At UCLA, the study of the life of the mind is more than a single field of inquiry. It’s an invitation to cross boundaries and forge new connections, and UCLA College researchers doing just that — pushing the frontiers of how we understand what makes us human and unveiling the mysteries of the world around us.
Whether it’s the inner cosmos of the brain, the secrets of the quantum world, the bonds of friendship that sustain us, the language that gives form to our thoughts, or the creative link between scent and science, nothing is beyond their scope of imagination and ingenuity.
This package presents a rich portrait of the impact of College thinkers — from faculty and students to staff and alumni — who continue to discover and innovate, even in the face of today’s challenges, and to exemplify the Bruin commitment to education, research, science, creativity, freedom and service — and a shared life of the mind.
We hope that their stories and voices inspire your own. Fiat Lux!
Molecules to Minds
Exploring neuroscience: Turning undergraduates into experts
Rooted in the UCLA Division of Life Sciences, where the undergraduate students of today become the world-changing educators, researchers, innovators and leaders of tomorrow, Bruins are plumbing the depths and pushing forward every frontier of neuroscience for the benefit of all.
Here are a few glimpses through the unique lenses of recent graduates who participated in this ambitious adventure into the inner cosmos within us all.
WATCH
The Quantum Mind
Rewriting the future of everything with doctoral student Anastasia Pipi
Quantum science is one of today’s most talked-about fields, full of buzz and seemingly limitless potential to reshape how we understand the world — and what technology can achieve. Including subsets like quantum information science and quantum mechanics, the field is a subject more people have heard of than can explain, often surrounded by bold claims, from floating, earthquake-proof cities to making time travel possible.
But for Anastasia Pipi, the focus remains grounded in real science rather than in science fiction.
WATCH
The Entrepreneurial Mind
Matthew Sánchez fuses art, scents and science through Matteo Parfums and Eroma Health
For all the high-tech heroics and world-saving feats his armored suit makes possible, the true might of Marvel’s Iron Man — aka Tony Stark — lies in his humanity.
It’s that creative, compassionate, can-do spirit that Matthew Sánchez, who graduated from UCLA in 2017 with a degree in applied mathematics and chemistry and minors in global studies and entrepreneurship, most aspires to.
WATCH
Mind Mates
UCLA professor Jaimie Krems conducts friendship research each of us can take to the bank — or the Catalina Wine Mixer
If only friendship were as easy as Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly found it to be in the 2008 comedy “Step Brothers,” where their agreement on three random favorite things — velociraptors, “Good Housekeeping” magazine and John Stamos — transformed them into instant besties.
Unfortunately for most of us, including the UCLA scientists who study it, like Krems, friendship can be very complex.
LISTEN
A Mind of One’s Own
Three UCLA researchers on adolescent development, memory and the fight to protect our brains
The brain, the crown jewel of the human body, is more than just an organ. It’s the seat of memory, the engine of thought and the lens through which we understand ourselves, the world and our place in the cosmos.
To learn more about the wonders of the brain and mind, the UCLA College podcast “Tell Us What You Know” featured conversations with three dedicated researchers: Pablo Alvarez and Jennifer Noji, both of whom earned doctorates from UCLA this past June, and Adriana Galván, dean and vice provost of undergraduate education.
Body and Mind
Linguistics professor Jessica Rett is studying how language shapes our perception of reality
For most people, hearing the word “cancer” during a doctor’s appointment would immediately trigger panic or fear. But — even if a patient does have some form of cancer — what if the word itself does more harm than good?
Rett is part of an interdisciplinary UCLA team determined to find out.
Virtual Minds
The more we work together, the more we Bruins can accomplish. We hope these themed virtual backgrounds bring us all closer while adding a special spark to your meetings and mindfulness.
Contributors
UCLA College Development Communications
Álvaro Castillo, Trever Ducote, Tina Hordzwick, Jonathan Riggs and Katie Sipek
Additional Writing
Jeannie Barber-Choi, Sean Brenner and Sophia Zhao ’25
Photography and Videography
Damon Cirulli, Roger Lee and Steven Ruiz ’22
