Watch Grad Slam 2026 | Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs

UCSF Grad Slam 2026 was held on Tuesday, April 7 at the Mission Bay campus. Watch the video below!

UCSF Grad Slam 2026
Tuesday, April 7
4 p.m. PDT
#GradSlam, #UCSFGradSlam
@ucsfgradlife

Part of UCSF's National Graduate Student Appreciation Week.

About Grad Slam

UCSF's popular annual Grad Slam competition returned on April 7 as a featured event during National Graduate Student Appreciation Week.

The 10 PhD student finalists presented their research in three minutes or less, in language accessible to a general audience. It's a celebration not only of the finalists and contest winner, but also of graduate research at UCSF and of scientific inquiry.

The intention of Grad Slam is not to dumb-down or trivialize research; rather, it incentivizes students to clarify their ideas and to help others appreciate and understand their work. Grad Slam contests are held at all ten UC campuses, and a UC-wide event – featuring the top Grad Slam winners from each campus – is held annually each spring.

Cash prizes of $4,000, $2,000, and $1,000 were awarded to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prize winners below, chosen by a panel of judges. And the live and remote audiences chose the "People's Choice" winner, who received $750. The 1st prize winner will go on to compete in the systemwide Grad Slam contest on April 22, 2026.

Congrats to the Prize Winners

... and congrats to the Finalists

(Listed in order of appearance at the live event.)