David Julius (University of California)

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David Julius - Prof. of Neurosciences, University of California - was awarded an Honoris Causa on the 23rd September 2015.

Photo : David Julius © University of California
David Julius © University of California

David Julius started his scientific career as a biochemist working on the structure and function of ribonucleic acid (RNA) in collaboration with Alexander Rich at the MIT, and later during a visit to the University of Bordeaux along with Simon Litvak. In 1984, he obtained his PhD in biochemistry at the University of California, Berkeley where he worked alongside Randy Sheckman (Nobel prize 2013) and Jeremy Thorner on the mechanisms of secretion and production of hormonal peptides in yeast.

Research, collaboration, distinctions

Prof. Julius carried out his postdoctoral internship until 1990 with Richard Axel (Nobel prize 2004) at the University Columbia New York where he started research into neuropharmacology, cloning the first members of the family of serotonin receptors.

David Julius then joined the University of California in San Francisco where, since 2007, he is professor and director of the Physiology Department. His research group works on molecular mechanisms for pain and temperature detection.

Other awards attributed to Prof. Julius include the Shaw prize and the Princess of Asturias Award.  

The DHC for Prof. Julius was proposed by Simon Litvak, Professor Emeritus and Stéphane Oliet, Deputy Director of Neurocentre Magendie in Bordeaux.