Bridging the gap between science research & clinical medicine
Biomedical Sciences News Archive
See the recent news articles from the Division of Biomedical Sciences.
May 12, 2026
Cannabis compounds may boost metabolic health while supporting weight loss
Researchers identify potential mechanism linked to reduced type 2 diabetes risk
May 08, 2026
A tiny cell structure with a big role in brain development
Study shows how the primary cilium may shape the developing brain and drive disease
May 07, 2026
Hantavirus outbreak on cruise ship raises transmission concerns
Deaths aboard MV Hondius prompt tracing efforts and renewed focus on Andes virus strain
May 06, 2026
Wildfire smoke risks understudied, review paper warns
As wildfires increase in frequency and intensity across regions like the western United States, smoke exposure is becoming more widespread and prolonged. Yet current knowledge gaps make it harder to develop targeted interventions or guidelines. Despite this growing exposure, scientists say the underlying health risks remain poorly understood.
April 24, 2026
Immune surveillance structures found in skin hair follicles
Study findings may further understanding of skin infection and immune disorders
April 08, 2026
Four researchers selected for prestigious Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting
Postdoctoral scholar and doctoral students to join global cohort of young scientists in Germany
February 25, 2026
Keeping neurons on the right path
RNA control is essential for building the brain’s layered structure
February 10, 2026
Graduate student awarded 2026 American Heart Association Predoctoral Fellowship
Ting-An Lin will investigate molecular links between microplastics exposure and atherosclerosis
January 27, 2026
Scientists find hidden diversity inside common brain parasite
UC Riverside study reshapes understanding of toxoplasmosis and identifies new paths for treatment
January 23, 2026
How a single gene shapes gut health and IBD risk
UC Riverside studies reveal PTPN2’s role in keeping harmful bacteria in check and preventing inflammation
December 23, 2025
Fathers’ microplastic exposure tied to their children’s metabolic problems
UC Riverside-led mouse study finds microplastics affect male and female offspring differently
December 15, 2025
Scientists identify small RNA molecule that regulates cholesterol and heart disease
Discovery points to new “upstream” drug targets for preventing atherosclerosis
November 24, 2025
New clues to why some animals live longer
RNA “editing” process offers an explanation
November 21, 2025
A fast, lasting defense against a deadly virus
Scientists create a vaccine that shields against Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever within days and protects for over a year
November 18, 2025
Microplastics hit male arteries hard
UC Riverside-led mouse study finds link between microplastic exposure and atherosclerosis
November 14, 2025
RNA research takes center stage at UCR
Third annual symposium brought together top scientists in the RNA field, strengthening UCR’s role as an RNA research hub
November 12, 2025
Scientists move closer to better pancreatic cancer treatments
Collaboration between UC Riverside and City of Hope aims to eliminate cancer-causing proteins
October 21, 2025
Dusty air is rewriting your lung microbiome
Genetic or bacterial diseases have previously been shown to have an effect on lung microbes. However, a UC Riverside discovery marks the first time scientists have observed such changes from environmental exposure rather than disease.
October 08, 2025
How brain myelin damage could lead to seizures in MS
Study may explain why some people living with multiple sclerosis experience epileptic seizures
October 08, 2025
New hope for MS
Scientists identify two compounds that could benefit people living with multiple sclerosis
September 25, 2025
Childhood concussions may trigger long-term brain changes
Researchers call for extended care and monitoring after pediatric head injuries
September 23, 2025
NIH grant supports research on dangerous emerging virus
International team to study immune defenses against Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus
September 17, 2025
UCR startup secures grant to advance cancer therapy
NIH award of $2.25M funds preclinical studies that will advance Targefrin toward clinical trials for pancreatic cancer
September 04, 2025
As Congress debates next year’s federal budget, join UC in speaking up for science
The University of California is launching Speak Up for Science. This growing movement of citizens, students and scientists is mobilizing to send a resounding message to America’s elected leaders: Cutting federal science spending will hurt every American.
June 24, 2025
Using comic books to communicate health issues
UC Riverside’s David Lo has launched a series of graphic narratives to make public health information more accessible
June 09, 2025
Researchers contribute chapter to pediatric psychology handbook
Addressing DEI meaningfully will help reduce disparities and improve well-being, authors argue
April 09, 2025
UCR scientists join elite class of 2024 AAAS fellows
A big honor for chemistry and biomedical sciences faculty
March 25, 2025
Biomedical scientist receives his 14th challenge coin
Scott Pegan is a lieutenant colonel in the United States Army
January 13, 2025
Biomedical scientist to investigate endocannabinoids as potential treatment for cocaine addiction relapse
Natalie Zlebnik has received a NARSAD Young Investigator Award from the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation
July 16, 2024
Division of Biomedical Sciences begins its 50th anniversary celebration
The division originated the idea of establishing a medical school on campus
May 01, 2024
Research breakthrough on birth defect affecting brain size
Nonsense-mediated RNA decay, or NMD, is an evolutionarily conserved molecular mechanism in which potentially defective messenger RNAs, or mRNAs (genetic material that instructs the body on how to make proteins), are degraded. Disruption of the NMD pathway can lead to neurological disorders, immune diseases, cancers, and other pathologies. Mutations in human NMD regulators are seen in neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism and intellectual disability.
November 08, 2023
Second annual RNA symposium advances research and fosters collaborations
Attendees included National Academy of Sciences members and prominent scientists from UC Riverside, UC Berkeley, UC San Diego, UC Irvine, Stanford University, University of Toronto SickKids Research Institute, and City of Hope
June 20, 2023
What role does alternative splicing play in neurodegenerative disease?
