Donuts with the Dean: Winter 2025
February 20 @ 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Join us for the return of Dunlop BioSci’s quarterly Donuts with the Dean!
Please join us on Thursday, February 20 from 4 – 5 p.m. on the 5th Floor of Natural Sciences II.
Join Dean Frank LaFerla and hear from our guest speaker, Nan Wu Hultgren, PhD. Afterwards, enjoy a donut and fruit, while talking to Dunlop School faculty, students and our speaker
About the Speaker:
Originally from Hangzhou, China, Nan Wu Hultgren, Ph.D., came to the U.S. alone to pursue a bachelor’s degree in molecular and cell biology at California State University. Her passion for research was ignited by her professor, Dr. Christoph Baysdorfer, and led her to earn a Ph.D. in vascular biology at UC Irvine in 2018 under the mentorship of Dr. Christopher Hughes. Her doctoral research on the transcription factor Slug in sprouting angiogenesis earned prestigious recognition, including the ARCS Award, an AHA Predoctoral Fellowship, and an NIH F31 Predoctoral Fellowship, resulting in several widely cited publications.
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Nan continued her scientific journey as a postdoctoral researcher at UCLA, where she studied mitochondrial dynamics and organellar interactions in retinal pigmented epithelial cells. Committed to excellence in research and mentorship—particularly for first-generation and underrepresented students—she was awarded the NIH F32 Postdoctoral Fellowship and the NIH IRACDA Postdoctoral Fellowship.
Inspired by her experiences in graduate school, especially the mentorship and support she received as an ARCS Scholar, Nan and her husband, Eric, are dedicated to giving back. They actively support current and future graduate students by funding childcare and resources to enable participation in academic and professional conferences. Nan has also served as a Board of Directors member and Chapter President of the ARCS Foundation, a nationwide women-led STEM advocacy group.
Upon completing her postdoctoral training under the NIH K99/R00 Fellowship, Nan hopes to establish her own independent research program focusing on organellar dynamics and cellular mechanisms in degenerative diseases. Meanwhile, she remains committed to fostering curiosity, creativity, and ethical leadership in the next generation of scientists, ensuring that diversity and individuality are celebrated in STEM.