Kimberley McAllister is the Director of the Center for Neuroscience and a Professor of Neurology and Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior. She obtained her Ph.D. in neuroscience in the laboratory of Dr. Lawrence C. Katz at Duke University in 1996, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at the Salk Institute with Dr. Charles F. Stevens. Dr. McAllister’s research focuses on understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms of brain development and the role for neural-immune interactions in brain development and disease. She is deeply committed to mentoring and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion at all levels.  

Her research has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health for over 20 years and she has received substantial support from private foundations through research grants and awards including the Basil O’Connor Research award from the March of Dimes, the Pew Scholars award, the Merck Scholars award, and an Independent Investigator award from NARSAD. She also received the Young Investigator Award from the Society for Neuroscience and the UC Davis Foundation Faculty Stewardship Award for her fundraising efforts. In addition to leading interdisciplinary neuroscience initiatives at UC Davis, she directs an NIMH T32 focused on graduate training in learning, memory, and plasticity and is co-PI of the UC Davis NIMH Conte Center.

Background: Scott received his Ph.D. in Neuroscience from McGill University working in the laboratory of Dr. Yong Rao studying genetic and molecular mechanisms of neural circuit formation in the brain of the fruit fly.

Current Research: The role of the MHCI immune molecules in cortical synapse formation

Research Interests: Synapse dynamics, neuroimmunology, neurodevelopmental disorders, molecular biology, and live imaging.

Hobbies: rock climbing, making beer, being Canadian

Background: Gabby is a postdoc in the Neurology department at UC Davis. She received her B.S. degrees in Biology and Neuroscience from Indiana University Bloomington. There, Gabby studied serotonergic modulation of auditory midbrain processing with Dr. Laura Hurley. She went on to receive her PhD in Neuroscience from the Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Her thesis work with Dr. Seth S. Margolis focused on synaptic mechanisms spanning two neurological diseases, Angelman Syndrome and Alzheimer's disease.

Current Research: Contribution of Major Histocompatibility Complex I to synaptic and behavioral phenotypes associated with Alzheimer's disease

Research Interests: Neurodegenerative disease, synapse biology, neuroimmune signaling, behavioral phenotyping of disease models

Funding: Neuroscience of Cognitive Aging T32 (2020 - 2022), R21 Co-Investigator (AD MHCI project; 2022 - 2024), NSF GRFP (2014 - 2016)

Hobbies: Playing with her Newfoundland dogs, reading, attending rock concerts, Cubs baseball

Background: Celena is a 2nd year PhD student in the Neuroscience Graduate Group. She received her B.S. in Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior from UC Davis. As an undergrad, she worked with Dr. Aldrin Gomes studying ibuprofen-induced proteasome dysfunction in the murine brain. She subsequently participated in a post baccalaureate program (PREP@UCDavis) where she worked under Dr. Hwai-Jong Cheng studying the molecular mechanisms of adult neurogenesis in the mouse hippocampus because disruption of this process is associated with neurological disorders such as age-related cognitive decline.

Current Research: The role of IL-1b in regulating cortical synapse formation in vitro and in a maternal immune activation mouse model.

Research Interests: Neuro-immune interactions, Neurodevelopment, Maternal Immune Activation, Synapse Formation

Funding: NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (2021-2025), Learning, Memory and Plasticity T32 (2021-2022)

Hobbies: My current hobby is researching how to promote and encourage my toddler's development.