June 2017

INSIDEROFFICE OF RESEARCH

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

INNOVATION NEWS

HR UPDATES

SPOT AWARDS

EVENTS

AWARDS & PROPOSALS

IT TIPS

SPOTLIGHT ONOR NEWS

Table of Contents

1

Research News

HIV HAS NO cure. But it’s not quite the implacable scourge it was throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Education, prophylactics, and drugs like PrEP have cut down its transmission. Anti-retroviral treatments keep HIV-positive people’s immune systems from collapsing.

But still, no cure. Part of the problem is HIV’s ability to squirrel itself away inside a cell’s DNA—including the DNA of the immune cells that are supposed to be killing it.

The same ability, though, could be HIV’s undoing. All because of Crispr. You know, Crispr: The gene-editing technique that got everyone really excited, then really skeptical, and now cautiously optimistic about curing a bunch of intractable diseases.

Read more here.

How CRISPR could snip away some of humanity's worst diseases

CNPRC successfully demonstrates gene editing in nonhuman primates

Imagine a world where maladies such as cystic fibrosis, Huntington’s Disease,

or sickle cell anemia no longer exist. While the U.S. is far from achieving this lofty goal, it recently came a step closer at the California National Primate Research Center (CNPRC), where scientists have efficiently used CRISPR/Cas9 technology to modify the genes of rhesus macaque embryos.

The research, recently published in the latest edition of Human Molecular Genetics, paves the way for future studies where the possibility of birthing gene-edited monkeys that can serve as models for new therapies is greatly increased.

Read more here.

UC Davis researchers launch underwater robots to learn how and when ice shelves collapse

To outer space and the deep ocean, add “beneath the ice” to the list

of rarely charted frontiers of science exploration.

There have been very few expeditions where robots dived beneath polar ice shelves to characterize and measure them. UC Davis engineering professor Alexander Forrest recently returned from one of them.

Forrest led a six-member robotics team in Antarctica on the Western Ross Sea and Terra Nova Bay as part of an international expedition, LIONESS, led by the Korea Polar Research Institute. That stands for Land-Ice/Ocean Network Exploration with Semiautonomous Systems.

Read more here.

Climate and ecology linked to Lake Tahoe clarity declineClarity levels at Lake Tahoe in 2016 increased in winter and decreased in summer. The summer values were due to the continuing effects of climate change. The summer declines were so large that they outweighed the improving winter clarity.

Read more here.

Innovation News

What if, instead of filling out a boring online form to apply for a job, you could just have a chat with a friendly bot using Facebook messenger?

That’s the idea behind Wazlo, a Davis-based startup that wants to change how prospective employees are vetted by utilizing artificial intelligence and a chat bot named Wazlo.

Instead of filling out an online form, potential employees can have a chat with a bot on Facebook Messenger.“It’s funny. Quirky,” said Dhrubajyoti Das,

one of the company’s co-founders.

Das and his Wazlo co-founder, Joshua Brown, are part of the growing community of undergraduate entrepreneurs at UC Davis. Das grew up in Mumbai, India, and said he became interested in programming and building e-commerce websites as a way to make pocket money when he was a teenager.

Read more here.

RISE team in the news: Advancing the total-body PET scannerThis new PET scanner, whose development has received substantial financial support from NCI and NIBIB, is designed to rapidly provide detailed information about tissues throughout the entire body while using a much smaller amount of radioactivity than a standard PET scan. The researchers

working on this effort—led by Simon Cherry, Ph.D., and Ramsey Badawi, Ph.D., of the University of California, Davis—recently reported that they are on track to have the first working prototype of this total-body PET (TB-PET) scanner completed by next year.

Read more here.

UC Davis spin-off, Evolve Biosystems, secures $20 Million in funding from investment groups Evolve BioSystems Inc., a spin-off from the UC Davis Foods For Health Institute, that is developing novel solutions to restore and maintain a healthy newborn gut microbiome, announced that it has completed a $20 million Series B financing to fund the commercialization of its initial products.

The company is developing activated probiotic and prebiotic products based on research that shows the infant gut microbiome plays a critical role in the development of a healthy immune system and early metabolic programing as well as meeting the infant's dietary needs.

The company states the funding will support ongoing clinical activities, operational expansion, and the launch of the initial commercial products.

Read more here.

STAIR Grant recipients showcase progress STAIR Grant award winners from 2016 gave short presentations about their projects at the Office of Research Monday, May 15. The presentations focused on progress made during the year and the translation of their research toward commercialization.

