News

Thousands of times per year, a family’s moment of joy turns to unexpected grief. A seemingly healthy infant stops smiling or making eye contact. Their limbs grow weak. The tiny child suffers seizures and breathing problems.

Jawdat Al-Bassam, an associate professor of molecular and cellular biology at the University of California, Davis, often hears from these families. “I’ve gotten emails from folks all over the world,” he said.

We are in the penultimate month of the school year. Already, commencement is around the corner, and the finish line is fast approaching. We’re used to cyclical patterns here on campus, but each year – as the season moves from wet and cold, to warm and bright – it’s a source of renewal and comfort to see many of our students preparing to take the final steps of their undergraduate academic journey. 

On her first day of graduate school, Karolina Zabinski rose at 4:00am. She spent the day on the muddy shores of Tomales Bay, collecting eelgrass for a survey of aquatic plant diseases. These ribbon-like seagrasses are common along the California coast and form knee-high meadows that undulate in the water.

As she scooped plants out of the mud, she noticed how much they varied from place to place. Eelgrass (Zostera marina) at one site had long, slender roots. But just a few miles north, the roots were short and bushy. 

Salicylic acid, the active molecule in aspirin and some acne medications, is a hormone in plants that is essential for immunity, but it’s a double-edged sword: too much can cause autoimmunity and stunt growth. In a new study published April 20 in Nature Communications, University of California, Davis, researchers discovered that plants use a surprising multi-layered system to regulate salicylic acid levels and keep their immune system in check.

UC Davis fourth-year neurobiology, physiology and behavior major Rogelio Castillo did not expect undergraduate research to open a path for him to create change in his community.  His family’s past experiences with rushed and impersonal medical care led him to turn to science to ask the questions that improve both health outcomes and quality of patient-provider relationships. 

The National Academy of Sciences has elected Jeffrey Ross-Ibarra, professor in the Department of Evolution and Ecology at University of California, Davis, as a member. His election was announced April 28.

Ross-Ibarra is one of 120 members and 25 international members elected this year in recognition of distinguished and continuing achievements in original research. Membership in the academy is considered one of the highest honors a scientist can achieve.

Why are there so many species of coral reef fish? According to a new study, it’s because about 50 million years ago, some fish figured out how to bite food from hard surfaces. 

Evolution doesn’t proceed at an even pace—species evolve in jumps and spurts, followed by lulls. These periods of rapid diversification usually occur after a dramatic environmental change or upheaval, or when a lineage develops a new “innovation” that allows them to use a previously inaccessible resource. For fish, the ability to feed from a hard surface was one such innovation.

It’s officially spring in Davis. That means finding your bike or scooter – or even car – covered in a yellow dusting of pollen. In my Colorado days, dusting was snow! 

Recent national and global rankings continue to highlight UC Davis as a leader in the biological sciences. In the 2026 U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools rankings, UC Davis biological sciences tied for 21st, placing it among the top biological sciences graduate programs in the United States.

J. David “Dave” Furlow, a professor in the Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, has been named the new Associate Dean of Undergraduate Academic Programs for the College of Biological Sciences. He will step into the role on July 1, 2026.