In 1989, David Julius was recruited as professor to the University of California, San Francisco.[4][5] He was the recipient of numerous prestigious awards such as the 2010 Shaw Prize in Life Sciences and Medicine, the 2010 Prince of Asturias Prize for Technical and Scientific Research, the 2020 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences,[6] and the 2020 Kavli Prize in Neuroscience (together with Patapoutian)[7] and the 2020 BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award.[8]