News

Researchers Discover How Strep A Bacteria Evade Our Natural Defenses

The labs of Chemistry Professor Partho Ghosh and Pediatric's Victor Nizet
used x-ray crystallography to discover how certain strep A bacteria evade the body's natural defenses. 

Appointment of Oleg Shpyrko as New Department of Physics Chair

Professor of Physics Oleg Shpyrko is the new chair of the department, after having previously served as vice-chair. And thank you to outgoing chair and Distinguished Professor Brian Maple for his years of service. 

Associate Professor of Mathematics Zhouli Xu is 2022 ICM Lecturer

Xu's work focuses on topology. In his ICM lecture, he introduced a new methodology via motivic homotopy theory—a theory designed to study problems in algebraic geometry, but Xu has shown it can be also used to study problems in classical topology.

Honoring a UC San Diego Landmark and Its Lasting Impact on Physics

The Kohn-Sham equation was pivotal to the formation of density functional theory. Its subsequent impact on everything from new materials design to drug discovery led APS to designate Mayer Hall a historical site.

Researchers Take First-Ever Cryo-EM Images of Nitrogenase in Action

Akif Tezcan and Mark Herzik, both in the Department of Chemistry, report near-atomic-resolution snapshots of nitrogenase during catalysis using cryogenic electron microscopy (cryoEM). The results were published in the journal Science.

Neal Devaraj Named Vannevar Bush Faculty Fellow

Professor of Chemistry Neal K. Devaraj has been named a Vannevar Bush Faculty Fellow by the Department of Defense (DOD). Devaraj was one of only nine selected fellows, and the first from UC San Diego since 2015. 

The Outer Limits: Future Economic Growth in the Face of Diminishing Resources

Professor of Physics Thomas Murphy believes humankind's current trajectory unbridled economic growth is unable to continue much longer. His assessment appears in a comment paper recently published by Nature Physics.

Olga Dudko Receives Prestigious Simons Investigator Award

Professor of Physics Olga Dudko has been named a 2022 Simons Investigator, one of the most prestigious awards for a theoretical research scientist. Dudko is a theoretical physicist whose work seeks to establish unifying physical principles in biology.

Physical Sciences Researchers Earn Prestigious Early Career Awards

Four researchers from the School of Physical Sciences have received important early career awards from the Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation.

School of Physical Sciences Class of '22 Share Their Stories

The School of Physical Sciences congratulates everyone who graduated this spring. Here we share a few stories from the graduating class of 2022—favorite memories, challenges overcome, and friends made along the way.

UC San Diego Service Award Honoree Shares Highlights from 36-Year Career

During Diana Platero-Lopez's 36 years with UC San Diego, she has played various roles in many departments including pharmacology, music, economics and mathematics, where she is currently the manager of Student Affairs.

UC San Diego Researchers Win Big in 2022 DOD Research Funding Awards

Chemistry Professor Wei Xiong and Physics Professor Monica Allen were both part of research teams that received interdisciplinary research awards from the Department of Defense.

The Physics “Class of 1966” Finds Cohesion in Diaspora
After they graduated, they dispersed across the globe. Yet over the past five decades, they have remained in touch, even during the pandemic. An update on the Physics Class of ’66…

The Division of Physical Sciences Announces Inaugural EDI Excellence Awardees
The division is excited to announce the recipients of its inaugural EDI Excellence Awards: Alex Frañó, Megan Li, Stephanie Mora Garcia, Jeanette Starpine and SACNAS. Their work provides invaluable support to EDI initiatives in the division and across campus.

Three UC San Diego Math Professors Win Simons Fellowships
Congratulations to three UC San Diego mathematics faculty – Adrian Ioana, Melvin Leok and Rayan Saab – on being named 2022 Simons Fellows. The fellowship will provide them additional support to focus on research and intellectual stimulation.

Shelley Wright Named 2022 SETI Institute Drake Award Recipient
Associate Professor of Physics Shelley Wright will receive this year's Drake Award from the SETI Institute for her work on SETI instrumentation and using infrared wavelengths to detect extraterrestrial communications.

Unstable Molecule Clicks with Synthetic Strategy
Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Josh Figueroa and postdoc Shuai Wang have discovered a new way to stabilize diphosphorus using a single metal ion, reinforcing the diagonal relationship between phosphorus and carbon, and providing a new tool in synthetic chemistry.

2022 George W. and Carol A. Lattimer Faculty Research Fellows Announced
Congratulations to the latest recipients of the division’s Lattimer Faculty Research Fellowship –  Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Galia Debelouchina and Professor of Physics Olga Dudko.

Meddling with Metals: Escaping the Tyranny of Copper

Chemistry Professor Akif Tezcan and postdoc Tae Su Choi designed a flexible protein that selectively binds other metal ions over copper, paving the way for the design of novel functional proteins and metal sequestration agents. 

New Faculty Bridge Black Studies and STEM

UC San Diego is welcoming 13 new faculty members who will serve as connection points between the experiences and outcomes of Black and African American people and issues in science, technology, engineering and health, including Chemistry Professor Lisa Jones.

Bridging a Gap in the Theory of Synaptic Transmission
Professor of Physics Olga Dudko and physics Ph.D. student Bin Wang have discovered a universal theory of synaptic transmission. The discovery revealed that synapses with strikingly different properties still exhibit similar patterns and behaviors.

Franklin Garrett Receives Inclusive Excellence Award
Congratulations to Franklin Garrett on receiving the 2021 Inclusive Excellence Award for his work supporting the campus’ equity, diversity and inclusion goals. Read our Q&A to learn more about his work, his thesis research and what he loves about UC San Diego.

Three UC San Diego faculty members receive 2022 Sloan Research Fellowship
UC San Diego celebrates three new Sloan Fellows, including Assistant Professor of Mathematics Frederick Manners. These are one of the most competitive and prestigious awards available to early career researchers.

Massimiliano Di Ventra Named an IEEE Fellow
Physics Professor Massimiliano Di Ventra has been named an IEEE Fellow for his work on quantum transport in nanoscale systems and “in-memory computing.” Di Ventra is the university’s only 2022 IEEE fellow.

Cohort Program Provides a Pathway to Excellence

Operated through the division’s Student Success Center, the Cohort Program provides incoming freshmen with a support system to address many of the struggles new students face.

Undergraduate Megan Li Receives Prestigious USRA Award
Congratulations to Megan Li on being named a USRA Distinguished Undergraduate. Read our Q&A to learn more about her studies, her plans for the future and why she wants to look for alien life.

COVID Gets Airborne
Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Rommie Amaro has, along with partners across the U.S. and around the world, modeled the delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 inside an aerosol for the first time. These models provide an up-close look at how the virus travels and thrives in the air.

UC San Diego Faculty Receive Trifecta of National Awards

Physics professors Benjamin Grinstein, Terry Hwa and Suckjoon Jun have all received national recognition for their groundbreaking physics research.