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

NEU - Neurobiology

Name	Title	Divisions	Roles	Keywords
Hillel Adesnik	Associate Professor of Neurobiology	NEU		Dynamics of neural circuits underlying information processing in the cerebral cortex.
Ana Arruda	Assistant Professor, Affiliated of Cell Biology, Development and Physiology	CDP		Organelle Architecture, Endoplasmic reticulum function, Metabolic regulation in health and disease
Greg Barton	Howard Hughes Investigator and Professor of Immunology and Molecular Medicine	IMM		Innate immune system
Helen Bateup	Associate Professor of Molecular Therapeutics	MTX		Molecular mechanisms of synapse and circuit plasticity
Diana Bautista	Howard Hughes Investigator and Professor of Cell Biology, Development and Physiology	CDP	Division Head, GAC Member (fall)	Molecular mechanisms of transduction in touch and pain receptors
Robert Beatty	Senior Continuing Lecturer of Immunology	IMM	GSI Advisor	Infectious disease immunology
Eric Betzig	Howard Hughes Investigator and Professor of Cell Biology, Development and Physiology	CDP		Development of new tools for imaging and image analysis to enable biological discovery
David Bilder	Professor of Cell Biology, Development and Physiology	CDP	GAC Member (spring)	Genetics of cell and tissue architecture
Michael Botchan	Dean of Biological Sciences Professor of Molecular Therapeutics	MTX	Dean	Eukaryote DNA replication and control of S phase
Gloria Brar	Associate Professor of Cell Biology, Development and Physiology	CDP		Regulation of meiotic translation, the roles of pervasive short translation products, and the co-option of stress responses for cellular differentiation through meiosis
Steven E. Brenner	Professor (Affiliated) of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development	GGED		Computational Genomics
Stephen Brohawn	Associate Professor of Neurobiology	NEU		Molecular basis of sensory transduction and cellular electrical signaling
Carlos Bustamante	Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and Raymond and Beverly Sackler Chair and Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology	BBS		Structural characterization of nucleo-protein assemblies
Jamie H. D. Cate	Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology	BBS		Molecular Basis for Protein Synthesis by the Ribosome
Christopher Chang	Class of 1942 Chair and Professor of Molecular Therapeutics	MTX		Deciphering roles for metals and redox signals in neurobiology, metabolism, and cancer enabled by activity-based sensing and related chemical technologies
Michelle Chang	Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology	BBS		Enzyme catalysis and metabolic engineering
Kathleen Collins	Walter and Ruth Schubert Family Chair, Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology	BBS		Biology, biochemistry, and biotechnology of retroelements, retroelement reverse transcriptases, and functional RNAs
Laurent Coscoy	Associate Professor of Immunology and Molecular Medicine	IMM	Year 1 Advisor	Molecular mechanisms of immune evasion in viral infection
Jeffery Cox	C.H. Li Chair of Biochemistry and Molecular Endocrinology, Professor of Immunology and Molecular Medicine	IMM		Molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis and immune evasion in mycobacteria
Yang Dan	Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and Professor of Neurobiology	NEU	GSI Advisor	Information processed by neuronal circuits
Xavier Darzacq	Associate Professor of Molecular Therapeutics	MTX	GAC Member	Transcription regulation during cellular differentiation
Abby Dernburg	Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and Professor of Cell Biology, Development and Physiology	CDP		Chromosome organization and dynamics during meiosis
Andrew Dillin	Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and Thomas and Stacey Siebel Distinguished Chair in Stem Cell Biology and Professor of Immunology and Molecular Medicine	IMM		My laboratory works on the genetic and molecular mechanisms that regulate aging and aging-related disease.
