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| Congratulations to our 2026 School of Medicine Faculty Mentoring Awardees |
| The School of Medicine Office of Academic Affairs is delighted to announce the winners and honorable mentions for the annual faculty mentoring awards, which recognize excellence and innovation in mentoring at UC Irvine School of Medicine — specifically in the domain of faculty mentoring other faculty.
Basic Science Faculty Mentor of the Year
Winner: Xiangmin Xu, PhD, Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology
Honorable Mention: Sabee Molloi, PhD, Department of Radiological Sciences
Clinical Faculty Mentor of the Year
Winner: Faysal A. Yafi, MD, FRCSC, Department of Urology
Honorable Mention: Matthew Dolich, MD, Department of Surgery
Innovation in Mentoring Award
Winner: Emilie L. Chow, MD, Department of Medicine
Honorable Mention: Scott Rudkin, MD, MBA, Department of Emergency Medicine
Universal Faculty Mentoring Award
Winner: Alisa Wray, MD, MAEd, Department of Emergency Medicine
Honorable Mention: Vahid Yaghmai, MD, Department of Radiological Sciences
Learn more about the School of Medicine Faculty Mentoring Awards.
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| Highlighting UC Irvine’s Shared Core Facilities for Researchers — Behavior Neuroscience Testing Core and Biobehavioral Shared Resource |
| Join this webinar to learn about these two shared core facilities: The Behavior Neuroscience Testing Core and the Biobehavioral Shared Resource.
The UC Irvine Behavioral Testing Core (BTC) enables researchers to conduct high-quality preclinical research in neuroscience, psychology, pharmacology and related fields. Presenter: Brian Timmerman, PhD, Manager, Behavioral Testing Core (BTC)
The Biobehavioral Shared Resource (BBSR) is a dedicated support unit within the UC Irvine Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center that provides consultation, methodological expertise, and hands-on assistance for behavioral and patient-reported outcomes research in cancer studies. There will also be an overview of the resources provided by the Institute for Interdisciplinary Salivary Bioscience Research. Presenter: Michael Hoyt, PhD, Director of the Biobehavioral Shared Resource and Interdisciplinary Salivary Bioscience
Monday, May 11, Noon to 1 p.m.
Via Zoom | |
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| Highlighting UC Irvine’s Shared Core Facilities for Researchers — Biostatistics Shared Resource and UC Irvine Center for Statistical Consulting |
| Join this webinar to learn about these two shared core facilities: The Biostatistics Shared Resource and the UC Irvine Center for Statistical Consulting.
The Biostatistics Shared Resource (BSR) at the UC Irvine Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center provides expert statistical support for cancer research across basic, translational and clinical studies. It ensures studies are rigorously designed, analyzed, interpreted and reported to high scientific standards. Speaker: Min Zhang, MD, PhD, Director of Biostatistics Shared Resource, UCI Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
The UC Irvine Center for Statistical Consulting provides comprehensive statistical support and collaboration to researchers and the broader community. It assists with study design, data analysis, interpretation and effective communication of results. Its mission is to advance high-quality, data-driven research across disciplines. Speaker: Joni Ricks-Oddie, MPH, PhD, Director of the UCI Center for Statistical Consulting
Wednesday, May 20, Noon to 1 p.m.
Via Zoom | |
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| Upcoming NIH Grant Writing Workshop! |
| The School of Medicine Office of Research is hosting a full-day, in-person workshop, “Planning and Writing Successful NIH Proposals,” hosted by Dr. Jon-Michael Knapp of Luminint Consulting Group. The workshop will offer valuable insights into the grant application process, covering topics from developing a project plan to reviewing proposal feedback.
Thursday, May 28, 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; Lunch will be provided
Location: UC Irvine College of Health Sciences Building, Room 3130
Registration is limited. To apply, faculty, research staff and postdoctoral scholars must register by May 1, and submit a draft of their Specific Aims page. | |
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| From Vigorous Kids to Rigorous Data: The Wild Ride of a Pediatric Lung Doctor | Physician Scientist Collective 2025-26 Distinguished Speaker Series |
| The talk will encompass how the search for optimal health effects of exercise in children and adolescents led to a career in translational science, clinical care and research, and unexpected discoveries … and a publication emanating from the "Harbor-UCLA Department of Pediatrics and the Division of Planetary Geochemistry of Caltech."
Speaker: Dan M. Cooper, MD, Distinguished Professor, Department of Pediatrics; Associate Director, Institute for Clinical & Translational Science (ICTS), UC Irvine School of Medicine
Wednesday, May 6, Noon to 1 p.m.
