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Upcoming NIH Grant Writing Workshop!
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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.
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
NEW
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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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CITI Advanced Mentorship Training Course
NEW
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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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Optimizing Mentoring Relationships Training
NEW
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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
Register for one session only:
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Call for Applications: Robert & Sylvia Mapel Research Innovation Award
DEADLINE THIS WEEK
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UC Irvine School of Medicine is pleased to announce a 2026 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 $50,000 grant to a PhD mentor and PhD student team of UC Irvine School of Medicine faculty member and graduate academic researcher.
Deadline: April 9, 2026, by 5 p.m.
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Highlighting UC Irvine’s Shared Core Facilities for Researchers — The Optical Biology Core and the Facility for Imaging & Brain Research
NEXT WEEK
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Join this webinar to learn about these two shared core facilities: the Optical Biology Core and Facility for Imaging & Brain Research.
The Optical Biology Core (OBC) provides researchers access to state-of -the-art light microscopes, software for 3D and 4D analysis and technical support. Speaker: Adeela Syed, PhD, Manager of OBC
The Facility for Imaging and Brain Research (FIBRE) enables researchers to conduct cutting-edge research on brain structure, function and connectivity using high-resolution MRI technologies. Speaker: Craig Stark, PhD, Operations Director of FIBRE
Tuesday, April 14, Noon to 1 p.m.
Via Zoom
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Monthly on Mondays | Faculty Development Series
NEXT WEEK
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Artificial Intelligence in Support of Teaching & Mentoring, presented by Brian Sato, MD, and Mark Warschauer, PhD. Monthly on Mondays, presented by Nimisha Parekh and Brian Cummings, Senior Associate Deans of Faculty Development, is a monthly seminar series covering a wide range of topics on faculty development.
Monday, April 13, 5:15 to 6:15 p.m.
Via Zoom
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Highlighting UC Irvine’s Shared Core Facilities for Researchers — The Flow Cytometry Core Facility (FCF)
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Join this webinar to learn about the Flow Cytometry Core Facility (FCF). The FCF provides researchers with access to advanced flow cytometry instrumentation, high-dimensional analysis tools, and expert technical support to enable cutting-edge immunological and biomedical research.
Speaker: Michael Hou, PhD, Manager, Flow Cytometry Core Facility
Tuesday, April 21, Noon to 1 p.m.
Via Zoom
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UC Irvine Alpha Clinic IND / IDE Support
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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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Anand Ganesan, MD, PhD (Dermatology) and MPIs, Vincent Caiozzo, PhD (Orthopaedic Surgery), and Elizabeth Head, PhD (Pathology & Laboratory Medicine). received an NIH K12 for the ICTS Mentored Career Development Core. The future of healthcare is dependent on a highly skilled workforce that includes clinicians and scientists dedicated to the discovery of new evidence-based approaches in medicine. This simple statement highlights the overall importance of promoting mentored career development for the next generation of clinical and translational scientists.
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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| | Postdocs & Early Career Faculty Funding Opportunities | |
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Robert A. Winn Excellence in Clinical Trials: Career Development Award (Winn CDA)
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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Limited: Brain Research Foundation Scientific Innovations AwardThe 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. It is expected that investigations supported by these grants will yield high-impact findings and result in major grant applications and significant publications in high-impact journals. Each total award is limited to $150,000 (direct costs) for a two-year grant period. Interested applicants are asked to submit a preliminary application to the Office of Research via the UC Irvine Review application portal. Deadline: April 14, 2026
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ARPA-H Funding Opportunities
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The Developing self-monitoring ecosystems to “know thyself” (Delphi) program will spur a new development ecosystem that provides quick access to cutting-edge bioelectronics and sensing strategies. This approach will spur innovation with tiny, smart, next-generation “chiplets” that optimize delivery of real-time insights of important internal signals like hormones, immune markers, and therapeutic drug levels. Solution Summary Deadline: April 8, 2026The One Comprehensive Universal Radiotherapy for Everyone (1-CURE) program will develop a single, rapid, low-cost, and accessible radiotherapy approach to battle all types of cancer, including local, metastatic and RT-resistant cancers. Solution Summary Deadline: April 15, 2026 |
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Center of Excellence Impact of Cannabinoids Across the Lifespan (ICAL) 2026 Pilot Grant
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The 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
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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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| Upcoming Seminars & Events |
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Department of Biological Chemistry BC Seminar Series
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Targeting RNA Modification Proteins in DNA Repair and Cancer, by Hua Wang, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA; Investigator, Cancer Biology and Immunotherapeutics, The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center
Wednesday, April 8, 11 a.m. to Noon
Location: Plumwood House / Showa Denko Lecture Hall
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Feedback Wanted: Developing the NIH-Wide Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2027–2031
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NIH seeks community feedback on the next Agency-Wide Strategic Plan. This plan will guide their work over the next five years to fulfill their mission.
NIH will hold webinars to gather input from the research community, stakeholders and the public on the framework that will inform development of the plan:
Wednesday, April 8, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. PT
Via Webinar
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Physiology & Biophysics Seminar Series
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Molecular Choreography of Piezo1 in Development and Repair, by Medha M. Pathak, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Physiology & Biophysics, UC Irvine School of Medicine Wednesday, April 8, 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
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|  Alan G. Barbour, MD
Distinguished Professor
Departments of Medicine and Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, UC Irvine School of Medicine
|  Matthew M. Zahn, MD
Assistant Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Rady Children’s Health
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Thursday, April 9, 9 a.m.
