Meet the 2026 Postdoc Slam Finalists!

Postdoc Slam, the annual research communications contest presented by the Division of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs (GEPA), returns this year on Tuesday, September 22. Postdoc Slam is the featured event of UCSF's celebration of National Postdoc Appreciation Week, September 21 to 25.

Postdoc Slam challenges postdocs in a range of disciplines to share a compelling presentation of their research in three minutes or less, using language that not only their peers but also non-specialists will understand. The intention of Postdoc Slam is not to dumb-down or trivialize research; rather, it is meant to incentivize postdocs to clarify their ideas and to help others appreciate and understand the significance of their work. 

We're excited to announce this year's ten finalists — selected by a panel of screening judges — who will compete for cash prizes of $4,000, $2,000, $1,000, and $750 at the live event on September 22. The entire campus community is welcome to join us for Postdoc Slam, either in person in Genentech Hall at Mission Bay, or via the live stream. In-person and remote viewers alike will be able to cast their vote for the "People's Choice" prize winner. Please mark your calendar for Tuesday, September 22, at 4 p.m. PDT!

Congratulations to these ten postdoctoral scholars who will give 3-minute talks on a wide range of research topics at the lively Postdoc Slam event:


Chaitali Anand

Chaitali Anand, PhD
Carlo Condello, PhD, faculty mentor
Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases

Abhilash Barpanda

Abhilash Barpanda, PhD
Arun Wiita, MD, PhD, faculty mentor
Department of Laboratory Medicine

Mahima Choudhury

Mahima Choudhury, PhD
Christopher Hernandez, PhD, and Kelsey Collins, PhD, faculty mentors
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery

Deanna Halliday

Deanna Halliday, PhD
Pamela Ling, MD, MPH faculty mentor
Department of Medicine

Meng Liu

Meng Liu, PhD
Param Priya Singh, PhD, faculty mentor
Department of Anatomy

Yolanda Marti-Mateos

Yolanda Martí Mateos, PhD
Isha Jain, PhD, faculty mentor
Gladstone Institutes

Christine Olson

Christine Olson, PhD
Peter Turnbaugh, PhD, faculty mentor
Department of Microbiology and Immunology / Hooper Foundation

Bryan Ryder

Bryan Ryder, PhD
Jason Gestwicki, PhD, faculty mentor
Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases

Puspangana Singh

Puspangana Singh, PhD
Shaeri Mukherjee, PhD, faculty mentor
Hooper Foundation

Shoshana Williams

Shoshana Williams, PhD
Melanie Ott, MD, PhD, faculty mentor
Department of Medicine

 


Find event details.

Read more about the Postdoc Slam competition.