UC Davis Honorees
NAS Prize in Food and Agriculture Sciences More>>
Jeffrey Ross-Ibarra, Professor of Evolution and Ecology in the College of Biological Sciences, is an internationally recognized plant evolutionary geneticist whose research focuses on the genomic analysis and evolution of maize and related plant species. Beyond his significant contribution to basic science, his laboratory addresses challenges from transposable element evolution to the genetics of quantitative traits, maize and human coevolution, domestication, and local adaptation. His studies of maize and related uncultivated plants illustrate the extensive impact of changing genomic diversity in maize, and demonstrate the value of genomic approaches in forecasting crop performance.
Huaijun Zhou, Professor of Animal Science at the UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, has made fundamental contributions to the field of animal genomics by establishing the foundation for advanced genetic and genomic manipulations of domesticated species. Dr. Zhou’s research program applies contemporary genetic, genomic, epigenomic and bioinformatics technologies to improve global food security, animal health, production efficiency, and food safety. His novel research in animal functional genomics yields translational advances that can radically improve animal agriculture.