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UrduThe biochemical process by which cyanobacteria acquire nutrients from rocks in Chile’s Atacama Desert has inspired engineers at the University of California, Irvine to think of new ways microbes might help humans build colonies on the moon and Mars.
Tag: Faculty
FAU Receives $1 Million NSF Grant to Empower Women in STEM Faculty
The three-year NSF ADVANCE ADAPTATION grant will help transform faculty diversity and ensure appropriate representation of women in STEM. This grant continues the work of the late Emmanuelle Tognoli, Ph.D., who served as a research professor in FAU’s Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences within the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science and a member of the FAU Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute.
UCI researchers discover crucial role of brain’s striatum cilia in time perception
Irvine, Calif., Nov. 30, 2022 — Researchers at the University of California, Irvine have discovered that removal of cilia from the brain’s striatum region impaired time perception and judgment, revealing possible new therapeutic targets for mental and neurological conditions including schizophrenia, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases, autism spectrum disorder, and Tourette syndrome.
UCI-led study finds pay practices, job barriers to blame for women making less than men
Irvine, Calif., Nov. 28, 2022 — Despite advances in gender equality, women still earn less than men in all advanced, industrialized societies. Who – or what – is to blame? A new 15-country study led by Andrew Penner at the University of California, Irvine, divides fault evenly between inequitable within-job salary structures and the decisions that route men and women into differently compensated roles.
Yu Xin (Will) Wang joins Sanford Burnham Prebys to advance regenerative medicine
Molecular biologist Yu Xin (Will) Wang, Ph.D., has joined Sanford Burnham Prebys as an assistant professor in the Development, Aging, and Regeneration Program to uncover the ways muscle, nerve and immune cells work together to overcome disease.
UCI’s Oswald Steward to serve as president of Society for Neuroscience
Irvine, Calif., Nov. 15, 2022 — The University of California, Irvine today announced that Oswald Steward, director of the campus’s Reeve-Irvine Research Center, will assume the role of president of the Society for Neuroscience, the world’s largest organization for the study of the brain and nervous system, with more than 36,000 members in 95 countries.
UCI-led astronomers capitalize on early access to James Webb Space Telescope data
First in line to receive data transmissions from the James Webb Space Telescope, a team of astronomers at the University of California, Irvine and other institutions is using the unprecedentedly clear observations to reveal the secret inner workings of galaxies. In a paper published today in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, the researchers describe their examination of the nearby galaxy NGC 7469 with the JWST’s ultrasensitive mid-infrared detection instruments.
UCI study finds 53 percent jump in e-waste greenhouse gas emissions between 2014, 2020
Greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere from electronic devices and their associated electronic waste increased by 53 percent between 2014 and 2020, including 580 metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2020 alone, according to University of California, Irvine researchers.
Estée Lauder endowment will establish epigenetics fellowship at UCI
The University of California, Irvine today announced an endowment from Estée Lauder to establish an epigenetics fellowship in honor of the late Paolo Sassone-Corsi, Ph.D., who was UCI’s Donald Bren Professor of Biological Chemistry and director of the campus’s Center for Epigenetics and Metabolism.
UCI is key member of multi-institutional, $126 million NIH brain mapping project
Irvine, Calif., Sept. 22, 2022 – The University of California, Irvine will participate in a five-year, multi-institutional, $126 million grant from the National Institutes of Health supporting the BRAIN Initiative Cell Atlas Network. The project aims to describe the cells that make up the human brain in unprecedented molecular detail, classifying them into more precise subtypes and pinpointing their location.
UCI and national lab researchers develop a cobalt-free cathode for lithium-ion batteries
Irvine, Calif., Sept. 21, 2022 – Researchers at the University of California, Irvine and four national laboratories have devised a way to make lithium-ion battery cathodes without using cobalt, a mineral plagued by price volatility and geopolitical complications. In a paper published today in Nature, the scientists describe how they overcame thermal and chemical-mechanical instabilities of cathodes composed substantially of nickel – a common substitute for cobalt – by mixing in several other metallic elements.
UCI research team finds positivity is not equally protective against illness across races
Research has consistently shown that positive psychological factors are linked to better physical health, including increased resistance to infectious illnesses such as the flu and the common cold. A new study from the University of California, Irvine, examines the role that race plays in this connection, comparing the results of African American and European American participants in a series of landmark experimental studies from the Common Cold Project, conducted between 1993 and 2011.
