Why Choose UC Davis?

The faculty, the students, the program....people are just happy here and I think that says it all.  -Amy Lincoln, Graduate Student in the Baynes Lab

The faculty of the UCD Neuroscience program.  From cellular to cognitive neuroscience, you can find a top notch young professor or an established leader in their field at UCD to help mentor and guide you to a successful career studying nervous systems. -Seth Egger, Graduate Student in the Britten Lab

UCD Neuroscience emphasizes community, teamwork, and collaboration within the entire student population and between the students and faculty members. The importance of these qualities was apparent the minute I stepped onto the campus during recruitment weekend.  No other school that I visited exuded such enthusiasm for maintaining a strong community as UCD did. -Caitlin Kiley, First-year Graduate Student

The neuroscience research being done here at UC Davis is really second to none. The translational research being conducted at the UC Davis MIND Institute is collaborative, cutting edge, and state of the art! With a focus on Autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders, it feels great to be part of such a nationally and locally recognized team of researchers searching for the cause, cure, and treatment of various neurodevelopmental disorders. -Mia Minoletti, Graduate Student in the Amaral Lab

I selected UC Davis over UC Berkeley and UC Santa Barbara (Psychology) for several reasons. First, I felt that the faculty and students formed a more coherent and collaborative group at Davis than at the other schools I visited. The first year laboratory rotations at Davis were important to me as I hadn't decided exactly what type of research I wanted to do, and like many, I happily found a permanent spot in a different laboratory than I envisioned coming in. Davis promised both good financial support and had the opportunity for inexpensive living, a combination I found in neither of the other schools I visited. In the end, my visit to Davis and the tone that was set by the faculty and students during the recruitment weekend was what ultimately convinced me that Davis was the grad school for me.  -Jeffrey Johnson, Former Graduate Student in the Olshausen Lab and current Postdoc in the Sutter Lab

The research is collaborative and innovative, the faculty are tremendously supportive, we have several facilities which provide tools for our research (such as the UCD Medical Center, the CA National Primate Research Center, and the MIND Institute), and the students are fantastic classmates and colleagues. -Regina Faulkner, Graduate Student in the Cheng Lab

I chose the UC Davis Neuroscience Program because I felt it offered opportunities and an atmosphere that other programs simply don't have. The first thing I noticed about UCD is the friendly sense of community among its members. Faculty, staff, postdocs, and grad students are very willing to offer help - either suggestions or resources - and there are many collaborations between labs. Throughout the year there are numerous opportunities for interaction: seminars, journal clubs, gatherings at a local cantina, and the annual overnight retreat. All of these activities allow people in our neuroscience department to form bonds and friendships that make working here a real pleasure.  -Jennifer Kelly, Graduate Student in the Amaral Lab

I had no idea where I was going for grad school until I came to visit UC Davis. I had visited several schools prior to my interviewing here and all of the programs were competitive. But what stuck out in my mind was how happy the students were. They all seemed to be good friends, enjoyed hanging out together, and were excited about the program. The M.I.N.D. Institute was just getting started at the time I applied for graduate school. Finding out that UC DAVIS had research starting up in exactly what I was interested in studying was icing on the cake!  -Cyndi Mills-Schumann, Graduate Student in the Amaral Lab

I  chose UC Davis Neuroscience because I'd already heard great things about the vibrant energy and collaborative atmosphere in this particular grad group.  Now that I've been here for some time (in my 4th year) and have interacted with students from other grad groups I know how rare it is and how fortunate I am to have such an active and fun grad group. -Malaika Singleton, Graudate Student in the LaSalle Lab

The reason I came to Davis was the opportunity to work on cutting edge experiments directly with faculty. The Neuro program is unique in that faculty are in the labs on a regular basis; but still take an active interest in promoting their students.  -Andy Huberman, Former Graduate Student from the Chapman Lab

