UC Irvine School of Medicine

UC Irvine researchers have identified dopamine loss in a key brain region as a driver of memory decline in Alzheimer’s disease. The study, led by UC Irvine neurobiologist Kei Igarashi, points to new therapeutic strategy targeting dopamine.

This research is funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Visit this link to learn more about Alzheimer's breakthroughs at UC Irvine: https://bit.ly/4dyvQ2W

Image description: Kei Igarashi, Chancellor’s Fellow and associate professor of anatomy and neurobiology, wears a white lab coat in front of a computer, focused on the screen, in a research lab setting.

UC Irvine School of Medicine

UC Irvine neuroscientist Oswald Steward has been awarded the 2026 Kavli Prize, one of the world’s most prestigious honors in science. Steward was recognized for discoveries that fundamentally changed understanding of how neurons build, strengthen and modify connections in the brain involved in learning, memory and recovery from injury.

Visit this link to learn more about Prof. Steward and the Kavli Prize: https://bit.ly/4uYmUtR

Image description: Oswald Steward stands outdoors on a tree-lined path. He has short gray hair and glasses and wears a gray shirt and a dark checkered blazer.

UC Irvine School of Medicine
UC Irvine Charlie Dunlop School of Biological Sciences

Join the UC Irvine School of Medicine Departments of Neurological Surgery and Orthopaedic Surgery for the Fifth Annual Spine by the Sea Symposium.

When:

• Friday, July 24, 5:30 to 8 p.m.
• Saturday, July 25, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Where:
Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa, 21500 Pacific Coast Highway, Huntington Beach, CA 92648

Learn some of the latest management options and innovations in spine disorders.

This activity has been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credits.

Learn more and register with the link in bio!





Image Description: A graphic with details on the symposium and an illustration of a spine overlaying a photo of the ocean.

At the University of California, Irvine Ninth Annual Latine Excellence and Achievement Award Dinner (LEAD), Bianca Leonard, an MD/PhD student in the Medical Scientist Training Program, was honored for graduate student excellence in health at the intersection of neuroscience and mental health.

“It feels good to uplift the community and to be recognized for that work,” says Leonard, a Honduran American whose multicultural upbringing has influenced her approach to research and clinical care. Leonard just received her doctorate degree from the UC Irvine Charlie Dunlop School of Biological Sciences and is entering her third year of medical school in the Program in Medical Education for the Latino Community (PRIME-LC).

What motivated Leonard to study neuroscience, and what led to her focus on mental health? Learn more: https://bit.ly/4tGW87N



Image descriptions:

Photo 1: A headshot of Bianca Leonard in her white coat.

Photo 2: A group photo with Bianca Leonard (in front row, third from left) and the PRIME-LC cohort in 2019.

Photo 3: Bianca Leonard, working with a colleague in the Translational Neuroscience Laboratory at UC Irvine, uses neuroimaging and cognitive neuroscience techniques to study the effects of anhedonia on brain activity and decision-making.

Congrats to Yexuan Cao, MD, PhD, a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences at and the Brunson Center for Translational Vision Research, for being awarded the Knights Templar Eye Foundation 2026–27 Career-Starter Research Grant!

Yexuan Cao, MD, PhD Awarded Knights Templar Eye Foundation 2026-27 Career-Starter Research Grant | UC Irvine School of Medicine The $100,000 grant will support Yexuan Cao's innovative research into the genetic mechanisms of childhood-onset blindness.

Why do Asian American women who have never smoked have an elevated risk for lung cancer? And why is cancer the leading cause of death for many Asian American groups?

“We need to conduct more research to understand and reduce the health disparities that Asian Americans experience,” says Sunmin Lee, ScD, a professor of hematology and oncology at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine and member of the UCI Health Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. Asian Americans account for around 7% of the U.S. population, yet only 0.17% of NIH funding supports studies on Asian Americans.

Recognizing this shortfall, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Cancer Institute awarded $12.45 million in 2024 to create a national cohort, called ASPIRE (Asian American Prospective Research), for a longitudinal study on cancer risks in Asian American communities. Researchers at UCSF are leading the study, in partnership with teams at UC Irvine, UC Davis, Cedars-Sinai and Temple University.

Learn more about this research and how to get involved with the ASPIRE community!

ASPIRE Cohort Aims to Advance Asian American Health | UC Irvine School of Medicine Sunmin Lee, ScD, kicks off her effort to recruit 1,800 participants for a first-of-its-kind cohort, helping researchers better understand and prevent cancer in Asian American communities.

👏 We're proud to announce that Marco Bassetto, PharmD, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher in ophthalmology at the University of California, Irvine Brunson Center for Translational Vision Research, has been awarded a research grant from BrightFocus Foundation's Macular Degeneration Research program. Learn more about Bassetto's research on developing a new drug delivery system to treat retinal inflammation.

Marco Bassetto, PharmD, PhD, Awarded Grant From BrightFocus Foundation’s Macular Degeneration Research Program | UC Irvine School of Medicine BrightFocus Foundation’s Macular Degeneration Research program recently awarded a two-year, $200,000 postdoctoral fellowship grant to Marco Bassetto, PharmD, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher for his innovative research in vision health.

Today is Giving Day at the University of California, Irvine!

is at the forefront of transforming healthcare. Through groundbreaking research, innovative education and an unwavering dedication to excellence, we are preparing the next generation of physicians and medical leaders. Make your gift today and be part of this extraordinary journey.

Learn more and give today: https://givingday.uci.edu/medicine

On Giving Day, your gift goes further. Come in support of the programs and initiatives most meaningful to you!

Join the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine for the Dean’s Distinguished Lecture Series on June 2 with Robert C. Green, MD, MPH, professor Harvard Medical School and director of Genomes2People. He will give a community lecture titled “Finally! Genomics is Delivering Massive Health and Longevity Benefits.”

Dr. Green, a physician-scientist and internationally recognized leader in genomics, has made significant contributions to accelerating the implementation of genomic/precision medicine on a global scale.

📅 June 2, 2026, 7 to 8 p.m.

📍 The Beckman Center, 100 Academy Way, Irvine, CA 92617

🔗 Register today! https://bit.ly/4sP5M87

Image Description: Details on UC Irvine School of Medicine’s Dean’s Distinguished Lecture Series with a headshot of the keynote speaker, Robert C. Green. More details at medschool.uci.edu/ddls.