Via Zoom | |
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| School of Medicine Dean's Research Council Meeting |
| School of Medicine Dean Michael J. Stamos, MD, and Associate Dean for Research Administration William E. Bunney, MD, invite you to attend this quarterly meeting featuring two distinguished research presentations:
Advancing Precision Genome Editors for the Next Era of Medicine, by Audrone Lapinaite, PhD, Assistant Professor, Departments of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Biomedical Engineering, and Biological Chemistry, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, Brunson Center for Translational Vision Research, UC Irvine School of Medicine
Repurposing FDA-approved, BDNF-enhancing Riluzole to Alleviate Cancer-related Cognitive Dysfunction, by Munjal M. Acharya, MSc, PhD, Associate Professor, Departments of Anatomy & Neurobiology and Radiation Oncology, Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, UC Irvine School of Medicine
Tuesday, May 12, 5 to 6 p.m. PT
Via Zoom
Meeting ID: 968 2620 4626 | Passcode: 109533 | |
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| Update of NIH Late Application Submission Policy and End of Continuous Submission |
| This notice announces an updated policy for late submission of competitive applications. Specifically, it ends Continuous Submission, announces modifications to reasons considered for late submission, and announces the prohibition of Fellowship, Small Business and International Collaboration late applications. Review the notice.
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| CITI Advanced Mentorship Training Course |
| The Advanced Mentorship Training course is now added to UC Irvine’s CITI profile!
To take the training, use UC Irvine’s Single Sign-On to sign in. From the log-in screen, click “Log in through my organization” and then start typing “University of California….” to find UC Irvine. From there, enter your UCInetID and password. To enroll in the course, scroll down and click on “Add a Course”. On the next screen, click on the “Advanced Mentorship Training” checkbox and click Next. And then, you’ll see the course is ready to begin on your dashboard.
Audience: This course has been designed for research personnel with mentoring responsibilities, including researchers, students, postdocs and specifically NIH training grant participants.
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| Hosted by the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center: Optimizing Mentoring Relationships Training |
| Become a more effective research mentor with practical, evidence-based strategies.
Who should attend: Grad student mentors, postdocs, early-stage faculty; NIH training grant participants/applicants; and those who want to strengthen mentoring skills
Friday, April 24, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Location: COHS Room 5010 | |
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| UC Irvine Alpha Clinic IND / IDE Support |
| The UC Irvine SCRC IND Office provides regulatory strategy and support for INDs and IDEs, from determining whether an IND or IDE is required through FDA meetings, submissions, maintenance, and close out, including NIH and CIRM-funded projects. Do you have questions about whether your project needs an IND or IDE, how to design an IND-enabling preclinical package, how to plan for FDA meetings, or how to manage sponsor-investigator responsibilities and safety reporting?
Investigators developing FDA-regulated clinical research, particularly those preparing NIH or CIRM preclinical or clinical applications, are encouraged to reach out early in the planning process to discuss regulatory strategy, timelines and available support. Brief exploratory questions are welcome.
For non-oncology IND/IDE or NIH/CIRM-related regulatory questions or to request a consultation, email SCRCIND@hs.uci.edu.
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| Al La Spada, MD, PhD (Pathology & Laboratory Medicine), received a DOD Therapeutic Idea Award titled, “Dosage Increase of the Genetic Modifier ATAXIN-3 as a Treatment for ALS.” In this project, they will test if increased expression of ATXN3 can prevent ALS disease phenotypes in two different experimental systems: 1) Neurons derived from human ALS patient-induced pluripotent stem cells, and 2) A mouse model of ALS, where altered TDP-43 function leads to neurological disease phenotypes and neurodegeneration. They will also develop an assay to measure the levels of ATXN3 in the cerebrospinal fluid of human ALS patients, as a prelude to its potential use in future clinical trials.
Do you or someone on your team have research-related good news to report (e.g., research funding/award, publication, other accolade)? We would like to know! Please fill out this short Good News submission form.
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| Find funding opportunities for trainees, postdocs and early career faculty, and all faculty. For more funding opportunities and resources to help in your funding search, visit the Funding Opportunities page.
The Research Development Unit (RDU) has created lists of intramural funding opportunities and foundation funding opportunities. If you have additional opportunities that should be included, contact the RDU.
Considering applying for a Limited Funding Opportunity? Typically, you submit a pre-proposal to the Office of Research via UCI Review. If the opportunity is not listed, contact the RDU.
