UCSF Weill Awards

Established in 2016, the UCSF Weill Awards support high-risk, high-reward research with the potential to transform the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of neurological and psychiatric diseases.

 

UCSF Weill Awards seek to fuel innovation in neuroscience by fostering high-need translational research – spanning from the basic sciences to clinical research – through funding of highly meritorious research projects and supporting high-potential neuroscience researchers. Awards are offered on a recurring basis and through a variety of targeted funding programs designed to support neuroscience research at all levels.

 

Open for Applications

Weill Institute-Catalyst Awards

The UCSF Weill Institute is excited to partner again with UCSF Innovation Ventures for the Catalyst Awards Fall 2025 Cycle, which is now open for applications. This program aims to accelerate translational projects in neuroscience through this longstanding funding mechanism which has awarded nearly 60 neuroscience projects to date.

 

The deadline for submission is Monday, September 29, 2025, no later than 2pm PDT. The full RFP text and instructions to apply can be found through the link below.

 

Learn More and Apply Here

By the Numbers: Impact to Date
 

64
Total Awards Issued to Date

80
Individual Investigators Funded

17
Different Departments Represented

Overview of Award Types
 

Clinician-Scientist Awards

Established in 2021 and awarded annually, Weill Clinician-Scientist Awards provide early career support for outstanding clinicians who have also shown extraordinary potential for careers in brain disease research.

 

Learn More

 

Explore All Research Project Awards

Harnessing Novel Diagnostics to Advance Detection of Neurologic Infection

Adam Abate, PhD and Charles Chiu, MD, PhD
2024 - 2025 Weill Institute-Catalyst Award

Creating a Brain MRI Similarity Search Engine to Improve Patient Care

Andreas Rauschecker, MD, PhD
2024 - 2025 Weill Institute-Catalyst Award

Developing Personalized Adaptive Deep Brain Stimulation in Parkinson’s Disease

Doris Wang, MD, PhD; Hamid Fekri Azgomi, PhD; Rithvik Ramesh
2024 - 2025 Weill Institute-Catalyst Award

Working Towards a Safe and Effective Treatment for Human Herpesviruses

Charles Craik, PhD
2024 - 2025 Weill Institute-Catalyst Award

Designing a More Effective Therapy Delivery System for Glioma Patients

Jacob Young, MD; John de Groot, MD; Mitchel Berger, MD
2024 - 2025 Weill Institute-Catalyst Award

Towards a More Targeted Treatment for Autoimmune Diseases

Joseph Sabatino, Jr, MD, PhD and Eunice Yu Zhou, PhD
2024 - 2025 Weill Institute-Catalyst Award

Developing a More Accessible System for Minimally Invasive Brain Surgery

Luis Savastano, MD, PhD and Can Senol, MD
2024 - 2025 Weill Institute-Catalyst Award

