News Archive - Scott LaFee

Blanks for the Memory

UC San Diego researchers report that one kind of perceptual learning can occur in memory-impaired persons who do not actually remember what they learned.

Gene Therapy in Alzheimer’s Disease Mouse Model Preserves Learning and Memory

Researchers at UC San Diego have used gene therapy to prevent learning and memory loss in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease, a key step toward eventually testing the approach in humans with the neurodegenerative disease.

Two Novel Biobanks Offer Investigatory Targets for Cocaine and Oxycodone Addiction

Researchers have created to novel biobanks of diverse tissues from animals to further explore the biological bases and consequences of addiction to cocaine and oxycodone.

Cannabis Use Disorder Rate Rose among Pregnant Women between 2001-2012

Babies born to mothers diagnosed with cannabis use disorder are more likely to experience negative health outcomes, such as preterm birth and low birth weight, than babies born to mothers without a cannabis use disorder diagnosis, report UC San Diego researchers.

How Brain Tumors Turn Immune Cells into Cancer-Growing Hostages

Researchers discover that brain cancer tumors reprogram immune cells to help them grow, rather than suppress them.

Autism Center at UC San Diego Receives $1.5 Million Gift

The UC San Diego Autism Center for Excellence has received a $1.5 million gift from Kristin Farmer, founder and chief executive officer of ACES, a company that provides services to children with autism and their families, to support the work of Karen Pierce, co-director of the Autism Center.

How Well do COVID-19 Vaccines Work Over the Longer Term?

UC San Diego students will participate in nationwide clinical trial to assess if COVID-19 vaccination prevents infection and reduces risk of transmission.

Wisdom, Loneliness and Your Intestinal Multitude

UC San Diego scientists have taken the connection between wisdom, loneliness and biology one step further, reporting that wisdom and loneliness appear to influence — and/or be influenced by — microbial diversity of the gut.

Though Risk is Minuscule, Infection after COVID-19 Vaccination is Possible

Investigators from UC San Diego and UCLA report COVID-19 infection rates for a cohort of health care workers previously vaccinated for the novel coronavirus. Risk of infection is minuscule, but exists.

Novel Coronavirus Circulated Undetected Months before First COVID-19 Cases in Wuhan, China

Using molecular dating tools and epidemiological simulations, researchers at UC San Diego School of Medicine estimate that the SARS-CoV-2 virus likely circulated undetected for two months before the first human cases of COVID-19 were described in Wuhan, China in late-December 2019.