Research in the Davis Center is designed to lead to the identification of therapies that will enhance repair and regenerative processes in humans. Such therapies hold significant potential for treating devastating diseases and injuries and for slowing or reversing the degenerative changes that occur with chronic disease and aging. Current research efforts in the Center focus on defining the gene regulatory networks and signaling pathways underlying heart, nerve and limb regeneration, wound healing, immune responses to injury, stem cell function and the loss of regenerative capacity with stress and age, and on preclinical development of lead drug candidates.  Scientists in the Davis Center use diverse animal models and cell systems to define the genetic mechanisms underlying tissue repair and regeneration and how the activity of various genes influences lifespan.  Choosing the best animal model for every experiment is a cornerstone of the research approach taken by Davis Center scientists.

In 2013, the Davis Center was designated a Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) by the National Institutes of Health.