Awards and Distinctions

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.

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.

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.

(DAVIS) Christina Kim, faculty member of the Center for Neuroscience and assistant professor in the UC Davis Department of Neurology was selected as a 2023 NIH Director’s New Innovator Award recipient as part of the NIH Common Fund’s High-Risk, High-Reward Research program.

(SACRAMENTO) Born with the intent of fostering interdisciplinary research, the Large Interdisciplinary Applications in Neuroscience (LIAN) Planning Grants program will support two teams led by Drs.

UC Davis last week presented its annual Faculty and Staff Stewardship Awards, honoring three individuals considered exceptionally dedicated to building the strong relationships that are critical to the university’s fundraising efforts.

This year’s recipients are recognized as leaders in a variety of fields on the Davis and Sacramento campuses:

Charan Ranganath, a professor of psychology, core faculty member at the Center for Neuroscience and director of the UC Davis Memory and Plasticity Program, has been selected for a Psychonomic Society 2022 Mid-Career Award for his research on the science of human memory.

Christina Kim, assistant professor in the UC Davis Department of Neurology and faculty member of the Center for Neuroscience, has been selected as a 2022 Searle Scholar in recognition of her research on the molecular code that determines synaptic wiring and functional activity in neural circuits that regulate motivation.