Cori Bargmann
Torsten N. Wiesel Professor, Rockefeller University
Head of Science, Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative

Please note that Dr. Bargmann will be unable to attend due to unforseen circumstances.  Please click here to read a letter from Dr. Bargmann expressing her regret about being unable to attend, and her plans to make a UCSC visit in the near future. Dr. David Haussler (see below) will replace her.

Dr. Cornelia ("Cori") Bargmann is an internationally recognized neurobiologist and geneticist at Rockefeller University and the Head of Science at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, a philanthropic organization that brings together world-class engineering, grant-making, impact investing, policy, and advocacy work.  Dr. Bargmann is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Philosophical Society. She received the 2012 Kavli Prize in Neuroscience and the 2013 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences, and also co-chaired the National Institutes of Health committee that set goals and strategies for President Obama’s Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN Initiative). Dr. Bargmann is a former Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and holds a Ph.D. in Biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

David Haussler
Professor, University of California, Santa Cruz
Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute

David Haussler’s work explores the crossroads of molecular biology, mathematics, and computer science. The Haussler Lab has helped revolutionize the field of genomics with the introduction of advanced statistical and algorithmic methods. This work accelerates the understanding of cancer, human development, evolution, and many other areas of active research. On July 7, 2000, David Haussler and his team launched the first working draft of the Human Genome on the internet. The group guaranteed the project would remain in the public domain forever. Since then, the team has evolved into what is now the UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute. David Haussler is the recipient of numerous prestigious awards for his scientific achievements, including the Dan David Prize. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Sciences, he serves on the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) Scientific Advisory Board, and is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute HHMI Investigator.

Michael Rosbash
2017 Nobel Laureate in Medicine
Peter Gruber Endowed Chair in Neuroscience, Brandeis University

Dr. Michael Rosbash received the 2017 Nobel Prize in Medicine for his work on the molecular mechanisms controlling  circadian rhythms. Dr. Rosbash has received numerous honors throughout his career, including the Gruber Prize in Neuroscience (2009), the Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize for Biology or Biochemistry (2011), and the Wiley Prize in Biomedical Sciences (2013).   He was an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (1997) and the National Academy of Sciences (2003). He has been a strong advocate for basic science research throughout his career.

Daphne Koller
Founder and CEO, insitro
Co-founder, Coursera

Dr.  Daphne Koller is the CEO and founder of insitro, a company dedicated to using cutting-edge machine learning techniques to help develop and discover new drugs.  She also co-founded Coursera an online learning platform  that offers courses, specializations, and degrees. She received her PhD in computer science from Stanford, then did postdoctoral research at University of California, Berkeley, and subsequently returned to Stanford, joining the Computer Science Department as a faculty member. In 2016, she joined Calico as its chief computing officer, before leaving in 2018 to found insitro.  She has won numerous honors including a MacArthur Fellowship, and was named one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People in 2012. She is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

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