Fifth-year chemistry graduate student Aleksandras “Alek” Lotuzas (Harran group) was one of 10 finalists in the 2026 UCLA Grad Slam competition, held March 11.
Lotuzas’ three-minute presentation, “Harnessing Green Tea to Treat Alzheimer’s Disease”, can be viewed as part of the winning videos here. His presentation begins at 1:14:50.
As a finalist, Lotuzas will receive a $500 award and attend a luncheon with the dean of Graduate Education and other distinguished guests.
Before joining the UCLA Chemistry & Biochemistry graduate program in 2021, Lotuzas received his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he worked on the total synthesis of Ineleganolide, a complex marine natural product found in a species of soft coral, with Professor David Sarlah.
Lotuzas currently conducts research in Professor Patrick Harran’s lab on the synthesis and derivatization of bioactive natural products.
About the UC Grad Slam competition
Grad Slam is a campus and UC-wide competition that showcases and awards the best three-minute research presentations by graduate students. The competition aims to strengthen the important career development skill of articulating graduate research concisely and effectively to a non-specialist audience. It also highlights the excellence, importance and relevance of UCLA graduate students and their research.
The 2026 UCLA Grad Slam began with a preliminary round of video submissions, followed by in-person semifinal rounds on February 25, and culminated in a final competition and celebratory reception held March 11 at the UCLA Luskin Conference Center.
First, second, and third-place winners in the UCLA competition received graduate student support awards in the amounts of $5,000, $3,000, and $2,000, respectively, and an Audience Choice of $1,000.
This year, Christian Gerard Capuno, a second-year masters student in physiological science student, won first place in the UCLA campus competition with his presentation, “Mind Over Matter: Understanding Sleep Disruptions in Myotonic Dystrophy.” He will compete in Sacramento against champions from the nine other UC campuses in the systemwide competition on Tuesday, April 22, 2026. A livestream will be available for views to watch and vote for the audience favorites.
Penny Jennings, UCLA Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, penjen@g.ucla.edu.
