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| Tonight: Vote for UC Irvine to Reach the Finals! |
| Our team has made it into the semifinals for STAT Madness! Hosted by STAT, this annual competition brings together the best biomedical research from the past year. Research from institutions across the country face off against each other in a bracket-style matchup in which votes determine the winner. We need your votes to move our team into the next round.
Selma Masri, PhD: "Circadian control of tumor immunosuppression affects efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade" vs. Carnegie Mellon University
To vote, you will need to create a free account. You can vote up to five times per round! To get us into the finals, you must submit your votes by tonight (i.e. before Wednesday, April 2, at 1 a.m. PT). Vote now for this important research and help send UC Irvine to the finals! | |
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| NIH Implementation of New Initiatives and Policies Page Now Available |
| NIH has created an Implementation of New Initiatives and Policies page to gather the latest information on recent and upcoming changes impacting applications and grants administration. This page includes:
- NIH Grants and Funding Information Status. Keep updated on how NIH grants and funding information is evolving as they align with new agency priorities (e.g., status of communications, funding opportunities, application guidance and more).
- Upcoming Changes. Get the latest status on in-progress initiatives, such as the postponement of the Common Forms adoption of Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support.
- Recent Changes. Learn about key initiatives implemented in 2024 that culminated in numerous changes to grant application content and review for due dates on or after Jan. 25, 2025, and any adjustments made to those initiatives.
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| Congratulations to the School of Medicine New Investigator Faculty Research Grant Awardees! |
| The overall goal of this funding mechanism is to help early-stage investigators in the School of Medicine obtain extramural funding and to promote collaborative interdisciplinary research. Applications are evaluated based on the potential for positive impact on future extramural funding. Interdisciplinary research is encouraged, and this competition is released annually.
|  | Patient Facilitators and Barriers to Engaging Social Networks in the Living Donor Kidney Transplantation: A Survey Study
Fawaz Al Ammary, MD, PhD
Associate Professor, Medicine
|  | Interrogating the XPO7/SLK Axis as a Novel Biomarker and Translatable Therapeutic Target in Cholangiocarcinoma
Reed Ayabe, MD
Assistant Professor, Surgery
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|  | Elucidating intracellular compartmentalization of bacteria within tumors
Thomas Burke, PhD
Assistant Professor, Microbiology & Molecular Genetics
|  | A Phase II Study of Adults with Recurrent/ Intermediate or High-Risk Somatostatin Receptor Type 2 (SSTR2)-positive Intracranial MENingiomas treated with combination Lutetium 177lu-dotatate radionuclide and Octreotide compared to octreotide alone (MENLO)
Carlen Yuen, MD
Assistant Professor, Neurology | |
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| Call for Applications | | |
| Robert & Sylvia Mapel Research Innovation Award |
| The UC Irvine School of Medicine is pleased to announce a 2025 call for applications for the Robert & Sylvia Mapel Research Innovation Award. This award is aimed at promoting the early exploration of high-risk research ideas focused on emerging areas of basic and applied biomedical science. Funding will support one $45,000 grant to a PhD mentor and PhD student team of UC Irvine School of Medicine faculty member and graduate academic researcher.
Application Deadline: Thursday, April 3, 2025, by 5 p.m. | |
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| Seeking Volunteers to Judge Biological Sciences 199 Excellence in Research Projects |
| Faculty, graduate students, postdoctoral scholars and other senior laboratory staff are invited to judge BioSci 199 Excellence in Research projects. There is a large group of student presenters this year and your help is needed to evaluate their work and select finalists for research awards. Volunteers may choose to evaluate written reports, posters or a combination of the two. The poster session is scheduled for Wednesday, April 23, 9 a.m. to noon. Note: Judges will only attend a single 90-minute time slot.
If interested, please complete this brief survey to indicate your preferences. Detailed instructions will be emailed to you. The deadline for registration is Friday, April 4.
Questions? Contact Geoff Abbott, Sean Ostlund or Shahrdad Lotfipour. | |
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| Register Now! Master Your Proposal: Strategies for Success |
| Expand your grantsmanship toolbox with this two-part informational seminar series!
Presenter: Caron Miller, Director of Contracts & Grants, UC Irvine School of Medicine
Why You Should Attend: Gain vital insights for your next successful proposal submission and learn directly from an expert in grant submissions.
Who Should Attend: All researchers at the School of Medicine looking to boost their proposal success rate.