Location: Plumwood House, Room 166
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UC Irvine Center for Aging Research in Down Syndrome Research Seminar Series
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The Interferonopathy of Down Syndrome: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Applications, by Kelly Sullivan, PhD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Department of Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Hosted by the UC Irvine Center for Aging Research in Down Syndrome (CFAR-DS).
Friday, April 10, 11 a.m. to Noon PT
Via Zoom
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Progress in Neuroscience Seminar Series
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|  Casey Hudson
Graduate Student
|  Jorge Mendoza
Graduate Student
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Corticotropin Releasing Hormone-Expressing Inputs to the Thalamic Paraventricular Nucleus: Pathways from Mother to Memory?, by Jorge Mendoza, Graduate Student, Tallie Z. Baram, MD, PhD, Lab, Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, UC Irvine School of Medicine
Friday, April 10, 4 to 5 p.m.
Location: Plumwood House, Room 166
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SoCal Flow Summit 2026
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Join the Southern California Flow Cytometry Association (SoCal Flow) for our local flow cytometry conference on April 13–14!
- Get exposure to different flow applications and fields
- Practice your poster talks by submitting an abstract in a low-pressure, personal environment
- Last, but not least, breakfast, lunch, and a happy hour will be provided.
April 13–14, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Location: The Beckman Center, 100 Academy Way, Irvine, CA 92617
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Experimental Pathology Research Conferences
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The Pathology is in the Programs: Decoding Cell-Type-Specific Dysregulation in Alzheimer’s Disease, by Vivek Swarup, PhD, Associate Professor of Neurobiology and Behavior, UC Irvine Charlie Dunlop School of Biological Sciences
Monday, April 13, 11 a.m. to Noon PT
Location: Hybrid event at Plumwood House / Showa Denko Lecture Hall and Via Zoom
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Center for Neural Circuit Mapping Seminar
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Dissecting Human Brain Development and Neuropsychiatric Disorders with Single-Cell and Spatial 3D-Multiomics, by Chongyuan Luo, PhD, Associate Professor of Human Genetics, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine
Tuesday, April 14, 10 to 11 a.m.
Location: Falling Leaves Foundation Medical Innovation Building, Room 4110
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Adeline Yen Mah Vaccine Center Seminar Series
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Challenges with Developing Promising Treatments for Rare Diseases, by Virginia E. Kimonis, MD, Professor, Division of Genetics and Genomic Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, UC Irvine School of Medicine
Tuesday, April 14, 11 a.m. to Noon
Location: Hybrid event at the Falling Leaves Foundation Medical Innovation Building, Room 2200, and Via Zoom
Contact Rie Nakajima to join via Zoom.
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Noel Drury, M.D. Institute for Translational Depression Discoveries Monthly Seminar Series
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Investigating the Neuropsychological Effects of Psychedelics and Their Effect on Emotional Circuits in the Rat Brain, by Emma Robinson, PhD, Professor of Pharmacology, School of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience, University of Bristol. Hosted by the UC Irvine Noel Drury, M.D. Institute for Translational Depression Discoveries.
Wednesday, April 15, 10 to 11 a.m. PT
Via Zoom
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Rady Children's Health and UC Irvine Distinguished Lecture Series
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New Frontiers in Retinal Gene Therapy, by Aaron Nagiel, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, Keck School of Medicine of USC
Wednesday, April 15, Noon to 1 p.m. PT
Via Zoom
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Stata: Introduction to Machine Learning and AI
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This free noontime workshop (75 minutes) will briefly review the history of machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI), introduce the concepts and jargon, and demonstrate how to use these tools in Stata. Specific examples will include Lasso and elasticnet methods, Bayesian methods and MCMC, support vector machines (SVM) using Python integration, random forests and gradient boosting machines using H2O, and the user-written commands "chatgpt," "claude," "gemini," and "grok."
Instructor: Chuck Huber, PhD
Wednesday, April 15, Noon to 1:15 p.m. PT
Via Zoom
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Imaged-Based Spatial Transcriptomics: From Technology to Analysis | Panel Discussion
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Hear quick, high-impact presentations (three 15-minute talks), join lively discussions, and network with peers to spark fresh ideas and collaborations driving the next wave of discovery in single-cell biology. Speakers: Jenny Wu, PhD, Fangyuan Ding, PhD, and Anand Ganesan, MD, PhD Learn more about this panel discussion hosted by the UCI Genomics Research & Technology Hub.
Wednesday, April 15, 2 to 4 p.m.
Location: UC Irvine Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, Thorp Conference Center
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Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics Seminar
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Molecular Genetics of Ehrlichia and Anaplasma: Virulence and Vaccine Development, by Roman Ganta, MSc, PhD, Curators' Distinguished Professor & Mckee Endowed Chair Professor, University of Missouri
Wednesday, April 15, 4 p.m.
Location: Plumwood House, Room 166
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Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics Seminar
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Identifying Viral and Host Determinants of Neuroinvasion, by Audrey Loaiza, Graduate Student, Koyuncu Lab, Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, UC Irvine School of Medicine
Thursday, April 16, 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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Physiology & Biophysics Seminar Series
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Light Signaling in the Postmortem Human Retina, by Frans Vinberg, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Ophthalmology and 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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UCI SKIN: A Skin Biology Resource Center Distinguished Speaker Series
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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
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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
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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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NIH K Award Mock Study Section
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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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UC Irvine Center for Neural Circuit Mapping 2026 Conference: "Neural Circuits in Health & Disease
CALL FOR ABSTRACTS
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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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Postdoctoral Fellow - Neurological Clinical Informatics and Data Science Lab
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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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What kind of grant support does the School of Medicine Research Development Unit provide?
SCHOOL OF MEDICINE RDU
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What kind of grant support does the RDU provide to Physician Scientists?
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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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