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| | Postdocs & Early Career Faculty Funding Opportunities | |
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Limited: Pew Scholars Program in the Biomedical Sciences
Pew Biomedical Scholars will receive $75,000 in annual support over four years ($300,000 in total). Funds may be used at the scholar’s discretion for personnel, equipment, supplies or research-related travel.
Eligibility: Candidates must have a doctorate in biomedical sciences, medicine or a related field, including engineering or physical sciences and must hold a full-time appointment as tenure-track assistant professor as of Sept. 3, 2026. Candidates must not have been appointed as an assistant professor prior to June 10, 2023, whether or not such appointment was on a tenure track or at more than one institution. Time spent in clinical internships, residencies, in work toward board certification, or parental leave does not count toward this four-year limit. Pew Scholars are expected to spend at least 80% of their time pursuing their research goals.
Internal nominations may be submitted to the Office of Research via the UCI Review application portal.
Deadline: April 27, 2026 | |
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| Robert A. Winn Excellence in Clinical Trials: Career Development Award (Winn CDA) |
| The Robert A. Winn Excellence in Clinical Trials: Career Development Award (Winn CDA) is a rigorous 2-year program designed to train early-career investigator-physicians to design and implement clinical trials that engage more communities. Through structured education and mentorship, Winn CDA Scholars become community-oriented clinical trialists who have the skills and expertise to transform the ways that communities conduct research and deliver care. Current Winn CDA clinical research areas include cancer, cardiovascular and cardio-metabolic disease, and neuropsychiatry. The Winn Career Development Award (Winn CDA) provides $120,000 annually for two years, intended to cover a portion of the scholar’s salary — approximately 40% of their time — allowing them the protected space needed to fully engage in the program’s intensive training and research activities. Deadline: May 4, 2026 | |
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| | All Faculty Funding Opportunities | |
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Center of Excellence Impact of Cannabinoids Across the Lifespan (ICAL) 2026 Pilot GrantThe NIH-supported UCI Center of Excellence for studying the Impact of Cannabinoids Across the Lifespan (ICAL) includes a Pilot Grant Program with the goal of fostering independent and collaborative research on the influences of cannabinoid exposure during different life stages. The purpose of the Pilot Grant program is to capitalize on the research expertise within the UC Irvine community to integrate innovative ideas into ICAL research programs and to gain insight into age-specific effects of cannabinoid drugs on the brain and other organ systems. The center is accepting proposals for Basic Science pilot grants of up to $25,000 total costs for the funding period of 6/1/26 to 5/31/27. This funding opportunity is open to all UC Irvine faculty members (senate and non-senate) of all ranks. Deadline: May 1, 2026 | |
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| Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute (SSIHI) Pilot Studies Award |
| UC Irvine Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute (SSIHI) is pleased to announce a new call for the Pilot Studies Program. A minimum of two one-year awards in the amount of $25,000 will be conferred in this round.
Purpose: To encourage early exploration of research ideas that address growing health challenges and add to the evidence base of integrative health practices.
Eligibility: Principal Investigators (PIs) must be full-time UC Irvine faculty from any school or discipline. Junior and mid-career faculty, as well as established investigators, pursuing novel research lines are encouraged to apply.
Eligible Projects: Integrative health research projects currently not funded and aimed at obtaining preliminary results for a full application for extramural funds will be given priority. Emphasis will be placed on innovation and transformative potential of submitted proposals. The content of proposals, while linked to applicants’ current research, should demonstrate a clear evolution towards novel, relevant and untested research areas.
Deadline: May 1, 2026
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| ARPA-H Funding Opportunities |
| Systematic Targeting Of MicroPlastics (STOMP) seeks proposals in two main technical areas: microplastics measurements and understanding of biological mechanisms. Solution Summary Deadline: May 6, 2026
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| | | Upcoming Seminars & Events |
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| Department of Biological Chemistry BC Seminar Series |
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Targeting Crosstalk and Resistance Mechanisms in Pancreatic Cancer, by Christopher J. Halbrook, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, UC Irvine Charlie Dunlop School of Biological Sciences
Wednesday, April 22, 11 a.m. to Noon
Location: Plumwood House / Showa Denko Lecture Hall
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| Physiology & Biophysics Seminar Series |
| Light Signaling in the Postmortem Human Retina, by Frans Vinberg, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, UC Irvine School of Medicine Wednesday, April 22, 4 to 5 p.m. PT
Location: Hybrid event at Plumwood House / Showa Denko Lecture Hall and Via Zoom
Contact Claire Chen to join via Zoom.
