The nervous system is incredibly complex, comprised of billions of cells and trillions of connections. Each connection, or synapse, is comprised of over a thousand different types of proteins, and there is a remarkable diversity of cell and synapse types in the nervous system. Understanding such a complex system requires insight into how the individual elements work (Cells and Signals). The UC Davis Neuroscience Consortium has a large number of faculty working at this level: 87 faculty members from 23 departments and 9 centers. These faculty utilize a wide range of model systems, including Drosophila, rodent, non-human primate and human model systems to make rapid advances in this field.
Faculty studying cells and signals
| Bradley Ander, Ph.D., M.B.A. | RNA and blood transcriptomes of stroke, brain injury and neurodisorders & effects of DNA variation |
| Paul Ashwood, Ph.D. | Neuroimmune effects on mental health |
| Melissa D. Bauman, Ph.D. | Behavioral neuroscience, prenatal risk factors for neurodevelopmental disorders |
| Sanchita Bhatnagar, Ph.D. | Childhood neurodevelopmental disorders; translational epigenetics |
| Laura Borodinsky, Ph.D. | Cellular and molecular mechanisms of extrinsic and intrinsic cues on development and regeneration |
| Amy R. Brooks-Kayal, M.D., F.A.A.N., F.A.N.A., F.A.E.S. | Pediatric epilepsy |
| Nadean Brown, Ph.D. | Molecular mechanisms regulating the formation of the mammalian lens and retina |
| Marie E. Burns, Ph.D. | Photoreceptor physiology and degeneration, neuroinflammation in the retina |
| Earl Carstens, Ph.D. | Functional organization of itch, pain and chemesthesis sensory systems |
| Tsung-Yu Chen, M.D.,Ph.D. | Structures, functions and physiological roles of ion channels and transporters |
| Nipavan Chiamvimonvat, M.D. | Molecular and cellular mechanisms of cardiac arrhythmias using combined experimental and computational approaches |
| Joanna Chiu, Ph.D. | Molecular chronobiology and molecular genetics of animal behavior |
| Gino Cortopassi, Ph.D. | Pharmacological amelioration of neurodegeneration (mitochondrial and Shc strategies) |
| Lillian Cruz-Orengo, Ph.D. | Neuroimmunology and molecular neuroscience |
| Robert Cudmore, Ph.D. | Effects of experience, disease and aging on the structure and function of the brain |
| Wenbin Deng, Ph.D. | Molecular mechanisms of neuronal and glial cell death, stem cell biology, and regenerative medicine |
| Elva Diaz, Ph.D. | Functional genomics of nervous system development, function and disease |
| Eamonn J.Dickson Ph.D | Mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration |
| Yong Duan, Ph.D. | Computational and theoretical biology; biophsyics |
| Mike Ferns, Ph.D. | Cellular and molecular basis of synapse formation in the mammalian nervous system |
| Kyle Fink, Ph.D. | Therapeutic development for genetically-linked neurological disorders |
| Diasynou Fioravante, Ph.D. | Neural circuits for prediction, learning and memory |
| Paul G.FitzGerald, Ph.D. | Ocular lens composition |
| Alla Fomina, Ph.D. | Immune cell function |
| Patrick M. Fuller, Ph.D. | Brain substrates of behavioral state control |
| Melanie Gareau, Ph.D. | Microbiota-gut-brain axis in models of inflammatory bowel disease |
| Angie Gelli, Ph.D. | Molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying pathogen dissemination to the brain |
| Cecilia Giulivi, M.S., Ph.D. | Mitochondrial dysfunction in neurological disorders |
| Tom Glaser, M.D., Ph.D. | Genetic basis of mammalian eye development and congenital eye malformations |
| Qizhi Gong, Ph.D. | Molecular mechanisms of neuronal network formation and plasticity in the mouse olfactory system |
| Frederic A. Gorin, M.D, Ph.D. | Neuropharmacology and toxicology |
| Eleonora Grandi, Ph.D. | Mathematical modeling of electrophysiology, ion transport and regulation |
| John A. Gray, M.D., Ph.D. | Molecular and cellular mechanisms of synapse development and plasticity |
| Theanne N. Griffith, Ph.D. | Mechansism of encoding of thermal sensations |
| Fuzheng Guo, Ph.D. | Neural development; glial differentiation, myelination and remyelination in neurological disorders and animal models |
| Paul J. Hagerman, M.D., Ph.D. | Molecular underpinnings of the fragile X family of disorders |
| Fumika Hamada, Ph.D. | Circadian rhythms and temperature homeostasis |
| Johannes Hell, Ph.D. | Molecular and cellular mechanisms of neurotransmission at synapses in the brain |
| Henry Ho, Ph.D. | Morphogenetic signaling in development and disease |
| Andrew Ishida, Ph.D. | Retinal physiology |
| Li-En Jao, Ph.D. | The roles of centrosomes and cilia in development and disease |
| Lee-Way Jin, M.D. Ph.D. | Neuropathology, autism, Alzheimer's disease |
| Jinoh Kim, Ph.D. | Intracellular protein trafficking and human diseases |