WVU celebrates grand opening of Reynolds Hall with building’s namesake
West Virginia University will hold a grand opening ceremony to celebrate Reynolds Hall, the futuristic 186,000-square-foot business complex on Morgantown’s Waterfront made possible through the generosity of Bob and Laura Reynolds. The building is the new home of the John Chambers College of Business and Economics and its 3,700 students.
UC San Diego Named 5th Best Public University by Academic Ranking of World Universities
The University of California San Diego has been ranked 5th among the nation’s best public universities for its award-winning faculty and alumni, academic performance and impactful research. The new 2022 Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) ranking was released today by ShanghaiRanking Consultancy, which also named UC San Diego 16th among colleges in the nation and 21st in the world.
UCI-led study shows Rhodiola rosea root might be beneficial for managing type 2 diabetes
A team of researchers led by the University of California, Irvine has discovered that treatment with an extract from the roots of the Rhodiola rosea plant might be effective for helping manage type 2 diabetes, showing promise as a safe and effective non-pharmaceutical alternative. The study, recently published online in Scientific Reports, found that in a mouse model of human type 2 diabetes, Rhodiola rosea lowered fasting blood sugar levels, improved response to insulin injections, modulated the composition of bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract and decreased several biomarkers of inflammation.
Precision health perspectives
In February, UCI launched the Institute for Precision Health, a campus-wide, interdisciplinary endeavor that merges UCI’s powerhouse health sciences, engineering, machine learning, artificial intelligence, clinical genomics and data science capabilities. The objective is to identify, create and deliver the most effective health and wellness strategy for each individual person and, in doing so, confront the linked challenges of health equity and the high cost of care.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Computer Science and Physics Departments Appoint New Leaders
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s School of Science has appointed two new department heads. Mohammed Zaki now leads the Department of Computer Science and Gyorgy Korniss leads the Department of Physics, Applied Physics, and Astronomy. The departments are ranked third and fourth in the state of New York, respectively, and 24th nationally by College Factual.
CSU Campuses are Among the Country’s Top Producers of Fulbright Scholars
Faculty are bringing an international perspective home to CSU students and helping find solutions to global problems through the prestigious scholarship.
How a protein breaks free to cause deadly cancers
Better treatments for some of cancer’s deadliest forms could be closer due to a University of California, Irvine-led discovery about how a certain protein is activated in tumor cells. The finding, spearheaded by researchers with the School of Biological Sciences, could eventually lead to possible therapies for the especially dangerous melanoma and pancreatic adenocarcinoma, as well as the most common type of childhood brain cancer and adult skin cancer.
UCI study: California’s trees are dying, and might not be coming back
The State of California is banking on its forests to help reduce planet-warming carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. But that element of the state’s climate-change solution arsenal may be in jeopardy, as new research from the University of California, Irvine reports that trees in California’s mountain ranges and open spaces are dying from wildfires and other pressures – and fewer new trees are filling the void.
Research reveals how brain inflammation may link Alzheimer’s risk, sleep disturbance
A multisite research team from the University of California, Irvine, the University of Wisconsin–Madison and Wake Forest University has discovered that brain inflammation may link Alzheimer’s disease risk with sleep disturbance, which may aid early detection and prevention efforts by identifying novel treatment targets at preclinical stages.
UCI researchers invent a health monitoring wearable that operates without a battery
Irvine, Calif., July 12, 2022 – A new self-powered, wristwatch-style health monitor invented by researchers at the University of California, Irvine can keep track of a wearer’s pulse and wirelessly communicate with a nearby smartphone or tablet – without needing an external power source or a battery. In a paper published recently in the journal Nano Energy, team members in UCI’s Henry Samueli School of Engineering describe their invention, built via 3D printing of nanomaterials on flexible substrates for real-time and wireless monitoring of vital signs.
Seven UCI faculty members named Hellman Fellows for 2022-23
Irvine, Calif., July 8, 2022 — Seven assistant professors at UCI will receive Hellman Fellowships, which are bestowed annually to support research by junior faculty. They join an elite group of 70 UCI Hellman Fellows since 2013, when the Hellman Fellows Fund established the program here. The program began in 1995 at UC Berkeley and UC San Diego and has since expanded organically to all UC institutions.
Solving algorithm ‘amnesia’ reveals clues to how we learn
A discovery about how algorithms can learn and retain information more efficiently offers potential insight into the brain’s ability to absorb new knowledge. The findings by researchers at the University of California, Irvine School of Biological Sciences could aid in combatting cognitive impairments and improving technology.
CSU Juneteenth Symposium Reinvigorates Efforts to Improve Black Student Success
CSU leaders call for improving outcomes for Black and African American students at inaugural symposium.
