The University of California (UC) has achieved a milestone by setting a new world record for the number of Nobel Prizes awarded in a single year. In October, three UC physicists were recognized by the Nobel Committee for their advancements in quantum computing, and a UC chemist was honored for developing molecular structures that extract water from air. An alumnus with degrees from both UC San Diego and UCLA was also acknowledged for research that helps prevent the immune system from attacking healthy tissue.
This marks the first time four faculty members from one institution have been recognized in a single year, bringing the total number of Nobel laureates affiliated with UC to 75. The university’s ten campuses, three national laboratories, six academic health centers, and programs across all California counties contribute to its reach and influence.
Andrea M. Ghez, 2020 Nobel laureate in physics and professor at UCLA, explained her team’s work confirming the existence of a supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way: “At the University of California, we have the tools to look deep into the universe, and we’ve been able to bring something incredible into focus. We showed the world something that’s impossible to see directly and discovered more questions than answers.” Ghez added, “That’s what we do at the University of California every day. We ask questions, we explore things that are still shrouded in darkness, and we bring new knowledge and understanding into focus.”
David Julius, 2021 Nobel laureate for physiology or medicine who earned his Ph.D. at UC Berkeley and is now a professor at UC San Francisco, spoke about how his research revealed how humans sense heat, cold, and pain: “UC is a special place where people interact freely. There are other places I could have gone that could have given me more resources. What they couldn’t give me was the intellectual and collegial atmosphere, working with scientists who mentored me to be curious and active in the scientific community and to give back.” Julius’s discoveries may lead to nonaddictive pain medications: “We hope that the molecules that we and other people have identified can be targets for new types of therapeutic, nonaddictive, nontoxic drugs,” he said.
John Martinis—part of this year’s group of Nobel winners—studied as both an undergraduate and graduate student at UC Berkeley before joining UC Santa Barbara as professor emeritus. He described his early collaboration with colleagues on quantum mechanics experiments: “When I went to UC Berkeley, it was amazing to be taught by the top physicists in the world. And they were all experts in building the instruments that lead to scientific discovery.” Martinis emphasized access to specialized equipment as essential: “To get the experiment to work we had to think about microwave electronics…and we had to define things right and do it carefully…at very low temperatures in what is called a dilution refrigerator.” His team’s experiments helped lay groundwork for future technologies such as quantum computers.
Randy Schekman—a 2013 Nobel laureate in physiology or medicine—reflected on his experience as both student (UCLA) and professor (UC Berkeley): “California’s master plan for higher education included the construction of new campuses large enough for the children of all the families of our state to enjoy the nation’s finest educational opportunities. I was a direct beneficiary of that investment.” Schekman traced his fascination with biology back to childhood curiosity nurtured through public education opportunities available at UC campuses.
Since Ernest O. Lawrence received its first Nobel Prize in 1939 for inventing the cyclotron, UC has continued building its reputation through faculty achievements spanning multiple disciplines.
The latest group of laureates is participating in events during this week’s awards celebrations in Stockholm.
