In 2025, despite a challenging year for science funding in the United States, researchers at the University of California (UC) made significant contributions across various fields. Federal budget uncertainties and delays affected numerous projects nationwide, but UC scientists continued their work, achieving breakthroughs in medicine, technology, environmental science, and more.
Among notable achievements was a new record set by four UC faculty members winning Nobel Prizes. Across all ten campuses, researchers advanced understanding and treatment of diseases, developed technologies to address misinformation and disaster recovery, and contributed to space exploration.
One major milestone was the launch of twin spacecraft named Blue and Gold as part of the first UC Berkeley–led mission to Mars. The project aims to map Mars’ magnetic fields and study its atmosphere’s response to solar wind over a three-year period. The mission was accomplished at about one-tenth the cost of previous NASA interplanetary missions through collaboration between UC Berkeley’s Space Sciences Laboratory and partners in government and industry. When Blue and Gold reach Mars in 2027, they will collect data relevant both for future human explorers and for understanding how Mars lost its thick atmosphere.
In neuroscience research at UC Irvine, scientists used CRISPR gene editing on microglia—the brain’s immune cells—to help deliver medicines across the blood-brain barrier. This approach could enable targeted therapies for conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease. “This work opens the door to a completely new class of brain therapies,” said Robert Spitale, professor of pharmaceutical sciences at UC Irvine.
Addressing digital misinformation risks, computer scientists at UC Riverside collaborated with Google to develop UNITE (Universal Network for Identifying Tampered and synthEtic videos), an AI-powered tool designed to detect deepfake videos by analyzing entire video frames beyond just facial features. Rohit Kundu, a Ph.D. student involved in the project stated: “It’s scary how accessible these tools have become… Anyone with moderate skills can bypass safety filters.”
After wildfires devastated parts of Los Angeles early in 2025, UCLA faculty led efforts both during emergency response—providing air quality data—and afterward through long-term studies on pollutants’ health impacts. Researchers from UCLA also contributed policy recommendations aimed at equitable recovery following such disasters.
Veterinary medicine saw progress as well: A drug developed at UC San Francisco slowed progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma—a deadly cancer—in cats during trials conducted at UC Davis with National Institutes of Health support. The drug showed promise not only for feline patients but potentially also for humans with similar cancers.
Marine biology research from UC San Diego produced a UV-activated gel that encourages coral larvae settlement on reefs—a step toward restoring ecosystems threatened by climate change-induced warming seas.
UC San Francisco researchers challenged conventional wisdom regarding women’s fertility decline by identifying previously unrecognized cellular interactions within ovaries that may affect aging processes; this line of inquiry could lead to new infertility treatments.
Anthropologists from UC Santa Cruz created detailed strontium isotope maps covering sub-Saharan Africa—enabling better tracing of ancestral origins for descendants of enslaved people using chemical signatures found in remains from known burial sites.
Environmental studies out of UC Merced linked increased dust storms in California’s Central Valley with changes brought about by groundwater management laws leading farmers to leave land fallow; solutions proposed include planting cover crops rather than leaving soil bare.
Finally, engineers at UC Santa Barbara invented an improved intubation device funded by the National Science Foundation that enables faster airway management during emergencies—demonstrated through successful initial tests among medical professionals and first responders.