CSU CREATE Awards Support Faculty in Advancing Student Success
Five proposals chosen to receive funding for the upcoming 2022-2023 academic year.
UCI researchers find that aspirin alters colorectal cancer evolution
Irvine, Calif., June 9, 2022 — Cancer starts when cells start dividing uncontrollably. Scientists have known that taking aspirin can help protect against the development of colorectal cancer – cancer afflicting the colon or rectum – but the exact reason aspirin has this effect has been mostly a mystery. In a new study published in the journal eLife, researchers at the University of California, Irvine reveal for the first time that aspirin changes the way colorectal cancer cell populations evolve over time, making them less able to survive and proliferate.
UCI is founding member of Hispanic Serving Research Universities alliance
Irvine, Calif., June 9, 2022 — The University of California, Irvine is a founding member of the Alliance of Hispanic Serving Research Universities, a foundation of 20 of the nation’s top research universities which are partnering to increase opportunity for those historically underserved by higher education. The HSRU Alliance aims to achieve two key goals by 2030: Double the number of enrolled Hispanic doctoral students and increase by 20 percent the Hispanic professoriate in alliance universities.
UCI scientists observe effects of heat in materials with atomic resolution
As electronic, thermoelectric and computer technologies have been miniaturized to nanometer scale, engineers have faced a challenge studying fundamental properties of the materials involved; in many cases, targets are too small to be observed with optical instruments. Using cutting-edge electron microscopes and novel techniques, a team of researchers at the University of California, Irvine, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and other institutions has found a way to map phonons – vibrations in crystal lattices – in atomic resolution, enabling deeper understanding of the way heat travels through quantum dots, engineered nanostructures in electronic components.
New HHMI Program Pledges $1.5 Billion for Outstanding Early Career Faculty Committed to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
The Freeman Hrabowski Scholars Program will support up to 150 early career scientists for their research and their efforts to create labs in which everyone can thrive. Applications to the program are open now.
National Academy of Sciences names two UCI faculty members as fellows
Irvine, Calif., May 4, 2022 – Two University of California, Irvine researchers have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences, one of the world’s most respected scientific organizations. Svetlana Jitomirskaya, Distinguished Professor of mathematics, and Krzysztof Palczewski, Distinguished Professor of ophthalmology, are among 120 U.
NSF supports research studying how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine affects Americans
Irvine, Calif., May 2, 2022 — The National Science Foundation has awarded a Rapid Response Research grant of nearly $175,000 to University of California, Irvine researchers seeking to gauge the effect that the reporting of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in traditional and social media outlets has on the mental health of U.S. citizens.
Four professors elected to membership in the American Academy of Arts & Sciences
Irvine, Calif., April 28, 2022 — A quartet of professors at the University of California, Irvine, has been elected as members by the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. The 242nd class of AAAS inductees includes 261 extraordinary people from around the world, recognized for their accomplishments and leadership in academia, the arts, industry, public policy and research.
UCI professor wins prestigious Robert Koch Prize for groundbreaking research
Irvine, Calif., April 27, 2022 – Philip Felgner, Ph.D., professor in residence of physiology & biophysics at the University of California, Irvine, is one of two scholars to win the prestigious 2022 Robert Koch Prize for fundamental contributions to the transfer of nucleic acids into cells. This pioneering technology for treating infectious diseases played a crucial role in developing the messenger RNA COVID-19 vaccines.
UCI scientists turn a hydrogen molecule into a quantum sensor
Irvine, Calif., April 22, 2022 — Physicists at the University of California, Irvine have demonstrated the use of a hydrogen molecule as a quantum sensor in a terahertz laser-equipped scanning tunneling microscope, a technique that can measure the chemical properties of materials at unprecedented time and spatial resolutions.
UCI’s Michael Méndez to lead press conference at UN climate change summit
Michael Méndez, assistant professor of urban planning & public policy at the University of California, Irvine, will moderate a press conference on California’s approach to integrating environmental justice into climate solutions at 1:15 p.m. GMT on Monday, Nov. 8, at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference being held in Glasgow, Scotland.
NSF funds UCI project to boost STEM degree success for underrepresented students
The National Science Foundation has awarded almost $3 million over a five-year period to The Institute for Meaningful Engagement at the University of California, Irvine. This new education project will explore the environmental factors prompting underrepresented students to leave science, technology, engineering and math programs and investigate how faculty can foster better classroom cultures to retain them. A multidisciplinary leadership team will partner with the deans of UCI’s six STEM schools to accomplish this.
