Derek Taylor

Director of Scientific Computing, UCI Translational Neuroscience Laboratory, Biostatistician, Database Administrator

Derek currently serves as the Director of Scientific Computing for the University of California’s Translational Neuroscience Laboratory under the Direction of Michael Yassa PhD. After completing an undergraduate degree in biochemistry and biophysics at UC Davis, Derek studied neural control of feeding behavior under the guidance of Dr. Dorothy Winter Gietzen PhD funded by a fellowship for the California Biochemical Research Foundation. Following a post baccalaureate year working at the University of California at Davis Department of Psychiatry’s Neural Chemistry lab, Derek’s first professional job was studying self-injury with UCI and the State Developmental Research Institute at Fairview Developmental Center under the guidance of Curt A Sandman, Ph.D. One of that team’s first publications was an online data acquisition program, a progenitor of computer-aided collection of behavioral data. During that time Derek published as first author, Acidosis stimulates beta-endorphin release during exercise (Journal of Applied Physiology 1994: Volume 77; issue 4). Derek contributed to the team’s work on an FDA Orphan drug grant by examining hepatotoxicity of naltrexone when given as daily dosing in treating self-injury. Publishing a paper on neurotoxicity proved preparative for Derek’s six-year stint with the Department of Veterans Affairs Cooperative Study Program as national coordinator for a study examining the effectiveness of treating alcoholic cirrhosis with colchicine. Derek’s development of electronic medical systems and automated transfer of data to VA’s statistical center positioned him to obtain an eight-year appointment at the University of California at Irvine’s Brain Imaging center as a DBA/programmer analyst. There, Derek was introduced to brain imaging under the instruction of David Keator Ph.D. Derek applied brain imaging and analytic techniques during his seven years employed by Amen Clinics Inc, where, serving as biostatistician, he co-authored publication on brain trauma, depression and suicide, while also serving in the role of DBA, in which he designed what became one of the largest independent databases of clinical and brain imaging data. Presently, in his role at UCI Derek is involved with examining Alzheimer’s and other age-related dementia, depression, and effects of childhood maltreatment.