Megan Dennis, an associate professor in Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine at UC Davis Health, has been awarded the 2024 Chancellor’s Fellowship. This prestigious honor is given to outstanding faculty members early in their careers.  As part of the award, she will receive $25,000 to support her research, teaching or service activities.

Dennis joined UC Davis in 2015 as an assistant professor. She was recruited as a faculty member in  the UC Davis MIND Institute and the Genome Center. Since then, she has become a leader in studying how genes affect the brain, especially in conditions like autism.

Robust research on the brain and genetic diseases

During her doctoral work, Dennis studied the genetics of dyslexia, a reading disability, and became interested in neurogenetics.

“I am really motivated by the genetic drivers that make us uniquely human. So, I began to look at evolution and found that the genes that can lead to neurological impairment are also subject to selection in humans and make us have higher cognitive features,” Dennis said.

Dennis’ research aims to discover hidden genetic changes that might cause diseases. Learning about these changes is important for earlier diagnoses, better outcomes and more targeted treatments for patients.

She has also worked with international teams like the Telomere-to-Telomere (T2T) Consortium, the group behind the first complete assembly of a human genome. She has published extensively and received major funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Excellence in teaching and mentorship

Dennis is also a dedicated teacher and mentor. She has taught many graduate and undergraduate courses and been a leader in improving human genetics education at UC Davis.

Through her lab, Dennis has mentored over 50 students, including high school students, undergraduates and postdoctoral researchers. Many of these students have gone on to successful careers. She has also organized workshops and programs to provide STEM opportunities to students at an early age.

“I am a first-generation college undergraduate and a Pell grant student. I come from a low-income background. I believe in the power of providing access to STEM and academia for everyone. The gate that opened up everything to me was doing research as an undergraduate,” Dennis said.

I believe in the power of providing access to STEM and academia for everyone. The gate that opened up everything to me was doing research as an undergraduate.—Megan Dennis, associate professor in Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine

Her work and contributions to science have earned her awards, such as the Sloan Fellowship for Young Investigators in Neuroscience and the NIH Director’s New Innovator Award.

Reflecting on her work, Dennis said, “I’m very honored to receive this recognition. This fellowship will help me continue pushing the boundaries of what we know about human genetics and neurodevelopment. I am also grateful for the support from the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, the Genome Center and the MIND Institute that allow me to build this program. I’m especially proud of the work my team and I are doing to make science more accessible to students from all backgrounds.”

As a Chancellor’s Fellow, Dennis will continue inspiring students and advancing the field of human genetics

“Dr. Dennis is a highly valued faculty member with a superb record of innovative research and academic leadership. She is a dedicated teacher and mentor and is an outstanding leader both in her field and at the university,” said Kim E. Barrett, UC Davis Health vice dean for research and distinguished professor of physiology and membrane biology.