Dec. 5, 2024

Anteater Time Machine: Sheep graze near campus in 1964.

UC IRVINE NEWS

Guinness World Record Drone Class

A new class taught by Guinness World Record holder Peter J. Burke, a professor of electrical engineering and computer science, teaches engineering students how to build and fly his award-winning drones. In 2021, Burke set the world record when he operated a drone from 11,440 miles away – close to antipode, the furthest distance on the planet – at Réunion, a tiny French island in the Indian Ocean. In this video, Burke and his students talk about the challenges and thrills of remote drone operation.

Study finds DNA damage key to macular degeneration

Researchers have discovered that accumulated DNA damage in the retina is a key contributor to age-related macular degeneration, which affects about 200,000 Americans annually, and that targeting specific retinal cell types may lead to treatments that slow or stop progression. “This research underscores the importance of understanding how aging affects the retina at the molecular level and is crucial for developing new therapies that address the root causes of vision loss, potentially delaying or preventing the onset of AMD,” says Dorota Skowronska-Krawczyk, an associate professor of physiology & biophysics. “Our findings highlight the critical role DNA damage repair plays in maintaining retina health for good vision.”

AMA honors UCI Health for reducing burnout

UCI Health has earned recognition from the American Medical Association as a Joy in Medicine health organization. The honor, which UCI Health also received in 2022, is valid for two years. “UCI Health and the UC Irvine School of Medicine have been committed to recognizing the challenges of physician burnout and sustaining wellness programs to support their physicians,” said Dr. Anju Hurria, director of the UC Irvine Faculty Wellness Program. “It is an honor for UCI Health to receive the AMA Joy in Medicine recognition.”

UC NEWS

Postdoctoral Fellowship Program hailed for inclusivity

A program launched four decades ago to diversify faculty at the University of California has today grown into the largest and most influential academic pipeline program of its kind in the nation. More than 365 faculty members across the UC system have participated in the President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, including nearly 14 percent of all ladder-rank faculty hired over the last five years from groups underrepresented in academia. “No other postdoctoral program has been as successful as this one has in advancing diversity of the professoriate,” said UC President Michael V. Drake, during a recent celebration of the program’s 40th anniversary. “This program has national impact as a model for postdoctoral training and conversion to faculty.”

SAVE THE DATE

Destress Fest (Therapy Dogs & Free Snacks)

Tuesday & Wednesday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. (sponsored by Student Wellness & Health Promotion)

UCI Chamber Music Concert - Fall 2024

Monday, 8 p.m. (sponsored by Claire Trevor School of the Arts)

For more events, visit UCI Today.

#IamUCI

UCI Health radiologist’s off-campus work includes treating soldiers overseas

On campus, Dr. Daniel Chow is best known as UCI Health’s neuroradiology chief and co-director of the Center for Artificial Intelligence in Diagnostic Medicine. But the associate professor-in-residence is also a major in the U.S. Army Reserves who earlier this year spent several months in Kuwait as a radiologist treating American soldiers. Chow says joining the military was his way of paying back the country that accepted his immigrant family. “My dad, who immigrated here from Hong Kong, didn’t graduate from high school, but in a single generation, I was able to become a doctor and a professor at UC Irvine,” he said. “Everyone gives back in their own way; this is my way.”

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