Diversity in Life Sciences

Dr. Sonya Neal received her Ph.D. from U.C. Los Angeles in 2013 after working in the laboratory of Dr. Carla Koehler. She then carried out her postdoctoral studies at U.C. San Diego in the laboratory of Dr. Randolph Hampton. She was the recipient of the Burroughs Wellcome Postdoctoral Diversity Enrichment Award and Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA Postdoctoral Fellowship. Dr. Neal joined the faculty in 2018 at the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology at University of California where her lab studies the role of the rhomboid superfamily in membrane-related functions and homeostasis. She is the recipient of the NIH MIRA, NSF CAREER, Pew, and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Science Diversity Leadership Award. She is also a champion for diversity where she co-founded the Biology Undergraduate & Master’s Mentorship (BUMMP) program, which serves 500 URM and 1st generation students.  Moreover, she teaches a new DEI graduate course, “Social Issues in Biology.” For these efforts, she has received the campus-wide Inclusive Excellence and the Faculty Mentorship award.