'It Was a Better World When Bruce Was In It'

"His research and curiosity," she said, "helped us improve our understanding of pesticides and environmental contaminants...discoveries that expanded knowledge about inflammation and chronic pain and other serious diseases that touch so many people. His ability to connect discovery with real world impact embodies the spirit of what we aspire to accomplish in our college."

"Bruce placed a high value on curiosity and brought a spirit and excitement for discovery into the classroom," she shared. "And I think some of these images behind me just really demonstrate that. And just hearing his students talk about what he brought into the classroom is amazing. He encouraged them to ask questions and to explore beyond the boundaries and he was amazing at bringing people together. This is very evident here today...His science, mentorship, and curiosity changed and shaped the lives of many, and his legacy will continue to inspire generations yet to come."

Professor Gino Cortopassi

Professor Gino Cortopassi, professor of molecular biosciences at the UC Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine, said Hammock "was constantly generating and sifting and sieving through new ideas in many different ways....

"He was a connector. Bruce connected people across disciplines and geographic space. I would be connected through Bruce to toxicologists in different places and pharmacologists, whether it was in Nebraska, Iowa or Singapore or Beijing, but he was connecting people all the time."

Hammock was "an avid whitewater kayaker, class four and five rapids. He was rock climbing fours and fives in the Sierras and other places," Cortopassi said. "And on sabbatical in 1997, he was collecting toxins from the most poisonous insects and reptiles in Australia. He liked that sort of risk."

Aditi Das 

Aditi Das, a professor of chemistry and biochemistry at Georgia Tech, described Hammock as "my most cherished mentor and I'll really miss him. For the last 14 years, Bruce treated me as an equal and we worked together on several scientific exchanges. He was my adviser for everything: how to move universities, how to build a research program, how to work on dual inhibitors and how to work on lipids and their interaction with pain and inflammation."

"I have learned through Bruce the most impactful thing is that being an impactful scientist is more than the papers we publish, the citations we accumulate and the grants we receive. It is actually about people, and that's what Bruce was about. He connected people and he helped build the community. He built the P450 epoxy community, the soluble epoxide hydrayze community. He strengthened and opened the doors for us."

Matthew Edin

Matthew Edin, a staff scientist at NIEHS and a member of the Daryl Zelden lab, delivered comments on behalf of Zelden.

"I'm in Daryl Zelden's lab, and he couldn't be here today, but he wanted me to pass along a few thoughts. Zelden, a friend and collaborator of Hammock for more than 30 years, considered Hammock 'a giant in our field.'"

Sumanta Goswami

Sumanta Goswami of the Charles River Laboratory, a former trainee in the Hammock lab, commented that "All the trainees of Professor Hammock are like the trees or the seeds of Hammock tree and they will spread the science in the United States and in the world."

Dipak Panigrahy

Dipak Panigrahy, a physician-researcher at Harvard Medical School and a Hammock collaborator, commented "I think everybody knows he was on a Nobel Prize level, over 1000 publications... Personally, I met him in 2008 at the lipid meeting and immediately the next week in Boston, we got in the mail the sEH inhibitors and I've never had somebody collaborate so openly."

"He was like a father figure to us in the lab. Not just me but our trainees. He would write incredible letters and get into the best medical schools, the best PhD programs. I got my first grant with his support."

Glenn Prestwich

Glenn Prestwich of the Department of Pharmacy, University of Utah, said "I know Bruce obviously very well through kayaking. He got me onto the river and I led him into too many holes. He stopped inviting me kayaking because I just took him into too many holes."

"The other thing I wanted to get across about Bruce is his versatility, his compassion for everybody and everything. But the one thing we had shared in common is the desire to try and explain science or convey science to the public. Bruce said, 'Glenn, if there's any one thing that I can accomplish in my lifetime, I would like to have everyday people understand the concept of dose response, because it opens up the therapeutic window or the useful window for an agrochemical between no effect and toxic effects.' The concept of dose response was something that Bruce and I share an absolute mandate in our lives to help people understand that this is a critical distinction to make. So with that, I miss you, Bruce. I really do."

Justin Siegel

Justin Siegel, a UC Davis professor "incredibly lucky to be Bruce's neighbor, collaborator, and friend," commented that "Occasionally I had the privilege of joining Bruce for a long walk around the lake where we would talk about life, science, commercialization, and how to help this university that we both loved fulfill its mission of improving the lives of Californians and beyond."

He mentioned the generosity and kindness of Hammock and his wife, Lassie, and "the brownies left on our doorstep."

"Bruce didn't just inspire me scientifically and professionally. He understood that small, thoughtful acts can have an enormous impact. He inspired those around him not just to think bigger, but to live more fully and to bring joy into the lives of everyone around you. I will miss Bruce dearly. And I wish we could just have one more walk together."

"But the lessons he taught me-- to think big, to focus on problems that truly matter, inspire others, and even navigate complex bureaucracies--are lessons I will carry with me and pass on to the next generation," Siegel said. "And perhaps most importantly, to never underestimate the impact of a small unassuming act of kindness. We love you, Bruce."

