Oct. 22, 2024

UC IRVINE NEWS

Undergrads start new Society of Black Physicists chapter

Physics students led by Bryan Nnadi (above), a third-year undergraduate studying astrophysics, have founded a UC Irvine chapter of the National Society of Black Physicists. “I don’t see a lot of people who look like me studying physics, and in some respects that can be isolating,” said Nnadi, who will serve as the chapter’s first president. “Founding NSBP at UCI helps foster a sense of community, and it helps me know I’m not alone as a Black physicist.” Nnadi was inspired to start a new chapter when he traveled to Knoxville, Tennessee for the annual NSBP conference in 2023. “The formation of the student chapter of the National Society of Black Physicists at UC Irvine marks a pivotal step in fostering diversity and inclusion within our department,” said Mu-Chun Chen, a professor of physics & astronomy and faculty advisor for NSBP, “and it is a necessary step as we strive to maximize our academic and research excellence.”

Study shows acupuncture can reduce opioid use in breast cancer treatment

A UC Irvine-led study has documented how acupuncture can help reduce the use of opioids in breast cancer-related pain treatment. Ding Quan Ng (above), a doctoral candidate in pharmacological sciences, along with Alexandre Chan, a professor of clinical pharmacy, and additional researchers compared the usage of traditional painkillers between acupuncture-treated and non-treated patients. “While acupuncture has been shown to help in large-scale randomized controlled trials, it is not widely covered by insurance or recommended in practice due to uncertainty about its effectiveness in real-world settings,” Ng said. “With real-world claims data, our study confirms that acupuncture reduces the need for opioids and other pain medications while lowering overall healthcare costs for patients who receive more sessions.”

Next-generation vaccines for glioblastoma show promise

Glioblastoma is the most aggressive and lethal type of brain cancer, primarily affecting older adults. This has led scientists to explore the potential of therapeutic vaccines to stimulate the body’s immune system to fight the cancer cells. UCI Health neuro-oncologist Dr. Daniela A. Bota recently reviewed the state of glioblastoma vaccine research and the development of two new vaccines that show promise, yet they require additional clinical trials to confirm their effectiveness and safety.

UC NEWS

New website helps students with UC school transfers

UC has launched a new website this fall as part of its efforts to increase the number of California community college students who enroll at one of its nine undergraduate campuses. It contains information for the whole range of UC transfer students, from high school graduates starting their higher ed journey at a community college to military veterans, parents and other applicants. “The new transfer hub is intended to make planning for transfer as simple as possible. It provides students with information, resources and planning tools, all in one place,” said Yvette Gullatt, UC’s vice president for graduate and undergraduate affairs.

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Doctoral candidate’s research amplifies trans teens’ voices

Taylor Silverman, a doctoral candidate in anthropology, has written a groundbreaking dissertation that examines the everyday practices of medical care for transgender youth. Silverman looks at complex philosophical concepts such as autonomy, agency and consent in the context of everyday clinical practice and decision making. “It's such a politically charged topic," said Silverman’s advisor, Lilith Mahmud, an associate professor of anthropology. "But Taylor was able to earn the trust of embattled doctors, struggling parents and, most of all, the transgender kids who are too often the objects of political attacks. It's truly groundbreaking work in feminist medical anthropology and childhood studies, but it is also a model for what public scholarship across the social sciences could look like.”

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