May 22, 2023
UCI Digest
Students pass a bed of spring flowers in front of Croul Hall.
Students pass a bed of spring flowers in front of Croul Hall. Photo by Ian Parker

UCI ANNOUNCEMENTS AND NEWS

UCI scientist studies fragile X syndrome’s autism link

UCI postdoctoral fellow Yuan-Chen Tsai (left) has received a $100,000 grant from the FRAXA Research Foundation and her advisor, Momoko Watanabe, assistant professor of anatomy & neurobiology
The FRAXA Research Foundation, which supports finding a treatment for fragile X syndrome, has awarded Yuan-Chen Tsai ( left), a postdoctoral fellow in UCI’s Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, a two-year, $100,000 grant to advance her studies. The genetic neurological disorder is the most common inherited cause of autism as well as mild to severe intellectual disability, and occurs when a single gene mutates in the X chromosome, preventing proper brain development.

8 assistant professors named Hellman Fellows

Eight assistant professors at UCI will receive Hellman Fellowships, which are bestowed annually to support research by junior faculty. They join an elite group of 77 UCI Hellman Fellows since 2013, when the Hellman Fellows Fund established the awards here. This year’s fellows are (top row, from left) Diu-Huong Nguyen, Nicole Iturriaga, Cyrian Reed and Christopher Miles, as well as (bottom row, from left) Stacy Copp, Salvador Zárate, Herdeline Ardoña and Alexandra Voloshina.

UCI Chancellor Gillman announces Year of Free Speech

In a statement issued today, UCI Chancellor Howard Gillman announced that the university will hold a series of programs throughout the 2023-24 academic year to highlight the importance of free expression and academic freedom. “We will also model what it means for people who disagree with one another to discuss and debate their differences in a way consistent with the norms of an academic community,” said Gillman.

EVENTS

Understanding UC’s Car Rental Rates
Wednesday, 11 a.m. (sponsored by UC Risk Services)

Wednesday Wellness Walk – San Joaquin Wildlife Preserve
Wednesday, 11:30 a.m. (sponsored by Center For Student Wellness & Health Promotion)

Latinx Theatre: Past, Present, Future
Wednesday, 5 p.m. (sponsored by Illuminations: The Chancellor's Arts & Culture Initiative)

Free ACT/SAT Test Strategy Workshop
Wednesday, 6 p.m. (sponsored by Division of Continuing Education)

UCI Jazz Orchestra - Spring 2023
Wednesday, 8 p.m. (sponsored by Claire Trevor School of the Arts)

Visit today.uci.edu to see and submit event listings. Events of general interest will be shared in UCI Digest two days before they occur.

#UCICONNECTED

Business ambassador Goran Matijasevic has a passion for the arts 

 Goran Matijasevic serves as an ambassador to the business community.
As executive director of the UCI Chief Executive Roundtable, Goran Matijasevic serves as an ambassador to the business community. A member of the Claire Trevor Society, Matijasevic also provides philanthropic support to the school. He has received both the UCI Lauds & Laurels Distinguished Engineering Alumnus and Outstanding Staff Achievement Awards. In a recent interview, Matijasevic talked about his passion for the arts at UCI.
#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.

UCI IN THE NEWS

Note: Some news sites require subscriptions to read articles. The UCI Libraries offer free subscriptions to The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Orange County Register and The Washington Post for students, faculty and staff.
Dr. Bharath Chakravarthy, emergency physician at UCI Health, cited in The Guardian

Naloxone has been hailed as life-saving. Why isn’t it given to those who need it?

The Guardian, May 19
Cited: Dr. Bharath Chakravarthy, emergency physician at UCI Health

Gloria Mark, Chancellor’s Professor of informatics, on KCBS Radio

Does looking at screens reduce our brain function?

KCBS Radio, May 21
Cited: Gloria Mark, Chancellor’s Professor of informatics

Dr. Michael Sy, neurologist with the Comprehensive Multiple Sclerosis Center, cited in Heathline

Ninety Percent of People Get Epstein-Barr Virus Early in Life. Here’s How It Can Lead to Multiple Sclerosis

Healthline, May 19
Cited: Dr. Michael Sy, neurologist with the Comprehensive Multiple Sclerosis Center

COVID-19 NOTIFICATION & HEALTH RESOURCES

Upload your vaccine and booster records

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Daily COVID-19 symptom check

By coming to campus each day, students and employees are attesting they are free of COVID-19 symptoms and are not COVID-19 positive. If you currently have symptoms of COVID-19 or recently tested positive, do not come to campus, or if you currently live on campus stay in your residence, and follow instructions for reporting your case or assessing symptoms on the UCI Forward page. Close contacts to a COVID-19 case are not required to stay home or quarantine, but should follow guidance for close contact instructions for masking and testing on the UCI Forward page.

Potential workplace exposure

UCI provides this notification of a potential workplace COVID-19 exposure. Employees and subcontractors who were in these locations on the dates listed may have been exposed to the coronavirus. You may be entitled to various benefits under applicable federal and state laws and University-specific policies and agreements. The full notification is available on the UCI Forward site. If you have been identified as a close contact to a COVID-19 case, the UCI Contact Tracing Program will contact you and provide additional direction.

UCI Forward – information on campus status and operational updates

UCI Health COVID-19 Updates – important information related to UCI Health

Contact Tracing and Vaccine Navigation Services – assistance with COVID questions including vaccines and vaccine uploads or to report a case, available at contacttracing@uci.edu or 949-824-2300

Employee Experience Center – employee information on COVID benefits

For questions specific to your personal health situation, please contact your doctor or healthcare provider.

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