When the exciting news broke today that molecular geneticist and physiologist Joanna Chiu, professor and chair of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology and a professor in the Department of Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior, is a newly elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), she received congratulations from throughout the country--and internationally.
Many of her colleagues, however, are unaware of the three other "champions" at her home.
Professor Chiu's three golden retrievers—Oliver, Kaia and Blueberry—and Phoebe, her Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, are all winners, too.
They've all earned many titles. The most significant ones:
Oliver, Phoebe, and Blueberry are all American Kennel Club (AKC) Conformation Champions. Phoebe is the 2024 No. 1 ranked female Toller in AKC Conformation. Oliver, Kaia, and Phoebe are AKC Scentwork Detectives (highest title in AKC Scentwork).
"The Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, also called Toller, is the smallest type of retriever," Chiu commented. "Phoebe is about half the size of Oliver."
“We are very active in dog sports; my dogs compete in conformation, scentwork, obedience and rally, agility, and hunt trials,” Chiu related. "We have been competing in dog sports events since 2018, but really ramped up after COVID."
Will they get special treats today? Yes! "They get lots of treats every single day!" Chiu said. "We cannot resist their pleas for TREATS!"
Congratulations to AAAS Fellow Chiu and her tail-wagging, award-winning companions and champions!
Circadian Clock Research
AAAS officials singled Professor Chiu out “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.”
A member of the Department of Entomology and Nematology since 2010, Chiu is internationally recognized for her research on the molecular and cellular mechanisms that regulate circadian and seasonal biology, and for her work on invasive species genomics. Her peers also praise her teaching, mentoring, and leadership.
AAAS Fellows are “a distinguished cadre of scientists, engineers and innovators recognized for their achievements across disciplines, from research, teaching, and technology to administration in academia, industry and government, to excellence in communicating and interpreting science to the public.” Other UC Davis faculty in the AAAS Fellow Class of 2025 are Gitta Coaker, Plant Pathology; David Segal, Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine; and Janine LaSalle, Medical Microbiology and Immunology.
“I investigate the regulation of animal circadian rhythms by using a combination of molecular genetics, biochemical, genomic, and proteomic approaches,” Chiu said. “The overall goal of my laboratory research is to dissect the molecular and cellular mechanisms that control the circadian clock in animals, and to investigate how this endogenous timer interacts with the environment and cellular metabolism to drive rhythms of physiology and behavior. Since circadian disruption has been identified as a risk factor for a wide range of human diseases, our research will provide insights into the health consequences when human lifestyles are in conflict with natural day-night cycles. More importantly, our research may pave the way to new therapeutic strategies to correct human disorders and pathologies associated with clock disruption.”
Chiu uses the vinegar fly, Drosophila melanogaster, as a model to understand the molecular makeup of the animal circadian clock. Through genomic approaches, her laboratory studies insect invasion biology and insecticide resistance development to glean new strategies for controlling agricultural pests.
In her letter of nomination, AAAS Fellow and Professor Stacy Harmer of the UC Davis Department of Plant Biology, a fellow chronobiologist, wrote “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.”
“Joanna’s research is centered on three major topics,” Harmer noted. “First, her longest-term work is focused on the molecular and cellular mechanisms that regulate the animal circadian clock and how the clock influences organismal physiology. More recently, she has extended these studies to investigate the molecular and neuronal mechanisms regulating seasonal biology. Finally, she is using genomic tools to study the physiology of insect pests that have significant impacts on agriculture. The first two areas have significant implications for our understanding of processes that impact human health while the third is relevant to the development of new strategies for controlling agricultural pests and thus contributing to long-term global food security.” See more on the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology website.
Cover image: Joanna Chiu working in her UC Davis lab in 2010, the year she joined the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)