Welcome, Prospective Postdoctoral Trainees!
Thank you for your interest in UCLA Bio-Launch, a UCLA Bioscience recruitment initiative!
The next event for prospective postdocs hosted by UCLA Biosciences will take place February 26-27, 2026.
What is UCLA Bio-Launch?
UCLA Bio-Launch is a virtual postdoctoral recruitment initiative hosted by UCLA’s Bioscience Postdoc Affairs Office. Selected candidates will be invited to participate in a virtual information and professional development event over 2 half-days (February 26-27, 2025).
- Included in Bio-Launch, are two professional development workshops to help early-stage researchers find a good mentor and prepare for informational interviews.
- As part of the virtual event, prospective postdocs will also have the opportunity to talk to current UCLA postdocs and network with UCLA faculty.
- UCLA Bio-Launch also includes a matching service with Bio-Launch Mentors (faculty/PIs that conduct bioscience research) that have committed to meeting for informational interviews with participants. Virtual informational interviews are expected to occur during the post-event interview period (March 2-13, 2026). Prospective postdoc participants will be responsible for scheduling virtual informational interviews with their assigned faculty once they receive their match information.
Important Dates:
- Wednesday, January 30, 2026 at 11:59pm PST – Postdoc Application Deadline
- February 26-27, 2026 – Bio-Launch
- March 2-13, 2026 – Interview Period
Tentative Agenda*:
*All times listed below are in Pacific Standard Time and all events are hosted on Zoom.
Day 1 (Thursday)
- 9:00-9:45 am – Welcome & Overview of UCLA Postdoc Experience
- 10:00-11:30 am – Workshop: Defining Your Success & Thinking Big Picture
- 1:00-2:00 pm – Panel: “Ask a UCLA Faculty Member”
Day 2 (Friday)
- 9:00-10:00 am – Panel: “Ask a UCLA Postdoc”
- 10:15-11:30 am – Workshop: Effective Informational Interviewing & Networking
- 1:00-2:30 pm – Speed Networking w/ Faculty
Accessibility
We will have closed captioning during the 2-day virtual event. The application provides a space for you to list any accommodations you may need; we may contact you for further information in order to meet your needs. If you have any questions or would like to speak to us directly, please email Malu Arreguin (mjarreguin@mednet.ucla.edu) with “UCLA Bio-Launch” in the subject line.
Acknowledgments
Thank you to the Chicagoland team for sharing this recruitment model with us.