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The University of California, Davis, is No. 10 among the nation’s top public universities in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026, published on Oct. 8.

It was one of four UC campuses ranked in the top 10 public universities in the nation.

UC Davis was 25th among more than 1,500 public and private American universities and 64th among nearly 2,200 universities from 115 countries and territories.

Vision neuroscientist Marie E. Burns has been appointed the sixth director of the Center for Neuroscience (CNS), effective July 1, 2025, after serving as interim director for the past year.

A professor with joint appointments in the departments of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, and Cell Biology and Human Anatomy in the School of Medicine, Burns brings more than 20 years’ leadership experience to the role.

Understanding exactly how psychedelics promote new connections in the brain is critical to developing targeted, non-hallucinogenic therapeutics that can treat neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases. To achieve this, researchers are mapping the biochemical pathways involved in both neuroplasticity and hallucinations.  

University of California, Davis, researchers have developed a new, neuroplasticity-promoting drug closely related to LSD that harnesses the psychedelic’s therapeutic power with reduced hallucinogenic potential.

In rankings released earlier this month, the University of California, Davis, was recognized as a global leader across many fields and disciplines.

Quacquarelli Symonds, or QS, considered one of the most influential international authorities on university rankings, placed UC Davis 41st in the world in the broad category of the life sciences and medicine, and 38th in the category of biological sciences.

We are looking for your most beautiful images and art (includes all mediums) that represent your research! (Don’t be restricted to anatomy!) Every kind of data can be beautiful and can make for appealing art. Enter your favorite images and/or pieces of art in the Center for Neuroscience’s NeuroArt Contest 2025 today!

UC Davis is continuing to make good on its commitment to welcome diverse voices, and earlier this month inducted nine new faculty members into programs that aim to bring multicultural and underrepresented perspectives to all fields of academia.

New research suggests that it could be possible to separate treatment from hallucinations when developing new drugs based on psychedelics. The anti-anxiety and hallucination-inducing qualities of psychedelic drugs work through different neural circuits, according to research using a mouse model. The work is published Nov. 15 in Science.

The Chen Lab studies the neural mechanisms behind cognitive functions, with a specific focus on visual attention. Dr. Chen's research team is also dedicated to pioneering innovative approaches that understand and enhance those essential cognitive functions.

Ron Mangun, Distinguished Professor of psychology and neurology and co-director of the Center for Mind and Brain at UC Davis, has just been awarded the 2024 Award for Education in Neuroscience by the Society for Neuroscience. This prize recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to undergraduate- and graduate-level neuroscience education and training.