UC Irvine School of Medicine

40th edition | February 2026

Dear Colleagues,

As we welcome a new year, I’m delighted to share that the UC Irvine School of Medicine continues to build remarkable momentum.
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$80 Million in Donations Propels UCI MIND Toward World-Class Center Focused on Dementia

UCI MIND will begin planning to build a state-of-the-art research and care facility to enhance its position as a global leader in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias research and patient care.
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	UC Irvine Receives Its First ARPA-H Award to Advance Lymphatic Imaging, Precision Care
	The $7.45 million award supports a project that aims to better understand and diagnose lymphatic disease. Read More


	Vision Scientist Tibor Juhasz, PhD, Elected to National Academy of Inventors
	The NAI Fellowship is the highest professional distinction awarded solely to inventors. Read More


	Eye-Opening Research
	New research from Dorota Skowronska-Krawczyk, PhD, on Greenland shark vision is challenging what we know about aging, vision and longevity. Read More


	UC Irvine Receives $12 Million to Test Novel Stem Cell Therapy
	This award will support a first-in-humans safety and tolerability study of an embryonic stem cell-derived neural stem cell product for Huntington’s disease. Read More


	Researchers Explore Vascular Dysfunction in Alzheimer’s
	Elizabeth Head, PhD, and Vivek Swarup, PhD, are teaming up to explore how changes in the brain’s blood vessels contribute to the onset and progression of dementia. Read More


	Mapping the Human Retina Fast-Tracks Vision Research
	Researchers have created the most comprehensive human retina cell atlas to date, which identifies more than 130 distinct retinal cell types. Read More


	Medical Mission in Ethiopia
	UC Irvine radiation oncologist Priya Mitra, MD, joins Radiating Hope on a medical mission to Ethiopia, helping expand access to brachytherapy, a lifesaving treatment for women with advanced cervical cancer. Read More


	Ronald Rivera, MD: From Corporate Banking to Community Care
	Discover how Ronald Rivera’s roots shaped his journey and why he’s launching a medical education program focused on LGBTQ+ care. Read More


	PhD Candidate Lauren Otsuka Receives Estée Lauder Epigenetics Fellowship
	The fellowship supports doctoral students performing groundbreaking research in epigenetics and the molecular mechanisms underlying human disorders and diseases. Read More


	Aspiring Psychiatrist Cassandra Kooiker Advances Mental Health Through Neuroscience
	With the long-term goal of being a physician-scientist who develops new therapies to positively impact the lives of her patients, Cassandra Kooiker was drawn to UC Irvine’s Medical Scientist Training Program. Read More


	Translating Science into Improved Healthcare
	The Master of Science in Biomedical and Translational Science (MS-BATS) program at UC Irvine gives researchers and clinicians the knowledge and tools needed to translate laboratory research into medical breakthroughs. Read More


	Alumni Spotlight: Steven Feinberg, MD '72
	As the recipient of the 2025 Lauds & Laurels Distinguished Alumni Award from the UC Irvine School of Medicine, Steven Feinberg, MD ‘72, was recognized for his decades of work as a well-respected physiatrist and pain medicine specialist. Read More


	Peter Chang, MD, Appointed Director of the Institute for Precision Health
	Peter Chang, MD, who joined UC Irvine in 2018, also serves as director for the Center for Applied Artificial Intelligence Research (A²IR) at UC Irvine. Read More


	UCI Health Celebrates More than 215 Physicians of Excellence
	The complete list, published in the January 2026 issue of Orange Coast Magazine, includes nearly 700 Orange County physicians across about 75 clinical specialties. Read More


	UCI Health Makes History in 2025
	From expanding access to care to national recognition for quality, safety and sustainability, it was a historic year for UCI Health. Read More


	UCI Health – Orange Receives Top Teaching Hospital Recognition from Leapfrog
	UCI Health – Orange is one of 73 teaching hospitals in the nation to receive this designation. Read More