I chose Davis for several reasons. I knew that I was interested in systems neuroscience, and the relationship between perception and neural activity. I knew that UCD's rotation requirement would allow me to explore several approaches to investigating this relationship. Also, I was extremely impressed with the interactive nature of the systems neuroscience group. When I visited, I was surprised at how much the various faculty discussed their work with each other, especially in comparison with some of the other schools I visited. I've found this to be even more true throughout my graduate career here.  -Hilary Heuer, Former Graduate Student in the Britten Lab

The Admissions Process

The admissions process was much less stressful than I thought it would be. I quickly found out that the goal was not so much to grill me on my academic and scientific background but rather to determine if Davis was a good match for my interests. I had the opportunity to meet with many of the faculty members to discuss their research. In addition, I was very impressed with the student involvement in the recruitment process. It was so helpful to be able to talk openly with the students about the program as well as graduate schools in general.  -Christine Wu, Graduate Student in the Jagust Lab

The recruitment weekend was much more relaxed than I had anticipated and allowed me to meet with several faculty members one on one and then visit socially with both faculty and students. It starts to give you a sense of the Neuroscience community at Davis; both the excellent caliber of the science and the way the faculty and students interact. My interviews with faculty were particularly fruitful for me; all of my first year rotations were with faculty that I met with one on one during the recruitment weekend. -Regina Faulkner, Graduate Student in the Cheng Lab

I thought the admissions process was well structured and allowed me to develop an accurate sense for the program, the faculty, and the students.  I was extremely happy with being able to interview eight faculty members for 40 minutes each and came away feeling excited about my options if I were to attend UC Davis.  I was also appreciative that not all my time had been accounted for so I was able to get a substantial bit of homework done during the weekend.  Finally, the admissions committee was very quick in making a decision so I wasn't left wondering about my status for a long time. -Travis Hill, Graduate Student in the Zito Lab

I came to the Neuroscience program through the MD/PhD program, so I know more about that admissions process than the Neuroscience graduate program's procedures. However, this year I met several prospective students during the interview period and had the opportunity to see the process first hand, from the perspective of a current student. Students have several interviews with faculty members and current students, and then spend two evenings with the students away from the curious eyes of the faculty so they can learn what the program is really like. You may be able to find out which members of the faculty will interview you, or request an interview with a specific faculty member (or member belonging to a particular discipline), before you visit UCD. I would strongly urge you to prepare for the interviews by finding out as much as you can about your interviewers, and the main areas of research here, before you visit. You will find that both you and your interviewer will have more to talk about during the interview, and you will be able to use the interview to gather information about the program and evaluate it's strengths.  -Noah Merin, MD/PhD Student in the Amaral Lab

The admission process is a great way to meet the people that you'd like to work with and find out if you actually see yourself working with them for a few years. Even if you can you should be able to have at least two other potential faculty that you could work with if your main interest doesn't work out, for whatever reason.   -Chris Petkov, Graduate Student in the Sutter Lab

Admissions can be a long and hectic process, involving several weekend and mid-week trips across the country to various interview sites. It can seem like too much time and effort, especially if you are still in school, badly needing time to study for midterms or to write your undergrad thesis. However, all the trouble will be completely justified when your fourth-choice school on paper becomes your first-choice school in person. Interviewing at schools is not only a chance for the school to check you out, it's also an opportunity for you to check the school out and to determine where you feel you will fit best. Meeting faculty you are interesting in working with, interacting with the current graduate students and program coordinators, and touring the facilities, campus, and town will be much more important in your choice of a graduate school than a research description and a list of current pubs on an interesting professor's website. Admissions may be grueling and stressful, but your choice of graduate schools is one of the most important ones you'll make and will impact your life for many years to come, and the confidence that you have made the right decision after careful consideration will make it all worthwhile.   - Jeffrey Johnson, Graduate Student in the Olshausen Lab and current Postdoc in the Sutter Lab

