UC Berkeley
Guidance from Someone Who's Walked the Path
I'm Jacob Posner — a PhD student in the Molecular Cell Biology program at UC Berkeley, a CIRM Bridges Fellow, and a published researcher whose work has appeared in Science with manuscripts in preparation for Nature. I hold an MS in Biomedical Sciences from San Francisco State University and a BS in Biochemistry from CSU Sacramento, and I started my education at Ohlone College as a community college transfer student. I grew up in California and Mexico, and I speak English and Spanish fluently. (Hablo español con gusto.)
My path to UC Berkeley was anything but straight. I started at community college, transferred to a four-year university, worked as a researcher in industry at Genentech, Denali Therapeutics, and Bayer Pharmaceuticals, and then made the leap into academic science — earning a master's degree while conducting research at UCSF and UC Berkeley, and now pursuing my PhD.
That experience is exactly what drives De-Coding Higher Ed. I've mentored students from community college, undergraduate, and graduate settings — helping them find research opportunities, apply to programs, and build the scientific identity that opens doors. One mentee went on to an MD/PhD program at Virginia Commonwealth University. Another went from no research background to co-authoring a manuscript submitted to Nature.
- ✓Real experience — community college → industry → master's → UC Berkeley PhD.
- ✓Life sciences expertise — specialized guidance for MS and PhD programs in biology, biochemistry, and related fields.
- ✓Bilingual (English & Spanish) — sessions available in either language, sin problema.
- ✓First-gen friendly — I understand the specific hurdles community college transfers and first-generation students face.
- ✓Always free, donations welcome — counseling is free; donations help students cover application costs.
- ✓Honest over flattering — I'll tell you what you need to hear, not just what sounds good.