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October 2017 | ||||||
Message from the Dean Welcome to the 2017-18 academic school year. Special greetings to our newest Bio Sci Anteaters. Every year since becoming dean, I’ve had the opportunity to welcome the incoming class during convocation. The energy was extremely high this year, and I hope to see many of our new students participating in School events and interacting with faculty throughout the year. May you all have a wonderful and productive academic year. Biology for a Better TomorrowUCI Scientists Identify Important Aspect of the Brain’s Navigational System
 Bruce McNaughton, distinguished professor of Neurobiology and Behavior (NB&B), and his team of researchers have shed light on how the brain functions to determine how fast and in which direction body location is changing. Along with Dr. Ivan Skelin, co-first author and postdoctoral researcher in NB&B, their findings could potentially be useful in the guidance of the development of brain-machine interfaces. Read more.UCI Scientists Identify Regulators of Hair Growth  Ayala Professor Maksim Plikus (Developmental and Cell Biology) and Mathematics Professor Qing Nie have shed light on the mechanisms that govern hair grown across the body. The two partnered to determine how different regions of skin regulate hair growth across borders. Moving forward, Professor Plikus seeks to identify additional molecules that help fine-tune the growth process, as well as to identify compounds to treat irregularities in hair growth. Read more.News and HighlightsNew Associate Dean to Help with Growing Research Budget
 Research is at the heart of the mission of UCI and the Ayala School of Biological Sciences. The University is pleas to announce that it received the second-highest total of research dollars in its history, and seeks to continue this momentum. Recognizing the critical role that innovation also plays in research discovery, the Ayala School was the first school to creat the Associate Dean for Research and Innovation position, which has been filled by Professor Brandon S. Gaut. Associate Dean Gaut will oversee research development efforts, and serve as the School's liaison with Applied Innovation to partner discoveries in biology with the business community. Read more.New Award to Further the Development of 3-D Tissue Models for Drug Screening  Christopher Hughes (Francisco J. Ayala Chair and Professor in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry) has been awarded a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant to forward his research into three-dimensional (3-D) vascularized micro-organs. These systems model the complex blood vessel structure found in all organs, without the need for large and expensive equipment. The NIH grant, awarded through its National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences’ Tissue Chip for Drug Screening program, is part of the $15M Chips 2.0 program and will support Professor Hughes for two years, with the opportunity to renew for three additional years. The successful completion of his project will yield platforms with the potential to transform drug discovery for diseases of the vascular system. Read more.New Training Program for Environmental Management  Professor Steven D. Allison, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, is the head of the Ridge to Reef (R2R) program at UCI. The R2R program is part of a new National Science Foundation research traineeship designed to fund innovative approaches to train graduates in interdisciplinary science. It was designed for UCI Environmental Science graduate students interested in careers in the environmental management of terrestrial, freshwater, marine, and urban ecosystems from the mountains to the coastal ocean. The 5-year program will form partnerships with local businesses and non-profits to promote better interdisciplinary training, and provide students with innovative problem-based seminars and internships.Scientists Rewriting Life  On June 11th, NBC News - Sunday Night with Megyn Kelly ran a segment on gene editing featuring Donald Bren Professor Anthony A. James (Molecular Biology and Biochemistry and Microbiology and Molecular Genetics) and his research into malaria. Professor James has utilized the revolutionary genome editing method CRISPR/Cas9 to create a malaria resistant mosquito that has the potential to save thousands of lives yearly. Professor James is one of the pioneering scientists world wide using CRISPR/Cas9 as a breakthrough way to cure disease. Inspiring the Next Generation of Neuroscientists  The Ayala School of Biological Sciences’ Nu Rho Psi neuroscience club has made science education and increasing the public awareness of neuroscience part of its core mission. Club members, Nur Mirza (outreach coordinator), Andy Ramirez (club president), and Armand Singh Garewal (treasurer), recently visited Tustin High School to inspire students interested in brain research. They discussed topics in neuroscience, such as anatomy of the brain, and gave a brain dissection demonstration. The high school students offered rave reviews to the club members, and later featured the event in the Tustin High School paper. Read more.Training Program Leads to Successes in Regenerative Medicine
 Former UCI postdoctoral fellow Dr. Kristine Freude recently visited the university to present her latest work. Now an Associate Professor in the Group of Stem Cells and Embryology in the Institute of Clinical Veterinary and Animal Sciences at the University of Copenhagen, Dr. Freude was one of the first recipients of a California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) training grant, awarded to train graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. A former postdoctoral fellow of Ayala School Dean Frank M. LaFerla, Dr. Freude now works on stem cells from patients to study fronto-temporal dementia. Read more.Faculty RecognitionChancellor's Professor Title Awarded |
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UCI Ayala School of Biological Sciences 5120 Natural Sciences II Irvine, CA 92697-1450 |
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Professor Charles G. Glabe (Molecular Biology and Biochemistry) has been awarded the title of Chancellor’s Professor. The Chancellor’s title is designated for faculty at the Professor level who have demonstrated unusual academic merit and show continued promise for high scholarly achievement. Professor Glabe has achieved international acclaim for his accomplishments as an Alzheimer’s researcher, and is renowned for his studies into the biochemical properties of the amyloid-ß protein.
Emeritus Professor Michael T. Clegg (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology) has been appointed the U.S. Representative to the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA). The IIASA Council is known for using interdisciplinary research to provide policy insight on environmental, and many other issues of regional and global importance. Professor Clegg has exceptional experience as a science diplomat, and his appointment was unanimously endorsed by the U.S. National Member Organization for IIASA, a testament to his distinguished career.
Professor Zeba Wunderlich (Developmental and Cell Biology) was recently awarded a 2017 Hellman Fellowship Award. The Hellman Fellowships were established to provide support to promising junior faculty to help promote their career advancement. Professor Wunderlich’s work on how cells turn specific genes on and off is necessary to understand how an organism develops and functions normally.
Professor Georg F. Striedter (Neurobiology and Behavior) has received the 2017 Ayala School Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching. The annual award honors an educator who demonstrates, leadership, professionalism, and innovation. Professor Striedter teaches courses on brain development and behavior, and has also written works to help teach the difficult concepts of functional neuroanatomy to students.
