science wire

UCLA launches first face transplantation program in western U.S
The UCLA Health System has launched the UCLA Face Transplantation Program , the first surgical program of it kind in the western United States and one of only a handful in the nation.

Center for the Art of Performance at UCLA announces 2012-13 season

Fowler Museum to display whimsical animal figures from Mexico

Researchers develop new genetic method to pinpoint individuals’ geographic origin
Understanding the genetic diversity within and between populations has important implications for studies of human disease and evolution.

Prevalence of kidney stones doubles in wake of obesity epidemic
The number of Americans suffering from kidney stones between 2007 and 2010 nearly doubled from 1994, according to a new study by researchers at UCLA and the RAND Corp. "While we expected the prevalence of kidney stones to increase, the size of the increase was surprising," said Charles D. Scales Jr., a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation/U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Clinical Scholar in the departments of urology and medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

Hacking code of leaf vein architecture solves mysteries, allows predictions of past climate
UCLA life scientists have discovered new laws that determine the construction of leaf vein systems as leaves grow and evolve. These easy-to-apply mathematical rules can now be used to better predict the climates of the past using the fossil record. The research, published May 15 , has a range of fundamental implications for global ecology and allows researchers to estimate original leaf sizes from just a fragment of a leaf.

UCLA hosts major conference on curing brain diseases and disorders
Top researchers from UCLA will join fellow neuroscientists, advocates and policymakers at a three-day conference to promote a common cause: Combining the world's best scientific minds with the sharin

Researchers develop way to strengthen proteins with polymers
Proteins are widely used as drugs - insulin for diabetics is the best known example - and as reagents in research laboratories, but they react poorly to fluctuations in temperature and are known to degrade in storage. Because of this instability, proteins must be shipped and stored at regulated temperatures, resulting in increased costs, and sometimes must be discarded because their "active" properties have been lost.

Comprehensive report documents impact of urologic diseases on American public
Urologic conditions like urinary tract infections, kidney stones, and prostate cancer are a major economic burden on Americans, resulting in health care costs of close to $40 billion annually, according to a newly released national report that charts the demographic and economic impact of urologic diseases in the U.S. Urologic Diseases in America (UDA), last published in 2007, has been revised and updated for 2012 and includes a wealth of new, detailed information on the utilization of resources and the costs associated with urologic diseases among men, women and children.

Specialist in microhistory, global trade named to prestigious Armenian chair at UCLA
An award-winning young historian has been selected to fill a chair originally occupied by retired UCLA historian Richard Hovannisian, who is widely regarded as the world's dean of Armenian studies.

Chef Jamie Oliver, UCLA Health System bring life-changing cooking lessons to L.A. youth
The Jamie Oliver Food Foundation's "Big Rig" Teaching Kitchen will be on the UCLA campus to show kids how to prepare healthy meals as part of the foundation's first-ever worldwide Food Revolution Day May 19.

Researchers map damaged connections in Phineas Gage’s brain
Poor Phineas Gage. In 1848, the supervisor for the Rutland and Burlington Railroad in Vermont was using a 13-pound, 3-foot-7-inch rod to pack blasting powder into a rock when he triggered an explosion that drove the rod through his left cheek and out of the top of his head.

Researchers ID gene variants that speed progression of Parkinson’s disease
UCLA researchers may have found a key to determining which Parkinson's disease patients will experience a more rapid decline in motor function, sparking hopes for the development of new therapies and helping identify those who could benefit most from early intervention. In a study published May 15 in the peer-reviewed online journal PLoS ONE , the researchers found that Parkinson's sufferers who possess two specific variants of a gene known to be a risk factor for the disease had a significantly speedier progression toward motor decline than patients without these variants.

Promising academic trends at new Watts-area charter high school
Students at historically low-performing Locke High School in South Los Angeles, which recently was transformed into five smaller charter schools, are now performing better than their traditional-scho

You’re beautiful, Vesta
When UCLA's Christopher T. Russell looks at the images of the protoplanet Vesta produced by NASA's Dawn mission, he talks about beauty as much as he talks about science.

UCLA’s Andrea Ghez, Terence Tao elected to American Philosophical Society
Renowned UCLA scientists Andrea Ghez, a professor of physics and astronomy, and Terence Tao, a professor of mathematics, have been elected to the American Philosophical Society , the country's oldest learned society, which recognizes extraordinary achievements in science, letters and the arts. Founded in 1743 by Benjamin Franklin, the society's members have included George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Charles Darwin, Marie Curie, Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Louis Pasteur, Linus Pauling and Margaret Mead.

