News from UC Davis SOM Office of Research

March 2024

Blue Ridge Rankings

The UC Davis School of Medicine is among the nation’s leading medical schools in terms of National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding. According to the latest Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research ranking, the medical school ranked 33rd nationally with more than $209 million in NIH funding during the fiscal year 2023. This is a new record for the school.

“Thanks to the NIH funding, our investigators and centers are able to pursue medical innovation and health discoveries that bring a brighter future for our local and global community,” said Kim E. Barrett, vice dean for research and distinguished professor of physiology and membrane biology.

The top ten UC Davis School of Medicine Departments by funding are:

Save the Date: First Annual Convergence Research Celebration

The School of Medicine and the UC Davis Clinical and Translational Science Center, in coordination with the the UC Davis Office of Research are pleased to announce our first annual joint research celebration event. We will celebrate the incredible collaborative research efforts between UC Davis School of Medicine faculty and their colleagues in other UC Davis Schools and Colleges. In addition to speakers highlighting team research, the event will include fun, prizes, and a chance to meet with researchers from both sides of the causeway over wine and hors d'oeuvres.

When: May 1, 2024, from 3:00 – 6:00 p.m.

Where: UC Davis Activities and Recreation Center

RSVP

Research Image Competition

Kim E. Barrett, School of Medicine vice dean for research, is pleased to announce the School of Medicine Research Image Competition. This is a quarterly competition that will give researchers the opportunity to showcase images that highlight the artistry of their work at the bench or in the field.

A winner will be selected each quarter and will receive a UC Davis-themed gift basket and be featured in the School of Medicine Office of Research newsletter and social media. At our annual Research Celebration in the fall, an overall winner for the year will be selected and will receive a prize of $1500 for unrestricted purchase of items that meet research needs.

Eligibility

All UC Davis School of Medicine faculty and staff and UC Davis students are eligible to enter. Team submissions are encouraged. Each submitted image must be created by a member of the UC Davis community and related to research being conducted by, or in collaboration with, a School of Medicine department.

Submissions

An image may be a photograph, microscopy, illustration or visual abstract. All images must be original, well-executed and effective at communicating information about the research to the audience. Images must be submitted using this form.

Deadline: March 15, 2024, by 5 p.m. PT. The winner will be announced in April.

More information, including samples and competition regulations, is available here.

Submission Form

Announcements

2024 UC Davis Research Expo

The annual UC Davis Research Expo is a one-day event that showcases the latest research-related insight, resources, opportunities and tools to help advance research. The event includes exhibits, presentations, workshops and opportunities to network with potential collaborators. Staff from the School of Medicine Office of Research will be there to offer information on our services.

When and where?

April 18, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., UC Davis Conference Center

Matching Support Program for Purchase of Shared Equipment

Due April 1, 2024. This new program provides funding from the School of Medicine Office of Research for the purchase of shared equipment. The goal of this program is to support multi-user equipment purchases that foster collaboration and advance School of Medicine research priorities. When awarded, the School of Medicine Office of Research will provide 50% of each request for funds; the remaining 50% will be provided by the investigator’s home department/unit or some other source of funds (e.g., start-up funds, philanthropy).

Recognition

Angel Desai

Angel Desai, assistant clinical professor of infectious diseases, has been selected for the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine New Voices Program. New Voices aims to expand the diversity of expertise engaged in the work of the National Academies while developing a network of U.S. leaders to address national and global challenges. During their two-year term of service, the new members will engage in the advisory and convening work of the National Academies, develop their own interdisciplinary projects, and add to the building of a robust network of emerging STEM leaders across the U.S. and around the world. Read More

Theanne Griffith

Theanne Griffith, assistant professor in the Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, has been awarded a prestigious 2024 Sloan Research Fellowship in neuroscience from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The two-year, $75,000 fellowships honor exceptional U.S. and Canadian researchers whose creativity, innovation, and research accomplishments make them stand out as the next generation of leaders. Griffith’s research will explore possible connections between proprioception and neurodegenerative diseases. Read More

Impactful Publications

UC Davis faculty have co-authored an article in Cell on a study that offered several mechanistic insights that identify a target for diagnosing, treating and preventing sorbitol intolerance. Distinguished professor and vice chair for research of medical microbiology, Andreas Bäumler (pictured) is senior author of this study. Contributing authors include Bäumler’s colleagues in the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology.

A new article in Nature Microbiology identifies Vitamin A deficiency as an underlying cause of increased susceptibility to non-typhoidal Salmonella. This study was co-authored by faculty in the US Davis School of Medicine Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine and School of Nutrition. Medical microbiology professor Renée Tsolis (pictured) is first author.

Featured Research

Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

The UC Davis Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine engages in research activities that bridge basic and clinical sciences. Faculty members study a wide array of research areas, reflecting the diverse nature of the field itself, which spans from diagnosing diseases to understanding the complex mechanisms of various conditions. Faculty often collaborate to conduct multidisciplinary research to translate their findings into improved diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic strategies for patients.

Their research programs cover neuroscience, immunology and infectious diseases, cancer, diagnostic technologies, nutrition, quality improvement, and health care delivery science. In addition, the department manages a substantial volume of clinical tests annually with state-of-the-art laboratories. It trains clinical laboratory scientists and cytotechnologists and hosts the Edmondson Summer Research Internship program for college students. The department's research and educational activities are integrated across the UC Davis Health system, contributing significantly to various research themes within the institution. Moreover, the department is also recognized for its core research services in histology, biorepositories, and proteomics. The department is ranked in the upper third for NIH funding among academic pathology departments nationally.

This month, the department welcomes its new chair, Florette K. Gray Hazard. Hazard comes to UC Davis from Stanford University, where she was a professor of pathology and pediatrics.