Prof. Cristina Davis
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
University of California, Davis
Prof. Cristina Davis
Spotlight box
- Doctoral student Dylan Koch received a 2026 Summer GSR Award from UC Davis Office of Graduate Studies.
- Doctoral student Kory Haydon received a 2026 Drake Fellowship and a UCD Graduate Research Award.
- Former doctoral student Konstantin Zamuruyev was awarded the UC Davis Graduate Studies 2019 College of Engineering Zuhair Munir Best Dissertation.
Background and Interests
Dr. Cristina Davis is currently a Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of California, Davis. Her main research interests are in chemical and biological sensing applications, use of technology to speed biomarker discovery, novel bioMEMS devices, and bioinformatics interpretation of sensor output.
Education
1990-1994 B.S. Mathematics and Biology (double major), Duke University (Durham, NC)
1994-1999 Ph.D. Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia (Charlottesville, VA)
1999-2001 Postdoctoral Fellowship, Physiology and Electrical Engineering (joint), The Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD)
Positions and Appointments
2001-2002 Senior Scientist, Molecular Devices Corporation (Epalinges, Switzerland)
2001-2002 Visiting Scientist, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (Lausanne, Switzerland)
2002-2005 The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory (Cambridge, MA)
2002-2004 Senior Member of the Technical Staff, MEMS Microsystems Group
2004-2005 Principal Member of the Technical Staff
2004-2005 Group Leader Bioengineering, founding member
2005- University of California, Davis (Davis, CA)
2005-2010 Assistant Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
2010-2012 Associate Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
2012-present, Full Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
2010-2018 Associate Director, NIH NCATS Clinical and Translational Sciences Center, School of Medicine
2011-2012 UC Davis campus-wide Leadership Program for Department Chairs
2012-2014 Faculty Research Mentor, Computing Research Experiences for STEM Teachers (CREST)
2012-2019 Faculty Research Mentor, Beckman Scholars Program Award for undergraduate research
2016 Director, Center for Nano and Micro Manufacturing (CNM2)
2017-2019 Vice Chair, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
2019-2021 Chair, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
2021-2022 Associate Dean for Research, College of Engineering
2022-2027 Associate Vice Chancellor for Research
2007-2010 Participating Guest Researcher, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (Livermore, CA)
2013- Journal of Breath Research
2013-2020 Editorial Advisory Board
2020-2025 Associate Editor
2025-2028 Editor-In-Chief
2014-2018 Member, United States Air Force Scientific Advisory Board
2014- Scientific Advisor, SensIT Ventures, Inc.
2014-2020 Scientific Advisor, XTB Laboratories, Inc.
2019-2025 International Association for Breath Research
2019-2021 Chair-Elect
2021-2023 Chair
2023-2025 Past-Chair
2021-2025 Member, Standing Committee on Biotechnology Capabilities and National Security Needs,
Division on Earth and Life Studies, the National Academies
2020- Without Salary Appointment, VA Northern California Health Care System
2022- Without Salary Appointment, Los Alamos National Laboratory
2026-2029 Member, DARPA Biological Science and Technology (BSAT) Study Group, through Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA)
Awards and Honors
1990-1991 William A. Blees Foundation Scholarship, while at Duke University
1991 National Science Foundation, Summer Research Fellowship (Temple University)
1996-1999 National Institutes of Health, Pre-doctoral Cardiovascular Training Grant (University of Virginia)
2000-2001 Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Postdoctoral Fellowship (The Johns Hopkins University)
2007 Award, Outstanding Service as a Competition Judge, The Siemens Foundation and The College Board (Princeton, NJ)
2008 Selected for the National Academies Keck Futures Initiative
2008 Best Patent Award, The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory (for US Patent #7,388,195)
2008 Invited Visiting Professor, Universidad de Nevarra, Máster Oficial en Ingeniería Biomédica (summers of 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011)
2009 Supernumerary Professor, Universidad de Nevarra (San Sebastián, Spain)
2009 Selected to participate in the "MNS Horizons 2040" workshop organized by the National Science Foundation,
to prioritize funding priorities for micro/nano research for the upcoming 30 years
2011 Fellow, The Hartwell Foundation (class of 2010)
2011 Selected for National Academy of Engineering (NAE), 17th Annual Frontiers of Engineering Education (FOEE) Symposium
2012 Award, Outstanding Service as a Competition Judge, The Siemens Foundation and The College Board (Princeton, NJ)
2013 Finalist for the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), Award for Innovative Institutional Partnerships
in Research and Research-Focused Training. Joint submission with Dr. Nicholas J. Kenyon (School of Medicine)
2014 Invited Speaker, National Academy of Engineering (NAE) Regional Meeting (Davis, CA)
2016 Fellow, American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE)
2016 UC Davis Chancellor's Innovation Award
2016 Best Newcomer Award for the World Agri-tech Investment Summit
2016 Ideas Energized Award by the Larta Institute
2017 Sacramento Region Innovation Award for Food & Agribusiness
2018 UC Davis College of Engineering Outstanding Mid Career Faculty Award
2018 Department of the Air Force, Commander's Public Service Award
2019 UC Davis Distinguished Scholarly Public Service Award (DSPSA)
2019-2021 Warren and Leta Geidt Endowed Professor
2019 Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
2019 Fellow, National Academy of Inventors (NAI)
2025 Anton Amann Award Recipient, International Association for Breath Research