
Research

UC Santa Cruz research improves lives and livelihoods—help us safeguard the future of innovation.
Engineers have the power to create new things and the responsibility to use our knowledge for good.
Our faculty and students pursue novel, visionary research that leads to positive societal impact.
R1
Designated Research 1 University
(Carnegie Research Foundation)
60
patents awarded
(2022-24)
$48.6M
in new research funding
(2025)
11
research institutes and centers
(2026)
#16
Santa Cruz/Watsonville top 16 in research output in US
(National Bureau of Economic Research, 2025)
What’s trending
Discovering new insights into human brain development

Assistant Professor of Biomolecular Engineering Tal Sharf’s lab used brain organoids to find that early developing human brains are preconfigured with instructions for understanding the world. The discovery has important implications for diagnosing and treating developmental brain disorders.
Bold new solutions to society’s most complex issues
Explore research by impact areas

Undergraduate research
Research opportunities abound for Baskin Engineering students. The world-recognized Genomics Institute provides a hands-on and immersive environment for students interested in genomics. You can join clubs and student groups to explore genomic research and collaborate on projects with your peers. Baskin Engineering is also home to a nationally ranked computer game design major, recognized as one of the top 10 undergraduate programs in the country. Undergraduates work with faculty on innovative projects in areas like cyber-physical systems, security, and artificial intelligence—just a few of the many ways to get involved and make an impact.
Latest research news
UC Santa Cruz celebrates 2025 Chancellor’s Innovation Impact Award recipients
The recipients include Richard E. Green, Lifetime Achievement Award; Mike Beck, Innovator of the Year; NeuroSWARM3, developed by the Yanik Lab led by Ahmet A. Yanik, Translation of the Year; and Bud Colligan, Community Changemaker.
Extended reality experience invites people to act as the hands of AI in the real world
A speculative fiction project, which won the XR Experience Jury Award at SXSW 2026, prompts reflection on the increasing presence of AI
Extinction is not inevitable: Genomics symposium explores using DNA to save life on Earth
Conservation genomics is a bold new tool for protecting life on earth, but it will take all of us to slow the extinction crisis.
Additional areas of expertise
Algorithms, logic, & complexity
Bayesian statistics
Communications, signals, & image processing
Database systems
Distributed systems
Mathematical modeling & numerical analysis
Networks
Programming languages
Real-time systems
Systems biology