Part 1: Best Practices for Building Strong and Convincing Budgets | Slides & Webinar Recording can be accessed on the RDU’s Webinar Recordings page (UCINetID sign-in required).
Part 2: What Can Strengthen or Weaken Your Proposal Submission? | Wednesday, April 9, Noon to 1 p.m. | |
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| From the Office of Research: Federal Communications |
| Due to shifts in the federal agency funding landscape, do not sign any certifications or acknowledgments, complete any surveys, or respond regarding grant compliance, change in abstract or scope of work, or project activities. Instead, forward such communications to Jeff Warner, Senior Director, Sponsored Projects Administration. Authorized Organizational Representatives (AORs) in the Office of Research will handle these matters. If you have trouble getting in touch with your Sponsored Programs offices/Contracts and grants office, contact Nancy Lewis, Associate Vice Chancellor for Research Administration. Learn more about the impact of federal executive orders and directives on federal grants and contracts.
For other questions or concerns, contact Paul Lekutai, Director, Federal and Non-Federal Sponsored Projects, or Jeff Warner.
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| Dean’s Distinguished Lecture Series |
| Adrian F. Hernandez, MD, MHS, Vice Dean and Executive Director, Clinical Research Institute; Distinguished Professor of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine
- Community Lecture - Tuesday, April 22, 7 p.m.: "Speeding up Science: How Everyone Matters!"
- Resident/Fellow Research Showcase – Wednesday, April 23, 10:30 a.m.
- Scientific Lecture - Wednesday, April 23, Noon: "Accelerating Evidence Generation: AI or HI or Both?"
Learn more about the Dean’s Distinguished Lecture Series.
April 22–23
Location: UCI Beall Applied Innovation, Irvine, Calif. (April 22); UCI Medical Center, Orange, Calif. (April 23) | |
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| Register Now! Learn About the UCI Biospecimen Repository |
| Presenter: Maheswari Senthil, MD, FACS, Chief and Professor, Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, UC Irvine School of Medicine
Dr. Maheswari Senthil will provide an overview of the newly launched Biospecimen Repository and answer any questions you may have. The UCI Biospecimen Repository is an IRB-approved study that will enable investigators to enroll patients treated at UC Irvine to a research-directed biological sample collection protocol. This repository allows for the collection of clinically annotated, high-quality biological samples utilizing stringent collection protocols. The overarching goal of this initiative is to facilitate the collection of precious biological samples to promote translational research and encourage multidisciplinary collaborations between clinical researchers and basic scientists.
Thursday, April 24, Noon to 1 p.m.
Via Zoom | | Back to top | | | |
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| Kei Igarashi, PhD (Anatomy & Neurobiology), received an NIH R01 titled, “Understanding Output Circuits of the Lateral Entorhinal Cortex.” This proposed research is relevant to public health because discovering the underlying circuit and network mechanisms in associative memory formation and retrieval will forward the understanding of the pathogenesis of memory dysfunctions such as Alzheimer’s disease. Results from this project are expected to help establish new frameworks for understanding how the entorhinal-cortical memory circuit enables the formation of declarative memory via the integration of multiple dimensions of sensory information.
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. | | Back to top | | | |
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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.
For a curated, searchable and filterable list of funding opportunities announced by NIH in their weekly NIH guide listserv, check out the School of Medicine Funding Search Tool.
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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Robert A. Winn Excellence in Clinical Trials: Career Development Award (Winn CDA)
*Formerly known as the Robert A. Winn Diversity in Clinical Trials: Career Development Award.
Deadline: May 12, 2025
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| | All Faculty Funding Opportunities | |
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Community-Engaged Research Funding Opportunity
Deadline: April 7, 2025 | |
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| Limited: Brain Research Foundation Scientific Innovations Award |
| The Brain Research Foundation has invited UC Irvine to nominate a senior faculty member (Associate Professor/Full Professor) for the Scientific Innovations Award (SIA), which provides funding for innovative science in both basic and clinical neuroscience. This program is designed to support creative, exploratory, cutting-edge research in well-established research laboratories, under the direction of established investigators. The objective of the SIA is to support projects that may be too innovative and speculative for traditional funding sources but still have a high likelihood of producing important findings.
The campus may submit no more than one proposal. Interested applicants are asked to submit a preliminary application to the Office of Research via InfoReady.
