Developing outstanding science and scientists to solve critical biological questions of the world.

Developing outstanding science and scientists to solve critical biological questions of the world.

Hartenstein Lab (Jaison Omoto)

Drosophila larval brain. Neuropil glia in green.

The Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology advances our knowledge of life on earth at the cellular and molecular levels.  Our mission is to educate the next generation of scholars, professionals, and citizens of the world by fully integrating our students into cutting-edge research activities, including hands-on participation in the process of scientific discovery. Our faculty conducts research with a variety of models including Arabidopsis, Drosophila, zebrafish, mouse and stem cells to address the most pressing problems in biology, health and sustainability.

News

FDA clears UCLA heart tissue regeneration drug AD-NP1 for clinical trials

October 7, 2025

UCLA scientists map primate ovarian reserve development, offering key insights into women’s health

September 2, 2025

Tiny CRISPR tool opens door to faster, simpler plant genome editing

May 29, 2025

Innovation Spotlight: Novel Tech from Dr. Steven Jacobsen

May 28, 2025

In Memoriam

Seminars

March 5, 2026 – 4:00pm
159 Boyer Hall

MBI Thursday Research Seminar |Sonya Neal, PhD | Hosted by Mirielle Kamariza and Lilith Schwartz

“Coupling ER Proteostasis to Mitochondrial Function Through Derlins”


March 6, 2026 – 11am - 12pm
Biomedical Sciences Research Building, Room 483

Dr. Karen Sears

“Unlocking the secrets of long life: What bats can teach us about healthy aging”


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AFFILIATED PARTNERS

 Holistic Evaluation of Teaching (HET) initiativeOur department proudly participates in the UCLA Teaching and Learning Center’s (TLC) Holistic Evaluation of Teaching initiative to inspire, support, and evaluate instructors as they strive to deliver engaging, equitable, learning-centered teaching.