Year in Review
Driving research discoveries while training tomorrow’s physician leaders
We are proud to share with you the highlights of UC Davis School of Medicine’s 2024 achievements. We continued our national leadership in training the physician workforce the nation needs while leading exciting, groundbreaking research.
This year, U.S. News and World Report ranked us as the fourth most diverse medical school in the country and Tier 1 in primary care training. Eighty-one percent of our talented 2024 graduates stayed in California for their residency training programs and 54% are training in primary care.
For the third year in a row, UC Davis garnered more than $1 billion in external research funding. Our medical school’s
nationally recognized research community generated 40% of that total, with $400 million in external research funding.
The Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research again placed our school among the nation’s leading medical schools for National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding — with a new record-high $209 million in NIH grants. Additionally, four of our departments were ranked in the top 10 nationally for NIH funding.
The Hartwell Foundation also named UC Davis among the prestigious 2024 Top Ten Centers of Biomedical Research. And four of our faculty members were elected fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, recognized as leaders in their fields.
This year, we partnered with Cal Poly Humboldt to launch the Huwighurruk Health Postbaccalaureate Program, to enroll pre-med students who are passionate about providing health care to American Indian and Alaska Native communities. This is one of our many innovative pathway programs designed to improve the lives of all our communities and meet workforce needs.
UC Davis School of Medicine continues its national leadership in all its mission areas. We are grateful for your support and mutual commitment to making health equity and better health for all possible.
Sincerely,
Susan Murin, M.D., M.Sc., M.B.A. Interim Dean, UC Davis School of Medicine Professor, Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine
UC Davis School of Medicine at a glance
UC Davis School of Medicine is the nation’s 4th most diverse medical school
2024–25 U.S. News & World Report
Our student body and faculty: 549 students 875 residents/fellows
1,196 faculty
1,684 staff & non-faculty academics
External research funding:
$400 million in fiscal year 2023–24
2024–25 U.S. News & World Report rankings :
Tier 1 in Best Medical Schools: Primary Care
22nd for graduates practicing in primary care settings
Tier 2 medical school for research
Notable achievements
U.S. News ranks UC Davis School of Medicine a national leader in primary care training, research
The 2024 U.S. News & World Report “Best Medical Schools” rankings placed UC Davis in the Tier 1, or top, category for its leadership in educating students to work as primary care doctors.
U.S. News also ranked UC Davis as No. 22 in the country for medical school graduates who practice in primary care settings (up from No. 37 the year before).
The school was also ranked No. 4 in student diversity.
School of Medicine leads in external research funding for UC Davis
In fiscal year 2023–24, UC Davis’ external research awards exceeded $1 billion for the third consecutive year, surpassing last year’s total by $33 million. The School of Medicine was once more the top recipient with $400 million, the highest among all UC Davis colleges.
“We truly appreciate these investments made in our groundbreaking biomedical research by funding agencies and industry partners,” said Kim Barrett, vice dean for research and distinguished professor of physiology and membrane biology. “Our faculty are
The school reached a record-high $400 million in external research funding last year, and according to the new U.S. News rankings, was placed in Tier 2 for research.
tireless in seeking and receiving research funding. Their efforts will permit the study not only of fundamental biological mechanisms that underlie disease, but also the development and testing of innovative therapies and an understanding of the social determinants of health.”
The medical school received 1,414 awards, funding 566 principal investigators. Research included ultra-rare diseases as well as the most common ones, such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease.
UC Davis School of Medicine departments in the Top 20
This year, nine School of Medicine departments ranked in the top 20 nationally in their respective fields, with an unprecedented four in the top 10. They are:
Cell Biology and Human Anatomy #15
Emergency Medicine #16
Medical Microbiology and Immunology #17
Neurology #6
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation #20
Physiology and Membrane Biology #10
Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences #17
Public Health Sciences #6
Urologic Surgery #10
Source: Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research Rankings of 2023 National Institutes of Health funding
Ranked among the nation’s best for NIH research funding
The UC Davis School of Medicine is among the nation’s leading medical schools in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding, according to the latest Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research ranking.
