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Our Team - Leadership

Now Accepting Applications for Comparative Neuro-Oncology Clinical Trial Intern. More Information here.

Christine Toedebusch portrait

Christine M. Toedebusch, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (Neurology)

  • Director, Translational Brain Tumor Center 
  • Associate Professor, Weill School of Veterinary Medicine Neurology & Neurosurgery


Dr. Toedebusch founded and directs the UC Davis Translational Brain Tumor Center, a collaborative initiative that brings together veterinarians, physicians, and neuroscientists. By fostering cross-disciplinary communication and problem-solving at the interface of research and patient care, we are accelerating translational discoveries and therapeutic breakthroughs for brain tumor patients across species.

Dr. Christine Toedebusch is a veterinary neurologist and comparative neuro-oncologist whose research bridges animal and human medicine to improve outcomes for patients with brain cancer. Her work focuses on naturally occurring brain tumors in dogs as a powerful model for understanding and treating aggressive gliomas in both species.

She joined the UC Davis faculty in 2019 and has since built a multidisciplinary program that unites experts in oncology, genomics, immunology, and neurosurgery. Her leadership in comparative neuro-oncology has earned national recognition, and her federally funded research is helping establish dogs as a vital model for advancing treatments that benefit both veterinary and human patients.

 

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Jessica Lawrence, DVM, DACVIM (Oncology), DACVR (Radiation Oncology), DECVDI (Radiation Oncology)

  • Deputy Director, Translational Brain Tumor Center
  • Professor, Weill School of Veterinary Medicine Surgical and Radiological Sciences
 
Dr. Lawrence is a clinician-researcher specializing in comparative oncology and dedicated to advancing collaborative team science. She holds board certification in veterinary medical oncology and radiation oncology, and has published extensively on clinical outcomes, novel therapeutics, imaging, and radiation biology. Her research focuses on improving the precision of tumor targeting while preserving healthy tissue, as well as investigating how radiation influences the immune response to benefit patients with brain cancer.
 
Within the Translational Brain Tumor Center, Dr. Lawrence collaborates across veterinary clinical services to establish shared standards and clinical pathways, promoting multidisciplinary efforts that complement and align with human clinical studies. She is a passionate advocate for clinical trials within the program and aims to leverage the unique insights of comparative oncology to expedite the development of effective treatments for patients with devastating brain tumors.

 

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Orwa Aboud, MD, PhD

  • Associate Director of Translational Neuro-Oncology
  • Assistant Professor, UCD Health Neurology and Neurological Surgery


Dr. Aboud is a neuro-oncologist and physician-scientist focused on advancing innovative diagnostics and therapeutics for patients with primary brain tumors. His work integrates biomarker development, translational metabolomics, and investigator-initiated clinical trials to address critical gaps in treatment response monitoring and therapeutic resistance in primary brain tumors.

Within the Comparative Brain Tumor Program, Dr. Aboud provides clinical and translational leadership by bridging human neuro-oncology with comparative models. His expertise in clinical trial design, biomarker validation, and therapeutic development supports the program’s multi-species framework, ensuring that discoveries from laboratory and veterinary settings are rigorously aligned with clinical application in human patients. Through this cross-species collaboration, Dr. Aboud aims to accelerate the development of scalable, mechanism-driven interventions that improve outcomes for brain tumor patients across species.

 

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Yuanpei Li, PhD

  • Associate Director of Therapeutic Development
  • Professor, UCD Department of Chemistry


Yuanpei Li started his independent research career as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine at University of California, Davis (UC Davis) in 2016. He was promoted to Full Professor in 2021. Li lab is interested in developing innovative nanomedicine platforms, cancer therapeutics, and molecular imaging agents that will have a tremendous impact on the treatment of cancer in human patients and companion animals.  The work in these areas has resulted in over 100 publications in leading journals, such as Nature Nanotechnology, Advanced Materials, and Nature Communications. Dr. Li is the co-inventor of over 10 patents and patents applications. He has successfully translated several novel cancer therapeutics into clinical trials in human patients and companion animals.

Dr. Li's research program is well funded by the National Institute of Health (NIH) and Department of Defense (DoD). He has been the Principal Investigator on 7 NIH R01 grants. Dr. Li has served as a Standing Member of the Advancing Therapeutics A (ATA) Study Section at NIH. He is the co-Chair of the GI Malignancies Innovation group and a founding committee member of the Center for Experimental Therapeutics in Cancer at UC Davis. Dr. Li was elected as a College of Fellow at the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) in 2022 for outstanding contributions to the development of intelligent nanomedicine platforms to improve drug delivery. He is the recipient of a series of awards including the 2024 Joan Oettinger Memorial Award and the 2025 SOM Cultivating Team Science Award. 

 

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Tayla Regenbaum, DVM, PhD

  • Weill School of Veterinary Medicine Neuro-Oncology Clinical Trial Intern

Tayla Regenbaum is a veterinarian and the current Neurology-Oncology Clinical Trials Intern at UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. After earning her veterinary degree at Louisiana State University, she went on to complete a rotating internship at VCA Hollywood in Florida. She then completed a neurology specialty internship at Southeast Veterinary Neurology in Jupiter, Florida and now joins UC Davis, eager to contribute meaningfully to canine brain tumor research while supporting pets and their families through this difficult diagnosis. Tayla ultimately hopes to pursue a residency in veterinary neurology and neurosurgery. 
 

Originally from sunny South Florida, Tayla enjoys spending her free time outdoors, especially at the beach, boating, and playing golf. She also loves spending time with her family, traveling, cooking, and is a foodie who loves to experience new restaurants.