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News and Updates

UCSD Postdocs in the News

Check out these articles featuring the following UC San Diego postdoctoral scholars:

  • Beata Edyta Mierzwa
"As a molecular biologist, Mierzwa researches how different cells of the body divide to help uncover vulnerabilities in cancer cells. As an artist, she draws— turning difficult-to-understand scientific concepts into metaphorical illustrations." - UC San Diego Women Scientists Featured in Statue Exhibit at the Smithsonian  (March 17, 2022)

  • Evan Boyle
"'Our mission is to give a highly visible platform to underrepresented, disadvantaged, minoritized life science trainees—what they do with that platform is their choice,' said Evan Boyle, DASL co-founder and a postdoctoral fellow in the Yeo lab. Before leading DASL, Boyle was also the vice chair of EDI for the UC San Diego Postdoctoral Association, where he established a group serving queer and allied postdocs." - Diversity and Science Lecture Series Gets Funded  (March 17, 2022)

  • Surl-Hee Ahn:
"Published August 19 in the journal Nature Chemistry, a research study led by Amaro, co-senior author Lillian Chong at the University of Pittsburgh, first author and UC San Diego graduate student Terra Sztain and co-first author and UC San Diego postdoctoral scholar Surl-Hee Ahn, describes the discovery of glycan “gates” that open to allow SARS-CoV-2 entry." - Researchers Discover Hidden SARS-CoV-2 ‘Gate’ That Opens to Allow COVID Infection  (August 19, 2021) 

  • Miriama Kruta:
"Lead author Miriama Kruta, PhD, postdoc in Signer’s lab at the time of the study, and colleagues found that in the foreign environment of the culture dish, stem cells begin producing excess proteins, causing extreme stress." - New Blood: Lab-Grown Stem Cells Bode Well for Transplants, Aging Research  (August 12, 2021)

  • Immo Burkhardt 
"Steele joined the Moore Lab in 2019 after learning about some of the innovative sequencing techniques being utilized there... She decided to focus her Ph.D. research on the seaweed genome project, working in collaboration with Scripps postdoctoral scholar Immo Burkhardt." - Revealing the Secrets of Seaweeds (March 11, 2021)

  • Angelica Rodriguez 
"Angelica Rodriguez, postdoctoral scholar at CCCIA ... leads the coastal monitoring effort of the Resilient Futures project..." - Scripps Oceanography and San Diego Gas & Electric Expand Climate Change Research Collaboration  (February 02, 2021)

  • Pablo Lara-Gonzalez 
"A new study published in the journal Science by postdoctoral scholar Pablo Lara-Gonzalez, Division of Biological Sciences Professor Arshad Desai and their colleagues addresses the mystery of how chromosomes are inherited correctly every time a cell divides." - Wait for Me: Cell Biologists Decipher Signal that Ensures No Chromosome is Left Behind  (January 06, 2021)

  • Ariana M. Stickel 
"'Initially, we thought that the relationships between hearing loss and cognition would be overshadowed by high cardiovascular disease risk, but this was not the case,' said first author Ariana M. Stickel, PhD, a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Neurosciences at UC San Diego School of Medicine." - Hearing Loss and High Blood Sugar Linked to Poorer Learning and Memory among Older Latinos  (December 17, 2020)

  • Hao Qian
"... Fu and Hao Qian ... postdoctoral researcher in his [Fu's] lab, took the finding a big step forward, applying it in what could one day be a new therapeutic approach for Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases." - One-Time Treatment Generates New Neurons, Eliminates Parkinson’s Disease in Mice  (June 24, 2020)

 Please send articles featuring UCSD postdoc(s) to postdoc@ucsd.edu to be highlighted.

Work Abroad

1. Are postdocs permitted to temporarily telework from overseas?

Postdocs are only permitted to temporarily telework from overseas if they were given a new postdoctoral scholar appointment but unable to obtain proper entry permit/work authorization due to COVID pandemic or other travel restrictions and unable to travel to the United States.

The expectation is that the postdoc who is currently based overseas should make every effort to secure the proper entry permit/work authorization as soon as possible, even if the University of California continues with remote instruction/work.  

 

2. Will postdocs who are permitted to temporarily telework from overseas be permitted to do so moving forward?

Postdoctoral Scholars who are permitted to temporarily telework from overseas may not be able to continue to do so due to federal and international regulations. Postdoc should consult with their department and department should consult with Office of Postdoctoral Scholar Affairs.   

As noted above, the expectation is that the postdoc who is currently based overseas should make every effort to secure the proper entry permit/work authorization and return to the United States as soon as possible.  

 

3. Can someone currently residing in the United States choose to relocate and telework from overseas? 

Generally, no. Postdocs who are currently residing in the United States and have the proper entry permit/work authorization, will not be permitted to choose to permanently relocate and telework from overseas due to federal and international regulations.   

Some postdocs may be able to temporarily relocate overseas if they are on an approved leave such as Personal Time Off (PTO) or unpaid leave of absence.  

 

4. What other approvals are required to temporarily work abroad?

In addition to complying with HR/AP remote work abroad policies, applicants must comply with University policies and practices related to cybersecurity, export control and if applicable, sponsored projects to work remotely abroad.  

Please also be aware of the following:  

To initiate the Remote Work Abroad Compliance review process, please complete the UC San Diego Remote Work Compliance Review form on the Kuali Build portal. Within the system, the applicant will complete and certify the IT security questions, the mentor will complete and certify the Export Control questions, and appropriate offices (e.g. IT Security, Export Control, Sponsored Projects) will review and approve the completed form. Please be advised that approval by the compliance units is one part of the process and does not automatically authorize the academic to work remotely abroad.