UC Riverside scientists David Nikom and Sika Zheng explain in a timely review
April 06, 2023
UC Riverside-led study sheds light on how IBD can develop
Inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, describes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, two chronic diseases that cause inflammation in the intestines. IBD, which affects about 3 million adults in the United States, is an autoimmune disorder — a condition in which the body’s immune system attacks healthy tissues. Its symptoms include diarrhea, rectal bleeding, fatigue, weight loss, and stomach cramps.
April 05, 2023
UCR study on health impact of chemicals in plastics makes the top 4
Research paper selected by NIEHS as a Paper of the Month
April 04, 2023
How an autism gene contributes to infertility
UC Riverside mouse study shows how gene mutation leads to ovaries failing prematurely
March 10, 2023
Biomedical sciences postdoc awarded UC fellowship
Meli’sa Crawford will examine the effects of agricultural dust exposure on intestinal barrier function
February 02, 2023
Biomedical scientist named fellow of American Gastroenterological Association
Fellowship honors Declan McCole’s professional achievements in the gastrointestinal field
January 26, 2023
Health impact of chemicals in plastics is handed down two generations
UC Riverside mouse study finds paternal exposure to phthalates increases risk of metabolic diseases in progeny
December 08, 2022
Salton Sea dust triggers lung inflammation
UC Riverside study has health implications for people living around California’s largest lake
November 28, 2022
Discovery of antibody structure could lead to treatment for Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever virus
Study provides insights into fighting broad range of pathogen’s viral strains
November 22, 2022
Biomedical scientist promoted to lieutenant colonel
Scott Pegan is an international expert on Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever
October 26, 2022
Research at new center to focus on health impact of cannabis use
School of Medicine’s Nicholas DiPatrizio will lead the Center for Cannabinoid Research
October 12, 2022
Biomedical scientist to study novel mechanisms of Alzheimer’s disease
Sika Zheng in the School of Medicine has received a grant of $250,000 from the National Institutes of Health
September 07, 2022
A shot in the arm
UC Riverside experts answer questions on Americans needing just one COVID-19 booster vaccine each year
August 10, 2022
Monkeypox explained
UC Riverside experts discuss disease symptoms, vaccines, and anxiety management
June 29, 2022
Graduate student receives predoctoral fellowship for epilepsy research
Andrew Huang, a biomedical sciences graduate student at UC Riverside, has been awarded a one-year American Epilepsy Society Predoctoral Research Fellowship.
The $30,000 award includes $1,000 for Huang to use as travel funds to attend the annual meeting of the American Epilepsy Society in December 2022. He will also receive a complimentary membership to the society for a year, giving him access to online education content as well as professional development resources.
June 21, 2022
COVID-19 vaccines for very young children
UC Riverside vaccine expert David Lo shares his thoughts in a Q&A
June 16, 2022
How does cannabis affect gut health?
A UC Riverside biomedical scientist has received a grant to investigate
March 31, 2022
UCR biomedical scientist joins international SARS-CoV-2 group assembled by NIAID
SAVE focuses on mutations in SARS-CoV-2 and emerging virus variants
March 28, 2022
Should you get a second booster shot for COVID-19?
UC Riverside’s Dr. David Lo, a vaccine expert, shares his thoughts
February 24, 2022
A potential antiviral for SARS and SARS-like coronaviruses
UC Riverside-led study shows how an effective therapy against SARS-CoV-2 could be developed
February 03, 2022
Scientists profile FDA-approved drugs to potentially treat hundreds of genetic disorders
New method developed by UC Riverside researchers quickly assesses drug potential for rare disorders
February 01, 2022
Grant to biomedical scientist will support cerebral malaria research
Byron Ford, a professor of biomedical sciences in the UC Riverside School of Medicine, has received a grant from the National Institutes of Health, or NIH, to develop a new intervention against cerebral malaria.
January 31, 2022
Researchers develop molecular traps to target SARS-CoV-2
Joint effort by UC Riverside and UCLA scientists aims to stop the COVID-19-spreading virus from attacking immune cells
January 25, 2022
Scientists discover new avian immunological pathway
UC Riverside-led team identifies a new host protein interaction that produces a robust immune response to viral infection in birds and may lead to better poultry vaccines
January 18, 2022
Building robust collaborations to ‘ATTACK’ future pandemics
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the development of antiviral drug treatments has become a critical weapon in our arsenal against the virus.
Harnessing the research and scientific brainpower needed to treat and prevent the next pandemic is the University of California - National Labs Antiviral Treatments Targeting All Coronaviruses and Key RNA viruses, or ATTACK, Consortium.
January 10, 2022
NIH grant will help biomedical scientist study mechanism involved in neurogenesis
Sika Zheng, an associate professor of biomedical sciences in the School of Medicine, recently received a five-year National Institutes of Health grant of nearly $2.5 million to study the functional role of nonsense-mediated mRNA decay, or NMD, in the complicated and dynamic process of neurogenesis, a term used to describe the generation of neurons in the brain during embryonic development.
September 28, 2020
Finding a cure for multiple sclerosis
Seema Tiwari-Woodruff, a professor of biomedical sciences in the UCR School of Medicine, and her colleagues have received a grant of $373,000 from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society for a project in which her lab will select the five best candidate compounds to speed up nerve impulses, a promising new avenue to treat m
July 10, 2020
School of Medicine postdoc receives NIH Pathway to Independence grant
Rebekah Charney, a postdoctoral researcher in the School of Medicine, has received a five-year “Pathway to Independence” grant from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research of the National Institutes of Health, or NIH.