Startup uses friendly chat bot named Wazlo to connect workers with employers

OR News

Office of Research launches electronic portal for conflict of interest disclosures

3

Research Compliance & Integrity (RCI) is pleased to announce the rollout of a fully online Conflict of Interest (COI) disclosure process to the research community. This system eliminates all paper-based COI disclosures, making

the process more efficient and user friendly.

The new system was formally launched on June 1.

Learn more here.

OR collaborates on program to create leaders for the future through immersives, scholarship, business skills and innovation

Leaders for the Future is a cross-campus collaboration between the Office of Research, the Internship and Career Center, GradPathways (Graduate Studies) and the Mike and Renee Child Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. This five-month program helps Ph.D. candidates and postdoctoral scholars connect with applied experiences beyond academia through immersives (internships, job shadowing, projects) while supporting business skills development. The program provides training in the skills needed to excel in diverse careers across industry, government and more.

Read more here.

UC Davis has signed a licensing agreement providing Isotropic Imaging Corporation the rights to commercialize a novel computed tomography (CT) scanner that has the potential to improve breast cancer detection and positively impact women’s health.

The technology was developed at UC Davis by a team led by John Boone, professor of radiology and biomedical

engineering and a member of the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center. The primary advantage of the scanner is that it provides true three-dimensional and highly-detailed images of the human breast, offering a less obstructed view of potential lesions than provided by current two-dimensional mammograms..

Read more here.

InnovationAccess signs agreement to license novel CT scanning technology

OR News

3

Ben Houlton and John White on ABC10 to discuss Trump's announcement to withdrawal US from the Paris Climate Agreement

In her opening remarks at the Feminist Research Institute symposium, “Feminist Research Across the Disciplines,” Interim Director Laura Grindstaff noted that feminist scholarship has had minimal impact on the STEM disciplines compared to social sciences and humanities.

“In STEM, there is increasing attention to the under-representation of women and people of color as researchers, but much less attention to paid to the ‘what’ and ‘how’ of research itself,” said Grindstaff. “Having a more diverse workforce is important, but that won’t necessarily or automatically change

research priorities or the process of knowledge-production itself.”

The Feminist Research Institute (FRI, pronounced “free”) is a relatively young organization at UC Davis. The Special Research Program launched in late 2015 with a focus on research development and bridging the gap between the humanistic and scientific sides of campus.

The day-long symposium at the UC Davis Conference Center May 17 provided a chance for faculty, staff and students to explore how inequalities along lines of gender, race and class impact the very nature of research.

Read more here.

Feminist Research Institute looks to bridge gap between humanistic and scientific sides of UC Davis

From left to right: Stephanie Maroney, PhD candidate in the Department of Cultural Studies; Amanda Modell, graduate student in the Department of Cultural Studies; Suad Joseph, distinguished professor of anthropology and gender, sexuality, and women's studies; Astrid Volder, assistant professor of plant sciences; Susan Ebeler, associate dean for Undergraduate Academic Programs, professor of viticulture and enology; Laura Grindstaff, interim director, Feminist Research Institute and professor of sociology; Muneeza Rizvi, graduate student in the Department of Anthropology; Sarah McCullough, associate director, Feminist Research Institute.

imagine that

Visit us at BIO International 2017 in the California Pavilion.

Imagine providing a lifetime of health benefi ts simply by restoring a baby’s intestinal microbiome to its natural state.

We did, and now UC Davis spino� Evolve BioSystems is building activated probiotic products based on our groundbreaking research on the infant gut microbiome and human breast milk.

At UC Davis, we bring together top clinicians and experts in human and veterinary medicine, bioengineering, food and environmental science to drive innovation into societal impact.

Our collaborations and industry partnerships lead to translatable medicine and market-ready technology that improve lives.

It’s a future worth imagining.

Find out how we can transform the world together.tmcr.ucdavis.edu

Nature 5.3_JDL.indd 1 5/3/2017 11:23:19 AM

Full-page spread placed in Nature's

special edition on university

spinoffs

Given your background in business, what might industry leaders be surprised to learn about technology commercialization at UC Davis? I think there is a misconception that the goal of technology commercialization is to generate revenue for the university. What really drives us, is making sure that discoveries and innovations that emerge from the university benefit the public, not only through the advancements that improve our lives, but also to fuel the nation’s economy. Financial return for the university is just one measure of our success. We recognize how essential it is to work together with industry to make sure research innovations translate into life-changing products and services. This mindset drives our approach at UC Davis.