UCI researcher gets NSF-backed grant to study wildfires’ effects on farmworkers
Michael Méndez of the University of California, Irvine has received a two-year, $400,000 grant from the National Center for Atmospheric Research’s Early Career Faculty Innovator Program. It will fund a joint project with researchers at NCAR – which is sponsored by the National Science Foundation – exploring the disparate treatment of undocumented Latino/Latina and Indigenous migrant farmworkers during extreme wildfire events in Sonoma County.
UCI receives 5-year, $5 million CIRM award for training of diverse researchers
The University of California, Irvine has received a five-year, $5 million award from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine to support a comprehensive doctoral, postdoctoral and clinical researcher training program to prepare the current and next generation of leaders in stem cell biology, gene therapy and regenerative medicine.
Jacobs Foundation awards UCI $11 million to improve digital technologies for children
Irvine, Calif., Sept. 7, 2021 – In its latest commitment to advancing learning, the Jacobs Foundation has awarded a five-year, nearly $11 million grant to the University of California, Irvine for the creation of a collaborative network to help tailor digital technologies for children. Connecting the EdTech Research EcoSystem will bring together global leaders in computer science, psychology, neuroscience, education and educational technology in pursuit of this goal.
National Institute of Justice funds UCI evaluation of new Orange County Jail program
Irvine, Calif., Aug. 24, 2021 – The Orange County Sheriff’s Department and the University of California, Irvine are partnering to determine whether changing the jail experience can improve outcomes for young men upon their release.
What you need to know about the delta variant
For more than 40 years, UCI infectious disease researcher Michael Buchmeier has studied coronaviruses, and he’s one of the leading experts on SARS-CoV-2, the version of the virus causing the COVID-19 pandemic. As a more lethal mutation of the virus, called the delta variant, sparks another wave of cases, he offers his expertise about this threat.
UCI Center for Critical Korean Studies receives two international grants
Irvine, Calif., Aug. 23, 2021 — The Center for Critical Korean Studies at the University of California, Irvine has received two prestigious grants – one from the Academy of Korean Studies, the other from the Korea Foundation. They provide the UCI unit with more than $1 million for academic and programmatic developments, including a new faculty position.
UCI receives grant to support 30 HBCU students in Summer Institute in Neuroscience
Irvine, Calif., July 28, 2021 — The UCI Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory has been awarded a UC-HBCU Initiative Summer Research and Graduate Admissions Pathways Grant from the UC Office of the President to sponsor a partnership with Delaware State University, one of 107 Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the U.
California’s carbon mitigation efforts may be thwarted by climate change itself
Irvine, Calif., July 22, 2021 – To meet an ambitious goal of carbon neutrality by 2045, California’s policymakers are relying in part on forests and shrublands to remove CO2 from the atmosphere, but researchers at the University of California, Irvine warn that future climate change may limit the ecosystem’s ability to perform this service.
UCI scientists make X-ray vision-like camera to rapidly retrieve 3D images
Irvine, Calif., July 21, 2021 — It’s not exactly X-ray vision, but it’s close. In research published in the journal Optica, University of California, Irvine researchers describe a new type of camera technology that, when aimed at an object, can rapidly retrieve 3D images, displaying its chemical content down to the micrometer scale.
The Johns Hopkins School of Nursing Announces New Faculty Leadership Positions
Five faculty from the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing have received leadership appointments to help promote and advance the school’s Master of Science (Entry into Nursing), Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), PhD, and postdoctoral programs.
Increased use of household fireworks creates a public health hazard, UCI study finds
Irvine, Calif., June 29, 2021 – Fireworks are synonymous in the United States with the celebration of Independence Day and other special events, but the colorful displays have caused a growing risk to public safety in recent years, according to a study by environmental health researchers at the University of California, Irvine.
UCI professor wins Spain’s prestigious Princess of Asturias award for scientific research
Irvine, Calif., June 24, 2021 — Philip Felgner, Ph.D., professor in residence of physiology & biophysics at the University of California, Irvine, is one of seven scholars worldwide to win Spain’s prestigious Princess of Asturias Award for Technical and Scientific Research in recognition of their contributions to designing COVID-19 vaccines.
UCI-led study finds that cancer immunotherapy may self-limit its efficacy
Irvine, Calif., June 21, 2021 — Cancer immunotherapy involving drugs that inhibit CTLA-4 also activates an unwanted response that may self-limit its efficacy in fighting tumors, according to a new study led by Francesco Marangoni, Ph.D., assistant professor of physiology & biophysics and member of the Institute for Immunology at the University of California, Irvine.