Science in 60 seconds: Watch our trainees and faculty communicate their research in one minute

For trainees in our Stem Cell Training Program, the annual elevator speech is a signature exercise: distill your research into one minute and deliver it on camera in jargon-free, everyday language that resonates with people of all backgrounds. 

Graduate students, postdoctoral scholars and clinical fellows rise to this challenge every year, and the faculty and staff who join in make a powerful statement: science communication isn't an afterthought, but a core part of building public trust, promoting scientific literacy and advancing scientific progress.

This year's topics cover a remarkable range, from growing 3D mini-brain organoids to crack the code on aggressive brain cancers, to developing stem cell-based therapies that regenerate the cornea and restore vision.

Watch the science elevator pitches below:

Anthony Azzun, graduate student in the lab of Gay Crooks, M.D. 

Fighting Autoimmune Disease With the Immune System's "Traffic Controllers"

In autoimmune diseases like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and type 1 diabetes, the immune system attacks the body because it never gets the signal to stop. Anthony Azzun explains how regulatory T cells function as the immune system's traffic controllers, keeping the body's defenses from turning against itself. By studying how these cells develop from stem cells, his research could lay the groundwork for new therapies for autoimmune diseases, which affect roughly 50 million Americans. The goal is to grow these protective cells outside the body and return them to patients to restore immune balance.

Niloufar Mansooralavi, graduate student in the lab of William Lowry, Ph.D.

Rett Syndrome, DNA Packaging and the Brain

Rett syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects roughly 1 in 10,000 girls and has no cure, but new research into how DNA is packaged inside cells may point toward one. Inside every cell, DNA must be tightly packed and carefully organized so genes can turn on and off at the right time. Niloufar Mansooralavi explains how disruptions to this system — called chromatin regulation — can contribute to Rett syndrome. This research focuses on the gene MECP2 and the molecular partners that help maintain chromatin structure, DNA integrity and genomic stability. Understanding how these processes go wrong could lead to targeted therapies for Rett syndrome and deepen our understanding of other intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Antoni Martija, Ph.D., postdoctoral scholar in the lab of Aparna Bhaduri, Ph.D.

Glioblastoma: How UCLA Mini-Brain Organoids Could Lead to New Treatments

Glioblastoma is one of the most aggressive and deadly brain tumors — and research suggests it may be hijacking the brain's own communication system to grow and resist treatment. Dr. Antoni Martija explains how he builds mini-brain organoids from stem cells to model glioblastoma and study how cancer cells interact with neurons. By recreating these tumor–brain interactions in the lab, this research could help scientists identify new ways to disrupt the signals that make glioblastoma more dangerous and resistant to treatment.

Christiana Santiago, M.D., clinical fellow in the lab of Sherin U. Devaskar, M.D.

What Happens When the Developing Brain Doesn’t Get Enough Energy

The developing brain is one of the most energy-hungry organs in the body — and when its glucose supply is disrupted during pregnancy, the effects can last a lifetime. Dr. Christiana Santiago examines how reduced GLUT3 function and intrauterine growth restriction can affect the developing brain. Using stem cells, she hopes to uncover how early energy shortages may contribute to lifelong neurological conditions such as cerebral palsy and autism.

Miranda Sun, graduate student in the lab of D'Juan Farmer, Ph.D.

Craniosynostosis Explained: How UCLA Research Could Reduce Skull Surgeries in Children

What happens when the bones of the skull fuse too early in development? Miranda Sun explains how craniosynostosis, a birth defect in which the joints between skull bones close prematurely, affects brain and skull development. Her research investigates how cells within skull sutures keep bones separate during growth, and how mutations in key genes may disrupt that process. The long-term goal is to use stem cell-based approaches to restore functional suture cells and reduce the number of surgeries needed in children with craniosynostosis.

Patrick Allard, Ph.D., professor in the Institute for Society & Genetics

Epigenetics: How Chemical Exposures Leave a Lasting Biological Memory

Can pollution or chemical exposure affect health years later — or even across generations? Dr. Patrick Allard explores how the body may retain a “memory” of environmental exposures through epigenetics, the molecular systems that regulate gene activity without changing DNA sequence. Using mini-organs grown from stem cells, his research investigates how environmental chemicals may reprogram the epigenome during pregnancy and early development, potentially increasing the risk of disease later in life. The long-term goal is to inform public health decisions that not only protect our generation but also future generations.