Deadline: April 14, 2025 | |
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| Edward A. Dickson Emeriti Professorship |
| The Edward A. Dickson Emeritus/a Professorship is awarded to one or more emeritus/a professors to support research, teaching, or service activities at UC Irvine. This is an annual award without renewals. The award conveys a modest stipend to be used for salary, travel or research support, subject to policies and requirements of the university and the UC Irvine campus. Awardees may receive up to $20,000 to be utilized over a two-year period. Submit applications to emeriti@uci.edu.
Deadline: April 30, 2025 | |
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| Research Funding Opportunity: Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute Pilot Studies Award |
| The UCI Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute (SSIHI) Pilot Studies Program has a new call. 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 UCI faculty from any school or discipline. Junior and mid-career faculty, as well as established investigators, pursuing novel research lines are encouraged to apply.
Deadline: May 1, 2025 | | Back to top | | | |
| | | Upcoming Seminars & Events |
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| Department of Biological Chemistry BC Seminar Series |
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|  Chaorong Chen
Graduate Student
Wei Li Lab
|  Alexander Hsu
Graduate Student
Kai Kessenbrock Lab
|  Ning-Hsiang Hsu
Graduate Student
Feng Qiao Lab
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- Multimodal Epigenetic Sequencing Analysis of Cell-free DNA Identifies Biomarkers for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Diagnosis and Progression, by Chaorong Chen
- Deciphering the Role of Tumor-Associated Neutrophils in Breast Cancer Immunosuppression, by Alexander Hsu
- Structural Mechanism of Utilization of Unnatural Redox Cofactors in a Nature Enzyme, by Ning-Hsiang Hsu
Wednesday, April 2, 11 a.m. to noon
Location: Plumwood House / Show Denko Lecture Hall
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| Department of Physiology & Biophysics Research in Progress Seminar |
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|  Elaine Lai
Graduate Student
Asuka Eguchi, PhD, Lab
|  Carolline Rodrigues Menezes
Graduate Student
Krzysztof Palczewski, PhD, Lab
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| - Dual Vector Design for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Cardiomyopathy, by Elaine Lai
- Generation of Humanized MERTK Models for Genome Editing, by Carolline Rodrigues Menezes
Wednesday, April 2, 4 to 5 p.m.
Location: Plumwood House Lecture Hall | |
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| Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics Seminar Series |
| Emerging Roles of Biomolecular Condensates and RNA-Binding Proteins in RNA Processing, by Yoseop Yoon, PhD, Postdoctoral Scholar, Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, UC Irvine School of Medicine
Thursday, April 3, 9 a.m.
Location: Plumwood House, Room 166
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| Center for Translational Vision Research (CTVR) Distinguished Speaker Series |
| Spectral and Cellular Reprogramming of Photoreceptors by Joseph C. Corbo, MD, PhD, Professor, Department of Pathology & Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Learn more on CTVR's event page.
Friday, April 4, 8:30 to 10 a.m.
Location: Hybrid event at the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, 3rd Floor Cavanaugh Conference Room, or via Zoom
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| Getting Started with NIH Grants for Postdocs |
| Are you interested in applying for a grant or fellowship through the National Institutes of Health but you don’t know where to get started? Join us for a short program detailing the basics of NIH grants and fellowships for postdocs. Join Research Development Lead from the Charlie Dunlop School of Biological Sciences, Justin Sarkis, for a quick overview of the NIH offerings and campus resources and support for postdocs. Justin will continue with a brief overview of NIH F-grants, and then Mary Frances Ypma-Wong, Manager of Research Development in the School of Medicine, will lead a brief overview of NIH K-grants.
Friday, April 4, 10 a.m. to Noon
Via Zoom
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| Stem Cell Seminar Lecture Series |
| Modeling Synapse Development in Stem Cell-Derived Human Neurons, by Soham Chanda, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Colorado State University. Hosted by the UCI Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center.
Friday, April 4, 11 a.m. to Noon
Location: Gross Hall, Thorp Conference Center (4th Floor)
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| Department of Physiology & Biophysics Dissertation Defense |
| IL15 Enhances Innate Lymphoid Cell-Mediated Anti-Tumor Immunity in Brain Metastasis, by Timothy P. McMullen, Graduate Student, Devon A. Lawson, PhD, Lab, Department of Physiology & Biophysics, UC Irvine School of Medicine
Friday, April 4, 2 p.m.
