Congratulations to our MCB PhD, MBT, and BA Class of 2026 graduates!
The MCB Department is proud of our newest graduates and all that they have accomplished! Please help us celebrate the 2026 MCB Commencement Honors awardees listed below.
2026 MCB PhD Commencement Honors
The following are the recipients of our annual PhD graduate awards for research, academic, and community achievement.
| Cris Alvaro Memorial Prize The Cris Alvaro Memorial Prize honors MCB graduate student Cris Alvaro, who identified as a trans and non-binary person, using the preferred pronouns they/them/their. This award was established after Cris's untimely death in 2018 at age 29 and is presented annually to MCB Ph.D. students who embody excellence in research and commitment to diversity, inclusion, tolerance, acceptance, and sense of community that Cris Alvaro epitomized. |
Héctor Torres Vera (Brohawn Lab) |
| Nicholas Cozzarelli Prize The Nicholas Cozzarelli Prize was established in honor of Professor Nick Cozzarelli after his passing in 2006. It is presented annually to a graduating MCB student for excellent Ph.D. research. |
Srividya Chandrasekhar (Rapé Lab) |
| Alan Bearden Book Award The Book Award in honor of emeritus professor Alan Bearden was established after his death in 1999 and is presented to graduates who have performed outstanding research in the area of Biophysics. |
Merve Aslan (Biophysics PhD; Yildiz Lab) |
2026 MCB MBT Commencement Honors
The following are the recipients of our Master of Biotechnology (MBT) awards which are generously sponsored by the Kang Family Fund and the Berkeley Frontier Fund.
| Berkeley Frontier Award for Outstanding Academics and Research In recognition of academic excellence, research achievements, and an outstanding capstone project. |
Abigail Espinoza |
| Master of Biotechnology Best Poster Award In recognition of an outstanding capstone poster and presentation. |
Tianyi Ma |
| Master of Biotechnology Leadership Award In recognition of exemplary leadership and contributions to community building. |
Junyu Deng |
2026 MCB BA Commencement Honors
The following are the recipients of our annual undergraduate awards for research and academic achievement.
For more details about each award, click here.
| Departmental Citation Awarded for the highest achievement each year by a graduating senior in MCB. |
Vivian Li |
| Outstanding Scholars Awarded for the second-highest achievement of a graduating senior in MCB. |
Manav Bhavsar, Brynn Brady, Elaine Guo, Carlyn Leavitt, Han Xiao |
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| Grace Fimognari Memorial Prize Awarded to the graduating senior in the BBS emphasis, based on the same criteria as the Departmental Citation. |
Ana-Florina Galic |
| Award for the Best BBS Research Poster This award goes to the honors student in BBS who presented the best research poster at the annual MCB Honors Research Conference. |
Jenny Hu, Khushi Kethana |
| Jesse Rabinowitz Memorial Prize Awarded to an outstanding graduating senior and junior in the BBS emphasis, based on academic achievement in MCB courses and faculty recommendation. |
Anu Bhatta (junior) |
 DIVISION OF CELL BIOLOGY, DEVELOPMENT & PHYSIOLOGY (CDP) |
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| John Forte Memorial Prize In recognition of outstanding academic achievement in molecular physiology. |
Shannon Finan |
| Evans Memorial Award This award goes to the graduating senior in recognition of outstanding academic achievement and excellence in Molecular Physiology or Anatomy. |
Tony Kim |
| Paola S. Timiras Memorial Prize Awarded to the top graduating senior in the CDP emphasis for high academic achievement and excellence of research in an honors project. |
Shriprithi Vel Murugan |
| CDP Best Posters & I.L. Chaikoff Memorial Awards Awarded in recognition of outstanding achievement and excellence in the CDP and Neurobiology emphases and the honors students in CDP who presented the best research posters at the annual MCB Honors Research Conference. |
Theo Chen, Cynthia Yuqing Zhang |
 DIVISION OF GENETICS, GENOMICS, EVOLUTION, AND DEVELOPMENT (GGED) |
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| Edward M. Blount Award Awarded to the student with the highest academic achievement in GGED. |
Anju Natarajan, Megan White |
| Spencer W. Brown Award Awarded to a graduating senior who has most distinguished themselves in genetics research. |
Sarah Adler, Brynn Brady |
| Award for the Best GGED Research Poster This award goes to the honors student in GGED who presented the best research poster at the annual MCB Honors Research Conference. |
Colin Rushing |
 DIVISION OF IMMUNOLOGY AND MOLECULAR MEDICINE (IMM) |
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| The Nilabh Shastri Memorial Award for Outstanding Immunologist Awarded for the highest academic achievement in the IMM emphasis. |
Abinayaa Murugupandiyan |
| Immunology Academic Achievement Award Awarded to the graduating senior in the IIMM emphasis for the high academic achievement in all MCB required courses. |
Scott Morford |
| Immunology Excellence in Research Awarded to the graduating senior in the IMM emphasis for exceptional research performance in an honors research project. |
Sanchitha Kannabran |
| Award for the Best IMM Research Poster This award goes to the honors student in IMM who presented the best research poster at the annual MCB Honors Research Conference. |
Aarti Anand, Jean Choi |
 DIVISION OF MOLECULAR THERAPEUTICS (MTx) |
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| Molecular Therapeutics Excellence in Research Award This award is presented to the student who has distinguished themselves in research in MTx. |
Carolyn Nguyen |
| Molecular Therapeutics Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award This award goes to the graduating senior in the Molecular Therapeutics emphasis of the MCB major, for high achievement in business and entrepreneurship. |
Saira Gupta |
| Award for the Best MTx Research Poster This award goes to the honors student in MTx who presented the best research poster at the annual MCB Honors Research Conference. |
Aysel Ogul |
 DIVISION OF NEUROBIOLOGY |
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| Excellence in Neurobiology Award | Shelly Chen, Leah Hecht |
| Award for the Best NEU Research Poster This award goes to the honors student in NEU who presented the best research poster at the annual MCB Honors Research Conference. |
Carlyn Leavitt |
Photo credits: Banner image courtesy Noah Berger. Homepage thumbnail courtesy Keegan Houser. UC Berkeley.