The medical school broke its record of NIH funding with a total of more than $209 million, placing it 33rd nationally.
The school’s top three departments in terms of overall NIH funding were Neurology ($34.5 million), Internal Medicine ($26.2 million) and Public Health Sciences ($24.4 million).
A national model for progress
in medical education equity
For the third consecutive year, UC Davis School of Medicine was recognized nationally for its commitment to diversity and inclusion. This fall, the school received the 2024 Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award.
“UC Davis School of Medicine has long been a nationally recognized leader in training the physician workforce that our diverse state needs,” said Susan Murin, UC Davis School of Medicine’s interim dean. “Advancing health and education equity
is central to our school’s missions and we are delighted to receive this national honor recognizing our commitment to achieving better health for all.”
The award, given by Insight Into Diversity magazine, is the only one of its kind in the nation.
Philanthropy impact
Thanks to the support of our generous donors, in fiscal year 2023–24, we:
Cumulatively raised more than $147,000 for the Dean’s Student Assistance Fund (for students experiencing unforeseen crises) and the Dean’s Student Opportunity Fund (fostering research and professional development opportunities).
Raised nearly $66 million for scholarships, research endowments, educational programs, and more.
Provided more than $883,000 in scholarships, helping 185 students.
Raised nearly $483 million during the UC Davis Expect Greater campaign, surpassing our $426.5 million goal six months before the campaign officially ended.
Future physician leaders with a passion to transform lives
Medical student joins prominent research program at National Institutes of Health
M.D./Ph.D. student Jessica Tang is one of 52 scholars selected from across the country to participate in a yearlong immersion experience.
She is spending the academic year with a neurological research team at the National Institutes of Health. Tang is one of a select number of future doctors from across the country accepted into the NIH’s competitive Medical Research Scholars Program.
The program is a great fit for Tang, who is pursuing neurology research. She was inspired by her paternal grandmother and maternal grandfather who had dementia.
Medical student earns prestigious fellowship to help women with endometriosis
Ferheen Abbasi recently completed her third year in the UC Davis School of Medicine’s honors pathway Academic Research Careers for Medical Doctors (ARC-MD).
She was awarded a research fellowship funded by the Physician-Scientist Support Foundation, which selected just five medical students nationwide to work on different projects across the
Incoming Class of 2028 at a glance:
Largest class in the school’s history with 139 students
27% are Hispanic, 16% are Black and 3.6% are American Indian or Alaska Native
More than 23 languages spoken
44% of the students were the first in their family to graduate from college
80% come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds
U.S. She is now spending a year conducting research on endometriosis at UC San Francisco, under nationally known expert Linda C. Giudice.
Abbasi will be creating organoids from endometrial tissue. The in-vitro cell cultures will be used to eventually test potential drugs to reverse inflammation in the endometrial tissue of patients with endometriosis.
Students in ARC-MD typically are in medical school for five years because they dedicate a year to research. The program is designed to train the next generation of medical school faculty physician scientists.
2024 Match Day highlights:
81% of graduates will remain in California
54% will train in primary care
24% will stay at UC Davis School of Medicine
Building a physician workforce to meet community needs
UC Davis and Cal Poly Humboldt launch program to attract Native Americans to medical school
The UC Davis School of Medicine and Cal Poly Humboldt have created the state’s first post-graduate education program to help prepare Native American students for medical school at UC Davis.
The Huwighurruk Health Postbaccalaureate Program enrolls pre-med students passionate about providing health care to American Indian and Alaska Native communities in rural and urban areas.
Beginning this fall, Huwighurruk scholars were immersed in a culturally focused curriculum meshed with science courses at Cal Poly Humboldt’s campus in Arcata. The program provides eligible students with a stipend for tuition and expenses such as preparation for the Medical College Admission Test and mentorship with local Native American physicians.
