Bruce Hammock,Christophe Morisseau to Present TEDX Talk

When the UC Davis School of Medicine (SOM) hosts its 2025 Convergence Research Celebration on Tuesday, April 8, the TEDx talk speakers will include two researchers from the Department of Entomology and Nematology (ENT): UC Davis distinguished professor Bruce Hammock and research scientist Christophe Morisseau of the Hammock lab.

The title of their joint presentation: "50 Years of Interdisciplinary Collaboration, from Insect Metamorphosis to a Pharmaceutical in the Clinic." Their topics will include their groundbreaking research on Parkinson's disease. Worldwide, an estimated 10 million people live with Parkinson's disease,with nearly 1 million in the United States. That number is expected to increase to 1.2 million by 2030.

The SOM research celebration will take place from 3 to 6 p.m. in the UC Davis Conference Center, 550 Alumni Lane, UC Davis campus. Admission is free. Registration is underway here.

Hammock and Morisseau “are a few of the extraordinary faculty whose collaborative research with UC Davis School of Medicine faculty have made this past year such a success,” a spokesperson said. SOM is celebrating “another record year of extramural funding and its collaborations with faculty from schools and colleges across the UC Davis campus are a significant factor."

Bruce Hammock

Hammock, an internationally recognized scientist who holds a joint appointment with the Department of Entomology and Nematology and the UC Davis Comprehensive Center, joined the UC Davis faculty in 1980. He is known for his expertise in chemistry, toxicology, biochemistry, entomology and human health research. His work in enzyme research alone spans more than 50 years. He is a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, the National Academy of Sciences, the California Academy of Sciences, and the Entomological Society of America.  At UC Davis, he received both the Academic Senate's Distinguished Teaching Award and the Faculty Research Lectureship. In 2020, UC Davis Chancellor Gary May awarded him the first-ever Lifetime Achievement Award. 

Christophe Morisseau

Morisseau, who joined the Hammock lab in 1996, is known for his research on protein purification, enzyme kinetics, enzyme inhibition, HTS  assay and library screening, organic synthesis, cell and cultures, and enzymatic reactors. He holds two degrees from France: a doctorate in biochemistry and organic chemistry from the University of the Mediterranean, and a master's in food science from ENSBANA.

Other speakers are Sean Collins of the College of Biological Sciences, Chen-Nee Chuah of the College of Engineering, Eliza Bliss-Moreau of the College of Letters and Science, Kent Leach of the School of Medicine and Pamela Lein of the School of Veterinary Medicine.

The event will include games and networking, beverages and hors d'oeuvres.

Cari Dubois-Wright, development director, UC Davis College of Agricultural an Environmental Sciences, is seeking financial support for the Hammock lab projects: "Want to make a difference in the fight against Parkinson's and Alzheimer's? Support Bruce Hammock's groundbreaking research aimed at delaying onset or potentially finding a cure. Bruce's team has identified a key enzyme in a regulatory pathway of the brain, and by inhibiting it, they've successfully reduced neuroinflammation, alleviated pain, and blocked the symptoms and progression of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's in rodent models and human-derived stem cells. One of their compounds is currently in human clinical trials. Join the Larkey family and make a gift.  Your gift will help accelerate this vital research, bringing promising treatments closer to reality and advancing efforts to prevent, treat, and cure these debilitating diseases.

• Access this link to donate
• Access this link to: Learn More about Hammock Lab - Laboratory of Pesticide Biotechnology
• Contact Cari Dubois-Wright at caduboiswright@ucdavis.edu for more information.