Any specific examples of this in action?We align incentives with objectives in agreements with large and small companies, rather than focusing solely on financial terms. Also, with startups, we take a combination of equity, fees and downstream payments, to minimize immediate cash outlays.

What is special about the innovation platform at UC Davis?

UC Davis is unique in the comprehensive nature of our research enterprise, which spans almost every discipline across science, engineering, medicine, and the humanities. We are widely recognized for our world-leading research in veterinary medicine and agriculture, but I believe that our defining strength is our ability to produce transformative technologies by bringing researchers in these areas together with clinicians in our medical center, engineers in our College of Engineering, and scientists in biology and the physical sciences.

How are you leveraging this collaboration to drive technology commercialization? We pursue solutions for industry’s challenges by assembling bold and creative interdisciplinary teams. For example, we’re expanding the concept of One Health, which explores the link between the wellbeing of people, animals and the environment, by integrating our strengths in engineering to leverage what we call One Health and Engineering Synergies. This approach has yielded a dynamic innovation engine generating novel diagnostics, medtech, digital health and biopharmaceutical technologies.

How have you structured your office to best support technology commercialization?We modeled our organization based on our customer’s needs. Licensing of available technologies is handled through our InnovationAccess team which is composed of industry segment experts. Our Office of Corporate relations facilitates and manages research collaborations with industry partners, while Venture Catalyst helps entrepreneurs develop viable startup companies based on university research and innovation.

Your Venture Catalyst unit sounds like a relatively new and novel concept for driving new startups. Can you elaborate on what services they provide?When I arrived at UC Davis, I was surprised at our historically low numbers of startup companies. The technologies and innovations were there,

but we lacked the resources to support our entrepreneurs. In response, we launched Venture Catalyst, to help entrepreneurs navigate the complex path from company formation to commercial success. This experienced team provides resources including free company incorporation services, SBIR grant writing workshops, market intelligence, proof-of-concept funding, access to mentors and a network of business incubators.

How have external partnerships factored into your strategy?We recognize that our ability to achieve translational research and commercialization objectives depends on effective external partnerships. A good example is our longstanding collaboration with Mars, Inc., which has supported cutting-edge research in agriculture, and nutrition for at least two decades, leading to the recent launch of the Innovation Institute for Food and Health, that is delivering big-impact breakthroughs in food, agriculture and health.

A D V E R T I S E R R E T A I N S S O L E R E S P O N S I B I L I T Y F O R C O N T E N T

insideview A D V E R T I S E M E N T F E A T U R E

LINKING INNOVATION TO IMPACTA conversation with DUSHYANT PATHAK, Associate Vice Chancellor for Technology Management & Corporate Relations, and Executive Director of Venture Catalyst at the University of California, Davis

From life-saving treatments to breakthroughs in agricultural technologies, innovations from UC Davis impact lives around the world. Recognized as a top-ten public university in the United States, UC Davis attracted $760 million in research funding last year.

Dushyant Pathak heads the university’s Technology Management & Corporate Relations (TMCR) division, which is tasked with ensuring that emerging technologies provide the foundation for new products and services that address public needs and foster economic growth.

In 2016, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) designated UC Davis an Innovation and Economic Prosperity University in recognition of its strong commitment to economic engagement with local and regional communities.

WHAT REALLY DRIVES US, IS MAKING

SURE THAT DISCOVERIES AND

INNOVATIONS THAT EMERGE

FROM THE UNIVERSITY

BENEFIT THE PUBLIC.

Full-page spread placed in Nature's

special edition on university

spinoffs

Japan to Florida? Yes, I grew up in Japan, with two brothers and my parents in Osaka. I moved to Florida in 1994 by myself. I did the calculations: Florida appears to be the farthest state from Japan (12,000 km, or 7500 miles)! It’s twice as far as Alaska (6,000 km or 3,600 miles). What did you do in Florida? I took “English as a Second Language” classes, and then moved to Utah in 1998 for graduate school.

What was striking about the U.S.? I was so surprised at the portion sizes at restaurants. I couldn’t eat the whole thing at first.

Do you have “doggie bags” in Japan? No. Guests should finish their plate. Your host would think you did not like the food, or something was wrong with it if you left food on your plate.

Another cultural opposite? In Japan, there are no questions or discussions during class; it is rude. But, especially in graduate school, discussion is encouraged. My mentor said, “This is the States. We’re all friends. Don’t worry what I think. Speak up.”

But you had to work in two languages? Yes, by the time I translated

something in my head, the topic had passed!

What do you miss? My Osaka family, the food, the fish. My husband (we met in Utah), son (bilingual) and I visit once a year.