The Seminar Series

The seminar series is like an infusion of inspiration once a month. Neuroscience "rock stars" at the top of their fields talking about amazing things -- you're inspired, that's my favorite part of it. The seminar series is first rate! In my first year, I've heard from a wide range of speakers including Erik Kandel (noted Nobel laureate), Howard Eichenbaum (a first rate memory researcher), and Jeff Hawkins (invented palm computing and now directs the Redwood Neuroscience Institute), to name a few. I think that the most important aspect of the seminar series, after its high standard of quality, is that there are ample opportunities made for the students to interact with the speakers in a one-on-one fashion. I'll also note that I've repeatedly found the seminars to be immediately relevant to both my class work and research interests.  -Amy Lincoln, Graduate Student in the Baynes Lab

The Perspectives Seminar Series was one of the highlights of my first year in the Neuroscience Grad Group. The focus on giving the students the opportunity to get some background about each speaker's research and then eat lunch with the speaker, really stimulated my interest in a number of topics that I might not have normally given much thought. The speakers are also really great. At the talk you get to learn about the important and interesting research they do. And at the lunch you get to learn that they are really nice and interesting people in general. -Daniel Rathbun, Graduate Student in the Usrey Lab

We are constantly interactingwith top scientists in the field through the various seminar series that host Neuroscientists throughout the year, in particular the Perspectives in Neuroscience series. As a graduate student this gives us a lot of exposure to work done both in our field and also across the broad spectrum of Neuroscience research. It also allows us to talk with many successful scientists to hear about the challenges and rewards of running their labs and to get valuable advice about the many important decisions we make early on in our careers. -Regina Faulkner, Graduate Student in the Cheng Lab

The seminar series is phenomenal and one of my favorite things about Davis- we have a large number of people coming through and speaking on a regular basis and each one of these is first rate in their field. The students get plenty of time with the visitors in both seminar and casual settings.  -Andy Huberman, Former Graduate Student in the Chapman Lab

The Perspectives Seminar Series is great because we get to meet the researchers beforehand and interact with them.  It's really informative and helpful because we get really helpful advice about graduate school and academia.  It's always great to meet the researchers whose papers and work we discuss in our journal clubs.  I also enjoy the Grad-Student Sponsored seminar series because we decide which researchers we would like to invite.  These are some of the best seminars to attend because we

are already thoroughly interested in the topics.  I really look forward to journal club each week, especially the Cell Biology and Synapse Formation Journal Clubs because the subject matter and the format of the journal club is challenging and I feel like I learn so much. -Malaika Singleton, Graduate Student in the LaSalle Lab

The Core Courses

The core course in neuroscience covered a broad range of topics ranging from cell and molecular, systems, and cognitive neuroscience. The instructors were sensitive to the variety of academic backgrounds of the students and made the overall goal to provide us with a broad foundation in neuroscience. The course emphasized critical thinking centered on focused topics with a series of writing assignments, generally of the kind "design an experiment to test". These exercises were extremely beneficial and helped when it came time to write fellowship and thesis proposals. -Scott Murray, Former Graduate Student in the Olshausen Lab

The core course is actually a series of three quarter-long courses: one course on Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience, Systems Neuroscience, and Cognitive Neuroscience. These courses meet 6-10 hours a week, and require that you write several papers and read a lot of journal articles. It is great--the world expert on the thalamus (Ted Jones, past president of the Society for Neuroscience, the guy who literally wrote the book on the subject, "The Thalamus") will stop his lecture, sit down, and spend as long as it takes to answer your question when you raise you hand. The faculty really care that the courses are taught right, and put a lot of time and effort into preparing the syllabi and lecture series. If you've never been in a lecture with six other people, you're in for a treat.  -Noah Merin, MD/PhD Student in the Amaral Lab