Jennifer A. Doudna	Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, Li Ka Shing Chancellor's Chair in Biomedical and Health Sciences and Professor of Molecular Therapeutics	MTX		RNA-mediated gene regulation
David G. Drubin	Ernette Comby Chair in Microbiology Professor of Cell Biology, Development and Physiology	CDP		Actin and microtubule cytoskeletons in yeast and mammalian cells
Michel DuPage	Assistant Professor of Immunology and Molecular Medicine	IMM		Epigenetic control of the functional plasticity of T cells in disease
Michael B. Eisen	Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, Raymond & Beverly Sackler Chair in Computational Biology, and Professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development	GGED		Genomics/Bioinformatics
Daniel Feldman	Professor of Neurobiology	NEU	Division Head	Sensory processing and plasticity in cerebral cortex
Marla Feller	Professor of Neurobiology	NEU		The development and function of retinal circuits
Yvette Fisher	Assistant Professor of Neurobiology	NEU		Flexibility of neural circuits for navigation
John G. Flannery	Professor of Molecular Therapeutics	MTX		Molecular mechanisms underlying diseases of the retina
Daniel A. Fletcher	Professor (Affiliated) of Cell Biology, Development and Physiology	CDP		Mechanics and dynamics of cell movements on the purified protein, single cell, and tissue levels
Meng-meng Fu	Assistant Professor of Cell Biology, Development and Physiology	CDP		Cytoskeleton and transport in glia
Hernan G. Garcia	Associate Professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development	GGED	Equity Advisor	Physical biology. Transcriptional regulation. Development of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster
Gian Garriga	Professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development	GGED		Developmental neurobiology; molecular genetics
Britt Glaunsinger	Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and Professor of Molecular Therapeutics	MTX		Virology; messenger RNA processing and degradation
Andrea Gomez	Assistant Professor of Neurobiology	NEU		Instructive cues for neural form and function
Iswar Hariharan	Professor of Cell Biology, Development and Physiology	CDP		Mechanisms of control of growth and cell proliferation. Regulation of regenerative growth.
Richard Harland	Senior Associate Dean of Biological Sciences, C.H. Li Distinguished Professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development	GGED	Exec. Dean	Molecular biology of development
Eva Harris	Professor (Affiliated) of Immunology and Molecular Medicine	IMM
Lin He	Thomas and Stacey Siebel Distinguished Chair in Stem Cell Research and Professor of Cell Biology, Development and Physiology	CDP		microRNA functions in cancer development, mouse tumor models
Rebecca Heald	Department Co-Chair and Flora Lamson Hewlett Chair and Professor of Cell Biology, Development and Physiology	CDP	Co-Chair	Mitotic spindle assembly and function in Xenopus laevis
Dirk Hockemeyer	Associate Professor of Cell Biology, Development and Physiology	CDP	Year 2 Advisor (spring)	Telomere biology of human stem cells
James Hurley	Kirsch Springer Chair in Biological Sciences and Professor of Cell Biology, Development and Physiology	CDP	GSI Advisor	Structural membrane biology
Nicholas Ingolia	Associate Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology	BBS	Year 1 Advisor	Molecular basis and physiological roles of the Translational control of gene expression through global and genome-wide analyses
Ehud Isacoff	Professor of Neurobiology	NEU		Ion channel function and synaptic plasticity
Na Ji	Professor of Neurobiology	NEU		Development of microscopy methods for clearer, deeper, and faster in vivo tissue imaging
Gary Karpen	Professor of Cell Biology, Development and Physiology	CDP	Year 1 Advisor, Year 2 Advisor (fall)	Chromosome structure and function
Nicole King	Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and Professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development	GGED		Choanoflagellates, animal origins, and the evolution of host-microbe interactions
David Kirn	Adjunct Professor of Immunology and Molecular Medicine	IMM
Arash Komeili	Professor (Affiliated) of Cell Biology, Development and Physiology	CDP		Assembly and Subcellular Organization of Bacterial Organelles
Doug Koshland	Richard and Rhoda Goldman Distinguished Chair in the Biological Sciences & Professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development	GGED	Year 2 Advisor	Mechanisms and principles that mediate desiccation tolerance and the structure, integrity, and evolution of chromosomes
Richard H. Kramer	CH and Annie Li Chair in Molecular Biology of Diseases and Professor of Neurobiology	NEU	Year 1 Advisor, Year 2 Advisor, GAC Member	Chemical signaling within and between neurons
John Kuriyan	Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and Chancellor's Adjunct Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology	BBS		Structural and functional studies of signal transduction and DNA replication
Stephan Lammel	Associate Professor of Neurobiology	NEU		Organization and function of neural circuits
