March 10, 2023

UCI doctor named Irvine’s “Woman of the Year”

Dr. Shaista Malik, the founding executive director of UCI Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute, has been named “Woman of the Year” for Irvine by California Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris. In a celebratory event on March 9 in Irvine, Petrie-Norris honored Malik for her commitment to community service, innovative integrative healthcare, research and education of future healthcare professionals. “Receiving this award is a testament to the importance of whole health and the contributions of women in this field,” Malik said. “I want to use this recognition as an opportunity to continue advocating for integrative whole-person health as a pathway to healthcare quality, equity and access for all.”

UCI bioscientists use mouse model to study Alzheimer’s disease

Scientists at the UCI MODEL-AD group have developed a new mouse model that could help better understand Alzheimer’s disease. The mouse model has a genetic variant that is one of the strongest known risk factors for developing late-onset Alzheimer’s in humans. Previous mouse models had a problem with “cryptic splicing,” which reduced the amount of protein produced by the gene. This made it difficult to study the effects of the genetic variant on the brain. The new UCI model overcomes this problem and produces the same amount of protein as the wild-type gene. The new mouse model responded to the damage in the same way as wild-type mice, indicating that the genetic variant did not affect their ability to respond to brain damage.

Trio of UCI scholars honored by American Psychosomatic Society

Three scholars from the Department of Psychological Science were honored during the American Psychosomatic Society’s 80th Annual Scientific Meeting, held March 8-11 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Julian Thayer, Distinguished Professor of psychological science, received the APS Distinguished Scientist Award. Sarah Pressman, professor of psychological science and UCI’s associate dean of undergraduate education, was named an APS 2023 Fellow. Finally, an APS Diversity Scholar Travel Award was bestowed upon Cameron Wiley, a Ph.D. student in psychological science and a graduate research assistant in both Thayer’s Integrated Emotions and Quantitative Psychophysiology Lab and Pressman’s Stress, Emotion and Physical Health Lab.

Recent storms lead to state of emergency in 20 California counties

As yet another atmospheric river rainstorm hits California, Gov. Gavin Newsom has asked for federal aid for 20 counties, including Fresno, Kern, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles and San Bernardino. In Southern California, the San Bernardino Mountains have been hit particularly hard, with many residents trapped in their homes by massive piles of snow and stranded without food or medication, leading to the use of helicopter rescues. The current storm is scheduled to move out of the region by Saturday, although more rain is predicted for next week.

Can AI create the perfect IPA?

Credit to the Aussies for coming up with a surprisingly creative use for artificial intelligence: creating a data-driven India Pale Ale. According to a recent article in Experience magazine, Australian brewers are using artificial intelligence to perfect an IPA with feedback collected through QR codes. It’s a brave new world, beer drinkers.

Anteater Express buses showcase UCI shining stars

Today, we’re highlighting the last of the UCI shining stars whose images appear on the sides of Anteater Express buses. The promotion features 10 students, faculty, staff and alumni who are dedicated to enhancing lives through teaching, cutting-edge research or public service. Be on the lookout for buses with these stellar Anteaters. #UCIPride

#UCIconnected spotlights student, alumni, faculty and staff photos, essays, shoutouts, hobbies, artwork, unusual office decorations, activities and more. Send submissions via email or post on social media with the #UCIconnected hashtag.

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