News Archive

April 12, 2018 — On January 8, 1968, the Evening Tribune reported that, “the field of human organ transplantation will arrive in San Diego with the opening of a transplant unit at County University Hospital.” Within a month, the community hospital, operated by UC San Diego, performed the region’s first kidney transplant on a 32-year-old aircraft worker.

April 12, 2018 — The University of California San Diego has added four new majors engaged with real-world concerns to address topics ranging from tackling climate change to sustainable development. Business Psychology, Data Science, Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences, and Real Estate and Development were established as new majors in response to future demand, workplace trends and alumni feedback. These majors all take advantage of the interdisciplinary nature of UC San Diego, exposing students to a range of faculty and learning experiences across campus.

April 10, 2018 — A team of California researchers has developed a robotic gripper that combines the adhesive properties of gecko toes and the adaptability of air-powered soft robots to grasp a much wider variety of objects than the state of the art. Researchers will present their findings at the 2018 International Conference on Robotics and Automation May 21 to 25 in Brisbane, Australia.

April 10, 2018 — Imagine if all childhood vaccines could get delivered with an inhaler rather than shots; or wiping away tuberculosis bacteria in a patient’s lungs with an inhaler; or disinfecting a hospital room thoroughly with a diffuser. These are the goals of a research team led by Professor James Friend in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of California San Diego. Their efforts were recently boosted when Friend received a prestigious $900,000 research grant from the Keck Foundation, whose mission is to support pioneering discoveries in science, engineering and medical research.

April 10, 2018 — Engineers have developed a tiny, ultra-low power chip that could be injected just under the surface of the skin for continuous, long-term alcohol monitoring. The chip is powered wirelessly by a wearable device such as a smartwatch or patch. The goal of this work is to develop a convenient, routine monitoring device for patients in substance abuse treatment programs.

April 9, 2018 — The misuse of Facebook data by Cambridge Analytica, the politicization of U.S. intelligence agencies, and the civil wars crises plaguing regions in the Middle East, Africa and beyond are just a few of the topics tackled in Political Violence @ a Glance. The blog was launched by Barbara F. Walter, political science professor at the School of Global Policy and Strategy.

April 5, 2018 — Conflict, a death in the family, financial hardship and serious medical crises are all associated with accelerated physical aging. In a new study, researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine found that such negative fateful life events — or FLEs — appear to also specifically accelerate aging in the brain.

April 5, 2018 — In 1895 Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite sat at a desk in Paris and secretly wrote out his last will and testament. In that document, the man known to many as “the Merchant of Death” stipulated that his vast wealth be distributed in the form of yearly prizes to those who “have conferred the greatest benefit to mankind.” In the following years, the Nobel Prize would become the world’s most prestigious honor. Each December, thousands of the world’s elites arrive in Stockholm to dine on reindeer with the King of Sweden in celebration of the achievements of humankind.

April 5, 2018 — For consumers looking to reduce their consumption of meat — particularly due to a greater understanding of the ethical treatment of animals — researchers have analyzed the leading cookbooks of 26 celebrity chefs to offer insight and guidance. Their findings show that not all chefs are what they appear: while some offer recipes that align with their public personas, others show great dissonance in what is said, and what is cooked.

April 5, 2018 — UC San Diego students met with legislators March 21 to share how their research impacts California and advocate for investment to support graduate enrollment. The graduate students took to the state capitol in Sacramento, participating in the ninth annual University of California Graduate Research Advocacy Day.