Liana Lareau	Assistant Professor (Affiliated) of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development	GGED
Samantha Lewis	Assistant Professor of Cell Biology, Development and Physiology	CDP		Mitochondrial biology; mitochondrial genome integrity in health and disease
Lorenzo Lones	Assistant Teaching Professor of Cell Biology, Development and Physiology	CDP		Biology education, STEM pedagogy, active learning, assessment
Bronwyn Lucas	Assistant Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology	BBS		In cell structural biology
Ellen Lumpkin	Professor of Cell Biology, Development and Physiology	CDP	Head Advisor	Molecular mechanisms in somatosensory decoding
Kunxin Luo	Professor of Cell Biology, Development and Physiology	CDP		Signal transduction pathways mediated by receptors and the mechanisms controlling the activity of the receptor kinases
Michael Marletta	Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology	BBS		Structure/Function Relationships in Proteins; Enzyme Catalysis; Molecular Mechanisms of Cell Signaling
Susan Marqusee	Professor of Molecular Therapeutics	MTX		Determinants of protein structure and folding
Megan Martik	Assistant Professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development	GGED		Neural crest in development, disease, evolution, and tissue regeneration
Andreas Martin	Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology	BBS		Energy-dependent proteases and molecular machines
Sabeeha Merchant	Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology	BBS	Division Head (temporary)	Biochemistry of metals; photosynthesis and bioenergy; genomics of algae
Barbara Meyer	Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and Professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development	GGED	GAC Member	Sex determination in C. elegans
Craig T. Miller	Associate Professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development	GGED	Division Head, GSI Advisor	Developmental and evolutionary genetics
Evan Miller	Associate Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology	BBS	Year 2 Advisor	Chemical biology, neuroscience, organic chemistry, fluorescence, imaging
Priya Moorjani	Assistant Professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development	GGED		Human Population Genetics and Evolutionary Biology
Dipti Nayak	Assistant Professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development	GGED		Physiology and evolution of archaea; biochemistry of methanogenesis; genome editing tools for archaeal genetics
David Nguyen	Assistant Professor (Affiliated) of Immunology and Molecular Medicine	IMM
Eva Nogales	Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology	BBS		Structure-function of macromolecular assemblies: cytoskeleton self-assembly and nucleic acid transactions
Daniel K. Nomura	Professor of Molecular Therapeutics	MTX		Using chemoproteomic platforms for drug discovery against the undruggable proteome and incurable diseases
James Nuñez	Assistant Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology	BBS		Epigenome editing, epigenetic memory and inheritance; CRISPR technology development
Molly Ohainle	Assistant Professor of Immunology and Molecular Medicine	IMM		Cellular barriers to viral infection, host-virus arms race, HIV functional genomics
James Olzmann	Associate Professor of Molecular Therapeutics	MTX		Regulation of cellular lipid homeostasis: lipid droplets, lipotoxicity, and ferroptosis
Eunyong Park	Associate Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology	BBS	GSI Advisor	Structure and mechanism of membrane transport proteins; cryo-EM; biochemistry; biophysics
Daniel Portnoy	Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology	BBS		Molecular and cellular basis of microbial pathogenesis
David Presti	Teaching Professor of Neurobiology	NEU		Neurobiology
Michael Rape	Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and Professor of Molecular Therapeutics	MTX	Division Head, Year 1 Advisor, Year 2 Advisor	Protein ubiquitination, degradation and the control of cell division and differentiation
David Raulet	Esther and Wendy Schekman Chair in Basic Cancer Biology, and Professor of Immunology and Molecular Medicine	IMM		Innate immune responses to cancer and infections mediated by natural killer cells and T cells
Filipa Rijo-Ferreira	Assistant Professor (Affiliated) of Immunology and Molecular Medicine	IMM		Circadian rhythms in parasitic diseases
Donald Rio	Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology	BBS		Molecular genetics; transposable elements; RNA splicing
Ellen Robey	Professor of Immunology and Molecular Medicine	IMM	Division Head	Fate determination in the T-lymphocyte lineage
Daniel S. Rokhsar	Professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development	GGED		Collective phenomena and ordering in condensed matter and biological systems
Kaoru Saijo	Assistant Professor of Immunology and Molecular Medicine	IMM		Nuclear Receptor-mediated regulation of Neuroinflammation
David Savage	Associate Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology	BBS	GAC Member	Synthetic biology and metabolism.
