More Nobel Laureates Participating in UC Davis-Based Webinar on Academic Research

More than two dozen of the world’s top scientists, including four Nobel Laureates and several national organization presidents,  will participate in the UC Davis-based webinar,  “Beyond the Headlines: The Invisible Power of Academic Research” on Tuesday, July 1.

The open-access seminar, organized by UC Davis Distinguished Professor Walter Leal, member of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), takes place from 1 to 3 p.m., Pacific Time. Registration is underway at https://tinyurl.com/4krenb5. 

Nobel Laureates Randy Schekman of UC Berkeley and UC Davis alumnus and Sacramento native Charles Rice of Rockefeller University will be featured in conversations with a panel of distinguished experts.

Rice, a virologist, won the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Michael Houghton and Harvey J. Alter "for the discovery of Hepatitis C virus." Born in 1952 in Sacramento, he received his bachelor's degree in zoology in 1974 from UC Davis. He obtained his doctorate in biochemistry in 1981 from the California Institute of Technology. 

“Behind nearly every breakthrough in medicine, technology, national security, and economic growth lies a powerful, but often overlooked, engine: academic research,” Leal said. “This webinar sheds light on that story.” Nationwide, the federal funding of science in academic institutions is in jeopardy.

“At a time when academic institutions face increased scrutiny, it is more important than ever to demonstrate to taxpayers how their investment in high-risk, high-reward research yields lasting benefits,” Leal said. “This distinguished panel of scholars will highlight how each federal research dollar generates significant economic returns, often hundreds of dollars per dollar invested, while equipping the next generation of innovators to tackle the complex challenges of tomorrow."

In addition to Schekman and Rice, those participating in the webinar will include Nobel Laureates David Julius of UC San Francisco and Torsten Wiesel of Rockefeller University; Sonny Ramaswamyn of UC Francisco,  former director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA); Tsu-Jae Liu of UC Berkeley, incoming National Academy of Engineering president; Marcia McNutt of the University of Minnesota, NAS president; John Hildebrand of the University of Arizona,  NAS Council member; and Michael Crown, president of Arizona State University,

Also Stephen Palumbi of Stanford; David Patterson and Claudia Polsky, UC Berkeley; Susan Strome, UC Southern California;  Arturo Casadevall, Johns Hopkins; Greg Pask, Middlebury College;  Jason Pitts, Baylor University; Karen McKinnon, UCLA; Peter Burke, UC Irvine; David Clapham, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia), and others. All will share their insights in person or through recorded video messages.

“Together, these voices will underscore the vital role of federally funded university research in maintaining America’s global leadership in science and innovation,” Leal said. “The discussion will explore the long-standing partnership between the federal government and U.S. research universities, a collaboration that drives discovery, serves the public good, and shapes the nation’s future, often without due recognition."

“We will take live questions from our Designated Questioners, including Los Angeles Times education reporter Jaweed Kaleem and UC Davis Graduate School of Management professor Elizabeth G. Pontikes, as well as from the Zoom and YouTube chat audiences.”

For more information, access the registration website or contact Leal at wsleal@ucdavis.edu. Leal, a distinguished professor in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, is a former professor and chair, UC Davis Department of Entomology.