The core-course is all around a great learning experience in that across the year a variety of faculty cover the full range of major issues in Neuroscience -from molecular mechanisms at the synapse to cognitive processes controlling complex behavior. The course is accessible to people arriving with a bachelors in any of the major branch diciplines of neuroscience- but in depth enough to accomplish its goal of giving students the ability to understand recent primary papers in the respective areas.  -Andy Huberman, Former Graduate Student in the Chapman Lab

Coming from a strictly cognitive and behavioral background, I think the core courses did an AMAZING job at preparing me to be a well-rounded neuroscientist. While the more molecular and cellular based classes were challenging and definitely tested my strength, I came through with a renewed sense of confidence that I could not only attend a molecular/cellular lecture and understand everything, but I could also ask intelligent and relevant questions! -Mia Minoletti, Graduate Student in the Amaral Lab

The Qualifying Exam

Having just finished our program's newly redesigned written/oral qualifying exam, I can say that the material covered was well balanced. The exam did not directly focus on factoids, but rather asked broader questions that tested our ability to use those bits of knowledge in a unified way as well as our ability to reason as scientists. Having taken 7 courses specifically on neuroscience and researched for 3 years as an undergraduate, I feel pretty well qualified to say that the exam did a good job of covering the breadth of knowledge needed by a modern neuroscientist in less than 50 questions. The 1.5 hour oral examination was used as a way to probe our answers to the written exam. In this way, our examiners were able to disambiguate fuzzy answers and, in my case, gave me a chance to answer questions that I overlooked in my written exam. Like I told my examiners, the oral section was the shortest 90 minutes of my life. I was amazed at how fast and, relatively, painlessly it went. I really felt like the examiners were just feeling out the limits of my knowledge and reasoning abilities rather than trying to trip me up or assault me with a barrage of impossible questions. You're sure to get rougher panels during grad school interviews (but not at UCD)  -Daniel Rathbun, Graduate Student in the Usrey Lab

The qualifying exam is a necessary hurdle that forces students to revisit all course material and create their own coherent picture of the field of neuroscience.  -Chris Bishop, Graduate Student in the Miller Lab

The qualifying examinations for our program are split into two parts, the Written/Oral Prelim Exam and the Thesis Proposal, which are taken separately and generally have different committee members. During the Thesis Proposal, which is done after successfully completing the prelim, you will once again be put on your feet, this time to present the proposed route of your doctoral research and to answer any questions which your committee might have about the background you should have to complete your research, the ultimate goals of your projects, and any pitfalls which might come up. It is another potentially intimidating exam, but you should always keep in mind two things: 1) The professors on your committee are there to ensure that your doctoral research goes as smoothly as possible, not as antagonists, and 2) Hey, you're going to be a Ph.D. candidate!  -Jeffrey Johnson, Former Graduate Student in the Olshausen Lab and curernt Postdoc in the Sutter Lab

The Neuroscience Graduate Group

Our grad group is very tight, we're a little community here in Davis.  There is always assistance if you need it and we are also very social.  One of the coolest things about our graduate group is that although we work very hard we still have a lot of fun together as a group.  From biweekly poker games, movies, game/trivia night, our annual retreat and new student orientation picnic, we manage our sanity well and often. From what I've learned from friends and labmates in other groups, our frequent social interactions is an anomaly and one of the things that makes our grad group very special. -Malaika Singleton, Graduate Student in the LaSalle Lab

Faculty and students affiliated with UC Davis Neuroscience Grad Group cover the entire spectrum of neuroscience from cellular/molecular to clinical/cognitive, making it possible for every student to create a research project that closely matches his or her own interests. The first year lab rotations provide the flexibility needed to explore unfamiliar areas of neuroscience or to focus on specific research interests. - Melissa Prather, Graduate Student in the Amaral Lab

At UC Davis, graduate students fall under the jurisdiction of a Graduate Group rather than a Department. This is largely invisible on a day-to-day basis but has its benefits. Faculty for the Neuroscience Graduate Group are assembled from many different Departments, including NPB (Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior), Psychology, Neurology, Psychiatry, and other disciplines related to the field of Neuroscience. This lends the Graduate Group a breadth of collective knowledge and collaboration that would be difficult to achieve in a standard Department.  -Jeffrey Johnson, Former Graduate Student in the Olshausen Lab

