Oct. 9, 2025

Anteater Time Machine: Students walk, talk and socialize near the now Langson Library and Gateway Study Center buildings, circa 1967. (Photo courtesy of UC Irvine Libraries Archives)

UC IRVINE NEWS

Undergraduates learn, preserve and share history

Past and present participants in the Public Scholarship Summer Institute gathered to share experiences and approaches to public scholarship, to advance their research and preservation of the history of El Sol Science and Arts Academy of Santa Ana – a K-through-8th grade dual immersion public charter school. Institute leader Ana Elizabeth Rosas, associate professor of Chicano/Latino studies and history, mentored participants with a focus on growing research and writing skills together as a formative step toward forging a public scholarship community.

Day of hope

In this video, Lauren Albrecht, assistant professor of pharmaceutical sciences, and her lab team hosted a lab visit field trip for middle- and high-school-aged students who are living with cystinosis. During the event, participants were given a hands-on look at the Albrecht Lab’s research. The lab visit was part of the foundation’s Day of Hope Family Conference, an annual event that brings together people with cystinosis and their families to learn more about the disease and treatment while connecting with others in the cystinosis community.

TIME-honored invention of the year

A groundbreaking discovery by Michael Leon, emeritus professor of neurobiology and behavior has led to the development of Memory Air, an over-the-counter device that delivers a curated sequence of 40 scents throughout the night. This scent-based device enhances memory – and it has just been named one of TIME’s Best Inventions of 2025 in the Health & Wellness category. Leon’s research revealed that stimulating the sense-of-smell center of the brain during sleep can dramatically improve memory consolidation.

Cancer immunotherapy

A new study by UC Irvine researchers found that a highly potent class of immunotherapeutics with unique Velcro-like binding properties can kill diverse cancer types without harming normal tissue. “It’s the holy grail – one treatment to kill virtually all cancers,” said Michael Demetriou, professor of neurology, microbiology and molecular genetics. The researchers were awarded a Cancer Moonshot Initiative grant from the National Cancer Institute in 2018 for this study, and earlier this year, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine awarded Demetriou $4.6 million to support clinical-grade production of the immunotherapeutic for a second clinical trial. #SpeakUp4Science

UC NEWS

Grant opportunity to support medical education

The California fund for advancing physician education and workforce growth has opened its application cycle to award up to $3.75 million in Grow Grants. The program is accepting proposals for medical education initiatives and projects from undergraduate and graduate medical education leaders from accredited schools and residency or fellowship programs. Applications will be accepted until Nov. 3.

SAVE THE DATE

25th Anniversary celebration

Oct. 11, noon (sponsored by Claire Trevor School of the Arts)

Intro to Podcasting Workshop

Oct. 16, 11 a.m. (sponsored by UC Irvine Libraries)

Conversations for California’s Future: Antonio Villaraigosa

Oct. 16, 5 p.m. (sponsored by School of Social Ecology)

For more events, visit UC Irvine Today.

#UCIconnected

Associate professor receives research award

Nícola Ulibarrí, associate professor of urban planning and public policy, has won the Academy of Management's 2025 Best Journal Article Award for research showing that disagreements – when handled properly – can actually make government collaboration more effective. The award committee members noted that they “were impressed with Ulibarrí’s research focus on micro-level conflict interactions … illustrating how effective facilitation can shift conflict from a barrier to collaborative governance to a dynamic aspect of negotiation that can foster understanding and convergence between stakeholders."

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