Dr. Ilan Davis

Biography

Ilan Davis obtained a DPhil from the ICRF Developmental Biology unit at Oxford University, after completing a Natural Sciences degree at Cambridge University. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship at UCSF, San Francisco, before establishing his own lab at the University of Edinburgh in 1996 as a Wellcome Fellow, and eventually became a professor in 2003. In 2007, he moved to the University of Oxford to take a professorship in Cell Biology, supported as a Wellcome Senior Fellow. His research is at the forefront of spatial molecular biology, focusing on neural stem cell development, synaptic plasticity, and post-transcriptional regulation. Notably, his lab demonstrated the example of dynein transporting mRNA along microtubules during pattern formation in Drosophila, as well as characterizing phase transitions in processing bodies that determine the fates of mRNA regarding immediate translation or storage. Furthermore, his studies encompass the molecular basis of memory and learning, involving localized translation and the role of actin-binding regulators. Davis has also made significant contributions in the development of advanced microscopy and computational biology methods, applying his lab's expertise to the highly sensitive detection of mRNA viruses, revolutionizing detection capabilities. In 2010, he was elected a member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO).

Research Interests

Experience