The College: Division of Life Sciences

Life Sciences Provide Food for Thought

Life scientist Amy Rowat always has been fascinated by food. So when she came to UCLA in 2011 to establish her lab, she knew she had the perfect setting in which to study her favorite topic and from which to share her findings with the world.

“My cooking is rather unscientific, actually,” she says. “I do like to try new recipes but typically when I cook, it’s a very creative process for me and I like to improvise a lot.”

As an assistant professor of integrative biology and physiology and principal investigator of The Rowat Lab at UCLA, Rowat uses food as a means of teaching science to the world outside the university through public events. It’s an example of the unique approach and exciting, important work going on in an array of subjects through UCLA’s Division of Life Sciences.

Dean Victoria Sork has identified several areas of research as philanthropic priorities. Generous donations sent to the Dean’s Discretionary Fund help the dean fund those priorities.

“Now is an exciting time for Life Sciences. Our research and teaching are focused on addressing society’s most urgent challenges in human health – including both physical and mental health, biological conservation and production of food and biofuels,” Sork says.

“UCLA Life Science researchers are making groundbreaking discoveries in these areas while educating graduate and undergraduate students in these new frontiers of research.”