Robert Saxton	Assistant Professor of Immunology and Molecular Medicine	IMM		Mechanisms of cell signaling controlling tissue inflammation, repair, and homeostasis
David Schaffer	Professor of Neurobiology	NEU		Molecular investigations of stem cells and viral gene delivery
Julia Schaletzky	Executive Director, Center for Emerging and Neglected Diseases and Assistant Adjunct Professor of Molecular Therapeutics	MTX
Randy Schekman	Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and Professor of Cell Biology, Development and Physiology	CDP		Organelle assembly; protein transport
Alanna Schepartz	CZ and Irmgard Distinguished Chair of Chemistry, Professor of Molecular Therapeutics	MTX		Chemical and synthetic biology; how cellular molecules and machines function and how this information can be used to design new and useful molecules.
Max Staller	Assistant Professor in Residence of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development	GGED	Year 1 Advisor	Computational and experimental studies of intrinsically disordered proteins and transcription factors.
Sarah A. Stanley	Associate Professor of Immunology and Molecular Medicine	IMM	Year 2 Advisor, GAC Member	Immune responses to infection
Peter Sudmant	Assistant Professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development	GGED		Evolutionary and Functional Genomics
Ian Swinburne	Assistant Professor of Cell Biology, Development and Physiology	CDP		Multi-scale mechanisms of organ form and function
Mark Tanouye	Professor (Affiliated) of Neurobiology	NEU		Mechanisms of nervous system structure and function
Denis Titov	Assistant Professor (Affiliated) of Cell Biology, Development and Physiology	CDP		Regulation of Human Metabolic Pathways; Molecular Basis of Aging; Systems and Computational Biology
Robert Tjian	Howard Hughes Medical Institute President and Professor of Molecular Therapeutics	MTX		Eukaryotic molecular biology; biochemistry
Doris Tsao	Professor of Neurobiology	NEU
Elçin Ünal	Associate Professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development	GGED		Molecular basis of cellular rejuvenation, gene regulation during cellular differentiation
Srigokul Upadhyayula (Gokul)	Assistant Professor in Residence of Cell Biology, Development and Physiology	CDP		Multifunctional adaptive optical microscopy; 3D subcellular dynamics; computational tools for tera- to petabyte-scale projects.
Fyodor Urnov	Professor of Molecular Therapeutics	MTX		Understanding and editing the human epigenome for molecular therapeutic development
Russell Vance	Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and Professor of Immunology and Molecular Medicine	IMM		Host-pathogen interactions
Allon Wagner	Assistant Professor of Immunology and Molecular Medicine	IMM		Computational and systems immunology, single-cell genomics, immunometabolism
Matthew Welch	Department Co-Chair and Professor of Cell Biology, Development and Physiology	CDP	Co-Chair	Cytoskeletal function in cell migration, membrane trafficking and microbial pathogenesis
Noah Whiteman	Professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development	GGED		We study the genetic basis of biotic interactions, the evolution of immune systems and toxin evolution-resistance mechanisms
Ross Wilson	Assistant Adjunct Professor of Molecular Therapeutics	MTX		Molecular mechanisms and therapeutic delivery of genome editing enzymes
Ahmet Yildiz	Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology	BBS		Structural mechanism of molecular motors. High resolution imaging of subcellular structures
Ziyang Zhang	Assistant Professor (Affiliated) of Molecular Therapeutics	MTX
Qiang Zhou	Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology	BBS		Biochemistry of HIV gene expression and transcriptional elongation
Roberto Zoncu	Professor of Molecular Therapeutics	MTX		How organelles sense nutrients and regulate cellular growth