Research

Mia Maltz

A focus on fungi

UCI doctoral candidate seeks to maximize the health of native plants in restored environments

Valerie Jenness, dean of UCI’s School of Social Ecology

‘How the law works for law breakers’

Book co-authored by social ecology dean sheds light on the inmate grievance process in California

George Farkas

Minority children underrepresented in special ed, UCI-Penn State study concludes

Contrary to popular belief, minority children are not overrepresented in special education classrooms and are actually less likely to be diagnosed with and treated for disabilities than white children with similar academic achievements, behaviors and economic resources, according to new research co-authored by George Farkas, professor of education at UC Irvine.

Study leader Dr. Steven Potkin

UCI-led study demonstrates how Huntington’s disease proteins spread from cell to cell

By identifying in spinal fluid how the characteristic mutant proteins of Huntington’s disease spread from cell to cell, UC Irvine scientists and colleagues have created a new method to quickly and accurately track the presence and proliferation of these neuron-damaging compounds – a discovery that may accelerate the development of new drugs to treat this incurable disease.

Adria Imada

Hawaiian history via hula

Adria Imada’s award-winning book Aloha America explores the influence of politics, colonization, tourism and religion on the islands’ traditional dance

Frugal phytoplankton play role in global carbon cycle

Adam Martiny, UCI associate professor of Earth system science, and study co-author Eric D. Galbraith of McGill University show that frugal phytoplankton may obtain more CO2 in warm, nutrient-depleted parts of the ocean than previously thought. By doing so, they can have a significant impact on marine ecosystems and the level of atmospheric carbon dioxide.

Odds of arrest 3 times higher for people viewed as black, study finds

Being seen by others as black – regardless of whether or not one personally identifies as such – increases the likelihood of arrest, according to a new study from UC Irvine and Stanford University. The findings come as troubling reports of racial bias and discrimination in policing punctuate the evening news, noted Andrew Penner, UCI sociologist and study co-author.

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