UC Riverside School of Medicine

Commencement 2026 is in the books! Read our story about our 10th class of the UCR School of Medicine. The link is in the comments.

Congratulations to all our graduates!

The School of Medicine's Commencement Ceremony is taking place right now. Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/live/QwmML0xHASI?si=JxqUa_b3tcRgD7Vp

As an emergency medical technician, Andrew Huang, Class of 2026, frequently responded to calls for patients with seizures yet could do little to help. His desire to find new ways to aid patients drove him toward epilepsy research and earning his PhD in biomedical sciences at the UCR School of Medicine. But Huang also wanted to help patients in a more immediate way as a physician--so he decided to do both. When he graduates with his PhD this summer, he’ll also start his second year of medical school at Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine. “By working at the intersection of research and clinical practice, I hope to continue bringing novel scientific insights to the patients who need them," Huang said.

Read Huang's story on the SOM News website, concluding our profiles of the Class of 2026. The link is in the comments.

Commencement is tomorrow and we'd like to congratulate all of our SOM graduates!

Diagnosed with a rare heart condition early in college, Helen Setaghiyan, Class of 2026, was unsure if she could still pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a doctor. With encouragement from her family and medical team, Setaghiyan is now graduating from the UCR SOM and will begin her residency in pediatrics at UCLA Medical Center. “I want to be the person who empowers my patients when they're adolescents to say, ‘Hey, you should go to college, you should pursue that degree, you should go try to get this job that you think might not be possible,’” Setaghiyan said. “I wouldn't have gone down this path if my own healthcare providers were not in support of it.”

Read Setaghiyan's story, as well as those of several other SOM graduates, on the SOM News website as we approach commencement on Friday. The link to the story is in the comments.

When Andrew McLain started at the UCR School of Medicine, he was sure of one thing: He did not want to specialize in emergency medicine. But as the former EMT completed his medical student rotations, he rediscovered the aspects he’d loved about the job. "You can have somebody come in with a headache or nausea and you can give them something to make them feel better, and... there's a big impact on that person's day or even life,” said McLain, who will begin his emergency medicine residency program in his hometown of Temecula this summer.

Read more about McLain's journey through medical school, including handling shoulder surgery and becoming a father, on the SOM News website. The link is in the comments. We're sharing stories about graduating SOM students leading up to commencement this Friday.

Mark your calendars and get ready for an inspiring day of collaboration, innovation, and action toward advancing health equity and healthy lifestyles in our communities.
Please SAVE THE DATE for the 2026 Health Equity Lifestyle Project (HELP) Conference — an informative, engaging, and energizing one-day experience bringing together community members, students, healthcare professionals, researchers, and changemakers from across the Inland Empire and beyond.
Hosted by nonprofit community partners Healthy Heart Nation and The Plantrician Project, in collaboration with The Center for Healthy Communities (CHC) at UCR School of Medicine.
UCR School of Medicine, Bldg. II
Friday, August 28, 2026
Whether you are passionate about community health, medicine, research, wellness, or creating healthier futures, this conference is for YOU!
Stay tuned, exciting details are on the way!

On May 28, 2026, UCR School of Medicine (SOM) research faculty and staff convened for the inaugural Spring Research retreat with goals of identifying the school’s research needs and strengths and the development of an action plan for research growth. Highlights of the retreat included presentations from a diverse group of research faculty and staff, interactive collaborative table sessions and a fun raffle by the progress and grants reporting committee. Presentations and panel sessions covered a wide range of topics, including research support services, IRB issues, and funding opportunities from philanthropy, corporate foundations, and technology partnerships.

Meera Nair, MPH, shared: I am encouraged by our SOM faculty and staff’s passion for research especially in areas that serve our mission and our community. Our research unit is proud to support this work through multiple enabling resources such as pilot grants, core facilities, and grant writing support. Through the collaborative sessions at this retreat, we have identified ways to continue breaking down silos across our biomedical, clinical, and population health divisions and I can’t wait to get started with implementing them.

Robert Rodriguez, MD, shared: This retreat was an excellent first step toward building a research strategy to serve our SOM community. Presenters and participants were fully engaged throughout the day. I personally learned a great deal from the presenters and from the collaborative sessions. Most importantly, we emphasized how research is a core part of the UCR SOM mission, and research is fun!

Donate to SOM Research: https://somresearch.ucr.edu/giving-0

Jennell Jennett, Class of 2026, happened to start a job in biotechnology after studying microbiology in college—and found her true calling. Her love of research led her to a PhD in biomedical sciences at UCR. Jennett, who will graduate this month, emphasized that anyone can follow their interest in science to pursue it as a career. “If you love something enough, you can make it happen,” she said.

Learn more about Jennett and other members of the Class of 2026 on the SOM News website. The story link is in the comments.

In honor of Pride Month this June, the UCR School of Medicine Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion invites you to join us for a lecture by Lisa Fortuna, MD, MPH, MDiv on Wednesday, June 17 from 12 to 1 pm in the School of Medicine Education Building II, Room 205. Lunch will be provided and served at 11:45 am.

Her presentation is titled: Faith, Acceptance, and Mental Health: Working with Religiously and Culturally Diverse Families of LGBTQ Youth

Fortuna is professor and chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences at the University of California, Riverside School of Medicine. She is a nationally recognized leader in social and community psychiatry whose work focuses on mental health equity, prevention, and culturally responsive services for children, adolescents, and other underserved communities.

Please RSVP here: https://ucriverside.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4TnpXxSx0Zo8AwS