Since the Neuroscience Graduate Group is not just part of a larger biology program on campus, you really get the sense that we are a neuroscience community. The Center for Neuroscience provides a place where faculty and students can work together to share ideas apart from the hectic atmosphere of the main campus.  -Cyndi Mills-Schumann, Graduate Student in the Amaral Lab

The students here are extremely talented, both inside and outside of the lab.  Lab and classwork is a common topic of conversation and motivation for gatherings, but the students work hard to provide opportunities for non-science activities to help maintain a balance of both intellectual and personal growth. -Caitlin Kiley, First-year Graduate Student

At UC Davis, instead of calling some departments 'departments', we call them 'Graduate Groups'. Basically this just means that we can pull faculty from several departments; so, here you'll find people who's paycheck says 'Psychology' who've been working for years in the lab next to people who ostensibly work for Psychiatry, Molecular Biology, Computer Science, etc. I'm not sure what difference these distinctions make--all of the faculty teach courses together, side-by-side, including courses in the undergraduate major, Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior (NPB). We have our own big building (two, in fact) with labs, classrooms, conference rooms, a graduate computer lounge, and a library.  -Noah Merin, MD/PhD Student in the Amaral Lab

The Neuroscience Graduate Group is a great community in which to train.  The faculty are among the best in their fields yet are very approachable and enthusiastic about teaching.  It makes learning from them an enjoyable experience. -Marnie Morales, Graduate Student in the Knoepfler Lab

The Neuroscience Graduate Group is fantastically diverse and collaborative. The Graduate Group is an amalgamation of faculty members who span very broad areas of research and are physically located in various research centers on and off the UCD campus both in Davis and Sacramento. This diversity fosters a rich sharing of ideas and a very collaborative environment. These collaborations make Neuroscience at Davis very interesting and exciting; it really leads to the traditional boundaries between the different areas of Neuroscience being blurred. -Regina Faulkner, Graduate Student in the Cheng Lab

The Faculty

One of the key components of advanced degrees is finding someone you respect and admire to mentor you through the process. Given the first year of lab rotations you get to know a variety of faculty and then you have to choose!! It was a difficult decision because the faculty have so much to offer. Overall, it is a young, up-and-coming, enthusiastic, and talented group. You can't go wrong here with faculty, they're outstanding.   -Amy Lincoln, Graduate Student in the Baynes Lab

The science at UCD is excellent. Because our program is interdisciplinary, research ranges from molecular to cell to physiology to behavior. This allows students in the program to learn first hand about various techniques and methods used to study the brain. The faculty are incredible scientists who are very excited about their research and enjoy teaching us to become better neuroscientists. I've had great experiences with our professors and have learned so much from them.  -Jennifer Kelly, Graduate Student in the Amaral Lab

There's really top notch faculty in this program. And they're genuinely dedicated to the program, not just their labs. From making every effort to attract competitive applicants, to being willing to share their expertise with graduate students officially in other faculty member's labs, the faculty make this program work, and they make it work well.  -Eric Leaver, Graduate Student in the Pappone Lab

Having had the opportunity to be a graduate student or closely associated with graduate students at several institutions, I have a good basis for evaluating (from a graduate student perspective) the faculty at UC Davis. One of the most important qualities in a good graduate program is having faculty that are willing to collaborate with each other and you. It is unlikely that a single faculty advisor can provide everything you need to accomplish your graduate student goals. This can range from necessary equipment, to individual expertise and training. Having a program where you can feel comfortable talking with and working with many different faculty members is very important. This is one of strongest points of the Neuroscience program at Davis. The faculty members are not only individually outstanding but, from my experience, all are happy to discuss issues and ideas related to your own interests and seem genuinely interested in supporting and advising graduate students (whether you "officially belong" to their lab or not).   -Scott Murray, Graduate Student in the Olshausen Lab

