Where to Find Academics, People, Research, and Events on the IQB Website

Updated

The IQB site (iqb.ucsb.edu) organizes everything behind one main navigation bar: About, Academics, People, Research, News, Events, Resources, plus Apply and Giving links. Use that bar as your starting point — each section below tells you what lives there and what to expect before you click.

Main Navigation at a Glance

Section What you'll find Best for
About Program overview and how IQB fits into UCSB's interdisciplinary research structure Understanding what IQB is before applying
Academics Degree and course information, including the iQB2 course Prospective and current graduate students
People Faculty and student listings drawn from eight departments and two colleges Finding an advisor or research group
Research The program's research focus at the life/physical sciences interface Checking fit with your interests
News Symposiums, fellowships, course updates, and student awards Tracking program activity and deadlines
Events Upcoming program events Planning visits or talks
Resources Additional materials for students and visitors Forms, references, and program documents
Apply Admissions entry point Starting an application
Giving Donation information Alumni and supporters

Academics: Start With iQB2

The signature academic offering is iQB2, a 10-week immersive, boot-camp-style course. It typically runs as 5 modules of 2 weeks each, spanning topics from recent advances in biochemistry to building microscopes and using optogenetics to study animal behavior. The stated goal is hands-on, bench-level training ("learn by doing") with faculty, so students from diverse backgrounds can approach biological problems with both experimental and theoretical tools.

If you're evaluating the program, read the Academics section for course structure, then check News for cohort updates — recent posts include "Successful Conclusion of the iQB2 by the 2025 Cohort" and "Successful iQB2 Course Presentations Fall 2024," which give a sense of how each cohort wraps up.

People and Research: Check the Fit

IQB draws its faculty from eight departments and two colleges, which is the key fact to verify against your own interests. Use People to identify faculty whose work sits at the chemistry, physics, and quantitative biology interface, and Research to see the program's stated focus: high-impact research in chemical, physical, and quantitative biology.

A practical sequence for prospective students:

  1. Skim Research to confirm the interface focus matches your background.
  2. Open People and shortlist two or three faculty in departments relevant to you.
  3. Cross-check News for recent student fellowships (T32 Mechanobiology, F31, CSEP) to gauge training outcomes.

News and Events: What's Currently Listed

The News section is the most active part of the site. Current items include:

  • Inaugural UCSB Graduate Open House, October 13th, 2026
  • 3rd Annual T32 Research Symposium
  • The 29th Annual MCDB-IQB-NRI Symposium (Fall 2026)
  • Multiple T32 Mechanobiology Fellowship awards to IQB graduate students
  • BSIF 1211 now available for booking

Events holds the calendar view of upcoming activities. If you're planning a visit or want to attend a symposium, check both — announcements often appear in News before they're added to Events.

Apply, Resources, and Giving

Apply in the main menu is the admissions entry point; the site does not publish pricing or fee details, so confirm requirements and deadlines through the application link itself. Resources collects additional materials for students and visitors. Giving is for supporters and alumni.

Common Stumbling Points

  • Don't confuse News with Events. News carries announcements and past results; Events carries the schedule.
  • Faculty are spread across departments. If a name doesn't appear where you expect, check the department site — IQB lists faculty drawn from eight departments.
  • Course details live under Academics, not News. News only reports on cohorts after the fact.