A digital noticeboard celebrating achievements and highlights in the college, from grant updates to best paper awards.
Take a bite of some byte-sized news.
Alum Raises $9.2M for Sacramento-Based Medical AI Startup
Tanishq Abraham, who received his Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from the University of California, Davis, at the age of 19 in 2023, is a co-founder of Sophont. The company builds open source foundational AI models for medical use cases, such as understanding brain scans, pathology and clinical text.
Thrilling Progress in Brain-Computer Interfaces from UC Labs
Tyler Singer-Clark, a Ph.D. student in biomedical engineering, shone a spotlight on twenty years of UC Davis research to restore speech to those with paralysis. He also discussed his work to enable control of a computer mouse with the same brain-computer interface. “Users don’t have to choose between speech or computer control,” he said.
Ahmet Palazoglu Named UC Systemwide Academic Senate Chair
The Distinguished Professor of chemical engineering will provide direction for the 2025-26 academic year. Palazoglu has held several systemwide and campus-wide leadership roles, including chair of the UC Davis Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, and vice chair and chair of the UC Davis division of the Academic Senate.
Researchers Find Harmful Chemicals in LA Fire Cleanup Zones
Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering Michael Kleeman led a study, currently under peer review, that detected elevated levels of hexavalent chromium and silver in air samples collected from debris cleanup zones for the Eaton and Palisades wildfires. The findings are part of the 10-year, multi-institutional LA Fire HEALTH Study.
Crude Oil, Flame Retardants Can Have Mutli-Generational Impacts
Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Engineering David Rocke has contributed to an interdisciplinary research project exploring how oil and flame retardants affect health over numerous generations. The research provides new insight into environmental risk and how toxic exposures unfold over time.
Groundbreaking Imaging Technology Created through Federal Funding
Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Biomedical Engineering Simon Cherry co-developed the world’s first total-body PET scanner, thanks to support from the National Institutes of Health. With its increased image clarity and low radiation doses, the technology has transformed how doctors diagnose and treat conditions, such as cancer and heart disease.
Alum Kim Budil Named to 2025 Forbes 50 Over 50
Budil, M.S. ’88, Ph.D. ’94, joins such exemplary women as Maria Shriver, Halle Berry and others on this annual list. Categorized under “Innovation,” Budil is celebrated for her achievements in science and national security, as well as her trailblazing role as the first woman to lead Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories.
Federal Support of Biomedical Research Invests in Health of Americans, National Economy
Professor of Biomedical Engineering Kent Leach's NIH-funded lab develops biomaterials to help the body heal damaged bone, crucial innovations for the 1 in 2 American adults with a musculoskeletal disorder. In 2034, when seniors will outnumber children in the U.S., these breakthroughs will have significant implications for the national economy.
Q&A: Alum Builds Aerospace Future in India
Shreya Rastogi '18 founded S R Aerospace Solutions to advance India’s aerospace industry. A licensed pilot and UC Davis aerospace science and mechanical engineering alum, she champions innovation and inclusion in STEM — especially for women and underserved communities.
New AI System Reshapes Understanding of Bird Wing Evolution
Assistant Professor Christina Harvey's aerodynamic expertise and development of a proxy metric to estimate the pitch agility of birds have contributed to an AI system that automatically identifies and measures bird bones from photographs. A collaborative study using this system has observed that birds in warmer climates have longer limbs.
Federally Funded Open Source Software Project Crucial to World Infrastructure
In a recent Labs to Lives video, Professor of Computer Science Vladimir Filkov details his multidisciplinary NSF-funded initiative, which develops AI algorithms and software analysis tools to help open-source software projects stay on sustainable trajectories. These projects are an integral part of innovation in the digital landscape.
Susan Gentry Named Faculty Speaker for Undergraduate Commencement
The associate professor of teaching of materials science and engineering will address the graduating class of 2025 and their guests at the commencement ceremony at 9 a.m. on Sunday, June 15. Gentry has often been recognized for her initiative in materials education, most recently receiving the Academic Senate's Distinguished Teaching Award.