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| Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics Seminar |
| Investigating the Parameters of HSV-1 Latency and Reactivation Using an Axonal Infection Model, by Christina Pantoja, Graduate Student, Koyuncu Lab, Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, UC Irvine School of Medicine
Thursday, April 23, 9 a.m.
Location: Hybrid event at Plumwood House, Room 166, and Via Zoom
Contact Katrina Pagadayunan to join via Zoom. | |
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| UCI SKIN: A Skin Biology Resource Center Distinguished Speaker Series |
| Regulation of Cutaneous Antiviral Immunity, by Megan Orzalli, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts. Hosted by the UCI Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center.
Friday, April 24, 11 a.m. to Noon
Location: Thorp Conference Center, 4001 Gross Hall | |
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| Department of Radiological Sciences Research Seminar Series |
| Non-Invasive Histotripsy Cancer Treatment: The Road from Bench to Bedside, by Zhen Xu, PhD, Li Ka Shing Endowed Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Professor of Radiology and Neurosurgery, University of Michigan
Friday, April 24, Noon to 1 p.m. PT
Location: Hybrid event at Susan & Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences, 856 Health Sciences Road, Irvine, CA, and Via Zoom | |
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| UC Irvine Center for Neuropolitics Lecture Series |
| Bugs in Democracy: Gerrymandering, Inequities in Voter Power and Rules of Election, by Sam Wang, PhD, Professor of Neuroscience, Princeton University. The UC Irvine Center for Neuropolitics hosts this event. Register today for this FREE, virtual lecture! Friday, April 24, Noon to 1:15 p.m. PT
Via Zoom
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| Experimental Pathology Dissertation Defense |
| Investigating Sex Differences in Alzheimer’s Disease Neuropathology in Down Syndrome, by Elizabeth Andrews, Graduate Student, Elizabeth Head Lab, Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, UC Irvine School of Medicine
Friday, April 24, 2 to 4 p.m. PT
Location: Hybrid event at 4001 Thorp Conference Center, Gross Hall, 4th Floor, and Via Zoom
Meeting ID: 954 3791 3412 | |
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| Experimental Pathology Research Conferences |
| Down Syndrome Impacts on Motor Neuron Development, Degeneration and Microglial Interactions, by Nimrah Ashfaq, Graduate Student, Matthew Rose, MD, PhD, Lab, Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, UC Irvine School of Medicine
Monday, April 27, 11 a.m. to Noon PT
Location: Hybrid event at Plumwood House / Showa Denko Lecture Hall, and Via Zoom | |
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| Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics Seminar |
| Evolutionary Drivers of Host Adaptation and Phage Defense in Systemic Pediatric Pathogens, by Benjamin X. Wang, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Stanford University
Monday, April 27, 11 a.m.
Location: Hybrid event at Tamkin F-114, and Via Zoom | |
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| Center for Neural Circuit Mapping Seminar |
| The Future is Fiber: Building Resilient Microbiomes for Brain Health and Beyond, by Katrine Whiteson, PhD, Professor, Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, UC Irvine Charlie Dunlop School of Biological Sciences
Tuesday, April 28, 10 to 11 a.m.
Location: Falling Leaves Foundation Medical Innovation Building, Room 2200 | |
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| Seminar & Chalk Talk by Faculty Candidate for Translational Genomics and Bioinformatics |
| Faculty Candidate: Arthur Ko, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, The George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences
Seminar: Building a Diverse Imputation Panel with Half a Million Whole Genomes
Tuesday, April 28, 11 a.m.
Location: Plumwood House / Showa Denko Lecture Hall
Chalk Talk: Applying Population Genomic Approaches to Resolve Undiagnosed Rare Diseases
Wednesday, April 29, 1:30 p.m.
Location: Gross Hall, Thorp Conference Center
Hosted by the UC Irvine Institute for Clinical & Translational Science.
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| Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics Seminar |
| Virus-Induced Gene Misregulation in Human Diseases, by Matthew T. Weirauch, PhD, Professor, Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Wednesday, April 29, 4 p.m.
Location: Hybrid event at Plumwood House, Room 166, and Via Zoom
Contact Katrina Pagadayunan to join via Zoom. | |
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| Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics Seminar |
| Tuning DNMT3A Dosage to Dissect Clonal Hematopoiesis, by Zachary Pope, Graduate Student, Byun Lab, Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, UC Irvine School of Medicine
Thursday, April 30, 9 a.m.
