Three UC Davis researchers have been honored with prestigious awards from two major institutions.
In a rare honor, two of the 10 McKnight Scholar Awards will go to UC Davis neuroscientists this year. Theanne Griffith and Sergey Stavisky both received the prestigious early-career award.
The Board of Directors of The McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience announced the 2025 recipients on June 19.
The McKnight Scholar Awards are granted to scientists in the early stages of establishing their own independent laboratories and research careers. Since the award was introduced in 1977, it has funded 291 innovative investigators and spurred hundreds of breakthrough discoveries. Each recipient will receive $75,000 per year for three years.
Sergey Stavisky is an assistant professor in the Department of Neurological Surgery. He co-directs the UC Davis Neuroprosthetics Lab. Stavisky studies the neural basis of human cognition and develops neurotechnologies to restore lost abilities. The lab's recent research focuses on using brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) to restore speech to individuals who have lost the ability to speak due to neurological disease or injury. These BCIs also provide unique direct access to human neural circuits. This access allows researchers like Stavisky to gain a deeper neuroscientific understanding of the brain. This is essential for developing future therapies to treat conditions, such as language disorders, that affect uniquely human brain functions.
Theanne Griffith is an assistant professor in the UC Davis Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology. Griffith is fascinated by the complex and far-reaching physiological functions of a specialized class of sensory neurons in the peripheral nervous system, called proprioceptors. These neurons serve as a connection between muscles and mind and have traditionally been viewed as motion detectors that sense changes in muscle length and force to guide purposeful movement and reflexes. Using an integrative systems physiology approach that spans tissues and timescales, the Griffith lab is demonstrating that proprioceptors are more than motion detectors; in fact, they serve as key drivers of motor network development, maintenance and repair.
2 faculty selected as Freeman Hrabowski Scholars by HHMI
Griffith and Elisa T. Zhang, an assistant professor in the UC Davis Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, are among the 30 new Freeman Hrabowski Scholars selected from across the United States by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI).
Freeman Hrabowski Scholars are outstanding early-career faculty who have the potential to become leaders in their research fields and to create lab environments in which everyone can thrive. Scholars are appointed to a five-year term, renewable for a second five-year term after a successful progress evaluation. In addition, they take part in professional development to advance their leadership and mentorship skills.
Zhang's laboratory studies the uterus's remarkable capacity for scarless regeneration during the menstrual cycle as well as dynamic tissue remodeling during pregnancy, uncovering new insights into uterine disorders and tissue repair. Her group explores how the uterine inner lining breaks down and regrows each monthly cycle without scarring. By integrating these findings with studies on how the uterus and placenta sustain pregnancy, the Zhang lab aims to reveal new concepts and strategies for improving maternal-fetal outcomes, gynecological health and regenerative medicine.
About The McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience
The McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience is an independent organization funded by the McKnight Foundation of Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is led by a board of prominent neuroscientists from around the country. The McKnight Foundation was founded by William L. McKnight (1887-1979), one of the early leaders of the 3M Company, who had a personal interest in memory and brain diseases and wanted part of his legacy used to help find cures.
About the Freeman Hrabowski Scholars Program
The program supports outstanding early career faculty committed to creating lab environments in which everyone can thrive. Scholars are HHMI employees, and each is appointed for up to two, five-year terms that include salary, research budget, and equipment. Scholars receive up to $8.6 million over the 10-year period. This includes full salary and benefits, a research budget of approximately $400,000 per year over the first five years ($600,000 per year during the second five years), and eligibility to participate in the HHMI capital equipment program.
