goldman Distinguished Chair in the Biological Sciences and Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural BiologyBBSMolecular genetics; transposable elements; RNA splicing
Ellen RobeyIMM Division Head and Professor of Immunology and Molecular MedicineIMMDivision HeadFate determination in the T-lymphocyte lineage
Daniel S. RokhsarProfessor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and DevelopmentGGEDCollective phenomena and ordering in condensed matter and biological systems
David SavageHoward Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural BiologyBBSGAC MemberSynthetic biology and metabolism.
Robert SaxtonAssistant Professor of Immunology and Molecular MedicineIMMMechanisms of cell signaling controlling tissue inflammation, repair, and homeostasis
David SchafferProfessor of Molecular TherapeuticsMTXMolecular investigations of stem cells and viral gene delivery
Julia SchaletzkyExecutive Director, Center for Emerging and Neglected Diseases and Assistant Adjunct Professor of Molecular TherapeuticsMTX
Randy SchekmanHoward Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and Professor of Cell Biology, Development and PhysiologyCDPOrganelle assembly; protein transport
Alanna SchepartzCZ and Irmgard Distinguished Chair of Chemistry, Professor of Molecular TherapeuticsMTXChemical and synthetic biology; how cellular molecules and machines function and how this information can be used to design new and useful molecules.
Kimberley SeedAssociate Professor (Affiliated) of Immunology and Molecular Medicine of Immunology and Molecular MedicineIMMInteractions between bacteria and their viral predators (bacteriophages)
Max StallerAssistant Professor in Residence of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and DevelopmentGGEDComputational and experimental studies of intrinsically disordered proteins and transcription factors.
Sarah A. StanleyAssociate Professor of Immunology and Molecular MedicineIMMYear 2 Advisor, GAC MemberImmune responses to infection
Peter SudmantAssociate Professor (Affiliated) of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and DevelopmentGGEDEvolutionary and Functional Genomics
Ian SwinburneAssistant Professor of Cell Biology, Development and PhysiologyCDPMulti-scale mechanisms of organ form and function
Denis TitovAssistant Professor (Affiliated) of Cell Biology, Development and PhysiologyCDPRegulation of Human Metabolic Pathways; Molecular Basis of Aging; Systems and Computational Biology
Robert TjianHoward Hughes Medical Institute President, Li Ka Shing Chancellor's Chair in Biology, and Professor of Molecular TherapeuticsMTXEukaryotic molecular biology; biochemistry
Elçin ÜnalProfessor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and DevelopmentGGEDGSI Advisor, GAC MemberMolecular basis of cellular rejuvenation, gene regulation during cellular differentiation
Srigokul Upadhyayula (Gokul)Assistant Professor in Residence of Cell Biology, Development and PhysiologyCDPMultifunctional adaptive optical microscopy; 3D subcellular dynamics; computational tools for tera- to petabyte-scale projects.
Fyodor UrnovProfessor of Molecular TherapeuticsMTXDevelopment and advancement to the clinic of CRISPR-Cas-based genome/epigenome editing approaches for Mendelian diseases
Russell VanceHoward Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and Professor of Immunology and Molecular MedicineIMMHost-pathogen interactions
Allon WagnerAssistant Professor of Immunology and Molecular MedicineIMMComputational and systems immunology, single-cell genomics, immunometabolism
Matthew WelchDepartment Co-Chair, Francis Williams Chair in Biological Sciences, and Professor of Cell Biology, Development and PhysiologyCDPCo-ChairCytoskeletal function in cell migration, membrane trafficking and microbial pathogenesis
Noah WhitemanProfessor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and DevelopmentGGEDYear 1 AdvisorWe study the genetic basis of biotic interactions, the evolution of immune systems and toxin evolution-resistance mechanisms
Ross WilsonAssistant Adjunct Professor of Molecular TherapeuticsMTXMolecular mechanisms and therapeutic delivery of genome editing enzymes
Ahmet YildizProfessor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural BiologyBBSStructural mechanism of molecular motors. High resolution imaging of subcellular structures
Ziyang ZhangAssistant Professor (Affiliated) of Molecular TherapeuticsMTX
Roberto ZoncuProfessor of Molecular TherapeuticsMTXHow organelles sense nutrients and regulate cellular growth