Welcome to the Department of Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior at UC Davis
Our mission is to extend knowledge, through our research, into the understanding of vital functions common to all animals, and to convey our knowledge and expertise in this area to our students. All animals perform certain basic functions-they grow, reproduce, move, respond to stimuli and maintain homeostasis. The physiological mechanisms upon which these functions depend are precisely regulated and highly integrated, but may be disrupted by disease, injury and aging. Actions of the nervous and endocrine systems determine behavior and the interaction between organisms and their physical and social environments. Exercise and physical activity also regulate the physiological, biomechanical and behavioral aspects of the organism. The research and teaching missions in the Department focuses on functional mechanisms; the control, regulation and integration of these mechanisms; and the behavior that relates to those mechanisms at the level of the molecule, the cell, the organ system and the organism, including at the human ecological level.
Distinguished Professor Barbara Horwitz was the Marshal at the 2014 College of Biological Sciences Commencement. Pictured (l to r): Erwin Bautista, Earl Carstens, Jim Trimmer, Barbara Horwitz, Keith Baar. Not pictured: Hwai-Jong Cheng, Paul Salitsky.
- Distinguished Professor Barbara Horwitz was the Marshal at the 2014 College of Biological Sciences Commencement. Pictured (l to r): Erwin Bautista, Earl Carstens, Jim Trimmer, Barbara Horwitz, Keith Baar. Not pictured: Hwai-Jong Cheng, Paul Salitsky.
- Depth-coded image of a bilateral pair of commissural neurons, filled with the fluorescent marker Texas Red, that are part of the intersegmental circuit that coordinates movements of crayfish swimmerets.
- Simultaneous immunofluorescence labeling of rat hippocampus with three mouse monoclonal antibodies against Caspr/Paranodin (green), Ankyrin-G (red), and Kv1.2 (blue).
- Green fluorescent protein-expressing retinal ganglion cells in flat-mounted, adult rat retina.
- Transretinal section of light-adapted adult rat retina, showing elevated cAMP levels (green) and phosphorylated CaMKII (red) in individual ganglion cell layer somata (arrowheads).
- Computational study of finding the cell center.
- Exercise Physiology.
- Signalling events activated by exercise in a low-glycogen state.
- The potential role that higher predators play in the cycling of sulfur.