Organ avatars; climate change disinformation

Feb. 20, 2024

Colorful decorations beckon at a vendor fair along Ring Road. (Photo: Steve Zylius/UCI)

UCI ANNOUNCEMENTS AND NEWS

Boosting health equity with organ avatars

Video: Stem cell engineering that could change the world

Quinton Smith, an assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, is an expert in growing tissue from stem cells to mimic human organs and see how they interact with drugs. Smith and his team design small silicon chips with tiny channels filled with a gel concoction to coax the self-assembly of lab-grown blood vessels. He can then send liquids through these organ avatars to understand how blood flow influences disease progression. According to Popular Science, his work has the potential to make pharmaceuticals safer and more effective, in addition to helping find cures for diseases such as cirrhosis and preeclampsia that disproportionately affect Latino and Black populations.

Climate change expert: Fighting disinformation is crucial

Hand holds up sign that reads "There is no Planet B"

To deal with climate change, global institutions and countries must work together to address migration, the inequitable distribution of wealth, and distrust in political systems caused by disinformation and misinformation. That’s the conclusion reached by Richard Matthew, a professor of urban planning & public policy and political science, who shared his views on “The State of the World,” a special series of the California Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation’s Talking Policy podcast. Matthew, who also serves as IGCC’s research director for climate change and international security, as well as director of UCI’s Blum Center for Poverty Alleviation and Sustainable Development, explained the science of where we are and how we got here—and offered ideas about the role individuals have to play in finding solutions.

Doctor discusses signs of uterine fibroids

Uterine fibroids, non-cancerous growths of the uterus, can impact a woman’s life at any age. Dr. Naghmeh Salamat-Saberi, a UCI Health gynecologist and professor of obstetrics and gynecology, spoke to BlackDoctor.org about the need to closely monitor menstrual cycles for unusually heavy or prolonged bleeding, severe menstrual cramps or pelvic pain.

UC NEWS

UC launches Systemwide Office of Civil Rights

In a letter to the UC community today, UC President Michael V. Drake announced the launch of a Systemwide Office of Civil Rights. The new umbrella office aims to provide leadership, guidance and support on issues related to protecting civil rights at UC’s 10 campuses, medical centers, national labs and the UC Office of the President. It will encompass the existing Systemwide Title IX Office, a new Systemwide Anti-Discrimination Office and a new Systemwide Disability Rights Office.

#IamUCI

Forensic psychologist credits success to UCI mentors

Forensic psychologist Kevin Booker ’93, psychology, works at the intersection of human behavior and the law, often helping courts understand how trauma contributed to someone’s actions. Booker developed his interest in psychology as a UCI undergraduate, when he was mentored by the late professor emeritus of psychology and psychiatry Joseph L. White and longtime administrator Thomas Parham. Through them, he learned the value of easing people’s psychological pain. Today, Booker runs a private practice and is on staff at the West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Traveling up and down the California coast, he works on cases that involve post-traumatic stress disorder, such as felony hit-and-run accidents involving pedestrians, and a host of other major penal code violations, including assault with a deadly weapon and murder.

#UCIconnected spotlights interesting updates from the UCI community. #IamUCI spotlights profiles of students, faculty, staff and alumni. Send submissions via email or post on social media with the #UCIconnected or #IamUCI hashtags.