Molecular geneticist and physiologist Joanna Chiu, professor and chair of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, was elected as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), according to an announcement on Mar. 26. Chiu, who is also a professor in the Department of Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior at UC Davis, received recognition from colleagues across the country and internationally.
The AAAS Fellowship honors individuals for significant contributions to science. Chiu was recognized “for contributions to the understanding of the molecular mechanisms by which endogenous circadian clocks interact with environmental and metabolic signals to regulate animal biological rhythms.” The distinction highlights her work’s importance in fields such as health research and agricultural pest management.
Chiu said her laboratory uses a combination of molecular genetics, biochemical, genomic, and proteomic approaches to study how animal circadian clocks function. “The overall goal of my laboratory research is to dissect the molecular and cellular mechanisms that control the circadian clock in animals,” she said. She added that this research may lead to new therapeutic strategies for disorders associated with disruptions in biological clocks.
Her colleague Stacy Harmer wrote in a nomination letter that “Dr. Chiu’s research quality and output, her teaching and mentoring, and her service on campus and to the greater scientific community are all remarkable.” Harmer said Chiu’s work has implications both for human health through understanding biological rhythms as well as global food security through studies on insect pests.
Chiu joined UC Davis in 2010. In addition to her academic achievements, she participates actively in dog sports with her four retrievers—Oliver, Kaia, Blueberry (all American Kennel Club Conformation Champions), and Phoebe (the top-ranked female Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever in AKC Conformation for 2024). “We have been competing in dog sports events since 2018,” Chiu said.
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Looking ahead, both scientific communities at UC Davis—and beyond—will continue following developments from Professor Chiu’s lab as they seek new insights into biology’s daily rhythms.