Location: Hybrid event at Plumwood House, Room 166, and Via Zoom
Contact Katrina Pagadayunan to join via Zoom. | |
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| Stem Cell Research Center Seminar Series |
| Defining Epigenetic Mediators in Pancreatic Cancer Initiation & Progression, by Christopher Pin, PhD, Professor, Physiology & Pharmacology, Western University, Canada
Friday, May 1, 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. PT
Location: Sue Gross Auditorium, 854 Health Sciences Road, Irvine, CA 92617 | |
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| NIH K Award Mock Study Section |
| Looking to demystify NIH K Award Study Sections? Sign up for our K Award Mock Study Section today! Join the UC Irvine Institute for Clinical & Translational Science (ICTS) for an interactive NIH Mock Study Section for K Awards to provide hands-on experiential learning to K-level awardees looking to submit an NIH K award. Learn more.
Friday, May 8, 1 to 2:30 p.m.
Location: Falling Leaves Foundation Medical Innovation Building, 6th Floor Conference Room, Room CR 6110 | |
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| Rady Children's Health and UC Irvine Distinguished Lecture Series |
| Informatics and Pediatric Research, by Juan Espinoza, MD, Associate Professor, Pediatrics (Hospital-Based Medicine), Preventive Medicine (Biostatistics and Informatics), Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Wednesday, May 13, Noon to 1 p.m. PT
Via Zoom
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| Stata: Introduction to Psychometrics |
| This free noontime workshop (75 minutes) provides an overview of Stata's extensive features for traditional and modern psychometrics. Topics include reliability, Cohen's kappa statistic, canonical correlation, Cronbach's alpha, exploratory factor and confirmatory factor analysis, factor rotations, multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), contrasts and pairwise comparisons, structural equation modeling (SEM), item response theory (IRT), and latent class analysis (LCA). Instructor: Chuck Huber, PhD
Wednesday, May 20, Noon to 1:15 p.m. PT
Via Zoom
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| UCI SKIN: A Skin Biology Resource Center Distinguished Speaker Series |
| When Skin Fails to Heal: Molecular Control of Human Skin Repair, by Marjana Tomic-Canic, PhD, Professor, Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, University of Miami. Hosted by the UCI Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center.
Friday, May 22, 11 a.m. to Noon
Location: Thorp Conference Center, 4001 Gross Hall | |
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| UC Irvine Center for Neural Circuit Mapping 2026 Conference: "Neural Circuits in Health & Disease |
| Join the Center for Neural Circuit Mapping (CNCM) for their 2026 conference on “Neural Circuits in Health & Disease.” This conference will provide a platform to discuss and explore how neural circuits operate under normal conditions and in disease states — knowledge that is essential for developing innovative treatments for neurological disorders. Submit abstracts and register for the conference by May 1. Aug. 17–19, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Location: Irvine Marriott, Irvine, CA | |
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| Grand Rounds and CME Symposia |
| | For Continuing Medical Education (CME) opportunities, view the weekly Grand Rounds & CME Symposia email. | | Back to top | | | |
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| Postdoctoral Fellow - Neurological Clinical Informatics and Data Science Lab |
| The Neurological Clinical Informatics and Data Science Lab led by Ali Ezzati, MD, is recruiting for a postdoctoral fellow to work on clinical research in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. The position involves large-scale data analysis, digital health, and translational research. Candidates with strong quantitative and clinical research backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Please reach out if interested or share with potential candidates.
Closing Date: May 31, 2026 | |
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| Do you have an open research-related position you would also like announced in Research Insider? Please fill out this form to have your open position listed.
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| Sign up for the Office of Research Listserv & Keep Updated |
| | To keep up to date with the latest updates from the Office of Research amidst all of the federal funding changes, be sure to subscribe to the CG-News listserv. You can sign up by sending a blank email to: cg-news+subscribe@uci.edu. Also, bookmark the Office of Research Impact of Federal Executive Orders and Directives on Federal Grants and Contracts. | |
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| What kind of grant support does the School of Medicine Research Development Unit provide? |
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| What kind of grant support does the RDU provide to Physician Scientists? |
| Along with the general grant support the RDU provides (outlined above), there are multiple programs available outlined on the Physician Scientist Resources page. - Physician Scientist Collective: Monthly seminar series with visiting speakers
- Physician Scientist Pathways Certificate Course: Six-week, 12-hour hybrid course that introduces clinicians to research pathways
- Physician Scientist Training Program (PSTP): Helps physician scientists apply for their first K award
- Dean’s K Scholar: Provides awardees the protected time and mentorship needed to obtain NIH K/ equivalent funding
- Clinical Trialist Training Program (CTTP): Supports junior faculty on externally funded clinical trials through a 2-year partnership program with senior investigators already running clinical trials
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