Japanese food? Yes, I can get a lot of ingredients in the U.S. these days. But I cook a westernized version for my "Californian" family.

Other hobbies? I played 6 years of volleyball in school clubs, then switched to tennis in college. And knitting! I made a sweater for my son.

by Nancy RashidSpotlight on...Jun Porter

IRB Reviewer

Welcome to the Office

8

Meg SparlingFunding

OpportunitiesCoordinator

Hometown: Gaylord, MIWhat will you be doing in OR? "I identify funding opportunities that are relevant to UC Davis researchers and coordinate the internal selection process for funding opportunities that impose campus limits on applications." What do you like to do on your time off? " I love reading, watching TV, baseball (go Tigers!), and cooking."Tell us a fun fact about you: "I am finishing my Ph.D. in English at UC Davis!”

Hometown: Palo Alto, CA

What will you be doing in OR? "I will be coordinating and tracking the allocation and deployment of resources, programs and services related to the AB 2664 University of California Innovation & Entrepreneurship Expansion program."

What do you like to do on your time off? "I spend a lot of time with my 8-month-old daughter."

Tell us a fun fact about you: " Previously I have directed a short film and

performed standup comedy.”

Mike LemckeVenture Catalyst

Program Coordinator

IT Tips TGFS

6

by Sheri Pulis

Mobilenetx is retiring June 22. Connect to eduroam instead.Eduroam (education roaming) is the secure, world-wide roaming wireless service developed for the international research and education community.

Once you’re connected to eduroam, you can enjoy secure WiFi access at UC Davis, other educational institutions, and hotspots worldwide.

No matter where you roam, your UC Davis security credentials are always checked back home at UC Davis. At eduroam hotspots around the world no one but you knows your credentials so your connection is safe from hackers.

Instructions:1. Open your wireless network settings on your computer or device

2. Choose eduroam

3. Select connect automatically and then click connect

4. A window prompting you to enter your user credentials will appear.

5. In the username field, enter your Kerberos ID @ucdavis.edu

6. In the password field, enter your Kerberos passphrase

7. Once you have entered your information into both fields, click OK

For more information, visit IET.

June Birthdays

HR UPDATESMilestones

Dahlia GarasInstitute of Transportation Studies - 10 years

Travel Policy Update

Kendra SmithJune 4

Special Performance and Outstanding Teamwork Award Program

Christine Parks RUD

Cindy GatesIRB

Craig AllisonRCI

Ahmad Hakim-Elahi SPO

John TangJune 16

AJ ChelineJune 26

Barry CurtisJune 17

Joe Koepnick June 27

Lisa Howard M&C

Jennifer PlaceM&C

Anna Lucia CordovaIRSI

Whitney CheungIRSI

Victor HaroldsonOCR

Kristen FarrandOCR

Joyce JonesOCR

Sean TibbittsIRS

Alyssa /bunnIRS

Demet Candas GreenIRS

Erin WatkinsIRS

Rachel WhitcombeIRS

7

Michelle ClarkJune 22

Beginning July 1, any travel and entertainment claims submitted more than one year after the trip or event will be reported as income and subject to taxes – not just the amount reimbursed to the employee, but the entire total of the travel report will become taxable income. Read more here.

Holidays

Tuesday July 4

Open PositionsSr. Material Transfer Agreement Analyst

InnovationAccessview position description

1. $4,000,000 from the USDS Agency for International Development PI: Jonna Mazet, VM One Health Institute “Emerging Pandemic Threats Program 2 PREDICT-2”

2. $2,362,062 from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation PI: Christine Stewart, Nutrition “The Mazira project: An evaluation of eggs during complementary feeding in rural Malawi”

3. $1,642,738 from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation PI: Stephen Vosti, Agriculture & Natural Resource “Phase III of the micronutrient intervention modeling project (MINIMOD) in Ethiopia”

Awards & Proposals

Total Amount for Proposals (FY)

$2,421,183,852Total Amount for Awards (FY)

$594,836,930

Preliminary Data for 5/1/17 through 5/31/17

Top Awards

8

0

500000000

1E+09

1.5E+09

2E+09

2.5E+09

3E+09

5/31/2017

Year-to-Date Proposals

76%

24%

Year-to-Date Proposals

New Modified

$-

$100,000,000

$200,000,000

$300,000,000

$400,000,000

$500,000,000

$600,000,000

$700,000,000

5/31/2017

Year-to-Date Awards

36%

64%

Year-to-Date Awards

New Modified