Grad Slam

Grad Slam is a UC-sponsored competition designed to showcase graduate student research for a general audience in three-minute talks. Students first compete in semifinals on their UC campus where they can win cash prizes.

This is a unique opportunity to develop skills in communicating academic research — while making it visible to academic, media, and private and public sector leaders from across the state.

Up to ten students will be selected as semi-finalists to present their three-minute talk in-person at the campuswide competition on Wednesday, April 8, 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. in Banatao Auditorium.

On April 22, 2026 UC Berkeley’s champion will compete against graduate student peers at the UC-wide championship competition live in Sacramento. Competitors will be judged by notable leaders in industry, government, and media.

The top three presentations will receive cash prizes. First place wins the prestigious UCOP Grad Slam “Slammy” award!

Jaquesta Adams’s presentation focused on the development of near-infrared fluorescent nanosensors for the detection of the neuropeptide oxytocin. She hopes that her research can lead to improved understanding of and therapeutic outcomes for neurological disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. 

Victoria Chevée’s presentation focused on microbes and how they interact with their hosts, particularly when it comes to pathogens. Her doctoral work focused on bacterial replication and dissemination during infections that affect the brain.

Madison Browne‘s talk explored a non-invasive light therapy for Alzheimer’s Disease. With a passion for developing diagnostic and therapeutic tools to improve quality of life for those suffering from brain disorders, Madison plans to devote her career to this cause.

Justin Lee ‘s presentation on Jamming the SARS-CoV-2 Copy Machine, won not only the 2022 UC Berkeley Grad Slam first place prize, but also the 2022 UC systemwide competition, bringing the “Slammy” back to Berkeley.

Adélaïde Bernard won first place in the campus Grad Slam competition and also took home third place at the systemwide competition! Adélaïde researches how cells in our brain sense our energy status and modulate hunger and weight gain. As a non-native English speaker, being part of this competition and getting to share her research to a broad audience was a very exciting challenge.