New family medicine residency training site cares for underserved patients in West Sacramento
Lizbeth Guillen moved to California from Mexico at the age of 12. She learned English in middle school. Whenever she’d get sick, her family couldn’t easily access a primary care doctor. For a while, she was undocumented.
Today, Guillen is a UC Davis Health family medicine resident physician. She cares for patients with a similar background to hers at the nonprofit
CommuniCare+OLE’s Vida Family Health Center in West Sacramento. About 60% of her patients are Spanish-speaking immigrants.
“I can relate to them because I was in their position, too,” Guillen said in her clinic office. “To me, it’s a privilege to work here and make a difference in people’s lives, because I know how difficult it can be.”
Guillen is one of four, first-year residents from the UC Davis Health Department of Family and Community Medicine assigned to work at CommuniCare+OLE. The nonprofit has clinics in Napa, Solano and Yolo counties, including Vida.
The Vida Family Health Center will eventually host a total of 12 residents at any given time. Every resident at Vida is from UC Davis and their physician supervisors are part of the residency program — whether they are employed by UC Davis or CommuniCare+OLE.
The post-graduate program is co-led by Antoinette Martinez, co-director of the Tribal Health PRIME pathway at the UC Davis School of Medicine.
Lizbeth Guillen, a Mexican immigrant and first-year resident with UC Davis Health, trains at Vida Family Health Center in West Sacramento where 60% of her patients are Latino.
Caring for our community
Street medicine team improves lives of unhoused patients
Twice a week during the past year, a street medicine team from the UC Davis School of Medicine and another from the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing have cared for unhoused patients, most of whom are insured through Medi-Cal and can’t easily get to a hospital or clinic.
The team provides comprehensive primary care services such as mental health care, medication, flu shots, wound care and physical exams. They also screen for sexually transmitted
infections, provide HIV testing and treat substance abuse disorders.
The providers are based out of Sacramento County's mobile health RV, which parks near encampments across Sacramento as part of its W3 program, Wellness Without Walls. Some of the providers see patients inside the two exam rooms, while other team members walk the nearby streets and trails to offer care.
“People who are experiencing homelessness are dying in our county much sooner than the rest of the population,” said Mary Kathryn “M.K.”
Orsulak, a UC Davis Health assistant
Telehealth program aims to reduce health care inequities for Black patients giving birth
Black patients at UC Davis Health and nationally attend fewer postpartum care visits compared to those of other races. Health care access inequities, particularly during the critical six-week period after birth, contribute to disparities for Black patients, including increased risk of complications and even death.
A new telehealth program at UC Davis Health aims to reduce these disparities. The project received a Telehealth Equity Catalyst Award from the Association of American Medical Colleges.
The project is co-led by Ijeoma Uche, a medical student in the UC Davis ARC-MD honors pathway, and Jennifer Rosenthal, associate professor of pediatrics and ARC-MD associate director. The project is also supported by Catherine Cansino, lead obstetrician and professor of obstetrics and gynecology.
clinical professor. “People living outside deserve health care, they deserve primary care, they deserve preventative care, and this is one way amongst many options that we need to continue to expand on, to provide care to them.”
Cardiology team performs new renal denervation procedure to treat resistant hypertension
Patients in the Sacramento region with high blood pressure that’s hard to treat, known as resistant hypertension, have reason for renewed hope. UC Davis Health cardiologists recently performed the institution’s first renal denervation procedure to treat the common condition.
Outside of clinical trials, UC Davis Medical Center is the first hospital in Northern California to perform the procedure, which uses ultrasound energy to reduce blood pressure.
From left to right, Jennifer Rosenthal, associate professor of pediatrics and ARC-MD associate director, and ARC-MD honors pathway student Ijeoma Uche.
Addiction Medicine Fellow Cara Eberhardt, left, and M.K. Orsulak, a family and community medicine physician, treat patients via the Sacramento County mobile health clinic.
