Intestinal microbiomes & cancer; Phi Beta Kappa Mu anniversary

June 4, 2024

Eastern redbud trees spread their branches next to Natural Sciences II. (Photo: Steve Zylius/UC Irvine)

UC IRVINE NEWS

Scientist studies how intestinal microbiomes affect health

Katrine Whiteson, Chancellor’s Fellow and associate professor of molecular biology and biochemistry

A healthy microbiome in your digestive tract can help stave off heart disease, cancer and other ailments, says Katrine Whiteson, a Chancellor’s Fellow and associate professor of molecular biology and biochemistry. Her research suggests that a diet heavy in high-fiber foods such as chia seeds and avocados helps fight against cancer and can even be effective after diagnosis and before treatment. “When people are diagnosed with cancer, there’s often a window of several weeks before they start treatment or have surgery,” Whiteson says. “The goal is to get their diet and microbiome in good shape during that time and improve their chance of success.”

Phi Beta Kappa Mu chapter’s 50th anniversary celebration

The UC Irvine Phi Beta Kappa Mu chapter celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Founded in 1974, the Mu chapter inducts the top 1% of juniors and 5% of seniors, and participates in the Visiting Scholar Program. It also hosts an annual Fall Book Award Ceremony. In celebration of this milestone, June 13 will be PBK Day, with several events including the unveiling of the new PBK Bridge, an induction ceremony and reception and an alumni dinner.

Last month, the PBK Society announced this year’s recipients of its Key into Public Service scholarship program, including Kayla Hoang (above), a rising senior double majoring in History and English, who was recognized for her work within juvenile halls and adult incarceration facilities. This upcoming summer, Hoang will intern at a nonprofit that advocates for criminal justice and prison reform. After graduation, she will pursue a master’s degree in public policy in preparation for a career advocating for educational equity and social justice in the U.S. and abroad.

UC PRIME Pre-Health Pathways honors first graduates

Launched last summer with a $3.6 million grant from the California Department of Health Care Access and Information, UC PRIME Pre-Health Pathways is a multipronged training program for undergraduates pursuing careers in healthcare. UC3P’s first cohort includes 20 Anteaters from diverse majors and backgrounds. Through a competitive review process, they were selected for the yearlong intensive training, advising and support program to increase their readiness for medical school.

UC News

UC Spotlight highlights UC Irvine Health fundraiser

UC Spotlight is a new UC systemwide feature that celebrates UC locations, teams and individual staff members who are helping to make UC a great place to work. Among the first UC community members to be recognized are the more than 250 UC Irvine Health staff, faculty and students who raised nearly $24,000 in support of heart and stroke awareness by participating in the 2024 Orange County Heart & Stroke Walk. They surpassed their goal by $4,000.

#IamUCI

#IamUCI: Christopher Arauzo ’24, B.S., mechanical engineering

After a high school internship at Marathon Petroleum Corp., Torrance native Christopher Arauzo pursued mechanical engineering at UC Irvine. Here, he became chief mechanical and aerospace engineer for the Spacecraft Thermal Management Systems, a student-led undergraduate research project. The endeavor allowed Arauzo to secure a position at Boeing as an extreme environment materials intern. After graduation, Arauzo will work toward a master’s degree in mechanical engineering at UC Irvine, after which he plans to continue working in the commercial space industry.

#IamUCI: Sam Hansen ’24, B.S., computer science

Sacramento-born Sam Hansen – who uses the pronouns they/them/their – grew up playing indie video games with the dream of creating their own video games. Now, Hansen is a video game developer and programmer who has been an AI programmer on Project Ether and a user interface programmer on Sling & Fling. Hansen has also participated in the Ludum Dare event, where – as part of a team of three – they programmed a game from scratch in only 72 hours. At UC Irvine, Hansen is researching gaming for impaired players and is starting a game project they hope to release as a commercial game.

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