The mind of a fruit fly encompasses 125,000 nerve cells, squeezed into the space of a poppy seed. At first glance, the fly brain looks nothing like a human brain. But many of the underlying neural circuits are surprisingly similar.
Fumika Hamada, a professor of neurobiology, physiology, and behavior, is using fruit flies to study a critical but oft-overlooked brain function: the regulation of our body temperature in a consistent daily rhythm.
What you don’t know about ibuprofen, one of the world’s most popular painkillers, could well fill a book — and that book has just been published, authored by Professor Aldrin Gomes and 36 of his current and former students at the University of California, Davis.
“Ibuprofen is an affordable and widely used medication that has transformed pain management for millions worldwide,” said Gomes, who teaches in the Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior. “However, its story serves as a powerful reminder of the delicate balance between benefit and risk.”
Lee Miller vividly recalls the day in 2021 when he met a woman who had lost the function of her vocal cords. In hoarse, whispering tones she explained how her voice had been instrumental to her vocation. Losing it, she said, undercut her life’s purpose. He had to listen carefully to hear her faint words, but the lesson “was really powerful.”
Rather than petri dishes or microscopes, in Brie Tripp’s lab you’ll find diverse undergrads gathered around laptops, carrying out the lab’s unique mandate of studying how to promote social and racial justice in science classrooms.
Exercise physiologist Keith Baar specializes in sports medicine. He studies the effects of exercise on bone, muscle and tendon health.
In this Q&A, he discusses how intensive exercising after injury or when overweight can cause damage to ligaments and tendons. He also talks about the importance of integrating isometric or static exercises into our fitness routines.
The global dietary supplements market, valued at $178.8 billion in 2023, is rapidly growing. Exercise physiologist Keith Baar specializes in sports medicine and studies the effects of collagen, whey and omega-3 supplements on bone and tendon health.
A bumblebee’s brain is smaller than a sesame seed. But it can still accomplish quite a bit.
“You don’t need a big brain to learn well,” said Felicity Muth, an assistant professor in the Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior and a National Geographic Explorer who studies cognition in bees and other animals. “Bumblebees are capable of many of the same cognitive feats as many vertebrates.”
The University of California, Davis, is awarding over $480,000 to help scientists advance compelling research and innovations toward commercial applications through the Science Translation and Innovative Research (STAIR™) proof-of-concept grant program. The program plays an important role in helping campus innovators bridge the early-stage hurdle of access to funding during one of the most challenging phases in new technology development.
Researchers in the College of Biological Sciences have received a grant to study the role of the cerebellum in autism. “We need a more holistic understanding of the brain circuits that drive this disorder,” says Alex Nord, an associate professor of neurobiology, physiology and behavior (NPB), and a researcher at the Center for Neuroscience (CNS). “The cerebellum is a key component that has been largely overlooked until recently.”