| Christina Kim, Ph.D. | Molecular and optical technologies to study the neural circuits regulating motivation |
| Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. | Epigenetics in stem cells and cancer |
| Anna La Torre, Ph.D. | Cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying neuronal progenitor competence and differentiation |
| Janine LaSalle, Ph.D. | Epigenetics in human autism-spectrum disorders |
| Pamela J. Lein, Ph.D. | Impacts of environmental stressors on the developing and aging brain |
| Tim Lewis, Ph.D. | Mechanisms underlying neuronal network dynamics |
| Nicholas Marsh-Armstrong, Ph.D. | Neuron glia interactions; glaucoma |
| Verónica Martínez Cerdeño, Ph.D. | Anatomy and pathology of autism and related conditions |
| A. Kimberley McAllister, Ph.D. | Synapse formation and plasticity; neuroimmune contributions to development and disease |
| Stefano Morotti, Ph.D. | Computational and statistical approaches to unravel the cellular mechanisms of excitation-contraction coupling |
| John H. Morrison, Ph.D. | Neurobiology of aging and neurodegenerative disorders; Cortical structure and function |
| Karl D. Murray, Ph.D. | Brain development |
| Manuel F. Navedo, Ph.D. | Mechanisms controlling vascular function in health and disease |
| Stephen C. Noctor, Ph.D. | Development of cortical structures in the central nervous system |
| Jan Nolta, Ph.D. | Understanding the dynamics of stem cell migration and attraction to sites of injury |
| Alex Nord, Ph.D. | Genomics in the brain development, function, and disorders |
| Martha O'Donnell, Ph.D. | Cellular mechanisms of brain water and electrolyte homeostasis in health and disease |
| David E. Olson, Ph.D. | Compound-induced neural plasticity and the development of neurotherapeutics |
| Kassandra Ori-McKenney, Ph.D. | Neuronal cytoarchitecture, drosophila neurobiology, microtubules |
| Isaac Pessah, Ph.D. | Molecular and cellular mechanisms regulating ryanodine receptors and Ca2+ signaling |
| David E. Pleasure, M.D. | Pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis and leukodystrophies |
| Edward N. Pugh, Jr., Ph.D. | Phototransduction in mouse cone photoreceptors |
| Gerald Quon, Ph.D. |
Computational approaches to identifying the molecular and cellular mechanisms of action of genetic variants associated with psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders |
| Helen Raybould, Ph.D. | Neural innervation of the gastrointestinal tract; gut microbiota |
| Colin Reardon, Ph.D. | IBD, autoimmunity, septic shock, Biolectronic medicine, neuroimmunology |
| David P. Richman, M.D. | Diseases of the neuromuscular synapse |
| Jon Sack, Ph.D. |
Imaging and controlling ion channel function |
| Erkin Seker, Ph.D. | Multifunctional electrodes; nucleic acid sensors; microfluidic tissue models |
| Sergi Simo, Ph.D. | Neuronal migration and related disorders |
| Scott Simon, Ph.D. | Biomechanics of cells and tissues, neutrophil biology, vascular engineering, fluorescence flow cytometry |
| Tyrell Simkins, D.O, Ph.D. | Myelin/oligodendrocyte biology; neuroimmunologic disorders |
| Vivek Srinivasan, Ph.D. | Biomedical optics, neuroimaging, vision, photonics, microscopy |
| Boryana Stamova, M.S., M.S., Ph.D. | Transcriptomic architecture in disease to find clinically relevant biomarkers for precision medicine |
| Olivia Tong, M.D. | Targeted cellular therapy for autoimmune myasthenia gravis |
| James Trimmer, Ph.D. | Cell signaling in mammalian neurons, neuronal cell biology, membrane protein trafficking and function, affinity reagent development and validation |
| Richard Tucker, Ph.D. | Cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix interactions, cell motility and differentiation |
| Judith Anne Van de Water, Ph.D. | Neuroimmunology, clinical immunology and immunopathology, gestational immune environment |
| Jiandi Wan, Ph.D. | Neurovascular coupling |
| Aijun Wang, Ph.D. | Novel tools, technologies, and therapeutics for tissue regeneration, especially in the CNS |
| Jennifer L. Whistler, Ph.D. | Effects of clinically important drugs and drugs of abuse on the brain |
| Vladimir Yarov-Yarovoy | Structure and function of voltage-gated ion channels, computational design and chemical synthesis of subtype-specific modulators |
| Konstantinos Zarbalis, Ph.D. | Migration, differentiation, and connectivity of cortical neurons. |
| Min Zhao, M.D., Ph.D. | Bioelectricity/bioelectronics-guided cell migration and growth in wound healing and regeneration. |
| Jie Zheng, Ph.D. | Nociception mechanisms |
| Chengji Zhou, Ph.D. | Morphogenetic signaling in neural development and regeneration |
| Karen Zito, Ph.D. | Molecular and cellular mechanisms of synaptic plasticity in learning and disease |