UCLA symposium to explore images of nurses and nursing in the media
Nursing is considered the most ethical and honest profession, yet when the public conjures up the image of a nurse, it is usually outdated and incorrect.

Game on! UCLA researchers use online crowd-sourcing to diagnose malaria
Online crowd-sourcing — in which a task is presented to the public, who respond, for free, with various solutions and suggestions — has been used to evaluate potential consumer products, develop software algorithms and solve vexing research-and-development challenges.

Born in the U.S.A.: The American origins of Cinco de Mayo
In the process of extracting Latino demographic data from nearly a dozen Spanish-language newspapers published in California since the 1850s, UCLA professor David Hayes-Bautista stumbled upon the ans

UCLA biochemist Sabeeha Merchant elected to National Academy of Sciences
Sabeeha Merchant, a UCLA professor of biochemistry whose research is providing insights into the complex machinery of the cell, was elected to the prestigious National Academy of Sciences in recognit

Why underweight babies become obese: Study says disrupted hypothalamus is to blame
It seems improbable that a baby born underweight would be prone to obesity, but it is well documented that these children tend to put on weight in youth if they're allowed free access to calories. Now, researchers believe they understand why this happens. A new animal model study at UCLA has found that in low–birth-weight babies whose growth was restricted in the womb, the level of appetite-producing neuropeptides in the brain's hypothalamus — the central control of the appetite — is higher, resulting in a natural tendency among these children to consume more calories.

Supermodel-turned-filmmaker screens doc about maternal mortality at UCLA

UCLA mathematics professor elected to Britain’s prestigious Royal Society
UCLA mathematics professor Chandrashekhar (Shekhar) Khare has been elected a 2012 fellow of Britain's prestigious Royal Society in recognition of his scientific excellence.

When cells hit the wall: UCLA engineers put the squeeze on cells to diagnose disease
If you throw a rubber balloon filled with water against a wall, it will spread out and deform on impact, while the same balloon filled with honey, which is more viscous, will deform much less.

Devastating disease provides insight into development and death of motor neurons
Researchers at UCLA have been searching for the cause of a rare disease that virtually no one has ever heard: PCH1, or pontocerebellar hypoplasia type 1, which attacks the brain and the spine. It's a particularly cruel disorder, occurring mostly in infants, who begin manifesting symptoms at or soon after birth, with poor muscle tone, difficulty feeding, growth retardation and global developmental delay.

UCLA-Peking University symposium highlights scholars’ collaborative research, innovations
The two-day UCLA–Peking University Joint Research Institute symposium will highlight the results of collaborative research by UCLA and PKU scholars in the areas of science, engineering and medicine and showcase new developments by leading faculty at both universities.

Growing up a neural stem cell: The importance of clinging together and then letting go
As immature cells, neural stem cells must stick together in a protected environment called a niche, where they divide in preparation for making all of the cells that populate the nervous system. But when it's time to mature — or differentiate into these various cells — the neural stem cells must stop dividing, detach from their neighbors and migrate to where they are needed to form the circuits necessary for humans to think, feel and interact with the world.

Researchers combat global disease with a cell phone, Google Maps and a lot of ingenuity
In the fight against emerging public health threats, early diagnosis of infectious diseases is crucial.

Oscar nominee Dante Spinotti named Kodak Cinematographer-in-Residence at UCLA

Which ads are winners? Your brain knows better than you do
Advertisers and public health officials may be able to access hidden wisdom in the brain to more effectively sell their products and promote health and safety, UCLA neuroscientists report in the first study to use brain data to predict how large populations will respond to advertisements. Thirty smokers who were trying to quit watched television commercials from three advertising campaigns, which all ended by showing the phone number of the National Cancer Institute's smoking-cessation hotline.

French scholar from UCLA awarded 2012 Guggenheim Fellowship

Six UCLA professors elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Six UCLA professors are among 220 distinguished scholars, scientists, authors, artists, and business and philanthropic leaders elected today to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in recognition

’Hybrid’ surgery saves UCLA patient from softball-sized aneurysm
Jamil Aboulhosn checks patient Patti Crawford after a hybrid surgery saved her life. Photos by Rachel Champeau.

Do I look bigger with my finger on a trigger? Yes, says UCLA study
UCLA anthropologists asked hundreds of Americans to guess the size and muscularity of four men based solely on photographs of their hands holding a range of easily recognizable objects, including handguns. The research, which publishes today in the scholarly journal PLoS ONE, confirms what scrawny thugs have long known: Brandishing a weapon makes a man appear bigger and stronger than he would otherwise.

