Faculty Spotlights

by Kimberly Pearce Cummings | May 12, 2021

NPR's Life Kit host Rose Eveleth interviewed UC Davis neuroscientist Charan Ranganath, a psychology professor and Director of the Memory and Plasticity Program at the Center for Neuroscience for the podcast episode You're Probably Not As Open-Minded As You Think. Here's How to Practice on May 3, 2021.  Dr. Ranganath discussed why being calm and curious helps us be more open-minded.

June 30, 2021

Amy Brooks-Kayal, chair of the UC Davis Department of Neurology, has received the Ambassador for Epilepsy Award from the International Bureau for Epilepsy and the International League Against Epilepsy. The honor is in recognition of outstanding achievement in the international struggle against epilepsy. 

Brooks-Kayal is one of 12 individuals around the world to receive this award, which is given every two years to clinicians and researchers who have made outstanding contributions to activities advancing the cause of epilepsy internationally or with international impact. 

June 24, 2021

David E. Olson, an associate professor in the Department of Chemistry and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, affiliated faculty at the Center for Neuroscience was recently named a recipient of the 2021 Chancellor’s Innovation Awards. The awards recognize faculty, project teams and community partners for their work, dedication and success in improving the lives of others and addressing the needs of our global society through innovative solutions. 

May 12, 2021

David E. Olson was awarded a Distinguished Mentoring Award from UC Davis Graduate Studies for his outstanding service in mentorship. The Distinguished Mentoring Awards recognize the vital role mentoring plays in the academic and professional development of graduate students and postdoctoral scholars at UC Davis. 

“Dr. Olson has infectious enthusiasm for science, and it really shows when he mentors his students. His excitement and teaching encourage students to strive to be their best. He is always positive, even in the face of failed experiments or bad data, he is always there to give you some help and provide positivity.” - Lindsay Cameron, Ph.D. Candidate in the Olson Lab, Department of Chemistry, Neuroscience Graduate Program and former LaMP Trainee (2018-19)

Ignacio Saez, assistant professor in the UC Davis Department of Neurological Surgery, has received the Edwin Boldrey Award from the San Francisco Neurological Society in recognition of excellence in neuroscience research. 

Saez received the award for his research project “Dissociable Oscillatory Networks Support Gain and Loss Processing in Human Orbitofrontal Cortex,” which is focused on studying the neural basis of a fundamental aspect of human behavior -- decision making.

“Decision-making is an important cognitive function that’s essential to everyday life, and one that is deeply damaged in many neuropsychiatric conditions,” Saez said. “My lab is interested in the neural basis of this process: how the brain chooses from different available options and learns from the consequences of those actions.”

February 17, 2021

Rishidev Chaudhuri, assistant professor with a joint appointment between the Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, College of Biological Sciences and the Department of Mathematics, College of Letters and Science was one of two faculty members at the University of California, Davis, named as 2021 Sloan Research Fellow by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Considered one of the most prestigious fellowships given to young researchers, the Sloan fellowship includes $75,000 over two years to support the fellow’s research.

“A Sloan Research Fellow is a rising star, plain and simple,” said Adam F. Falk, president of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, in a statement announcing this year’s fellowships. “To receive a fellowship is to be told by the scientific community that your achievements as a young scholar are already driving the research frontier.”

Joy Geng, a professor in the Department of Psychology and at the Center for Mind and Brain, was recently named a fellow of the Association for Psychological Science (APS) for her contributions to the understanding of human cognition.

“Fellow status is awarded to APS members who have made sustained outstanding contributions to the science of psychology in the areas of research, teaching, service and/or application” - APS website

Dec 8, 2020

Michael Rogawski, a professor in the School of Medicine and a UC Davis Health physician, has been elected a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). NAI fellow status is the highest professional distinction given to academic inventors. Rogawski’s inventions are in drug discovery and development.

According to NIA, fellowship is bestowed upon those who “have demonstrated a highly prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on the quality of life, economic development, and the welfare of society.”

Oct 21, 2019

David Amaral, distinguished professor and Beneto Foundation Chair in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the MIND Institute, has been elected to the prestigious National Academy of Medicine. Election to the National Academy of Medicine is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine. The honor recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service. New members are elected by current members who have made major contributions to the advancement of the medical sciences, health care and public health.