Research in San Diego

Academics

San Diego is a center for academic and industry research in Southern California. UCSD shares "The Mesa" with The Scripps Research Institute, The Salk Institute, and The Sanford Burnham Institute, all of which are within walking distance of the UCSD campus. UCSD and the CMM Department also share close ties with the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, and the La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology. These institutions' proximity enables strong cross-campus collaborations and scientific interactions, reinforcing San Diego's tradition of collaboration.

Industry

In addition to academic research, San Diego is home to more than 400 biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, some of which have been founded by former graduate students and postdoctoral trainees of the UCSD CMM Department. Many more, including Illumina, Pzifer, and Life Technologies employ many of our graduates and trainees. For more information on biotech in San Diego, visit the San Diego Biotechnology Network.

Collaboration

Collaboration is a core value at CMM, and a defining characteristic of biomedical research in the San Diego area.

CMM researchers collaborate most closely with members of their own department, bringing out the best in one another. Active academic collaborations with other departments and institutions on "The Mesa," including The Scripps Research Institute and The Salk Institute but also biotechnology companies, are also common. As biomedical research becomes more interconnected, big-data driven, and multi-disciplinary, a strong tradition of collaboration is a key distinguishing feature of CMM, UCSD, and San Diego.