Pablo Alvarez studies viruses that infect the brain. His research talk won the 2025 UCLA Grad Slam

Every year, UCLA’s Grad Slam competition asks graduate students to do something remarkably difficult: explain years of complex research to a non-expert audience — in just three minutes.

This year, the challenge was met with both clarity and charisma by Pablo Alvarez, a Ph.D. candidate in the UCLA Molecular Biology Interdepartmental Program, when he won first place and the $6,000 grand prize for his presentation “Guarding the Crown Jewel: Stopping the Viral Invasion of the Brain.” 

Alvarez will now go on to represent UCLA at the UC-wide Grad Slam finals on April 29 at the UC Center in Sacramento, where he’ll compete against winners from the nine other University of California campuses for additional prizes and systemwide recognition.

At UCLA, Alvarez beat out 46 other student researchers who submitted preliminary video entries, rising to the top with his engaging and accessible talk that explored how certain mosquito-borne viruses, like chikungunya, manage to cross the blood-brain barrier and invade the brain while others do not. That key difference, Alvarez explained, could hold clues for better understanding, treating and even preventing devastating neuroinvasive diseases.

“My research is really about the villains of the story,” Alvarez said. “Viruses are these incredibly clever entities — they evolve fast, they know our cells better than we do, and we’re still not even sure if they’re alive. Figuring out how they work, especially how they find their way into the brain, is just fascinating.”

Alvarez’s work is an example of the innovation UCLA’s graduate programs inspire — work that not only expands our understanding of the world but also has the potential to change lives and even save them.

A reflection of UCLA’s excellence in graduate studies

“UCLA’s Grad Slam finalists showcase the depth, imagination and purpose driving graduate student research and artistic work across our campus,” said Brian Kite, dean and vice provost of graduate education. “Their projects tackle real-world challenges — like health care, education and social issues — and highlight how UCLA graduate students partner with communities to create meaningful, lasting change.

“This competition celebrates work that doesn’t just advance knowledge; it transforms lives, underscoring how creativity and innovation are essential to solving today’s most pressing problems.”

Indeed, UCLA’s graduate programs consistently rank among the best in the country. In U.S. News & World Report’s recent annual rankings of graduate programs, 35 UCLA schools, divisions and disciplines placed in the top 10 nationwide, reflecting UCLA’s enduring commitment to academic excellence, impact-driven research and public service.

Alvarez: ‘Helping the very people I grew up around’

For Alvarez, the inspiration for his work began long before he stepped into the lab of Melody Li, an associate professor in the department of microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics. Growing up visiting family in Central America, he frequently heard about mosquito-borne illnesses like dengue and Zika, common but not well understood in his community at the time. 

Pablo Alvarez holds his trophy from the UCLA Grad Slam competition and a ceremonial check. | Credit: Rich Schmitt

“To now be in a position where I’m studying these viruses and working on problems that could one day help the very people I grew up around, it’s surreal,” he said.

Grad Slam is hosted by the UCLA Division of Graduate Education and includes a series of workshops and peer coaching to help participants refine their public speaking and storytelling skills. Alvarez credits the experience with transforming the way he communicates his work.

“Usually, when I try to explain my research to my family, I get lost in the details,” he said. “But this time, after my Grad Slam talk, they texted me with their own questions and ideas about the viruses I study. That moment was huge; I knew I had really reached them.”

As he prepares to move on to the next stage in the competition, Alvarez offers some advice to fellow researchers looking to connect with a broader audience: “Find the part of your research that you love the most; if you’re not excited about it, no one else will be. And then build analogies, find the common ground. That’s where the story lives.” 

When he’s not in the lab or onstage, you might find Alvarez exploring L.A.’s taco trucks or reading up on his favorite comic book villains; after all, sometimes understanding the bad guys is the key to saving the day.