Catalyst Magazine Spring 2025

On the Cover

Carbon nanotubes are used to image dopamine release from single neurons in the brain.

Image courtesy of Markita Landry

Two decades in: chemical biology graduate program

Out of discussions led twenty years ago by a handful of researchers, the Berkeley Chemical Biology Graduate Program was born.

Markita Landry’s award-winning year: applying nanotechnology across disciplines

Landry received four prestigious awards, each recognizing a different facet of her wide-ranging research.

More from this issue >>

More from this issue

Douglas S. Clark

From the dean’s desk, then and now—part two

In this Dean's Desk letter, Doug Clark writes his last letter in Catalyst Magazine as Dean of the College of Chemistry. Read about what to find in this issue, and some of his reflections as he closes this chapter and begins a new one.

Colin Gould

Colin Gould on lighting up chemistry and inspiring the next generation.

Colin returns to Berkeley in July as an assistant professor of chemistry, where he aims to utilize physical stimuli— including light, electricity, and magnetic interactions—to enable new methods for pharmaceutical and fine chemical synthesis.

Laura Hirshfield

Laura Hirshfield shapes inclusive engineering through teaching, research, and design

Laura Hirshfield joined UC Berkeley in fall 2024 as an assistant teaching professor and Director of Undergraduate Education in the Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering (CBE).

Alex Pines

Alexander Pines: A legacy of scientific innovation and generosity

Pines, a pioneering figure in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and a beloved member of the UC Berkeley community, passed away on November 1, 2024, at the age of 79.

Ptizer Center

Gift from Pitzer Family Foundation supports theoretical chemistry postdoctoral fellows

A $3 million gift from the Pitzer Family Foundation, which has long supported the Berkeley College of Chemistry, will provide two new theoretical chemistry postdoctoral fellows each year with a competitive stipend during their time at Berkeley.