Improv comedy workshops at UCLA to help military families deal with effects of war
The UCLA Nathanson Family Resilience Center and the nonprofit Rx Laughter are teaming up with the legendary Second City Training Center to offer an innovative, humor-based project that uses improvisational comedy techniques to help military families deal with the traumatic effects of war.

Legal expert explores risks, rewards of using stem cell products
The brave new world of stem cell research dangles the exciting potential for a host of leading-edge treatments that may one day help cure debilitating diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and other maladies that today cannot be treated with modern medicine.

Majority of California’s Medi-Cal caregivers live in or near poverty
The demand for caregivers is growing rapidly as California's population ages, but the majority of state's Medi-Cal caregivers earn poverty or near-poverty wages and have poor access to health care and food, a new study from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research has found.

’Time machine’ will study the early universe
A new scientific instrument, a "time machine" of sorts, built by UCLA astronomers and colleagues, will allow scientists to study the earliest galaxies in the universe, which could never be studied before.

Which plants will survive droughts, climate change?
Droughts are worsening around the world, posing a great challenge to plants in all ecosystems, said Lawren Sack, a UCLA professor of ecology and evolutionary biology and senior author of the research. Scientists have debated for more than a century how to predict which species are most vulnerable. Sack and two members of his laboratory have made a fundamental discovery that resolves this debate and allows for the prediction of how diverse plant species and vegetation types worldwide will tolerate drought, which is critical given the threats posed by climate change, he said.

Exhibition of Tibetan Buddhist printing from the Derge Parkhang opens April 22 at Fowler
Founded in 1729, the Derge Parkhang, also called the Derge Sutra Printing House, is one of the foremost cultural, religious and historical institutions in Tibet, a place where books are still being m

Study identifies genes linked to post-traumatic stress disorder
Why do some people experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) while others who suffered the same ordeal do not? A new UCLA study may shed light on the answer. UCLA scientists have linked two genes involved in serotonin production to a higher risk of developing PTSD. Published in the April 3 online edition of the Journal of Affective Disorders, the findings suggest that susceptibility to PTSD is inherited, pointing to new ways of screening for and treating the disorder.

UCLA’s World Arts and Cultures/Dance announces events for spring 2012

Engineering researchers use electricity to generate alternative fuel
Imagine being able to use electricity to power your car — even if it's not an electric vehicle. Researchers at the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science have for the first time demonstrated a method for converting carbon dioxide into liquid fuel isobutanol using electricity.

UCLA Department of Music announces spring 2012 events

UCLA Anderson Forecast: ’Curbed enthusiasm’ over good news in national employment data
In its first quarterly report of 2012, the UCLA Anderson Forecast remains cautious about overzealousness regarding the national economy while acknowledging an improving employment situation, with more than half a million jobs created in the first two months of the year.

Does the brain ’remember’ antidepressants?
Individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) often undergo multiple courses of antidepressant treatment during their lives. This is because the disorder can recur despite treatment and because finding the right medication for a specific individual can take time. While the relationship between prior treatment and the brain's response to subsequent treatment is unknown, a new study by UCLA researchers suggests that how the brain responds to antidepressant medication may be influenced by its remembering of past antidepressant exposure.

Scientists identify novel pathway for’T cell activation in leprosy
UCLA researchers have pinpointed a new mechanism that potently activates'T cells, the group of white blood cells that plays a major role in fighting infections. The team specifically studied how dendritic cells, immune cells located at the site of an infection, become more specialized to fight the leprosy pathogen known as Mycobacterium leprae .

UCLA Department of Design | Media Arts announces events for spring 2012

UCLA Ethnomusicology announces events for spring 2012

Obituary: Paul H. Crandall, 89, UCLA professor pioneered surgical approach to treat epilepsy
Paul H. Crandall, who co-founded the UCLA Department of Neurosurgery and pioneered surgical approaches still used today to treat stubborn epileptic seizures, died March 15 from complications related to pneumonia at UCLA Medical Center–Santa Monica.

UCLA Architecture and Urban Design announces events for spring 2012

Researchers develop graphene supercapacitor holding promise for portable electronics
Electrochemical capacitors (ECs), also known as supercapacitors or ultracapacitors, differ from regular capacitors that you would find in your TV or computer in that they store sustantially higher amounts of charges.

A half-billion stars and galaxies from NASA’s WISE mission revealed -- many for first time
A new atlas and catalog of the entire infrared sky with more than a half-billion stars, galaxies and other objects captured by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mission was unveiled by NASA Wednesday.

UCLA to launch unique, comprehensive Alzheimer’s and dementia care program
Alzheimer's disease affects an estimated 5.4 million people in the U.S., some 480,000 of them in California.