At the forefront of life-changing research discoveries
Casey Harrell, a man with the progressive muscle disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), reacts to using a brain-computer interface to ‘speak’ for the first time. The device interprets brain signals when a user attempts to speak and turns them into text that can be read aloud by computer.
New brain-computer interface allows man with ALS to ‘speak’ again
A new brain-computer interface (BCI) developed at UC Davis Health translates brain signals into speech with up to 97% accuracy — the most accurate system of its kind.
The researchers implanted sensors in the brain of a man with severely impaired speech due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The man was able to communicate his intended speech within minutes of activating the system.
The new technology is being developed to restore communication for people who can’t speak due to paralysis or neurological conditions like ALS. It can interpret brain signals when
the user tries to speak and turns them into text that is “spoken” aloud by the computer.
“Our BCI technology helped a man with paralysis to communicate with friends, families and caregivers,” said UC Davis neurosurgeon David Brandman. “Our paper demonstrates the most accurate speech neuroprosthesis (device) ever reported.”
Brandman is the co-principal investigator and co-senior author of this study. He is an assistant professor in the UC Davis Department of Neurological Surgery and co-director of the UC Davis Neuroprosthetics Lab.
THE NEW BCI BREAKS THE COMMUNICATION BARRIER
To develop the system, the team enrolled Casey Harrell, a 45-year-old man with ALS, in the BrainGate clinical trial. At the time of his enrollment, Harrell had weakness in his arms and legs (tetraparesis). His speech was very hard to understand (dysarthria) and required others to help interpret for him.
In July 2023, Brandman implanted the investigational BCI device. He placed four microelectrode arrays into the left precentral gyrus, a brain region responsible for coordinating speech. The arrays are designed to record the brain activity from 256 cortical electrodes.
“We’re really detecting their attempt to move their muscles and talk,” explained neuroscientist Sergey Stavisky. Stavisky is an assistant professor in the Department of Neurological Surgery. He is the co-director of the UC Davis Neuroprosthetics Lab and co-principal investigator of the study.
FASTER TRAINING, BETTER RESULTS
“Previous speech BCI systems had frequent word errors. This made it difficult for the user to be understood consistently and was a barrier to communication,” Brandman explained. “Our objective was to develop a system that empowered someone to be understood whenever they wanted to speak.”
Harrell used the system in both prompted and spontaneous conversational settings. In both cases, speech decoding happened in real time, with continuous system updates to keep it working accurately.
The decoded words were shown on a screen and read aloud in a voice that sounded like Harrell’s before he had ALS. The voice was composed using software trained with existing audio samples of his pre-ALS voice.
At the first speech data training session, the system took 30 minutes to achieve 99.6% word accuracy with a 50-word vocabulary.
“The first time we tried the system, he cried with joy as the words he was trying to say correctly appeared on-screen. We all did,” Stavisky said.
In the second session, the size of the potential vocabulary increased to 125,000 words. With just an additional 1.4 hours of training data, the BCI achieved a 90.2% word accuracy with this greatly expanded vocabulary. After continued data collection, the BCI has maintained 97.5% accuracy.
“Not being able to communicate is so frustrating and demoralizing. It is like you are trapped,” Harrell said. “Something like this technology will help people back into life and society.”
Postdoctoral scholar and lead author of the study Nicholas Card getting the BCI system ready.
Neurosurgeon David Brandman and neuroscientist Sergey Stavisky, co-directors of the UC Davis Neuroprosthetics Lab.
Groundbreaking research
$24M NIH GRANT EXTENDS STUDY OF HEALTHY AGING IN AFRICAN AMERICANS
Researchers at UC Davis Health and Kaiser Permanente Division of Research have received a $24 million grant from the National Institute on Aging, to continue the Study of Healthy Aging in African Americans (STAR) for an additional five years.
STAR, which launched in 2017, follows a group of about 750 older adults to understand how behaviors and lifestyle may increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias for Black and African Americans.
Rachel Whitmer, co-director of the UC Davis Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, and Paola Gilsanz, an epidemiologist and research scientist at Kaiser Permanente Division of Research, are the study’s principal investigators.