Tom Sparks

Tom Sparks was Hammock's first graduate student when Hammock was teaching at UC Riverside before joining the UC Davis faculty. "For more than 50 years, it's been my incredibly good fortune and singular honor to have been Bruce's first student. Throughout my career, Bruce remained a guidepost, mentor, and good friend."

"Throughout my time in Bruce's lab and the years afterwards, he was always patient, kind, and as we've heard before, incredibly motivating. To this day, he remains one of the most brilliant people I've ever met." He mentioned that he and fellow graduate student Keith Wing, "would often lament about the fact that at some point we would have to graduate and get out and compete against Bruce, which is a total nonstarter. Just couldn't be done. I've always thought that one of Bruce's secret powers was that he could get you to do more than you ever thought you could."

"There are some central lessons from Bruce's lab, and some of these you've heard. One is that science should be fun. The other one is to ask a different question, often starting with 'what if.' The other one that you've heard about talking about the different disciplines, something I like to call science at the interface. Bruce was outstanding at looking at different areas, bringing together...entomology, biochemistry and chemistry. He could do it all and at that interface is where the real fun was. Often very challenging, but that's where the most fun and the rewarding was. This has been a lifelong lesson that has served me very well."

"After three years, I graduated with my PhD in entomology. On leaving the lab, Bruce said he was sorry to see me go because I had just become interesting. As one of the most brilliant people, brilliant minds of our time, I still struggle to see a world without Bruce. But as many of you have noted, knowing Bruce has made all the difference."

Jeannette Van Emon

Jeannette van Emon, a former research chemist for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency where she developed immunochemical methods for exposure assessment studies, related she was "one of Bruce's first graduate students at UC Davis in agricultural chemistry from the Department of Environmental Toxicology."

"I am on the board of directors of the American Chemical Society (ACS), which Bruce was a member of and received several awards. In Bruce's lab, I developed immunoassays for small molecules of environmental concern such as paraquat. I enjoyed the research. However, one day, Bruce told me that Keith Wing had made his hair turn gray, and I finished the job by making the rest of it fall out. So, sorry, family. But in one of Bruce's last emails to me, he said my paraquat research was one of the most enjoyable projects in his lab. I replied that I wish we were just starting."

"He was always supportive of me," she shared. "After my first oral presentation at an ACS meeting, which I was very nervous for, Bruce came running up to me with a hero badge which he had made from colored paper and it was something like this (she held it up).  He had written on it 'hero' and my name. He presented it to me saying, 'To Jeannette, our hero.' I couldn't have been more pleased than if I had received a diamond necklace. So, thank you, Bruce. You are my hero.

Craig Wheelock

Craig Wheelock said he "was a graduate student and a postdoc with Bruce from 1998 through 2004. Today, as of two nights ago, I am a professor of metabolomics at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. The crazy ideas, the late night emails, the early morning meetings, the handwriting that was impossible to read, with this text that I couldn't, it was impossible to decipher. I had no idea what he was writing. I would ask people in the lab, 'What is this? What does this say?' 'I don't know.' Then we'd have all these foreign visitors, postdocs, students, and they'd say, 'Oh, please help me with the English. I can't read it. My English is very bad.' I'm like, 'That's not English. That's Bruce.'"

"But when I look back at my life, I see how much I learned from Bruce and I see what he gave me. I see Bruce when I write a grant. I see Bruce when I have some crazy research idea that I'm proposing. I see him most when I'm trying to understand the why of something. But to be honest, I see him most when I'm taking my lab kayaking or hiking. I see him when I'm talking with one of my students about their research projects or listening to them about their concerns or their career plans. This is the legacy I remember the most from Bruce. Not the papers, but the time that he gave to people."

"The single most enduring thing that I received from Bruce," Wheelock said, "is this concept we've heard of already today. The idea that science should be fun. That we have the greatest job in the world. He would say this, to be a professor at a university like this, this is the greatest job in the world that we could have, and that the curiosity driven life is the one that is worth living. So yes, we all know of course Bruce was a great scientist, but even more he was a great human being and I'm going to always miss him. Thank you, Bruce.

Keith Wing

Keith Wing was Hammock's second graduate student. "I joined the lab in 1976. Tom (Sparks) and I joined the lab in the mid 70s when dinosaurs ruled and roamed the earth." He spent four years at UC Riverside and one year at UC Davis, finishing his PhD.

"Then after leaving Bruce's lab in 1981, I got a postdoc with (UC Berkeley Professor) John Casida. Bruce and I had that in common. I got my postdoc with John, but Bruce was one of John's grad students. I swear on my stack of Bibles that Bruce and Sarjeet Gil shortened John's life by at least 10 years with all the practical tricks they pulled on John, and it was a lot."

"I think back on all the things that I look to Bruce as an example for so many things: social responsibility, creativity in science, perseverance, rigor, a little irreverent, as if I don't know anything about that..."

