Elva Díaz, director of the pharmacology department at UC Davis,[1] is a researcher who specializes in developmental neurobiology, using rodents to study molecular mechanisms of brain development.

[2] Díaz's research focuses on the molecular mechanisms involved in the development, function, and plasticity of excitatory synapses in the central nervous system (CNS).

"[7] One of Díaz's core areas of research involves the exploration of the potential of pluripotent stem cells combined with immunotherapy to treat brain cancers.

[8] Her research has identified that tumor cells in the brain form pseudo synapses with the CNS to take over nutrients and mimic normal cellular communications.

[8] Elva Díaz also investigates the dynamics of AMPA-type glutamate receptors, key components in fast synaptic transmission essential for memory in the brain.