March 10, 2026

Heralding Spring’s arrival, Eastern Redbud trees bloom along the inner Ring Road. (Photo by Steve Zylius / UC Irvine)

UC IRVINE NEWS

All aboard

The Prado Dam Basin near Corona has an overabundance of what some coastal areas desperately need – sand. UC Irvine researchers are studying the economic and environmental impact of transporting this sediment by rail to sand-starved Southern California beaches. “Students will study disruptions to existing rail functions, cost issues and environmental concerns,” said Brett Sanders, Chancellor’s Professor of civil and environmental engineering and lead of the UC Irvine Climate Collaboration. “They are going to get a list of constraints and ask the question: Is cost-effective rail transport of sediment a myth or a reality? I think we can answer that question in a few months when the students are finished with their study.”

Colonoscopies: more comfortable than ever

Few procedures are as efficient or as good at preventing cancer as the colonoscopy. But they aren’t exactly fun, concedes Dr. William Karnes, UCI Health gastroenterologist. “Neither you nor I would fuss with colonoscopies if they weren’t so good at preventing cancer,” Karnes said. The procedure has vastly improved over the years. Nimble new tools, updated practices for increased patient comfort, faster recovery time and improved polyp detection all make for a better experience. Learn how, then make an appointment if you’re due for a screening.

Sleep disruption damages gut’s self-repair

Chronic sleep disruption doesn’t just leave people tired and irritable. It quietly undermines the gut’s ability to repair itself, increasing vulnerability to serious digestive diseases, according to a new study from UC Irvine researchers. The study maps a previously unknown brain-to-gut communication relay. “When sleep signals go awry, the gut essentially pays the price,” said Maksim Plikus, professor of developmental & cell biology. “We were surprised to see how precisely the brain communicates sleep defects to intestinal stem cells. This helps explain why chronic sleep disruption can make the gut more fragile and prone to disease.” #SpeakUp4Science

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Alumni in action: Devontae Baxter

Devontae Baxter, Ph.D. ’23, shares how his fascination with the cosmos led him from community college to UC Irvine, where he earned his Ph.D. in physics and astronomy and studied the mysteries of galaxy evolution. His journey from skateboarder to astrophysicist is out of this world.

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