"All of you are scientists, you know the wonder and beauty of having your hypotheses and ideas come to reality through scientific evidence and just how wonderful that feels. One of the most important things that I got from Bruce is this thought of using multidisciplinary science..." 

During his industrial career, Wing and his teams discovered three classes of novel insecticides.

Chengpeng Xu

Chengpeng Xu, a former member of the Hammock lab, said he "met Bruce in October 2021, exactly five years ago. I started there as an undergraduate researcher and then I moved to a PhD student in 2024. I'm presumably the last Bruce PhD student, unfinished. I was really honored and fortunate to meet and work with a legendary scientist like Bruce at such a young age. I would like to use this chance to share some of my memories and stories between me and Bruce over the past half a decade."

"Bruce, I really admire your dedication to science and research. Before you fell ill, I often got your emails every day. I would see you in the office every working day...Your life taught me a very hard lesson that we should cherish the time with people you love and those who love you."

"Bruce, I hope there will be more people like you in this world. I hope one day I'll be someone like you. But on the way, please remember what Bruce has told us. Science is meant to be fun. I hope we all have some fun along the journey. Thank you."

Tilahun Yilma

Tilahun Yilma, UC Davis distinguished professor of virology and a member of the National Academy of Sciences (nominated by Hammock), shared that "Bruce was probably one of my closest friends here at UC Davis."

"...we met every weekend at Peet's Coffee. Sometimes Walter joined us. We discussed science, math, physics, not just only biology, politics, UC Davis administration, the whole works. I am so grateful to Bruce and I miss him very much. In fact, I stopped going to Peet's because I didn't want to be reminded of Bruce."

Lin Zhang

Hammock research collaborator, Lin Zhang, professor of neurology, M.D. and Ph.D., said "I don't even remember who introduced Bruce to us, but we had the longest time to try to find a way to slow down the progression of Parkinson's. I'm a Parkinsonologist, as some of you probably know."

He recounted how Hammock came to him and asked 'Have you ever thought about anti-inflammatory?' I said, 'Wow.' That opened up the door, not only socially, professionally, but also everything, every facet of our life has changed. Ever since then, we developed the program and Bruce provided his expertise, personal support 24/7. Two years out, we became one of the centers of excellence with the Parkinson Foundation. Now, we're funded by the Michael J. Fox Foundation for $2 million support to study anti-inflammatory in Parkinson's. That's Bruce."

"Bruce, thank you for championing our work and thank you for always showing up. We miss you deeply. Thank you."

William Schmidt

William Schmidt of EicOsis (the company that Hammock founded) commented "What was amazing to me was that with an academic lab, he had first off discovered the enzyme soluble epoxide hydrolase. Then he figured out what its biological consequence was. You saw the massive caterpillar that was on one of the slides just a few minutes ago. What he found was that this particular enzyme, if you inhibited this enzyme, you got very fat, very large caterpillars, but no butterflies. That was his initiation into looking at other species where this enzyme might exist. He learned that it was not only in insects but also in, as he said, tomatoes, potatoes and then in mice and rats and horses and possibly humans, too. He said, 'I want to take this into a clinical trial in pain medicine.'"

"What really amazed me was a collaboration that Bruce had with the veterinary school here at Davis which showed that this compound or a sister of this compound, an early analog of the compound that we now have in humans, was able to save the life of a thoroughbred racehorse called Hulahalla, who had been on her side for two days in a very severe type of neuropathic pain called equine laminitis. Nothing in human medicine or in veterinary medicine was successful in providing any relief for this horse. The horse had morbidly high blood pressure. She would have had a stroke if she had been allowed to continue. She was scheduled for euthanasia because of the severity of her disease."

"But the veterinary anesthesiologist called Bruce," Schmidt recounted. "He rode over on his bicycle. He gave an IV dose and in one hour she was up on her hooves. In three hours she was walking around the stall eating hay again. They gave doses for five days...she survived. In fact last summer Bruce had his photograph taken with Hulahalla here on the campus. She's a 10-year survivor and in the next few months, you're going to see the results of our initial proof of concept clinical trial. So the Bruce Hammock legacy lives on and I hope that we'll have a drug that will not only treat pain but neurological diseases and perhaps a lot of other diseases too."

Tom Hammock, son of Bruce and Lassie Hammock, thanked the crowd on behalf of his family, which includes his brother, Bruce, and sister, Frances. 

"Just speaking for Bruce's family, we wanted to thank everyone for being here today. It means the world to us and it would have meant the world to my dad.

"We just wanted to take the opportunity to thank the university for hosting and all of the people who worked so hard to put this event together. Really appreciate it. So, thank you. Lastly, on behalf of Bruce's family, again, thank you all for being part of my dad's life and for being here with us today."

Joanna Chiu

In closing, Joanna Chiu, professor and chair of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, commented "On behalf of the department, I just want to thank everyone, friends, family, collaborators of Bruce, for traveling near and far to come here and remember and celebrate Bruce with all of us."