David_Lab

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Dr. Sheila S. David
ssdavid@ucdavis.edu
(530)-752-4280

Department of Chemistry
One Shields Ave.
Davis, CA 95616

Japanese scientists just built human brain circuits in the lab January 7, 2026
Researchers in Japan built a miniature human brain circuit using fused stem-cell–derived organoids, allowing them to watch the thalamus and cortex interact in real time. They found that the thalamus plays a decisive role in maturing the cortex and organizing its neural networks. Signals from the thalamus triggered synchronized activity in specific neuron types, while […]
Ancient skeletons reveal viruses embedded in human DNA January 7, 2026
Researchers have reconstructed ancient herpesvirus genomes from Iron Age and medieval Europeans, revealing that HHV-6 has been infecting humans for at least 2,500 years. Some people inherited the virus directly in their DNA, passing it down across generations. The study shows that these viruses evolved alongside humans—and that one strain eventually lost its ability to […]