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Picture of Marty in lab gear adjusting equipment

Exploring Vision, Perception and Behavior: W. Martin Usrey Named Barbara A. Horwitz and John M. Horowitz Endowed Chair in Physiology

  • by Gregory D Watry
Quick Summary
  • The Barbara A. Horwitz and John M. Horowitz Endowed Chair in Physiology was created in 2004
  • Usrey will hold the appointment for five years
  • The endowment will support his research in visual perception, teaching and service activities

Amblyopia, or reduced vision from one eye, affects approximately two to three of every 100 children, according to the National Eye Institute. Today the disability is

Social Bee-stortion: Exploring Pesticide’s Effects on Pollinators

  • by Gregory D Watry
Quick Summary
  • Researchers observed the effects of imidacloprid, a pesticide, on bumblebee behaviors within the hive
  • To study this hidden world, they outfitted bumblebees with tiny QR code tags and tracked individuals with video
  • They found imidacloprid disrupts nest behavior, causing reduced growth in exposed colonies 

A pesticide banned in the European Union but still in use in the United States is proving to have detrimental effects on pollinators.

a picture of a fly's lying path

Flight Turbulence: New Study Explores How Flies Navigate Unstable Convective Air

  • by Gregory D Watry
Quick Summary
  • A new study provides detailed data on how insects navigate convection cells
  • These flights required insects to invest more time and energy, with around 34% failing to maintain flight trajectory
  • The study highlights challenges insects might face in urban environments, where surface temperatures soar

When insects migrate over vast distances, many take advantage of a natural phenomenon called thermal convection, which causes flow movement when air at

Advancing Diabetes Research: Mark Huising Receives Faculty Research Award

  • by Gregory D Watry
Quick Summary
  • Diabetes is a disease that affects 30 million people and is the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S.
  • Huising is honored for discovery of a new insulin-producing cell
  • The finding could lead to new therapies for diabetes treatment

Science is about advancing knowledge, work that requires dedication and tenacity. Another component is a keen and critical eye, as discovery is predicated on

picture with the new faculty and dean

College of Biological Sciences Welcomes Eight New Faculty for 2018-2019 Year

  • by Gregory D Watry

For the 2018-2019 academic year, we are proud to welcome eight new members to the UC Davis College of Biological Sciences faculty. Below you’ll learn more about the research interests of each faculty member, what brought them to UC Davis and more.

  Rachael Bay

Rachael Bay joins the Department of Evolution and Ecology as an assistant professor. She was a National Science Foundation postdoctoral fellow at UCLA, where

Professor Aldrin Gomes, students Leib Lipowsky and Tayler Smith and BUSP Director Connie Champagne

Biology Undergraduate Scholars Program Elevates Diversity in the Life Sciences

  • by David Slipher
Quick Summary
  • Since 1988, the Biology Undergraduate Scholars Program (BUSP) has hosted more than 1,500 undergrads.
  • BUSP supports students from underrepresented or disadvantaged backgrounds.
  • Each fall, approximately 50 students join the program.

When Tayler Smith entered UC Davis as a freshman two years ago, she knew she had a strong interest in life sciences research.

Brian Wiltgen, Karen Zito and Charan Ranganath

From Molecules to Minds

  • by David Slipher
For astrophysicists, the final frontier is outer space, but ask a neuroscientist, and the greatest quest for scientific exploration lies within your brain. 

Vastly more advanced than any supercomputer, the complexity and versatility of the human brain is awe-inspiring. Of all its abilities, learning from new experiences might be the most powerful and astounding feature. But how does learning occur? And how do we remember what we learn? 

picture of erwin teaching in a lecture hall

Discovering Curiosity: Erwin Bautista Leads the Classroom

  • by Gregory D Watry

When Erwin Bautista, a lecturer in the Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, looks at the human body, he doesn’t see just the individual parts—the cells, organs, tissues, muscles and bones—he sees the sum.

“Whenever I teach things, I always tell students that physiologists love acronyms,” said Bautista. “We love naming things; we love all these itty-bitty points and details. But at the same time, we also love the big picture, and we’re going to try to impress upon you the big picture.”

picture of Vern and other people.

Yolo Hospice: Well-worn wisdom from a 95-year-old

Verne Mendel is within spitting distance of a 100th birthday. At 95-plus, he likes to recall some decades-old advice that he heard from one of his former university students in the 1970s. With a smirk on his face and a glint in his eye he says, “Life is hard by the yard, but it’s a cinch by the inch.”

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