An Innovative Approach to Minimally Invasive Closed-Loop Neuromodulation

Tommaso Di Ianni, PhD
2024 - 2025 Weill Institute-Catalyst Award

Identifying Barriers Underlying Vocal Affect Recognition Deficits in Autism

Carly Demopoulos, PhD
2022 - 2024 Weill Clinical Neuroscience Research Award

Unraveling the Biological Signature Driving Post-COVID Cognitive Changes

Joanna Hellmuth, MD, MHS
2022 - 2024 Weill Clinical Neuroscience Research Award

Optimizing Treatment of Chronic Pain Through Spinal Cord Stimulation

Prasad Shirvalkar MD, PhD
2022 - 2024 Weill Clinical Neuroscience Research Award

Defining the Pathogenesis of MOG Antibody Disease

Scott Zamvil, MD, PhD
2022 - 2024 Weill Clinical Neuroscience Research Award

Establishing Novel Biomarkers to Track Multiple Sclerosis

Ahmed Abdelhak, MD, MSc, MRCP
2021 - 2022 Weill Junior Investigator Award

Assessing Brain Changes Underlying Meditation Benefits for Adolescent Depression

Olga Tymofiyeva, PhD
2021 - 2022 Weill Junior Investigator Award

Mapping Cellular Migration in the Developing Brain

Jaeyeon Kim, PhD
2021 - 2022 Weill Junior Investigator Award

Deciphering the Origins of Diabetic Neuropathy

Lin Yuan, PhD and Muriel Babey, MD
2021 - 2022 Weill Junior Investigator Award

A New Way to Predict Cognitive Impairment after Anesthesia and Surgery

Odmara Barreto Chang, MD, PhD
2019 - 2020 Weill Pilot Award

Embracing Novel Technology to Diagnose and Treat Multiple Sclerosis

Caroline Guglielmetti, PhD
2019 - 2020 Weill Pilot Award

Pinpointing the Root of Seizure Activity in the Brain

Jonathan Kleen, MD, PhD
2019 - 2020 Weill Pilot Award

Getting to the Root of Obesity

Qili Liu, PhD
2019 - 2020 Weill Pilot Award

Searching for the Circuits Underlying Involuntary Facial Movements

Alexandra Nelson, MD, PhD
2019 - 2020 Weill Pilot Award

Unraveling the Mechanisms that Control Sleep

Kira Poskanzer, PhD
2019 - 2020 Weill Pilot Award

Increasing Access to Diagnostics for Tuberculous Meningitis

Prashanth Ramachandran, MBBS
2019 - 2020 Weill Pilot Award

Understanding Sleep Duration to Enhance Health

Guangsen Shi, PhD
2019 - 2020 Weill Pilot Award

Identifying the Signatures Underlying Social Attachment Behaviors

Shuyu Wang, MD, PhD
2019 - 2020 Weill Pilot Award

Decoding the Neural Basis of Gait in Parkinson’s Disease

Doris Wang, MD, PhD
2019 - 2020 Weill Pilot Award

Identifying New Causes of Neuro-Inflammatory Diseases

Joseph DeRisi, PhD; Sam Pleasure, MD, PhD; and Michael Wilson, MD
2016 - 2019 Weill Innovation Award

Finding Biological Clues to Fear and Anxiety

Lisa Gunaydin, PhD
2016 - 2019 Weill Innovation Award

Old Mice Swim to Safety Faster after Dosing with TBI Drug

Susanna Rosi, PhD; and Peter Walter, PhD
2016 - 2019 Weill Innovation Award

Accelerating Pediatric Neurology Research with a “Home-Based Trial” 

John Boscardin, PhD; Andrew Charles, MD; Steve Cummings, MD; and Amy Gelfand, MD
2016 - 2019 Weill Innovation Award

Putting All Medical Data in One Place

Riley Bove, MD; Kate Rankin, PhD; and Stephan Sanders, BMBS, PhD
2016 - 2019 Weill Innovation Award

Seeking the Cause of Parkinson's Disease

Robert Edwards, MD
2016 - 2019 Weill Innovation Award

Investigating the Risks of Neurodevelopmental Diseases

Arnold Kriegstein, MD, PhD; and Yin Shen, PhD
2016 - 2019 Weill Innovation Award

Identifying Biomarkers of Brain Injury

Daniel Lim, MD, PhD; and Geoffrey Manley, MD, PhD
2016 - 2019 Weill Innovation Award

In Search of Safer Analgesics

Nevan Krogan, PhD; Brian Shoichet, PhD; and Mark von Zastrow, MD, PhD
2016 - 2019 Weill Innovation Award

Finding a New Target to Treat Old Pains

Daniel Minor Jr., PhD, and Adam Renslo, PhD
2017 - 2018 Weill Trailblazer Award

Unlocking Diseases of Adulthood by Starting at the Beginning

Suzee Lee, MD, and Marilu Gorno Tempini, MD, PhD
2017 - 2018 Weill Trailblazer Award

Targeting VIP Neuron Cells to Ease Anxiety

Vikaas Sohal, MD, PhD
2017 - 2018 Weill Trailblazer Award

A Promising Clue to the Mystery of Autoimmune Diseases

Bruce Cree, MD, PhD, and Scott Zamvil, MD, PhD
2017 - 2018 Weill Trailblazer Award

Pursuing Proof of Lou Gehrig’s Disease

Noah Zaitlen, PhD
2017 - 2018 Weill Trailblazer Award

Mapping Neuropsychiatric Disorders

Jeremy Willsey, PhD
2017 - 2018 Weill Trailblazer Award

Eyes Offer an Entry Into the Brain

Felice Dunn, PhD, and Xin Duan, PhD
2017 - 2018 Weill Trailblazer Award

Creating a Cellular Map of the Human Brain

Michael Oldham, PhD
2016 - 2017 Weill Scholar Award

Tracking the Long-Term Consequences of Concussion

Raquel Gardner, MD
2016 - 2017 Weill Scholar Award

Embracing New Technology to Find Parkinson's Therapies

Alexandra Nelson, MD, PhD
2016 - 2017 Weill Scholar Award

Using Genetics to Identify New Treatments for Episodic Disorders

Louis Ptáček, MD
2016 - 2017 Weill Scholar Award

Identifying the Circuits Underlying Depression and Anxiety

Mazen Kheirbek, PhD
2016 - 2017 Weill Scholar Award

Getting to the Root of Migraines

Maggie Waung, MD
2016 - 2017 Weill Scholar Award