$37M FROM CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH FOR EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS SUPPORT
The UC Davis School of Medicine Department of Public Health Sciences has been awarded a $37 million grant to assist the Emergency Preparedness Office and other California Department of Public Health programs to prepare Californians for public health emergencies. Bradley Pollock, chair and a distinguished professor of the Department of Public Health Sciences is the principal investigator.
$5.6M FOR PRECISION-MEDICINE PROGRAM AIMED AT TREATING AND PREVENTING
DISEASE
Researchers at UC Davis Health have been awarded a $5.6 million grant through the Coast-to-Coast Consortium to advance their pioneering work with the National Institutes of Health’s All of Us Research Program.
The grant is designed to increase participant engagement, enrollment, data collection and retention. This will build on the work of the California Precision Medicine Consortium, which has enrolled more than 65,500 people in the program.
Alexander Borowsky, a professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, leads the research at UC Davis.
“The All of Us Research Program provides an unprecedented opportunity to include diverse populations in large-scale genomic research,” Borowsky said. “By including individuals from historically underrepresented communities, we can uncover insights into genetic variations that
may have been overlooked in the past, ultimately leading to more equitable health care for all.”
$3M ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON FOUNDATION GRANT TO FUND GUN VIOLENCE RESEARCH
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has awarded UC Davis Health a threeyear, $3 million grant for research into the causes and potential solutions to gun violence in disproportionately impacted Black and Brown communities.
The grant will support studies conducted by the Black & Brown Collective, a multidisciplinary network of several institutions co-founded by Shani Buggs. Buggs is the principal investigator for the award. She is a health and public policy scholar in the UC Davis Violence Prevention Research Program and an assistant professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine.
NEW TOOL TRACKS HOW PSYCHEDELICS AFFECT NEURONS IN THE BRAIN
Researchers at UC Davis have developed a rapid, noninvasive tool to track the neurons and biomolecules activated in the brain by psychedelic drugs. The protein-based tool, which is called Ca2+-activated Split-TurboID, or CaST, is described in research published in Nature Methods.
There has been mounting interest in the value of psychedelic-inspired compounds as treatments for brain disorders including depression, posttraumatic stress disorder and substance use disorder. Psychedelic compounds like LSD, DMT and psilocybin promote the growth and strengthening of neurons
Rachel Whitmer, professor, departments of Public Health Sciences and Neurology.
UC Davis
& expertise
and their connections in the brain’s prefrontal cortex. The new tool could help scientists unlock the benefits of psychedelic treatments for patients
This research provides scientists with a new technique that could be used to track step by step the molecular signaling processes that are responsible for these compounds’ beneficial neuroplastic effects. CaST accomplishes the task of cellular tagging in rapid time, taking 10 to 30 minutes rather than the hours typical of other tagging methods.
The study’s authors include Run Zhang, Maribel Anguiano, Isak K. Aarrestad, Sophia Lin, Joshua Chandra, Sruti S. Vadde, and Christina Kim.
The research was conducted in collaboration with David Olson, founding director of the Institute for Psychedelics and Neurotherapeutics and a professor in the departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine.
The multidisciplinary Black & Brown Collective will study gun violence in racially and ethnically marginalized communities.
Nation-leading faculty
National spotlight: U.S. Gymnastics Team co-head physician Marcia Faustin a healing presence
UC Davis family and sports medicine physician Marcia
“Marcy” Faustin is the co-head team physician for UC Davis Division 1 athletics and the U.S. Women’s Gymnastics Team. This summer she had a pivotal role in caring for star athletes like Simone Biles and Sunisa Lee at the 2024 Olympics in Paris. Faustin is an assistant clinical professor in the Departments of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Family & Community Medicine, which includes providing
College of Fellows for Outstanding Contributions
The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) inducted Aijun Wang, a professor of biomedical engineering, into its esteemed College of Fellows.