2020 Flu Vaccinations

Important Information Regarding This Year's Flu Vaccination for Employees and Identifying Specific Work Location

 

UC San Diego is committed to the health and safety of all. The most important measure to prevent flu infection is an annual flu vaccination, and it is even more important during a pandemic. Similar to the steps we take to reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection such as wearing a face covering, physical distancing, and good hand hygiene, getting an annual flu vaccination helps stop the spread of influenza in the community in addition to protecting you and your campus community.

The University of California has issued a systemwide executive order requiring all members of the UC community to receive an influenza immunization before November 1, 2020 if they plan to be on campus or in person at any UC location. In order to be on campus or otherwise in person at any UC location starting November 1 and after, you will need to attest that you have received the flu vaccine or have received an approved medical exemption or disability or religious accommodation. Please also see these University of California frequently asked questions and our local UC San Diego Campus frequently asked questions for more information about the executive order.

Employees are encouraged to get the flu shot through their primary care provider or through a local pharmacy. In addition, our goal is to offer a free flu vaccine to any faculty, staff, or campus employee who needs access to it through our partnership with UC San Diego Health. Employee convenience is at the forefront of our flu prevention campaign. This includes expanding access and offering the following convenient options:


EMPLOYEE FLU VACCINATION

You can self-schedule a flu vaccine appointment at one of the following UC San Diego Health locations at flu.ucsd.edu. Vaccinations will be administered by appointment only and are free for all employees.

Price Center walk-up location 
As of October 1, 2020, flu shot appointments are available at the Price Center West walk-up location in Ballroom A. For campus employees who are currently reporting to work on-site, this may be the most convenient option for receiving the flu shot. You will need to remain on-site for 15 minutes after receiving your vaccination.

Drive-up locations
Currently we are offering three drive-up locations in La Jolla, Hillcrest, and Rancho Bernardo to receive your flu shot without even having to leave your car. Please note that while appointments are very fast, you will need to remain on-site in your vehicle for at least 15 minutes after receiving the shot for observation per CDC guidance.

Flu vaccination outside UC San Diego Health 
Many local pharmacies and clinics offer free flu shots. You may also visit your primary care provider to receive your flu vaccine. For many employees currently working remotely, this may be the easiest and most convenient option.


ATTESTATION

You should submit your attestation of your flu attestation status through the Work & Health Management form.

On this form we are also requiring staff to fill out their specific building and floor location. This information will be used for density planning to ensure we are taking into account occupancy within our facilities now and into the future.


EXEMPTIONS/ACCOMMODATIONS

To request a medical exemption, please download the University of California Medical Exemption Request form and have your health care provider complete it. The completed form should be sent to the office of Disability Counseling and Consulting at hrdcc@ucsd.edu.

For religious accommodations, staff should download the UC San Diego Request for Religious Accommodation form and submit to Employee Relations at employeerelations@ucsd.edu. Faculty should contact Academic Personnel Services at academicpersonnel@ucsd.edu. For more information on exemptions and accommodations, please visit Flu Vaccination on Blink Human Resources. 

Thank you for helping our campus community with this important safety measure during these unprecedented times.

 

Nancy E. Resnick
Chief Human Resources Officer

Elizabeth H. Simmons
Executive Vice Chancellor

Reducing On-Site Research

Reducing On-Site Research and the Impact on Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars

For questions or concerns regarding postdoc research activities, please contact Jennifer Bourque, Director, Office of Postdoctoral Scholar Affairs at jbourque@ucsd.edu.

Message from James Antony, Dean of The Graduate Division and Sandra Brown, Vice Chancellor for Research:

A few days ago, a campus-wide message went out providing guidance for reducing on-site research activity during the public health emergency. We encourage you to read the message once again: http://adminrecords.ucsd.edu/Notices/2020/2020-3-17-1.html

As the campus-wide message states, all on-site research will be modified to be in compliance with UC San Diego policies on safety and social distancing. This is not a complete shut-down of research activity, but a requirement that every effort be made to transition the work of research staff off-site so as to restrict on-site efforts to critical activities. Our goal is to reduce the density of people in research laboratories, on campus, and in the community in general, consistent with the need for social distancing.

So how does this pertain to graduate students and postdoctoral scholars?

We have received sporadic reports of graduate students and postdoctoral scholars feeling pressure from their PIs to continue their experiments in a manner that is not consistent with the guidance provided in the campus-wide message. Faculty should follow the guidance provided in the campus-wide message, and all faculty and students/postdoctoral scholars are reminded that nobody in any laboratory should be pressured to do experiments if it makes them uncomfortable. Graduate students should also be assured that they are welcome to voice their concerns with program directors, thesis committee members, program administrators, or the supportive staff of the Graduate Division. Postdoctoral scholars may similarly seek guidance from their department leadership as well as the Office of Postdoctoral Scholar Affairs. 

We also appreciate that there are some students and postdoctoral scholars for whom stopping work could be very damaging to their research or their careers. This includes students hoping to graduate and postdoctoral scholars looking for jobs soon, finishing one last experiment for a last paper, or those working on long-term animal experiments that cannot be stopped without the loss of months or years of work. In these cases, the immediate goals are set by the student or postdoctoral scholar, not the PI. This is acceptable, within the parameters, and following the guidelines outlined in, the campus-wide message. 

Lastly, we recommend graduate programs consider how any time-dependent programmatic milestones (such as required sequences, lab rotations, and so forth) might be impacted. Our collective goal should be flexibility, and we encourage graduate programs to develop appropriate approaches that aid students in their progress towards degree while acknowledging the current realities. For its part, The Graduate Division is actively pursuing blanket extensions of relevant time limits and will communicate any changes in the coming days.

Our offices will continue to send you occasional updates. As always, we encourage you to monitor coronavirus.ucsd.edu for up-to-date information about campus announcements.