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Dr. Ashley Noel Metzger is a postdoctoral scholar at the School of Social Welfare at UC Berkeley. Her work is focused on the intersection of K-12 education and the mental health well-being of youth in the public education system.

Dr. Jenni Shearston is a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management and in the School of Public Health, where she specializes in environmental epidemiology and exposure science.

It's that time of year for UC Berkeley postdoctoral scholars to review and select their benefit plans for the upcoming calendar year. The Open Enrollment period for plan year 2025 runs from 8 a.m. on Thursday, October 31, to 5 p.m. on Friday, November 22, 2024.

National Postdoc Appreciation Week at UC Berkeley had a series of fun events lined up for postdoctoral scholars, including a “Postdocs, We Love You a Latte” coffee social to let our postdocs know that they are loved not just a little but a ‘latte’!

The National Postdoc Appreciation Week at UC Berkeley warmly welcomed the postdoctoral community for a special evening to held on September 18, 2024, at the Berkeley Alumni House. 

From the mountains of Patagonia in Argentina, Dr. Mora O. Ogando came to UC Berkeley to pursue her postdoctoral research at the Neuroscience lab in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology.

UC Berkeley is renowned for its groundbreaking research in numerous fields of research, which boasts countless contributions from its outstanding postdoctoral scholars.

The UC Berkeley Visiting Scholar and Postdoc Affairs (VSPA) Office in collaboration with the Berkeley Lab Career Pathways Office co-sponsored their annual 2024 Postdoc Career Fair on Friday, August 9, 2024 with over 250 attendees participating at

In the heart of Berkeley's Department of Gender and Women's Studies, Dr. LaVelle Ridley stands out for her dedication to amplifying marginalized voices.

Dr. Joaquin A. Urrego, an urban economist at UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business, focuses his postdoctoral research on understanding urban issues, especially in slum areas.

Dr. Yuria Celidwen, a postdoc at the Department of Psychology and a senior fellow at the Othering and Belonging Institute, is conducting research that connects Indigenous studies, cultural psychology, and comparative religion.

At the intersection between epidemiology and machine learning stands Zachary Butzin-Dozier, a postdoctoral scholar with the Biostatistics Division at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health.

In a world increasingly divided by political, social, and economic differences, Aakash Chowkase is on a mission to foster empathy and compassion.

Phred Benham, a postdoctoral researcher at UC Berkeley's Department of Integrative Biology, is making waves in the scientific community with his research on avian adaptation to environmental change.

The theme for Women's History Month in 2024 spotlights the remarkable efforts of "Women Advocating for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion." Both VSPA and UC Berkeley applaud the contributions of women across the academic landscape who are keenly aware of the imperative to eliminate bias and discrimination from both personal lives and educational institutions, emphasizing the pressing need for a more equitable future.

Dr. Ola Abdelhadi was diagnosed with cancer twice, first as an adolescent and later as a young adult. Following her battle with lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic system, she is determined to improve the quality of healthcare for cancer patients. 

Inspired by her own mental health journey and the cultural stigma she faced navigating it as the daughter of an immigrant, Dr Amia Nash is focusing her research on adolescent health at the School of Public Health.

Yun Chen, a seasoned lawyer with over 16 years of experience, has embarked on a transformative journey as a visiting scholar at UC Berkeley. With a focus on international companies entering the Chinese market, Yun's expertise lies in navigating the complexities of foreign direct investment law and dispute resolution.

After studying structural biology in her undergrad and Ph.D., Dr. Koning Shen is using her time as a postdoctoral scholar at Berkeley to study the health of mitochondria and its link to diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.

Inspired by her family background and the goal of wanting better education practices for people of color, Christine Quince is conducting her postdoctoral research at the School of Education at UC Berkeley.

Through her joint appointment with the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and the School of Optometry, Dr. Guanghan Meng is working on emerging technologies for people suffering from nearsightedness.

Dr. Jue Wu came to the US from China for graduate school to work on the underrepresentation of women in sciences. Now at UC Berkeley, her research has broadened as she works towards resolving issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.

Making a big transition from Grad school to her postdoc, Dr. Xiao Liu pivoted from studying neuron regeneration to working in the field between neuroscientists and cell biology at Berkeley. 

Inspired by her personal experiences of navigating racism and discrimination, Marijke Bassani is focusing her academic research on cultivating a safe space for indigenous LGBTQIA+ communities. 

Dr. Marianne Brasil started her journey in Berkeley as an undergraduate student and is finishing it strong, years later, as a postdoc scholar at the Human Evolution Research Center.

With the ambition to make the world better for folks frequently experiencing marginalization or oppression, Dr. Merrick Robinson Osborne is building his expertise in addressing prejudice within organizations. 

UC Berkeley’s (UCB) association with Women’s History Month goes back a long way when an activist, Laura X, organized a march in the city in 1969. This historical march led to the USA's rediscovery of the long-forgotten International Women’s Day. Today, decades later, Berkeley continues to embrace the entire month of March in all its glory to celebrate women around the world. 

From studying cell biology and volunteering for life sciences to making crochet portraits, Dr. Kanika Khanna does it all!

Switching the model organisms for his research after seven years was the biggest challenge that Dr. Mark Plitt faced, but it only pulled him closer to his work.

Originally from Texas, Mark is a postdoctoral scholar at the Molecular and Cell Biology department of UCB. After completing his Ph.D. at Stanford, he is one of the few, continuing with academia in neuroscience.

Rafael Quintero-Bermudez grew up in Mexico City and was invested in Material Sciences right from his graduate studies. Even though he worked for a year in a solar company after graduating, he knew he needed something more stimulating.

“The research in academia could be more groundbreaking,” said Rafael.

A scientist who studies how energy moves at the nanoscale is rare. And so is a musician who conceptualizes, composes and produces an entire rock album on their own. But you know what’s even rarer? Someone who can do both!

Dr. Israel Borokini grew up surrounded by nature. He remembers going to bed to the sounds of wild animals and waking up to birdsong during his childhood. It is but natural then that he is today deeply engaged in the study of biodiversity in different parts of the world. 

When he’s not studying embryonic development at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Dr. Michael Kosicki works hard to ensure the activities of the Berkeley Postdoctoral Association (BPA) run smoothly. 

The legalization of cannabis has been hotly debated across the United States and the world. Almost everyone has a strong opinion on the subject. But how often are the voices of communities who produce the crop and are directly affected by such legislation brought into the conversation? 

Dr. Hussein Sibai’s love for computers can be traced back to his early childhood when his uncle, “the tech guy in the family”, brought home a Windows 95 system for the family. Back then, young Hussein used the computer just to play games. 

Food, wine, and great music brought the UC Berkeley postdoctoral community together on Wednesday evening for a special culmination of National Postdoc Appreciation Week (NPAW) 2022. The celebration, PostdocFest, was held on September 21, 2022, at the UC Berkeley Alumni House. 

Being a postdoctoral scholar is a great commitment and an even greater achievement. But even the brightest researchers struggle with one basic question that plagues students across disciplines and stages: what next? 

As part of National Postdoc Appreciation Week 2022, the Visiting Scholar and Postdoc Affairs (VSPA) office and Berkeley Postdoc Association came together to host a virtual panel discussion on careers after postdoc appointments. The discussion was held on Tuesday, September 20. 

Every year, over a hundred institutions across the country and internationally celebrate National Postdoc Appreciation Week in September to let postdoctoral scholars know that they are loved not just a little but a ‘latte’!