The faculty and students are my favorite part of the UC Davis program. Most people want to collaborate and help one another. People are generally friendly and the faculty treat students as equals so it is easy to feel comfortable right away. -Anne Richards, Graduate Student in the Maddock Lab

I've found the faculty as a whole to be interested in my intellectual development and more than willing to meet with me individually to discuss specific topics.  I've also found a similar spirit between senior students and postdocs where they're happy to discuss the details of their areas of specialization and share their technical experience. -Travis Hill, Graduate Student in the Zito Lab

The Students

What a great group of people. Diverse interests and personalities - a terrific group of people to work and socialize with!!  -Amy Lincoln, Graduate Student in the Baynes Lab

I love interacting with my fellow students.  It begins in the classroom when you study and learn together in the core courses and because our group is very dynamic and social we get to know each other well outside of the class/lab.  I've made great friends here in the neuro grad group, in fact, my best friend is a fellow classmate!  The students can be a great help to one another also.  Senior grad students are always helpful to the first and second-years as they prepare for their qualifying exams and during their first-year lab rotations. -Malaika Singleton, Graduate Student in the LaSalle Lab

I transfered into the Neuroscience Grad Group from another PhD program at UCDavis, and the main motivation behind my decision to transfer was the atmosphere I found when I took one of the Core courses. The students in the Neuroscience Grad Group were really friendly. We would cooperate with each other to try and help everyone do well. The program I came from was much more cut-throat. I really liked the sense of community I found in the Neuroscience Grad Group.  -Sarah Lindstrom, Former Graduate Student in the Wilson Lab

Students tend to be fiercely loyal to their labs and form strong friendships with the postdocs, techs, and other students they work with. Journal clubs are a lot of fun--we discuss recent articles and developments in our fields over pizza and beer a couple of nights a week. It goes without saying that we are a smart, motivated bunch of people.  -Noah Merin, MD/PhD Student in the Amaral Lab

Some of my best friends are other neuroscience graduate students, and there is a general feeling of camaraderie among all of the students. The atmosphere is not competitive at all, in fact, we all try to help each other get through the core course, orals, lab crises, etc.  -Christine Wu, Graduate Student in the Jagust Lab

Some of the students in this program are short, others are quite tall. Some students are known to eat only two meals a day, while others have been suspected of eating three and sometimes a late-night snack. Hair length is quite variable between students, and has in cases been quite variable within a single student over short periods of time. When asked to rank in order of preference, the entire ice cream selection at Baskin-Robbins 31 Flavors, no two students produced an identical list. Yet despite this outward lack of unity, the students manage to come together often, at weekly volleyball and basketball games, to birthday dinners and camping, reading clubs (nonscientific), to watch the NCAA Basketball Tournament and generally whenever else the Neuroscience Grad Group offers pizza or the word 'beer' is mentioned. There has been talk of a collaborative movie script. We know, and even like, each others significant others, fiancées, spouses (and note the constant trend for progression up the hierarchy). In short (but not excluding those who happen by no fault of their own to be tall), we are a quite cohesive and welcoming group of folks, and we have room for one or two more. (Hurry! Spaces may be limited and are going fast!).  -Jeffrey Johnson, Former Graduate Student in the Olshausen Lab and current Postdoc in the Sutter Lab

The City of Davis

As I often tell people, the choice to come to UCD was as much a lifestyle choice as an academic choice. It's impossible for me to express how much I've enjoyed Davis. My wife worked for the Chamber of Commerce for half a year and is now employed by the police department. Between those jobs and a keen interest in this small town, we've gained a bit of insight into the personality of the town.  -

