Vice Chair for Basic Research, Department of Surgery; Professor, Department of Surgery at UC Davis Health
Center for Alimentary and Metabolic Science

Dr. Sean Adams is a Professor and Vice Chair for Basic Research in UC Davis Department of Surgery. He is also the founding Scientific Director of the Center for Alimentary and Metabolic Science, focusing on metabolic physiology, nutrition science, and gut microbial metabolites. During his career, he has been involved in research programs awarded over $130M, including $25M+ in NIH and USDA grants since joining UC Davis in 2020. Dr. Adams is an Associate Editor for Advances in Nutrition and a Fellow of the Obesity Society. His academic background includes degrees from Cal State Fresno, UC Santa Cruz, and the University of Illinois, followed by postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Barcelona and the UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. He has also worked in R&D at Genentech, Novartis, and Amylin Pharmaceuticals, and recently founded XenoMet, a start-up focused on health products derived from natural metabolites produced by gut microbes and probiotics.