Photo credit: Sacramento Zoo

For postdoctoral researcher Xuezhu (Bamboo) Li Huff, curiosity serves as a guiding principle.

It led her to first study neuroscience in a medical science Ph.D. program at Peking University in China, and it led her to seek a postdoctoral position working with primates.

“I got fascinated with how the brain works,” Huff said of her decision to continue her studies. “I also wanted to step up in the game and research something very close to humans.”

She’s currently working at the Center for Neuroscience at the University of California Davis, where experts conduct discovery-driven science, leading to a better understanding of how the brain works and the development of new therapies to prevent, treat and potentially cure neurological and psychiatric disorders. 

Since 2014, Huff has paired with a rhesus macaque to better understand how the brain processes complex moving patterns, such as rotation and expansion, to help guiding navigation.

Huff’s curiosity in caring for primates led her to become the Sacramento Zoo’s first-ever animal behavior intern this June.

“Ever since I was little, I always liked the zoo and wondered what it was like to be a zookeeper,” Huff said of her decision to begin volunteering last January.

She was serving as a keeper aide when her fascination with carnivores led her to interview for a standing internship program. The lead keeper called Huff to offer another opportunity: helping to create and launch the behavior internship program.

Today, Huff patiently observes animals on and off exhibit to better understand an animal’s health and preference for entertainment.

“The keepers provide enrichment, but animals are tricky,” Huff said. “It can take a while to tell if an animal actually likes something.”

She’s put her skills as a researcher to good use, collecting data to get a big-picture, long-term idea of the animals’ well-being.

For one study, Huff explored the mating habits of zoo birds like flamingos and thick-billed parrots. She helped keepers identify the bird parents and their respective eggs. That was a big deal for the flamingos, who hadn't laid eggs in 18 years and had to sit on placebos while the precious eggs were kept in an incubator.

The zoo has since recruited more volunteers to help with the animal behavior program, and Huff hopes it will continue when she ends her internship this month.

Huff’s love of animal behavior research is bound to continue as well.

“I like doing data science, especially when it’s applied to animal research,” she said when asked about her plans upon completing her postdoctoral research next year.

Currently a Business Development Fellow through the Graduate School of Management, Huff says she’s learning a lot about life outside of academia and thinking more strategically about the application of her skill sets.

She says that she’s hoping to use her new business skills to explore new opportunities in a variety of industries. With her curiosity, there’s no shortage of places Huff might go next.

---

About UC Davis Graduate Studies

Graduate Studies at UC Davis includes 99 dynamic degree programs and a diverse and interactive student body from around the world. Known for our state-of-the-art research facilities, productive laboratories and progressive spirit – UC Davis offers collaborative and interdisciplinary curricula through graduate groups and designated emphasis options, bringing students and faculty of different academic disciplines together to address real-world challenges.

UC Davis graduate students and postdoctoral scholars become leaders in their fields: researchers, teachers, politicians, mentors and entrepreneurs. They go on to guide, define and impact change within our global community.

For information on Graduate Studies’ current strategic initiatives, visit the Graduate Studies strategic plan page.