Insulin, nutrition prevent blood stem cell differentiation in the fruit fly
UCLA stem cell researchers have shown that insulin and nutrition prevent blood stem cells from differentiating into mature blood cells in Drosophila, the common fruit fly, a finding that has implications for studying inflammatory response and blood development in response to dietary changes in humans.

Way to repair mutations in human mitrochondria
Researchers at the UCLA stem cell center and the departments of chemistry and biochemistry and pathology and laboratory medicine have identified, for the first time, a generic way to correct mutations in human mitochondrial DNA by targeting corrective RNAs, a finding with implications for treating a host of mitochondrial diseases.

UCLA School of Nursing’s May 10 symposium will explore nursing images and the media
It is considered the most ethical and honest profession. Yet, when the public conjures up the image of a nurse, it is usually outdated and incorrect.

UCLA Historian Sings Praises of Afro-Jazz Pioneers
At a time when the music of South African jazz great Hugh Masekela is more likely to be heard in an elevator than a bootleg recording, it's hard to imagine an era when combining jazz and African music would have been considered revolutionary.

KCET to air concert documentary on UCLA jazz professor Kenny Burrell

A bird’s song may teach us about human speech disorders
Can the song of a small bird provide valuable insights into human stuttering and speech-related disorders and conditions, including autism and stroke? New research by UCLA life scientists and colleagues provides reason for optimism.

Parkinson’s disease stopped in animal model
Millions of people suffer from Parkinson's disease, a disorder of the nervous system that affects movement and worsens over time. As the world's population ages, it's estimated that the number of people with the disease will rise sharply. Yet despite several effective therapies that treat Parkinson's symptoms, nothing slows its progression.

Scientists ID cell, signaling pathway that regulate blood stem cells in placenta
UCLA stem-cell researchers have identified a certain type of cell and a signaling pathway in the placental niche that play a key role in stopping blood stem cells from differentiating into mature blood cells in the placenta. Preventing this premature differentiation is critical to ensuring a proper blood supply for an individual's lifetime.

Liquid treasure or trouble? UCLA political scientist explores downside of oil wealth
Oil-rich countries would seem to have won the mineral equivalent of the lottery, tapping into the kind of vast wealth that their counterparts with more diversified economies could only dream of.

Over 100,000 Californians likely to miss out on health care due to language barriers
Language barriers could deter more than 100,000 Californians from enrolling in the Health Benefit Exchange, according to a study released today by the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network, the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, and the UC Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education. The study presents findings from a UC Berkeley–UCLA micro-simulation that estimates the likely enrollment in health care reform programs in California.

Significant state-by-state differences in black, white life expectancy
A UCLA-led group of researchers tracing disparities in life expectancy between blacks and whites in the U.S. has found that white males live about seven years longer on average than African American men and that white women live more than five years longer than their black counterparts. But when comparing life expectancy on a state-by-state basis, the researchers made a surprising discovery: In those states in which the disparities were smallest, the differences often were not the result of African Americans living longer but of whites dying younger than the national average.

Newly approved drug for metastatic melanoma nearly doubles median survival
Researchers from UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, together with scientists from 12 other sites in the U.S. and Australia, report for the first time that a newly approved drug for metastatic melanoma nearly doubles the median survival time for patients with a common genetic mutation - a finding that will change the way this deadly form of skin cancer is treated.

’Second Skins,’ featuring painted barkcloth from Africa, New Guinea opens at Fowler April 1
This April, the Fowler Museum at UCLA presents striking examples of painted barkcloth from two regions on opposite sides of the earth — the Ituri rainforest of the Democratic Republic of the Co

UCLA ranks second in nation in number of 2012 Alfred P. Sloan fellows
Six outstanding young profssors from UCLA are among 126 scientists and scholars from 51 colleges and universities in the United States and Canada to receive 2012 Sloan Research Fellowships from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

Three UCLA researchers honored for bravery in face of threats from extremists
Three UCLA professors have been recognized by the American Association for the Advancement of Science for their "strong defense of the importance of the use of animals in research and their refusal to remain silent in the face of intimidation" by anti–animal research extremists.

School of Public Health receives $50 million gift, largest in school’s 50-year history

UCLA’s Nazarian Center brings iconic hip-hop act from Israel to campus

Scientists report link between traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder
UCLA life scientists and their colleagues have provided the first evidence of a causal link between traumatic brain injury and an increased susceptibility to post-traumatic stress disorder. Their new study, published Feb. 15 in the in the journal Biological Psychology, also suggests that people who suffer even a mild traumatic brain injury are more likely to develop an anxiety disorder and should take precautions to avoid stressful situations for at least some period of time.

