Leadership updates

The UC Davis School of Medicine has appointed Wendy Marie Campana, Ph.D., as chair of the Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy. A distinguished neuroscientist and educator, Campana brings a wealth of experience in academic leadership, research and a deep commitment to mentorship. She joins the UC Davis faculty from UC San Diego, where she served as professor in the Department of Anesthesiology and the Program in Neuroscience. She also served as a research biologist at the San Diego VA Healthcare System, and will continue her VA appointment at the Northern California VA Health Care System.

Campana’s research has transformed the understanding of how nerve cells and supporting cells respond to injury and contribute to the development of chronic pain. She has authored over 75 peer-reviewed publications in peripheral nerve biology, spinal cord injury, Schwann cell physiology and neuropathic pain, and holds two patents for innovative therapies targeting nerve regeneration and pain management: one related to repair “scaffolds” for nerve cells, the other a method for regenerating nerve cells.

The UC Davis School of Medicine is pleased to announce the appointment of David J. Segal, Ph.D., as chair of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine. Segal is a nationally recognized leader in genome engineering and molecular therapeutics, with more than two decades of research, program development and education experience. Segal has authored or co-authored more than 120 papers in peer-reviewed journals and holds 25 patents, and his work is reshaping what is possible in treating neurological and genetic disorders once deemed “incurable.” He and colleagues are developing targeted molecular tools capable of reactivating silenced genes, correcting gene dosage defects and repairing transcriptional dysfunction.

Rare genetic disorders targeted by his lab include Angelman syndrome, SYNGAP1 deficiency, ADNP syndrome, neurofibromatosis type 1, and other neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases. His work has produced foundational advances in gene-editing technologies, including ZFNs (Zinc Finger Nucleases), TALENs (Transcription Activator-Like Effector Nucleases) and CRISPR/Cas9-based platforms.

Segal joined the UC Davis faculty in 2005, and also holds appointments in Pharmacology, the Genome Center and MIND Institute.

Christine S. Cocanour, M.D., F.A.C.S., F.C.C.M., a distinguished professor in the Department of Surgery, has been named associate vice chancellor for the Office of Academic Personnel. She previously served as the associate dean for academic advancements. Since joining the School of Medicine in 2006, Cocanour has served as program director for the Surgical Critical Care Fellowship, medical director of UC Davis Medical Center’s Surgical Intensive Care Unit, quality and safety chair for the Department of Surgery, and the Department’s National Surgical Quality Improvement Program champion. She also served as the president of the Western Trauma Association and the Northern California Chapter of the American College of Surgeons, and chaired ACS committees.

David Kawatu, M.D., professor of pediatrics and pediatric gastroenterologist, has been selected as associate chief medical officer for children’s health at UC Davis Medical Center after serving as interim. He oversees day-to-day operations of the children’s hospital and works closely with children’s hospital medical directors and physician advisors. Kawatu was previously chief of pediatric gastroenterology at UC Davis Health and vice chair for clinical affairs in the Department of Pediatrics, and recently returned to UC Davis after spending six years at Arkansas Children’s Hospital.

Virpal Donley, R.N., B.S.N., M.S.N., inpatient unit director and nurse manager of the Pediatric and Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (PICU/PCICU) and Critical Care Transport Team, has been promoted to the position of UC Davis Children’s Hospital vice president and associate chief nursing executive. Donley will provide strategic and operational leadership while continuing to advance nursing excellence, clinical quality and patient- and family-centered care.

Melody Y. Hou, M.D., M.P.H., a professor of clinical obstetrics and gynecology, has been appointed senior associate dean for undergraduate medical education. She will provide leadership for the M.D. program, including admissions, student affairs, curriculum, and pathway programs, and oversee key leadership positions within undergraduate medical education. Hou joined the School of Medicine in 2012 and served leadership roles on educational policy and student promotion committees. She played a significant role in launching the new PRIME Central Coast and Central Valley and ACE-PC pathway programs.

Chancellor Gary S. May has named Karen Bales, Ph.D., as director of the California National Primate Research Center, one of seven National Primate Research Centers supported by the National Institutes of Health, after serving as interim. Bales, a professor in the Departments of Psychology and of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, has been a UC Davis faculty member since 2004 and previously served as the leader for the center’s Neuroscience and Behavior unit and as Vice Chair for the Department of Psychology. Nationally she has served as president of the American Society of Primatologists and as Editor-In-Chief of the American Journal of Primatology for nearly eight years.

The School of Medicine has named Shuchi Anand, M.D., M.S., a professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, as associate dean for global health, where she will provide vision, oversight and coordination of global health education, service and research experiences. The role advances UC Davis’ commitment to Global Health/One Health by cultivating partnerships with academic and non-governmental institutions. Anand has active projects in India and Sri Lanka to study kidney disease and risk.