Davis is a town that people come to for its emphasis on healthy living, conscientious citizenship, and community involvement. Additionally, many come for the great public school system or a good real estate investment. However, if you're truly a learner at heart, then you can expect to gain a great deal more from Davis than a PhD in neuroscience. In the last year, I've heard Stephen Hawking talk on astrophysics and philosophy, Granny D (Doris Haddock) talk about the political history of the country, and taken mini-courses in gardening, stargazing, and natural home building.  -

Davis is a wonderful place to live and work. There is a great Farmer’s Market, a lively downtown with restaurants, bars, andshops, the Mondavi Center for the Arts which hosts various productions,concerts, and lectures, and an outdoorsy vibe that permeates the town. Ireally enjoy being able to bike around town and walk along the greenbelt, and I love the college town atmosphere. Students at Davis also love the proximity of San Francisco’s shopping and nightlife and Lake Tahoe’s hikingand skiing. We can easily escape to the coast or the mountains in an hour or two. -Regina Faulkner, Graduate Student int he Cheng Lab

As far as entertainment goes, every Friday during the dry season, there's a pick-up game of volleyball hosted by Ken Britten and Mitch Sutter where you can be sure to have fun relaxing with colleagues. Wednesdays and Saturdays the Farmer's Market has some of the best produce you've ever seen. There are bike races happening all year round and the town periodically has parades and picnics. The newly built Mondavi center offers both performing arts and public speakers of astounding quality. In addition to the bounty that Davis has to offer, 20 minutes will see you in Sacramento (the state capitol), 90 minutes will get you to the bay area for more great academic offerings at UC Berkeley and tons of fun in San Francisco, 2 hours will get you to the mountains for skiing, a few more will get you to Yosemite national park, and 5 hours will get you to the largest trees in the world. We definitely don't lack for something to do on a weekend. If you want to enjoy your grad school years, Davis is a great place to do so.  -

The city of Davis is a great place to go to grad school. Being an older student, married and with a young child, Davis is a great place for all of us. I'm just minutes from work and able to go home during lunch to care for my child. There are lots of young families in my neighborhood, in contrast to the "student hubs" which are numerous here too. My husband is in a great location for all the major northern California metro regions for his work. You can't beat the greenbelts, the farmer's market, and the climate - being a Seattle native, I love the heat!!  -Amy Lincoln, Graduate student in the Baynes Lab

While I always wanted to live and work in a "big city," Davis offered a unique charm that was hard to resist. Certainly, the town was quiet, laid-back, and far more livable than the bustling metropolis of the Bay Area or Southern California. However, Davis has a worldliness and sophistication seldom seen in a small town, perhaps due to the presence of the University. After living in a large city where all resources were scarce (e.g. clean air, parks, open roads, and even spare time), it was relaxing to come to a place were daily living offered no stress. The only stressors are those you place upon yourself, generally because of your work habits.  -Manu Hegde, MD/PhD student in the Gorin Lab

Davis is a mid-sized town of about 60,000 people which is largely built, both geographically and culturally, around the university. It is a bicycle-oriented city, with many bike paths, a freeway underpass, and two freeway overpasses (with a third in construction) that serve as alternatives to motor roads (which bicycles often share as well). It has a very consistent climate: hot but not humid in the summer, wet but not frigid in the winter. While it lacks the nightlife of larger cities, it makes up for this with a friendly, comfortable feel, a sort of "home is here" charm that percolates through the town. Those who are looking for a little more excitement or a change of pace can find Sacramento only 20 minutes away, San Francisco an hour and a half, Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada mountains two and a half hours distant.  -Jeffrey Johnson, Former Graduate Student in the Olshausen Lab and current Postdoc in the Sutter Lab

Davis is a wonderful town to live in and you can¹t beat living 5 minutes away from the lab! You can bike anywhere in town on scenic paths without ever riding on a major street. Davis provides a safe, family atmosphere with the energy of a college town. We are also in a great location: you can take a day trip to Lake Tahoe or spend the evening in San Francisco!  -Cyndi Mills-Schumann, Graduate Student in the Amaral Lab

