Research

World map of aquifer depletion

A third of the world’s biggest groundwater basins are in distress

Irvine, Calif., June 16, 2015 – Two new studies led by UC Irvine using data from NASA Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment satellites show that human consumption is rapidly draining some of its largest groundwater basins, yet there is little to no accurate data about how much water remains in them. The result is that significant […]

UC study links brain inflammation triggered by chronic pain to anxiety and depression

Brain inflammation caused by chronic nerve pain alters activity in regions that regulate mood and motivation, suggesting for the first time that a direct biophysical link exists between long-term pain and the depression, anxiety and substance abuse seen in more than half of these patients, UC Irvine and UCLA researchers report.

Silvia Gonzalez and Andrew Mehring

Drought advice from Down Under

California could learn a thing or two from Melbourne, Australia, which halved water use during a decade-plus dry spell with no new rate hikes

Charles Anthony Smith

Political science study co-authored by UCI debunks idea of public opinion backlash

Does putting same-sex marriage in the public spotlight impede future policy gains for gay and lesbian couples? A new study says no, contrary to previous research on the topic. The findings, which appear in the American Journal of Political Science, should bring hope to marginalized groups that may otherwise be dissuaded from pursuing public change, said Charles Anthony Smith, UCI associate professor of political science and study co-author.

A dried-up pond at the San Joaquin Marsh Reserve near UC Irvine

Blueprint for a thirsty world from Down Under

The Millennium Drought in southeastern Australia forced Greater Melbourne, a city of 4.3 million people, to successfully implement innovations that hold critical lessons for water-stressed regions around the world, according to findings by UC Irvine and Australian researchers.

Peter Burke

Measuring ‘brainstorms’

UCI researchers pioneer technique permitting unprecedented peek inside neurons at activity of ion channels

UCI neurobiologist Sunil Gandhi

UCI neurobiologists restore youthful vigor to adult brains

They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. The same can be said of the adult brain. Its connections are hard to change, while in children, novel experiences rapidly mold new connections during critical periods of brain development.

Depression intensifies anger in veterans with PTSD, UCI study shows

Diagnosis with one or both disorders should trigger rage-focused treatment

Alyssa Brewer

UCI study sheds new light on low-light vision, could aid people with retinal deficits

Brain handles day- and nighttime optical signals the same, reacts quickly to loss of input

Professor Henry Klassen

FDA greenlights UCI clinical trial of treatment for blinding disease

A first-of-its-kind stem cell-based treatment for retinitis pigmentosa developed by UC Irvine’s Dr. Henry Klassen, Dr. Jing Yang and colleagues has received consent from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration for use in a clinical trial.