Discover | Teach | Heal

7th Edition | February 2020 Happy 2020! Seems like we were just enjoying the holidays and already Match Day is almost upon us.    So much has happened since the last edition of our newsletter.  Here are some of the highlights.  Nine UCI researchers have been named fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, AAAS. These exceptional scholars and their accomplishments have significantly contributed to a broad range of fields, from pediatric neurology and chemistry to labor economics and library sciences. Tallie Z. Baram, the Danette Shephard Chair in Neurological Sciences, is among UCI’s latest cohort of American Association for the Advancement of Science fellows. Read More

UCI researchers identify a connection between early life adversity and opioid addiction Individuals with a history of early life adversity (ELA) are disproportionately prone to opioid addiction.  A new UCI-led study reveals why.  Published in Molecular Psychiatry, the study titled, “On the early life origins of vulnerability to opioid addiction,” examines how early adversities interact with factors such as increased access to opioids to directly influence brain development and function, causing a higher potential for opioid addiction.  Read More   UCI team of researchers assess the psychological and physiological effects of augmented reality UCI School of Medicine, in partnership with Chenega Healthcare Services, LLC and MedCognition, was awarded a $1.2 million contract through the Medical Technology Enterprise Consortium to examine the psychological effects of augmented reality (AR) medical simulation training. Read More

Valerie M. Dixon appointed chief compliance and privacy officer Valerie Dixon, CCEP, CHC, CPHQ has been named chief compliance and privacy officer for the UCI School of Medicine and UCI Health. She has served as interim chief compliance and privacy officer since December 2017. Read More   UCI-led study shows emerging rhinoplasty technique improves appearance and breathing While beauty may be in the eyes of the beholder, breathing is an agreed upon necessity. A new study reveals how an emerging technique in rhinoplasty does more than improve physical appearance.   Read More

Nine UCI researchers named fellows of the AAAS Nine UCI researchers have been named fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, AAAS. These exceptional scholars and their accomplishments have significantly contributed to a broad range of fields, from pediatric neurology and chemistry to labor economics and library sciences.  Read More

Medical students teach healthcare class to local high schoolers UCI School of Medicine students have been training introductory healthcare concepts to almost 30 area high schoolers at Middle College High School in Santa Ana. Developed by the American College of Surgeons, the nation-wide class, Health Care Collaborative, is taught at only two other medical schools in California: USC and Stanford. Read More   Three PhD candidates recognized with Dr. Lorna Carlin Scholar Awards Robert G. Lewis received the 2019 Dr. Lorna Carlin Scholar Award. Lewis is a PhD candidate in the Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics working in the lab of professor Emiliana Borrelli. His research uses genetic and pharmacological approaches to study the role of dopamine and acetylcholine signaling on the development of drug dependence treatment of addiction. Read More

Juliet Wolford, MD wins OncLive Innovation Challenge Juliet Wolford, MD, fellow with the UCI School of Medicine Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology  was recently announced as the winner of the 2019 OncLive Innovation Challenge.  Read More   Ryan T. Davis selected as 2019 Gazzaniga Family Medical Research award recipient Ryan T. Davis has been selected as the recipient of the 2019 Gazzaniga Family Medical Research Award. The award, established with support from retired UCI cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Alan Gazzaniga, honors a graduate student with outstanding academic credentials and a promising biomedical study underway. Read More

An improved implant Many may have seen the popular videos of awestruck babies who had been born profoundly deaf hearing a parent say “I love you” for the first time. These moving moments were made possible by surgically placed cochlear implants. Thanks to the devices – which have been in use since the 1980s – nearly a million people around the world have had the experience of hearing a loved one’s voice for the first time or after a period of severe auditory loss. Nevertheless, cochlear implants have some serious limitations. Read More   Rising Stars award winners recognized The Rising Stars program was launched in 2019 by the UCI School of Medicine, in partnership with UCI Health, as part of an effort to recognize junior faculty for their contributions to research and clinical advances, and their commitment to exemplary community service.  In October of 2019, nominations concluded with a total of 15 incredible nominations submitted. On January 9, 2020, we celebrated the first two winners. Read More

Patient breathes new life with ECMO device An asthma attack turned almost deadly for 31-year-old Freda Kyalo. Being short of breath was common for the Santa Ana woman, who has suffered from asthma since she was 10 years old. But on Oct. 5, 2019, Kyalo’s difficult breaths might have been her last – if not for a new treatment device offered at UCI Medical Center, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Read More   UCI Health appoints new director of Advance Practiced Providers (APP) program Vasco "Deon" Kidd was appointed director of the UCI Health Advanced Practice Providers (APP) program, effective Dec 2, 2019. Deon will be responsible for all facets of the delivery of care provided by nurse practitioners, physician assistants and certified registered nurse anesthetists, including program advocacy, outreach, regulatory compliance and credentialing, and business case development. Read More

UCI fellow in geriatrics helping to stem the tide of silver tsunami After graduating from medical school at Des Moines University, and completing an internal medicine internship, at Iowa Methodist Hospital, Dr. Norman Wall headed west to start an Anesthesia residency at the University of California San Francisco. However, a daughter diagnosed with Autism and recall to active duty military service kept him from pursuing a career as an Anesthesiologist. Read More   Terry D. Sanger, MD, PhD joins Department of Pediatrics  Effective January 1, 2020, Terry D. Sanger, MD, PhD, joined UCI with a split appointment serving in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) at the Henry Samueli School of Engineering; at the Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC), where he will be the chief scientific officer; and, at the UCI School of Medicine where he will serve as our new vice chair of research for the Department of Pediatrics. Read More

Paramjit T. Joshi, MD, elected to ABPN Board of Directors Paramjit T. Joshi, MD, professor of psychiatry and human behavior at UCI and has been elected 2020 chair of the American Board of Psychiatry & Neurology (ABPN). Read More

Here are the contenders for STAT Madness 2020. Voting begins March 2 A Beginner's Guide to CBD: What Is It and How It Works Low levels of oxygen could lead to fatal heart arrhythmias Stalked by the Fear That Dementia Is Stalking You Scientists Zero in on the Novel Coronavirus’s Incubation Period Weight-loss surgery may improve breathing problems How to get high: Tips on smoking, edibles, microdosing and more as recreational weed becomes legal in Illinois New Research Explains How Herbs Lower Blood Pressure 100 hospitals and health systems with great neurosurgery and spine programs | 2019 Wake up, stretch and have a beautiful day Cannabis May Help Reduce Migraine Pain - If You Inhale March 6 - UCI MIND Facebook LIVE Q&A: "How Can You Help Someone With Dementia And Behavioral Symptoms?" March 20 - Match Day April 4 - 5th Annual UCI Hematology Symposium April 11 - Willed Body Program Memorial Ceremony April 15 - 33rd Annual HIV/AIDS on the front line conference April 22 - UCI Giving Day 2020 May 13 - UCI School of Medicine Achievement Awards May 29 - Senior Honors Night May 30 - Commencement See All Events UCI School of Medicine UCI Health SOMNews@uci.edu

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