Two decades in: Chemical biology graduate program

June 16, 2025
by Sarah C. P. Williams

This article appeared in Catalyst Magazine, Spring 2025

Setting a Track Record of Success

Two people talking with a view of the Berkeley campus in the background

More than twenty years ago, a handful of researchers within the Department of Chemistry noticed an increasing need to train students in the interdisciplinary field of chemical biology. Emerging chemical reasoning and quantitative analysis methods were transforming the way scientists could tackle biological questions, and students were eager to learn these approaches.

Out of these discussions, the Berkeley Chemical Biology Graduate Program was born. After a small pilot period, the program received a training grant from the NIH in 2004. Coupled with support from private donors and biotechnology companies, this allowed ten students to join the new program.

While most chemistry graduate programs involve a quick transition into a lab, the Chemical Biology program focused more on allowing students to explore different areas of the field.

"One of the original reasons for having this program was to be able to support students as they rotated through different labs," says Matthew Francis, who has helped lead the program over the last two decades. "Chemical biology is a broad field, and we really want students to make an informed decision about which lab is going to be the best choice for them based on where they want their career to go."

Now, twenty years in, the program has grown far beyond a series of lab rotations. The 15 to 20 students who join the program each year—coming from both the Division of Chemistry and the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology – can expect in-depth mentoring, coursework, group research presentations, and symposia that prepare them for a range of jobs.

At the same time, the field of chemical biology has grown, expanding opportunities for students both during graduate school and after they leave Berkeley. Graduates of the program have contributed to Nobel Prize–winning research and have gone on to work in academics, industry, medicine, pharmacy, and patent law. Around the world, other universities have expanded their own chemical biology programs, often learning from Berkeley's success.

"It's really gratifying to see that we've served as a blueprint for many other institutions building their own chemical biology programs," says Francis. "And as time has gone on, we've tried to remain at the cutting edge in terms of developing new initiatives, coursework, and opportunities for students."

Chem Bio poster event

Photo courtesy of Barbara Karvelot

While NIH funding has remained steady in the past—the program renewed its NIH support and has begun its 21st year of funding—those funds are dedicated to student support and have not kept apace with increases in tuition and stipends over the years. Donations from companies and individuals, totaling $4 million over the last twenty years, have been vital in supporting additional students, including international students not eligible for NIH funding, and for the wider breadth of activities now organized through the program.

For first-year students, lunches with members of some of the 45 labs involved in the Chemical Biology program help expose them to the topics being addressed with a chemical biology approach, from drug design to bio-inspired materials engineering and biofuels. Mentors— more experienced graduate students —also help the first-years transition to Berkeley and choose a lab.

"I think these peer mentors really add depth to students' experiences," says Barbara Karvelot, the administrative coordinator of the Chemical Biology Program. "It expands their network of support outside of just the lab that they join."

An annual symposium brings high-profile scientists from across industry and academia to Berkeley; in recent years those speakers have included Brian Metcalf from Global Blood Therapeutics, David Liu from Harvard, and Carolyn Bertozzi from Stanford. And throughout the year, lunches for more senior students let them share their own research and introduce them to career development speakers.

One of the big benefits of this program is that it allows for a lot of cross-fertilization of ideas across our research groups,...as our students rotate through different labs and hang out through department activities, it gives our labs new chances
Matt Francis

In 2018, the core coursework for Chemical Biology students doubled, with the addition of a fall Bio-organic Chemistry class that sets the groundwork for the chemical biology curriculum. In the spring of the first year, students then take a Chemical Biology course, which provides an overview of current topics in the field and includes virtual guest lectures from scientists around the country.

For the last two decades, the Chemical Biology Graduate Program has trained over 300 students who have gone on to top careers in industry, academia, and other fields. Now, with Matthew Francis and Evan Miller at the helm, the program is excited to train the next generation in the cutting-edge science occurring in chemical biology.

Symposia

2024 Dr. Brian Metcalf

Global Blood Therapeutics
The discovery of Voxelotor for the treatment of sickle cell disease Brian Metcalf earned his Chemistry PhD in 1970. He spent 20 years at SmithKline Beecham in the U.S. While at Incyte Pharmaceuticals, he helped develop four approved cancer and inflammation drugs. His work on Voxelotor, for the treatment of sickle cell disease, led to his receiving the Galien Prize in 2021.

Dr. David Liu

Harvard/Broad
Base editing and prime editing: correcting mutations that cause genetic disease in cells, animals, and patients David Liu invented base editing and prime editing, two groundbreaking techniques that allow precise modifications to the genome without causing double-stranded DNA breaks. In 2025, Liu was honored with the $3 million Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences. He has been elected to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and the U.S. National Academy of Medicine.

Dr. Carolyn Bertozzi

Stanford
Using bioorthogonal chemistry as a tool to help visualize cell surface glycans, with recent progress in improving the reactions involved and turning this research into potential clinical drug candidates Carolyn Bertozzi founded bioorthogonal chemistry, which allows scientists to modify biomolecules inside living systems with minimal disruption. Her work has transformed cancer immunotherapy, targeted drug delivery, and glycobiology. In 2022 Bertozzi was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, shared with K. Barry Sharpless and Morten Meldal, for the development of click chemistry and bioorthogonal reactions.

Dr. Nathanael Gray

Stanford
Targeted Protein Degradation as a New Drug Discovery Strategy Nathanael Gray's research seeks to discover and validate strategies for addressing anti-cancer targets. He has innovated in the areas of kinase inhibitor and degrader design and in circumventing drug resistance. His approach on structure-based design of inhibitors that stabilize inactive kinase conformations (type ll) has been widely adopted.