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.
Nine Berkeley semi-finalists have been selected to present their three-minute talk in-person at the campuswide competition on Wednesday, April 8, 3:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. at Banatao Auditorium.
Join us in-person for this exciting event celebrating grad student research. Free refreshments and snacks will be available. This event will also be live streamed.
Electrical Engineering & Computer Sciences
Carla Bassil is a 3rd-year Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Ph.D. student in Prof. Ali Javey’s lab. She works on multi-modal gas sensing technology and platforms for food safety, human health, and environmental monitoring applications. She earned her M.S. in Business from Mays Business School and her B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Texas A&M University. She is passionate about translational research and hopes to pursue entrepreneurial endeavors following her degree.
Applied Science & Technology
Sihan Chai is a first-year Ph.D. student in Applied Science and Technology. Currently in Prof. Ashok Ajoy’s Lab, she develops high-throughput quantum sensing platforms. By combining nanodiamonds with microdroplets, Sihan engineers technologies capable of detecting incredibly faint signals hidden within complex background noise. Outside of the lab, she exercises her creativity through painting and magic tricks.
Bioengineering
Grace Hu is a fifth-year Bioengineering Ph.D. candidate in the joint UC Berkeley-UCSF graduate program, where she hopes to build better tissue/organ models for regenerative medicine. Her research focuses on integrating computer vision and 3D-bioprinting to precisely control tissue interfaces. She currently serves as a Diversity & Community Fellow and is passionate about science education and outreach. Outside the lab, she enjoys cooking, playing board games, and hiking in the Bay Area.
Environmental Health Sciences
Avinia Ismiyati is a Ph.D. candidate in Environmental Health Sciences, specializing in Human Factors and Ergonomics, at UC Berkeley’s School of Public Health. Originally from Indonesia, her research combines computer vision and wearable sensors with psychosocial factors to better understand musculoskeletal risk in the workplace. Her goal is to make ergonomic assessment more scalable and accessible for workers’ injury prevention. Outside research, she works on social impact innovation programs, enjoys cooking, and loves exploring the national parks.
Ocean Engineering
Leonid Meledin is a first-year Ocean Engineering Ph.D. student, originally from Sweden. After a formative study-abroad year at Cal, he returned to lead research in phase-resolved wave prediction — creating deterministic, real-time maps of the ocean surface. By bridging nonlinear physics with machine learning, Leonid aims to transform maritime operations, with a goal of eliminating offshore commuting hazards and achieving significant fuel savings for global shipping.
Bioengineering
Kavita Parekh is a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate in Bioengineering from San Francisco, California. In the Healy Lab, she develops sponge-like biomaterial scaffolds for the treatment of volumetric muscle loss. Her research focuses on designing materials that actively support muscle regeneration rather than scar formation. Through this work, she aims to develop new care strategies that restore lost muscle and reduce long-term disability and pain for patients.
Integrative Biology
Veronarindra Ramananjato is a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate in Integrative Biology, originally from Madagascar. She is currently in the Razafindratsima Lab, a tropical ecology research group. She investigates the impacts of combined disturbances on small mammals and their roles as gardeners in Madagascar’s rainforests. Her research helps us understand how animals thrive in a changing world and how humans can intervene to promote their persistence in the long run.
Public Affairs
Vanessa Warheit is a Master of Public Affairs candidate at UC Berkeley’s Goldman School of Public Policy, specializing in the intersection of justice-oriented climate policy, economics, and AI. Her background as a voting rights advocate, political candidate, and award-winning documentary filmmaker supports her ability to communicate complex policy and financial shifts to a global audience. In her spare time, Vanessa is a visual artist and an alto singer with the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir.
Molecular & Cell Biology
Michael Young is a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate in Molecular and Cell Biology. His work uses genetic screening to determine what factors influence the replication of viruses like HIV. Through this work he aims to define which chimpanzee viruses can successfully cross to humans and evolve into HIV. He hopes his work can help us understand what viruses have pandemic potential and how our cells control viral infection.
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.
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