Bridge2PhD

Program Information

This is a new program for current CSUSB students. It provides CSUSB master’s students with mentored access to UCR’s advanced research instrumentation and laboratories, enabling them to engage directly in cutting-edge experimental research while developing robust quantitative and AI competencies. Through joint coursework, summer research residencies, faculty mentoring, and structured professional development, Bridge2PhD equips participants with the technical and analytical skills necessary for successful transition and persistence in STEM doctoral programs. By integrating experiential learning with AI-driven quantitative training, this partnership not only strengthens the research capacity of both HSIs but also advances UCOP’s goal of expanding inclusive pathways to the professoriate and research leadership in California’s STEM ecosystem.

Read more about the initiative: https://insideucr.ucr.edu/awards/2026/05/15/ucr-launches-bridge2phd-program

This initiative is funded through a UC Office of the President HSI DDI grant.

Application

The application is now available to CSUSB students.

Please contact Dr. Roya Zandi at royaz@ucr.edu for more information.

Bridge2PhD Faculty

Bridge2PhD Participating Faculty Members

Affiliated Faculty from UCR and CSUSB

Name		Institution	Department	Faculty Profile URL
Kevin	Freedman	UCR	Bio-Engineering-Biophysics	https://profiles.ucr.edu/app/home/profile/kfreed
Huinan	Liu	UCR	Bio-Engineering	https://profiles.ucr.edu/app/home/profile/huinanl
Megan	Norris	UCR	Biochemistry-Biophysics	https://profiles.ucr.edu/app/home/profile/mnorris
Seán	O’Leary	UCR	Biochemistry-Biophysics	https://profiles.ucr.edu/app/home/profile/seano
Zhenyu	Jia	UCR	Botany and Plant Sciences-Biophysics	https://profiles.ucr.edu/app/home/profile/zhenyuj
Chia-En	Chang	UCR	Chemistry-Biophysics-RAISE	https://profiles.ucr.edu/app/home/profile/chiaenc
Joseph	Genereux	UCR	Chemistry-Biophysics	https://profiles.ucr.edu/app/home/profile/josephg
Yinsheng	Wang	UCR	Chemistry-Biophysics	https://profiles.ucr.edu/app/home/profile/yinsheng
Linlin	Zhao	UCR	Chemistry-Biophysics	https://profiles.ucr.edu/app/home/profile/lzhao
Kevin	Kou	UCR	Chemistry	https://profiles.ucr.edu/app/home/profile/kevink
Kurt	Anderson	UCR	EEOB-Biophysics	https://profiles.ucr.edu/app/home/profile/kurta
Crystal	Reynaga	UCR	EEOB-Biophysics	https://profiles.ucr.edu/app/home/profile/creynaga
Boris	Baer	UCR	Entomology-Biophysics-RAISE	https://profiles.ucr.edu/app/home/profile/borisbar
Barbara	Baer-Imhoof	UCR	Entomology-Biophysics	https://ciber.ucr.edu/barbara-baer-imhoof
Mark	Alber	UCR	Math-Biophysics-RAISE	https://profiles.ucr.edu/app/home/profile/malber
Weitao	Chen	UCR	Math-Biophysics-RAISE	https://profiles.ucr.edu/app/home/profile/weitaoc
Jeffrey	Meyer	UCR	Math	https://profiles.ucr.edu/app/home/profile/jeffreym
Qixuan	Wang	UCR	Math-Biophysics	https://sites.google.com/ucr.edu/qixuanwang/home
Sonali	Chaturvedi	UCR	Micro/GGB/Biophysics/BMS	https://profiles.ucr.edu/app/home/profile/sonalic
Thomas	Kuhlman	UCR	Physics-Biophysics	https://profiles.ucr.edu/app/home/profile/thomask
Roya	Zandi	UCR	Physics-Biophysics	https://profiles.ucr.edu/app/home/profile/royaz
Yongtao	Cui	UCR	Physics-material science	https://profiles.ucr.edu/app/home/profile/yongtaoc
Andrew	Joe	UCR	Physics-material science	https://profiles.ucr.edu/app/home/profile/ajoe
Shan-Wen	Tsai	UCR	Physics-material science	https://profiles.ucr.edu/app/home/profile/shanwent
Igor	Barsukov	UCR	Physics-material science	https://profiles.ucr.edu/app/home/profile/igorb
Peng	Wei	UCR	Physics-material science	https://profiles.ucr.edu/app/home/profile/pwei002
Adam	Godzik	UCR	SOM-Biophysics-RAISE	https://profiles.ucr.edu/app/home/profile/adamg
Xinping	Cui	UCR	Statistics-Biophysics-RAISE	https://profiles.ucr.edu/app/home/profile/xpcui
Maziar	Raissi	UCR	Math-RAISE	https://icqmb.ucr.edu/maziar-raissi
Jia	Chen	UCR	CS-RAISE	https://profiles.ucr.edu/app/home/profile/jiac
Evangelos	Papalexakis	UCR	CS-RAISE	https://profiles.ucr.edu/app/home/profile/epapalex
Nael	Abu-Ghazaleh	UCR	CS-RAISE	https://www.cs.ucr.edu/~nael/
Lua	Lopez Perez	CSUSB	Biology	https://www.csusb.edu/profile/lua.lopezperez
Dave	Smith	CSUSB	Biology	https://www.csusb.edu/profile/david.smith2
Daniel	Nickerson	CSUSB	Biology	https://www.csusb.edu/profile/daniel.nickerson
Sara	Callori	CSUSB	Physics & Astronomy	https://www.csusb.edu/profile/sara.callori
Matteo	Crismani	CSUSB	Physics & Astronomy	https://www.csusb.edu/profile/matteo.crismani
Enrique	Contreras	CSUSB	Chemistry and Biochemistry	https://www.csusb.edu/chemistry-biochemistry/faculty-staff
Youngmin	Kim	CSUSB	Physics & Astronomy	https://www.csusb.edu/profile/youngmin.kim
Lynn	Scow	CSUSB	Math	https://www.csusb.edu/profile/lynn.scow

This is a list being actively updated.
If you are currently working with a professor at UCR or CSUSB who is not on this list, or that you are a professor who would like to participate in Bridge2PhD, please contact Dr. Roya Zandi at <royaz@ucr.edu>