At the UC Davis Center for Neuroscience, researchers collaborate in state-of-the-art facilities to find solutions to help treat, prevent and cure brain conditions, like schizophrenia, autism, depression and Alzheimer’s disease, among others.

The UC Davis Center for Neuroscience is the hub for interdisciplinary brain research and education at UC Davis.

Assistant Professor Celina Juliano, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, was recently named as the winner of the 2020 Elizabeth D. Hay New Investigator Award. Juliano studies the regenerative capabilities and “biological immortality” of Hydra (Hydra vulgaris), a small freshwater invertebrate.

In a study appearing in Science, Assistant Professor Celina Juliano, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, and her colleagues used single-cell sequencing techniques to explore the genetic trajectory for nearly 25,000 cells of the immortal Hydra.

In a study appearing in Endocrinology, Associate Professor Karen Ryan and her colleagues identified the hormone fibroblast growth factor-21 (FGF21) as a control for regulating dietary protein intake in male mice. They found that male mice injected with the hormone increased their intake of dietary protein over carbohydrates and fats.