Location: Hybrid event at Thorp Conference Center 4001, Gross Hall 4th Floor, or via Zoom
Passcode: 140640
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| Experimental Pathology Research Conferences |
| Immunoprotective States and Vaccine Development, by Raymond Johnson, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine (Infectious Diseases) and of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale School of Medicine
Monday, April 7, 11 a.m. to noon PT
Location: Hybrid event at Plumwood House / Showa Denko Lecture Hall and via Zoom
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| Inaugural MAXImizing Training in MUScle Research (MAXIMUS) Retreat |
| The UCI Muscle Biology and Disease Research Center presents the Inaugural MAXIMUS Retreat centered on cutting-edge work in mechanisms and therapeutics of neuromuscular diseases. Activities will include talks from invited leaders in the field, current MAXIMUS awardees, and selected abstracts from UCI trainees, a career panel luncheon and poster session with awards. Additionally, a seed grant funding opportunity for trainees will be announced during the event.
Highlighted speakers: Tom Lloyd (Baylor College of Medicine), Alessandra Sacco (Sanford Burnham Prebys) and Stephen Tapscott (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center)
Thursday, April 10, 8:45 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Location: Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Building (ISEB) Auditorium 1010
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| CHOC Research Institute: Pediatric and Lifespan Data Science Conference |
| Join CHOC for the second Pediatric and Lifespan Data Science Conference! This event will explore the intersection of precision medicine and artificial intelligence, suicide prediction and the management of complex medical patients. Perspectives from patients, families, healthcare providers, health systems, data scientists and insurance companies will be featured.
April 10–11
Location: The Westin Anaheim Resort
Use this code to waive the registration fee: UCIMED100
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| Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics Seminar Series |
| Evaluating the Combination Effect of Autophagy Induction and CAR T Cell Therapy on "Kick-and-Kill" HIV Reservoir Depletion, by Nishad Maggirwar, Graduate Student, Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, UC Irvine School of Medicine
Thursday, April 10, 9 a.m.
Location: Plumwood House, Room 166
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| Department of Neurology Special Seminar |
| Cryptic Splicing: From Foe to Friend in Tackling ALS, by Pietro Fratta, PhD, Professor of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, The Francis Crick Institute
Thursday, April 10, 4 to 5 p.m.
Location: Hybrid event at UCI Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, Gross Hall, 4th Floor, and via Zoom
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| Presented by Chuck Huber, PhD, StataCorp. The UCI Center for Statistical Consulting and ICTS Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Research and Design units are pleased to announce our series of FREE virtual courses on Stata! Stata is a popular statistical analysis software that many researchers find useful. All workshops are at noon via Zoom.
- Wednesday, April 16: Introduction to Survey Statistics Using Stata (90 minutes) | Register
- Wednesday, May 7: Structural Equation Modeling (150 minutes) | Register
- Wednesday, June 4: Latent Class Analysis Using Stata (90 minutes) | Register
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| UCI SKIN: A Skin Biology Resource Center Distinguished Speaker Series |
| Edgeless 3D Skin Constructs as a Tool to Uncover Geometric Influence on Skin Function, by Hasan Abaci, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Dermatology, Columbia University. Hosted by the UCI Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center.
Friday, April 25, 11 a.m. to Noon
Location: Thorp Conference Center, 4001 Gross Hall
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| CHOC and UC Irvine Distinguished Lecture Series |
| Improving Antibiotic Use Through Measuring Antibiotic Harms, by Matthew P. Kronman, MD, MSCE, Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine; Fellowship Program Director, Seattle Children’s Hospital
Wednesday, April 30, Noon to 1:15 p.m.
Via Zoom
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| Stem Cell Seminar Lecture Series |
| Designer Biomaterials for Organoid Culture, by Sarah Heilshorn, PhD, Professor, Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University. Hosted by the UCI Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center.
Friday, May 2, 11 a.m. to Noon
Location: Gross Hall, Thorp Conference Center (4th Floor)
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| UCI Center for Neural Circuit Mapping (CNCM) 2025 Conference — Submit Abstracts by April 19 |
| The Changing Brain. Co-sponsored by the UCI Center for Neural Circuit Mapping (CNCM), Cajal Club and the Allen Institute for Brain Science. We aim to host a leading-edge conference in 2025, bringing together thought leaders in neuroscience who will offer unique perspectives on integrating the different facets of neural circuits — structure, function, development and disease. Learn more about the speaker lineup and conference details at 2025 CNCM Conference. Submit abstracts and travel award applications by April 19. Register by May 19.
Aug. 18–21
Location: Irvine Marriott, 18000 Von Karman Ave., Irvine, CA 92612
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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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| 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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| 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 introduce 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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