The Division of Biological Sciences announced today that it has recruited five new faculty members. The incoming cohort represents the best and brightest from across the country, growing all three departments in the division.
“I am thrilled to welcome these stellar scientists to our faculty,” said Richard Harland, the dean of biological sciences. “Each brings compelling ideas and rigorous science to the university, propelling our research enterprise ever forward.”
Sarah Kocher arrives from Princeton University to strengthen the evolutionary genetics group in the Department of Integrative Biology. She is an evolutionary biologist who is considered a leader in the field of sociogenomics — the study of the genetic basis of social behavior.
Kocher researches the genetic and ecological factors that shape social behavior by studying halictid (or sweat) bees, which can be either solitary or highly social. As the family of bees has repeatedly gained and lost social behavior throughout its evolutionary history, Kocher uses them as a natural experiment to see which genes change when an animal becomes social. In 2018, her team identified nearly 200 gene variations linked to social behavior.
Last year, she gave a TEDx Talk on “Why studying bees can teach us about human loneliness.”
Tycho Mevissen, who will be joining the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, recently completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School. He will begin his faculty career as an assistant professor of biochemistry, biophysics, and structural biology. A biochemist by training, Mevissen investigates the molecular mechanisms at the intersection of DNA transcription, replication, and repair.
“Tycho Mevissen’s work is partly inspired by the many congenital syndromes where repair is compromised, and his work will help determine how to alleviate these conditions,” said Harland. “His recruitment bolsters our traditional strength in studying how enzymes and structural proteins interact with and modify DNA behaviors.”
Rana Khankan is joining the Department of Integrative Biology as teaching professor of anatomy. Khankan is transferring from UCLA, where she spent over two decades as a student, postdoctoral scholar, life sciences academic administrator, and award-winning instructor.
Khankan’s interests center on increasing student engagement and closing learning equity gaps. She will build on her experience teaching physiology, human anatomy, and human biology and her focus on active learning to recharge core courses on our pre-med track.
Michael Ward is a leading physician-scientist in the field of neurodegeneration. He examines the basic biology that underlies age-related neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). He arrives at UC Berkeley from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke at the National Institutes of Health, where he spent more than a decade as a senior investigator and practicing neurologist. Ward also co-directed the iPSC Neurodegenerative Disease Initiative, a public-private partnership that built the world's largest library of CRISPR-engineered iPSC lines for disease research.
Ward will have a joint appointment in the Department of Neuroscience and the Department of Molecular & Cell Biology as the inaugural Schekman Family Chancellor's Chair in Neuroscience. He will provide a natural bridge to nearby clinical partners at medical schools.
“With a powerful combination of disease-related research and translational studies, Michael Ward will link basic inquiry with effective translational studies inspired by his clinical knowledge and experience,” noted Harland.
Two additional professors — Phillip Cleves and Thomas Mann, both in the Department of Molecular & Cell Biology — joined the faculty this past January. Cleves analyzes corals and sea anemones to determine how humans can help species adapt to rising ocean temperatures. Mann is an immunologist who studies the biological causes and effects of T-cell differentiation.
The division will also welcome Sergey Stavisky in January 2027. Stavisky will join the Department of Neuroscience as an associate professor. He currently co-directs the UC Davis Neuroprosthetics Lab, which develops cutting-edge brain-computer interfaces to restore speech to people with paralysis, including patients with advanced amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Stavisky also uses this clinical trial-based research to better understand the fundamental neurobiology of speech and language.
Stavisky spoke about the transformative possibilities presented by his research in 2025 at the BrainMind Science Collective.
The Division of Biological Sciences expects to add several more faculty members to its ranks in 2027.
“We have benefited tremendously from the resolve of campus leadership to maintain our hiring of new faculty in the face of broader financial uncertainties,” said Harland. “While many other universities have frozen their faculty searches, we have provided first-rate opportunities to attract outstanding faculty candidates ready to start their independent careers.”
“I’m proud of our ability to attract the top minds in the world,” continued Harland. “It is a powerful demonstration of the distinguished reputation fostered by our faculty, students, and staff. UC Berkeley is a place where talent thrives.”
