Computational and Systems Biology – UCLA

COVID-19 Update

Dear Computational & Systems Biology Students, Faculty, Staff, and Community,

In light of the current situation surrounding COVID-19, the CaSB Undergraduate Office will be closed to in-person traffic and offering all services virtually until further notice. To protect the health and safety of the UCLA Community, the CaSB counselor, Annelise Werhel, and other staff will be working remotely. Please note that, while the physical office is closed, business will continue as usual–just in a remote format. For advising, the Undergraduate Office will transition from drop-in, in-person counseling hours to pre-scheduled, virtual advising appointments. Appointments can be booked here: https://casb.youcanbook.me. Staff will still be accessible via email (casb@lifesci.ucla.edu), phone, or Zoom meeting during normal business hours.

We have seen our campus embrace preventative and precautionary measures to help us fight the spread of COVID-19 together. In this challenging time, our office remains committed to supporting students, staff, faculty, and the campus community.

For the latest UCLA updates, visit Bruins Safe Online or the UCLA Newsroom.

Academic Updates for Spring and Summer 2020

Pass/No Pass Grading Option for Coursework Taken Spring 2020 or Summer Sessions 2020

Computational and Systems Biology (CaSB)

Computational and Systems Biology is an interdisciplinary major that trains students to solve basic and applied biological problems by combining the sciences, mathematics, and computing. Students learn to apply quantitative and computational approaches to solve a vast array of biological questions, such as how cells process information, which genes influence disease risk, what determines rates of tumor growth, and which factors drive biodiversity. A major goal of the CaSB curriculum is to understand whole systems–from cells to ecosystems–both in terms of their component parts and their emergent behaviors. These diverse systems can be studied and understood using computer simulations, modeling, numerical techniques, statistics, informatics, and data analytics.

Students majoring in CaSB receive interdisciplinary training in biology, physical sciences, mathematics, statistics, and computer science. There are currently five designated concentrations for the CaSB Major: Bioinformatics, Biological Data Sciences, Biomedical Systems, Neurosystems, and Systems Biology. CaSB also offers three Minor programs: Mathematical Biology, Structural Biology, and Systems Biology.

Download the CaSB Major Sheet

What can I do with a degree in CaSB?

Industry: Software, Biotechnology, Medicine, Dentistry, Defense, Public Health, Business/Finance, Law, Consulting, Startups, etc.
Master’s or Ph.D. Programs: Bioinformatics, Computer Science, Biology, Public Health, Mathematics, Statistics, Bioengineering, etc.
Medical School: CaSB students have been able to gain admission to top ranked medical schools such as Columbia, UCSD, UCSF, Harvard, etc.

Click here for more information on career exploration.

CaSB Concentrations	CaSB Minors
Bioinformatics	Mathematical Biology
Biological Data Sciences	Structural Biology
Biomedical Systems	Systems Biology
Neurosystems
Systems Biology

CaSB Student Profiles

CaSB Affiliated Faculty

Contact Info

Prof. Van Savage, Chair

Eileen Mansoorian, Manager of Undergraduate Advising

Annelise Werhel, Academic Counselor

Email: casb@lifesci.ucla.edu

CaSB Undergraduate Office: 102 Hershey Hall

Office Hours: Monday – Friday, 9:00am – 11:30am; 1:30pm – 3:00pm (subject to change)

In light of the current situation surrounding COVID-19, the CaSB Undergraduate Office will be closed to in-person traffic and offering all services until further notice. The Undergraduate Office will be transition from drop-in, in-person counseling hours to pre-scheduled advising appointments.

Advising Appointments: Please schedule a virtual (Zoom) or phone appointment at https://casb.youcanbook.me

Featured Links

Chair’s Message

The current century has been termed the century of biology, and the major advances of this century will only be possible via computational systems biology. Mathematics, computation, and modeling has been an essential part of biology since its origins, whether it was Galileo or DaVinci devising scaling laws for bones and tree branches; or Mendel discovering simple rules of how genes are inherited; or the formalization of evolutionary theory; or the revelation of internal, three-dimensional medical images from computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MRI); or the Human Genome Project. However, the importance of math and computing for biology has never been as pressing as now. Many medical, molecular, genomics, and ecological challenges facing us today will only be solved by combining the modeling of basic and biological processes with computational methods for discerning patterns in big data. These include large-scale, monumental projects to understand the wiring, learning, and illnesses of the brain; to identify genetic influences on disease; to develop better drugs for treating disease; and to mitigate effects of climate change on biological systems. Indeed, it has been said that “mathematics is biology’s next microscope, only better,” meaning that it allows us to see much of the “invisible” parts of the world, opens completely new horizons to explore, shifts our entire perspective on problems, and makes the impossible become possible.

Our program is designed to train and enable a new generation of computational systems biologists to make diverse contributions through industry, academia, non-profit organizations, and government agencies in ways that help to teach, understand, and solve pressing problems like the ones listed above. At UCLA we can both build on our long history of research and education in these areas (parts of the CaSB program date back several decades) and embrace a vibrant and growing community of faculty and institutes in these areas. Indeed, our program dates back more than three decades and, until recently, was led with great vision and passion by Joe DiStefano. As you tour the Faculty pages, you can see the large number of outstanding faculty involved in our program and the range of topics we now include. The strength and pervasiveness of these efforts at UCLA is a testament to the long, sustained efforts at UCLA and its fruition and acceleration as we move forward. We hope you will join us!

Professor Van Savage,
Chair