Election to AIMBE’s College of Fellows represents one of the greatest distinctions given to medical and biological engineers, reserved for the top two percent of individuals making outstanding contributions to this field.
Wang was recognized for his outstanding contributions to stem cell engineering and tissue regeneration applications, which include his groundbreaking work on a spina bifida treatment, the invention of a device to help kidney disease patients on hemodialysis, and the development of a bioengineered scaffold to quicken recovery time after deep burn wounds.
Erin Brown receives Hartwell Foundation award for biomedical research
UC Davis pediatric surgeon Erin Brown is one of only 10 scientists selected to receive The Hartwell Foundation’s 2024 Individual Biomedical Research Award. This prestigious award funds early-stage, innovative biomedical research that benefits children in the United States. Brown is an associate professor in the Department of Surgery and the director of the UC Davis Pediatric Surgical Oncology program. She will receive $100,000 per year for three years to develop a stem cell treatment for neuroblastoma.
Theanne Griffith named 2024 Sloan Research Fellow
Theanne Griffith, assistant professor in the UC Davis Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, was 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 also received a 2024 Society for Neuroscience Science Educator Award. She is the author of award-winning books encouraging underrepresented children to pursue STEM careers.
Four School of Medicine researchers elected as AAAS fellows
Four UC Davis School of Medicine faculty members have been elected fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). They are scientists, engineers and innovators recognized for their achievements in science.
The new UC Davis School of Medicine fellows are Andreas Bäumler, Emanual Maverakis, Luis Fernando Santana and Renée Tsolis.
Bäumler is a distinguished professor in the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology. He was selected for his pioneering work on understanding how the cells in the intestinal lining regulate the composition and function of the microflora.
Maverakis is a professor in the Department of Dermatology. He has made great contributions to diagnostic and treatment guidelines for many rare, life-threatening immune-mediated skin diseases.
Santana is a professor and chair of the Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology. He is the vice dean for basic sciences at UC Davis School of Medicine. His work shows the role of calcium channel signaling modalities in regulating muscle excitability in health and disease.
Tsolis is a professor in the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology. She has made innovative and impactful contributions to the field of host-pathogen interactions. She is also recognized for effective mentoring practices and program-wide advocacy of diversity, equity and inclusion in service to underserved students.
Ulfat
Shaikh
elected to international academy
Ulfat Shaikh, professor of pediatrics and medical director of health care quality for the School of Medicine, has been elected to the International Academy of Quality and Safety (IAQS).
The International Society for Quality in Health Care established the academy in 2018 to recognize those who have made significant contributions to the field of quality and safety in health care.
Angel N. Desai selected to national program for emerging STEM leaders
Angel N. Desai, assistant clinical professor of infectious diseases at UC Davis Health, was named a member of the 2024 New Voices cohort at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
During her two-year term in the program, Desai will engage in the advisory work of the National Academies, develop interdisciplinary projects and collaborate with a robust network of emerging STEM leaders across the country and around the world.
James F. Holmes receives Society for Academic Emergency Medicine research award
James F. Holmes, interim chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine, received the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine’s Excellence in Research Award for his outstanding national contributions to emergency medicine.
Misty Humphries elected president of the Vascular and Endovascular Surgical Society
Misty Humphries, interim chief of the vascular surgery division, has been elected president of the Vascular and Endovascular Surgical Society.
Humphries is a recognized academic surgeon and an NIH-funded physician investigator. Her current research focuses on telemedicine in peripheral artery disease and limb salvage.
Frank Ing receives lifetime achievement award
Frank Ing, chief of pediatric cardiology at UC Davis Children’s Hospital, received national recognition from the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI).
Ing was honored with the SCAI’s Helping Little Hearts Lifetime Service Award. The award recognizes the work of interventional cardiologists specializing in the treatment of pediatric congenital heart disease.
From left to right: Professors Andreas Bäumler, Emanual Maverakis, Luis Fernando Santana and Renée Tsolis.
