Basic Science Lights the Way

What do a neurobiologist, particle physicist, evolutionary biologist, and cosmologist have in common? They follow their curiosity and pursue discovery-driven research for fundamental knowledge and understanding. Learn the latest findings from their efforts.

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Saul Perlmutter, Nobel Laureate and Dabby Professor of Physics, moderator

Hillel Adesnik, Associate Professor of Neurobiology

Heather Gray, Assistant Professor of Physics

Britt Koskella, Assistant Professor of Integrative Biology

Many Berkeley faculty have refocused research priorities in response to the coronavirus pandemic. A panel of biologists explores diverse approaches to learning about this novel virus — including its ecology and evolution, molecular mechanisms of infection, and the hunt for therapeutic targets.

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Jeffery Cox, Faculty Director, Center for Emerging and Infectious Diseases, moderator

Diana Bautista, Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology

Mike Boots, Professor of Integrative Biology

James Hurley, Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology

Experts on the atmospheric, oceanographic, microbial, and ecological connections to Earth’s climate share their big-picture perspectives on this urgent topic. How will climate change alter the cycling of carbon and methane in sea and sky? What is the outlook for the weather or biodiversity?

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David M. Romps, Goldman Distinguished Chair in the Physical Sciences, moderator

Bethanie Edwards, Assistant Professor of Earth and Planetary Science

Dipti Nayak, Assistant Professor of Genetics, Genomics, and Development

Caroline Williams, Associate Professor of Integrative Biology

Recent breakthroughs in biological imaging using adaptive optics and novel types of ultra-high-resolution microscopes have enabled watching live cells in action in the brain and other tissues. Pioneers of these approaches describe how Berkeley’s new Advanced Bioimaging Center will be a visualization and data-processing powerhouse for the biological sciences.

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Oskar Hallatschek, McAdams Chair of Physics and Integrative Biology, moderator

Na Ji, Associate Professor of Neurobiology and Physics

Robert Tjian, Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology

Gokul Upadhyayula, Assistant Professor in Residence of Cell and Developmental Biology

Plate tectonics drives our dynamic planet, from earthquakes and volcanoes at surface subduction zones to convection deep in the mantle. A dynamic group of geologists and geophysicists discusses ways to study how the Earth operates, how it has changed over 4.5 billion years, and some unsolved mysteries.

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Michael Manga, Professor and Chair of Earth and Planetary Science, moderator

Roland Burgmann, Professor of Earth and Planetary Science

Claire Doody, doctoral candidate, Department of Earth and Planetary Science

Harriet Lau, Assistant Professor of Earth and Planetary Science

Berkeley’s renowned biological research carries forward in these early-career scholars, who are decoding cues of brain activity behind behavior; studying mitochondrial DNA’s links to metabolic diseases; and examining molecular bases of chemical coevolution in plants and insects.

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Matthew Welch, Francis Williams Chair in Biological Sciences, moderator

Andrea Gomez, Assistant Professor of Neurobiology

Samantha Lewis, Assistant Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology

Noah Whiteman, Associate Professor of Integrative Biology

Ushering in the era of quantum computing, UC Berkeley serves as headquarters for the new Quantum Leap Challenge Institute for Present and Future Quantum Computation. A panel that includes three of its scientific directors explores the institute’s research priorities and the campus vision for an integrated initiative across quantum science and technology.

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Dan Stamper-Kurn, Professor of Physics, moderator

Hartmut Häffner, Associate Professor and Mike Gyorgy Chair in Physics

Boubacar Kanté, Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

Lin Lin, Associate Professor of Mathematics

K. Birgitta Whaley, Professor of Chemistry