Anthony J. Covarrubias, Ph.D., assistant professor of microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics

How Zombie Immune Cells Drive Liver Disease and Inflammaging

As we age, parts of the immune system can shift from protecting the body to damaging it. Dr. Anthony J. Covarrubias describes how macrophages — important immune cells — can accumulate damage over time and become inflammatory “zombie cells” that contribute to tissue damage, especially in the liver. His research explores how aging and unhealthy diets affect macrophages, and how drugs might one day clear these zombie immune cells to slow aging-related diseases such as cancer, neurodegeneration and metabolic disease. The ultimate goal of his work is to help people live healthier for longer.

Sophie Deng, M.D., Ph.D., professor of ophthalmology

Can Stem Cells Restore Vision? | UCLA Therapies for Corneal Blindness

Corneal disease is a leading cause of blindness worldwide. Today, the only treatment is cornea transplantation, but there’s a severe shortage of donors. Dr. Sophie Deng is developing new treatment methods to eliminate the need for transplants altogether. Her lab has developed a safer method to grow patients’ own corneal epithelial stem cells in a dish and transplant them back into the eye to restore the corneal surface without the risk of immune rejection. The team has successfully grown and transplanted these cells for every patient so far in an ongoing clinical trial. She’s also developing a second therapy designed to prevent corneal scarring. These approaches harness the body’s own regenerative power and could fundamentally transform how corneal blindness is treated.

Chen Kam, Ph.D., assistant professor of dermatology

Why Some Wounds Never Heal — And The Role Blood Vessels Play

Every time your body is injured, blood vessels have to rebuild themselves — but scientists are still uncovering exactly how that repair process works. Dr. Chen Kam explains how his lab uses multi-photon microscopy and animal models to observe blood vessel cells within living tissue in real time. By studying vascular regeneration across development, disease and aging, his research aims to uncover new strategies for improving tissue repair in patients with chronic wounds like diabetic ulcers.

Rachel Kim, Ph.D., cell therapy manufacturing lead at the Translational Cell Therapy Lab

How UCLA Bridges the Gap Between Scientific Discovery and Patient Treatment

A cell therapy that works in the lab still has to clear enormous hurdles before it can reach a patient. Dr. Rachel Kim explains how the UCLA Translational Cell Therapy Lab, or TCTL, helps researchers move cell therapies from early discovery toward clinical testing. By optimizing, standardizing, and supporting clean, safe manufacturing processes, TCTL helps bridge the gap between scientific innovation and patient care. Its work supports researchers developing therapies for cancer, blinding eye diseases and other hard-to-treat conditions.

John K. Lee, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor-in-residence of hematology/oncology

Targeting Prostate and Bladder Cancers With UCLA Precision Therapies

Prostate and bladder cancers don't behave the same way in every patient — and the next generation of targeted therapies is being built around that reality. Dr. John K. Lee explains how prostate and bladder cancers can differ from patient to patient based on gene alterations, protein expression and treatment response. His research aims to better understand the genetic drivers of these cancers while also exploring new treatment strategies, including a focus on antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates and cellular therapies that target proteins on the cancer cell surface. The goal is to improve the quality of life for these cancer patients and develop more effective, personalized treatments.

Dawn Ward, M.D., medical director of the Center for Advanced Biotherapies

UCLA Center for Advanced Biotherapies Turns Lab Breakthroughs Into Real Therapies

Great science isn't enough — turning a lab discovery into a safe, first-in-human treatment requires specialized manufacturing, quality control and regulatory expertise. Dr. Dawn Ward introduces the UCLA Center for Advanced Biotherapies, or CAB, an expanded FDA-compliant manufacturing facility located inside the university’s Center for Health Sciences. CAB provides the manufacturing, quality and regulatory infrastructure needed to bring first-in-human therapies to life — including personalized cell therapies, gene-modified cells, viral vectors and advanced biologics. Its mission is to help life-changing research move from bench to bedside.