I've lived here ever since I came to get my undergraduate degree 11 years ago. You can easily ride your bicycle anywhere in town, and in many cases going by bike is the quickest way to get somewhere. I really like that. It keeps me from getting fat. I ride my bike all over the place. Davis has a small-town feel to it, but it's no problem getting big city action. Sacramento is about 20 minutes away by car (there's a bike path that goes there too), and you can find just about anything you'd want there. Snowboarding in the mountains is also key. If the roads are dry, you can make it to the slopes in less than two hours.  -Eric Leaver, Graduate Student in the Pappone Lab

World class neuroscience in the best possible place to live. Davis is close to the Bay Area and the mountains, with a climate that is soo California. But best of all, Davis is environmentally ahead of the rest.  The most bike-friendly city in the U.S., it is also a great place to live if you like organic products, want to drive an electric vehicle, or enjoy big city culture in a place with a home town feel. -Christin Hansen McCool, Graduate Student in the Britten Lab

Davis is a great place to live! It has a friendly, small town atmosphere, with the benefits of a large university and academically oriented community. For weekend trips, Davis is close some of the most beautiful hiking and backpacking in the country!  -Melissa Prather, Graduate Student in the Amaral Lab

Neuroscience in General

With an undergraduate degree in biological psychology, I was faced with the decision to continue on to a graduate program in psychology or to cross over to a neuroscience program. I chose neuroscience because I felt that I would learn more about the relationship between the brain and behavior in an interdisciplinary field that includes not only psychology, but also biology, genetics, and medicine. I definitely feel that the breadth and depth of knowledge that I have acquired in the neuroscience program has prepared me to be a better scientist.  -Christine Wu, Graduate Student in the Jagust Lab

Neuroscience has one of the broadest arrays of sub-disciplines.  Most students appreciate and benefit from this. -Chris Bishop, Graduate Student in the Miller Lab

This is arguably the most promising - and intellectually challenging - time to be entering the field of neuroscience since its inception. New technologies have revolutionized study of the brain from the macroscopic level (fMRI, and other imaging techniques) to the microscopic and even the molecular. Our ability to apply molecular biology techniques to neurobiology allows us to venture beyond descriptive studies, into the realm of true experiments. By manipulating neurochemistry to determine structural, functional, and even behavioral changes, we have entered a new era of understanding of how the brain works. Using new genomic technology, we can analyze changes in multiple genes simultaneously, increasing throughput of prior analyses by almost an order of magnitude. Through functional imaging, we can observe structural and metabolic changes that accompany cognitive disorders or normal processes. These advances, coupled with the continual growth of electrophysiology and cellular imaging techniques, provide ample research opportunities for those with an adventurous spirit.

However, this new and exciting environment offers formidable challenges for a prospective scientist. The proliferation of new information requires diligence and flexibility, as new avenues for knowledge are appearing constantly. The ability to see common themes in disparate fields is important, in order to recognize the unifying forces amidst the continual fragmentation of neuroscience. UC Davis offers the training for this new world. Faculty from varied backgrounds can offer training in a wide array of fields. Collaborations are frequent and hassle-free. And coursework spanning the range of topics in neuroscience - both old and new - is available to our students.  -Manu Hegde, MD/PhD student in the Gorin Lab

Research in General

Society recognizes research as a worthwhile endeavor, worthy of public support. It this way, research is like art--it requires a patron, and it is not necessarily evaluated according to the dictates of the marketplace which govern many other aspects of our society. It is a privilege to do research. To me, the highest form of freedom and self-expression is to be able to find what fascinates me and spend my life trying to understand its secrets.  -Noah Merin, MD/PhD Student in the Amaral Lab

Research is a great way to keep your mind busy while furhtering our understanding of our world and its inhabitants. It's certainly one of the most mentally and emotionally challenging occupations. -Chris Bishop, Graduate Student in the Miller Lab