The University of California has set a new world record for Nobel Prizes in 2025, with four faculty members being recognized by the Nobel Committee this year. Three physicists were honored for their contributions to quantum computing, while a chemist was recognized for work on molecular structures that can extract water from air. An alumnus who attended both UC San Diego and UCLA was also acknowledged for research that helps prevent autoimmune responses.
This marks the first time four faculty from one institution have been recognized in a single year, bringing the total number of Nobel laureates affiliated with UC to 75.
Andrea M. Ghez, who won the 2020 Nobel Prize in physics and is a professor at UCLA, discussed her groundbreaking research into black holes: “At the University of California, we have the tools to look deep into the universe, and we’ve been able to bring something incredible into focus. We showed the world something that’s impossible to see directly and discovered more questions than answers.” Ghez used data from the Keck Observatory—co-owned by UC and CalTech—to provide evidence confirming the existence of a supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy.
David Julius, awarded the 2021 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine and now a professor at UC San Francisco, described how his team identified proteins responsible for sensing heat and pain using compounds like capsaicin from chili peppers: “UC is a special place where people interact freely. There are other places I could have gone that could have given me more resources. What they couldn’t give me was the intellectual and collegial atmosphere, working with scientists who mentored me to be curious and active in the scientific community and to give back.” Julius’s discoveries are paving the way toward nonaddictive pain medications.
John Martinis, part of UC’s record-setting class of 2025 laureates and professor emeritus at UC Santa Barbara, reflected on his education at Berkeley: “When I went to UC Berkeley, it was amazing to be taught by the top physicists in the world. And they were all experts in building the instruments that lead to scientific discovery.” His work alongside Michel Devoret (UC Santa Barbara) and John Clarke (UC Berkeley) helped demonstrate quantum effects in large-scale systems—a key step toward practical quantum computers.
Randy Schekman, recipient of the 2013 Nobel Prize for physiology or medicine and current professor at UC Berkeley, spoke about access enabled by California’s higher education plan: “California’s master plan for higher education included the construction of new campuses large enough for the children of all the families of our state to enjoy the nation’s finest educational opportunities. I was a direct beneficiary of that investment.” Schekman’s research has contributed significantly to biotechnology advances such as yeast-engineered insulin production.
The University notes its long-standing history with Nobel recognition dating back to Ernest O. Lawrence’s prize in physics in 1939.
The university operates ten campuses across California along with three national laboratories and six academic health centers. This infrastructure supports its leadership role among public universities globally.
