IDDRC Pilot Grants
The MIND Institute IDDRC conducts an annual pilot research grant program designed to support promising new IDDRC investigators and research initiatives, ensure that the IDDRC cores remain cutting edge, and promote interdisciplinary collaboration. Applications will be accepted from current IDDRC investigators, as well as from any UC Davis faculty member whose research aligns with IDDRC priorities and criteria described in the annual call for proposals. The foci of applications, eligibility criteria, number of awards to be made, and priorities for the program may change each year. Projects are funded from financial gifts to the MIND Institute.
2022 IDDRC Pilot Grant Recipient
Rebecca J. Schmidt, M.S., Ph.D.,
Assistant Professor, Department of Public Health Sciences and UC Davis MIND Institute; Scholar, Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health (BIRCWH), School of Medicine
Wildfire Effects on Neurodevelopmentally-Relevant Placenta and Brain Epigenetics
Email: rjschmidt@ucdavis.edu
2021 IDDRC Pilot Grant Recipients
Crystal Rogers, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Anatomy, Physiology & Cell Biology
Defining early relationships between transcription factors and cell adhesion in central nervous system development
Email: crdrogers@ucdavis.edu
Joseph Shen, M.D., Ph.D.
Associate Clinical Professor
Department of Pediatrics and the Division of Genomic Medicine.
Study of CNKSR2-related neurodevelopmental and epilepsy disorder in females
Email: jojshen@ucdavis.edu
Kyle Fink, Ph.D.
Assistant Adjunct Professor, Neurology and Institute for Regenerative Cures
Behavior and Neurophysiological Characterization of Preclinical Models of CDKL5 Deficiency
Email: kdfink@ucdavis.edu
Wilsaan Joiner, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior,
College of Biological Sciences, Department of Neurology, School of Medicine
Examining the Influence of Movement on Decision Making in Individuals With ADHD
Email: wmjoiner@ucdavis.edu
Suma Shankar, M.D., Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, UC Davis School of Medicine
Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) in Nonverbal Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Phone: 916-703-0262
Email: spshankar@ucdavis.edu
Jill Silverman, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis School of Medicine
Development of a Rat Model for Fragile X-associated Disorders
Phone: 916-734-8531
Email: jsilverman@ucdavis.edu
Cheryl Walker, M.D.
Research Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, UC Davis School of Medicine
Translational Methylomic Analysis of Cell-Free Fetal DNA: Towards a Noninvasive Biomarker of Autism Spectrum Disorder Risk
Phone: 530-752-6430
Email: ckwalker@ucdavis.edu
Sustained Maternal Immune Response: Impact on Social and Cognitive Development 
Melissa Bauman, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Director, Women in Medicine and Health Sciences (WIMHS)
University of California, Davis
Phone: 916-703-0377
Email: mdbauman@ucdavis.edu
Judy Van De Water, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Clinical Immunology,
UC Davis School of Medicine
Phone: 530-752-2154
Email: javandewater@ucdavis.edu
Kathleen Angkustsiri, M.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, UC Davis School of Medicine
Exploring the Social Phenotype in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome and idiopathic autism spectrum disorder
Phone: 916-703-0278
Email: kangkustsiri@ucdavis.edu
Megan Y. Dennis, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, UC Davis School of Medicine, UC Davis Genome Center
Using Zebrafish to Test Genes Mutated in Children with Autism
Phone: 530-752-1357
Email: mydennis@ucdavis.edu
Melanie Gareau, Ph.D.
Associate Adjunct Professor and Researcher, Anatomy, Physiology & Cell Biology
Early Microbial Colonization and Development of the Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis
Phone: 530-754-0605
Email: mgareau@ucdavis.edu
Alexander Nord, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis School of Medicine
Initial characterization of a new loss-of-function mouse model of the autism susceptibility gene Chd8
Email: asnord@ucdavis.edu
David J. Segal, Ph.D.
Associate Director, UC Davis Genome Center, Associate Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Pharmacology, MIND Institute, UC Davis School of Medicine
Injectable Regulators of ASD-relevant Genes
Phone: 530-754-9134
Email: djsegal@ucdavis.edu
Jill Silverman, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis School of Medicine
Development and Characterization of a Model of Early Life Pesticide Exposure
Phone: 916-734-8531
Email: jsilverman@ucdavis.edu
Mu Yang, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis School of Medicine
Identifying environmental and epigenetic factors behind cognitive and social deficits in 16p11.2 deletion mouse
Melissa Bauman, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Director, Women in Medicine and Health Sciences (WIMHS) University of California, Davis
A Novel Animal Model to Evaluate Social Development Following Prenatal Immune Challenge
Phone: 916-703-0377
Email: mdbauman@ucdavis.edu
Rebecca J. Schmidt, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, UC Davis MIND Institute, Department of Public Health Sciences, UC Davis School of Medicine
Perinatal Iron and Autism
Phone: 530-752-3226
Email: rjschmidt@ucdavis.edu
Andrea Schneider, Ph.D.
Assistant Research Scientist, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Fragile X Research & Treatment Center
Event-related Oscillatory Brain-Activity as Outcome Measure for Targeted Treatment Trials in Fragile-X Syndrome
Phone: 916-703-0202
Email: anschneider@ucdavis.edu
Verónica Martínez Cerdeño, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Institute for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine,
Shriners Hospital of Northern California
Prenatal Exposure to Autism-specific Maternal Autoantibodies Alters Prenatal Neurogenesis
Phone: 916-453-2163
Email: vmartinezcerdeno@ucdavis.edu