The Dickson Emeritus Professorship Award is funded from a gift endowment established by the late Edward A. Dickson, Regent of the University of California, to honor outstanding research, scholarly work, teaching, and service performed by an Emeritus or Emerita Professor since retirement.
Three UCLA emeriti professors have been selected to receive the 2025 – 2026 Edward A. Dickson Emeritus Professorship Award, which includes a prize of $5,000: Distinguished Research Professor Arthur P. Arnold, Professor Emeritus Sander Greenland, and Professor Emeritus David A. Talan.
Arthur P. Arnold, Distinguished Research Professor of Integrative Biology and Physiology retired in 2018. Professor Emeritus Arnold has continued to demonstrate extraordinary intellectual vitality and global leadership. As a neuroscientist and behavioral biologist, he transformed the scientific understanding of sexual differentiation by establishing that sex chromosomes directly shape brain development and disease vulnerability. During his emeritus years, he has published more than 40 peer-reviewed papers in leading journals including Science Translational Medicine, Nature Immunology, and Journal of Neuroscience. His work has redefined how researchers conceptualize sex differences in physiology and medicine and continues to influence biomedical research worldwide. Professor Emeritus Arnold has also secured competitive NIH funding during retirement, including multiple R01 awards, and has led the development of innovative Four Core Genotype rat models that will advance sex-differences research across disciplines. His service to the scientific community remains exemplary. He has served on the NIH Advisory Committee on Research on Women’s Health, contributed to a National Academies report on chronic conditions in women, and continues to shape international standards for rigor in sex-based biomedical research.
Sander Greenland, Professor Emeritus of Epidemiology and Statistics, retired in 2012. Since retirement, Professor Greenland has remained one of the most influential scholars in epidemiology worldwide. From 2019 through 2025, he has been consecutively named a Clarivate/Web of Science Highly Cited Researcher, placing him among the top 1% of researchers globally. During his emeritus years alone, he has authored or co-authored more than 90 peer-reviewed publications, many in leading journals including the American Journal of Epidemiology, and International Journal of Epidemiology. His work on causal inference, bias analysis, Bayesian methods, and meta-analysis continues to shape modern epidemiologic methodology and inform public health policy around the world; reflecting a career that bridges deep theory and practical application. He continues to mentor junior investigators and faculty across institutions internationally, serving as senior or corresponding author on numerous collaborative publications that elevate the next generation of methodologists. His leadership and intellectual generosity have sustained UCLA’s reputation as a global center for excellence in epidemiologic research and training.
David A. Talan, Professor Emeritus of Emergency Medicine retired in 2014. Dr. Talan continues to produce practice-changing research published in the highest-impact medical journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine, and The Lancet. His NIH-funded trial has reshaped emergency and infectious disease care worldwide, most notably through landmark multicenter trials of modern management of skin abscesses. As co-Principal Investigator of the landmark PCORI-funded Comparison of Antibiotic Drugs and Appendectomy (CODA) trial, he helped redefine the management of uncomplicated appendicitis, advancing patient-centered, nonoperative care worldwide. His ongoing leadership of the CDC-funded EMERGEncy ID NET and current NIH-supported investigations into antimicrobial resistance and vaccine development continue to influence global health policy and practice. He has created advanced infectious diseases educational programs within the department and established an Emerging Infections Fellowship to train the next generation of physician-scientists. His mentorship spans emergency medicine, infectious diseases, and surgery, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration across UCLA.
Please join me in wishing them a well-deserved congratulations for outstanding contributions to their respective fields since retirement and for serving as powerful examples of intellectual and professional achievement.
Sincerely,
Michael S. Levine
Chair, Edward A. Dickson Emeritus Professorship Award Selection Committee
Vice Chancellor, Academic Affairs & Personnel