UCLA, Motion Picture and Television Fund join to establish new geriatric psychiatry unit
The Motion Picture and Television Fund , the 90-year-old charity supporting members of Hollywood's entertainment industry, today announced a first-of-its-kind affiliation with the UCLA Health System

’Simpsons’ creator Matt Groening donates $500K to UCLA School of Theater, Film and TV

UCLA/Getty conservation program receives $1M Mellon Foundation grant
UCLA has received a $1-million challenge grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation in support of the UCLA/Getty Interdepartmental Program on the Conservation of Archeological and Ethnographic M

UCLA brain-imaging technique predicts who will suffer cognitive decline over time
Cognitive loss and brain degeneration currently affect millions of adults, and the number will increase, given the population of aging baby boomers. Today, nearly 20 percent of people age 65 or older suffer from mild cognitive impairment and 10 percent have dementia. UCLA scientists previously developed a brain-imaging tool to help assess the neurological changes associated with these conditions.

All heart: UCLA docs guide mom with heart condition through birth, operate on newborn
The 33-year-old from of Bakersfield, Calif., suffers from a congenital heart disease called Ebstein's malformation of the tricuspid valve, and from abnormal pulmonary veins.

Engineers create tandem polymer solar cells that set record for energy-conversion
In the effort to convert sunlight into electricity, photovoltaic solar cells that use conductive organic polymers for light absorption and conversion have shown great potential.

President Obama to present UCLA professor with prestigious National Humanities Medal

Distinguished NIH expert on physics of proteins to deliver three Regents lectures

UCLA School of Nursing, LAUSD get middle schoolers moving
Funded by a $1.2 million grant, Kynna Wright-Volel, Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N., assistant professor and Robert Wood Johnson Nurse Faculty Scholar at the UCLA School of Nursing, and the Los Angeles Unified

UCLA faculty experts advisory: Testing pregnant women for thyroid function
Today's New England Journal of Medicine features a prospective treatment study that addresses the value of screening pregnant women for low thyroid function, which has been linked to miscarriage, pre-term delivery and reduced IQ in children.

Scientists boost memory by stimulating key site in brain
UCLA neuroscientists have demonstrated that they can strengthen memory in human patients by stimulating a critical junction in the brain. Published in the Feb. 9 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine, the finding could lead to a new method for boosting memory in patients with early Alzheimer's disease.

Eighth grader creates second iPhone app to benefit UCLA pediatric cancer research
When he was 11, Cameron Cohen created the hit drawing app iSketch for the iPhone and donated $20,000 of the proceeds from its sales to the Chase Child Life program at Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA.

Astronomy team that includes UCLA finance professor discovers nearby dwarf galaxy
A team led by UCLA research astronomer Michael Rich has used a unique telescope to discover a previously unknown companion to the nearby galaxy NGC 4449, which is some 12.5 million light years from Earth. The newly discovered dwarf galaxy had escaped even the prying eyes of the Hubble Space Telescope.

Medical debt keeps rising, new report shows
Hard hit by one of the worst recessions in nearly a century, hundreds of thousands of Californians lost insurance coverage across the state as employers shed jobs and the health plans that came with those jobs, according to a new report from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. Among the most alarming trends resulting from the so-called Great Recession: a significant jump in California's already high rate of residents with medical debt.

New device removes stroke-causing blood clots better than standard treatment
An experimental device for removing blood clots in stroke patients dramatically outperformed the standard mechanical treatment, according to research presented by UCLA Stroke Center director Jeffrey

Here is what real commitment to your marriage means
What does being committed to your marriage really mean? UCLA psychologists answer this question in a new study based on their analysis of 172 married couples over the first 11 years of marriage.

Want to understand the fluid dynamics of the oceans and atmosphere? UCLA’s got the video
Oceans and clouds, even the atmosphere itself, are in constant motion and can undergo dramatic fluctuations, like hurricanes, that lead to severe consequences.

Sundance and the Oscars: A big week for UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and TV

Half of L.A. human-services nonprofits are struggling, new UCLA report shows
Roughly half of Los Angeles County's 6,300 human-services nonprofits — which provide such services as emergency shelter, food, hospice care, and support for foster children, at-risk youth and t

UCLA Law report urges California to take action to protect public from toxic consumer products
More than 2,000 chemicals are used in consumer or commercial products such as toys, clothing and electronics; many are now also in the bodies of men, women and children.

UCLA historian’s book looks at Arab uprisings, their common origins and different paths
Having closely watched the Arab uprisings that began just over a year ago, UCLA historian James Gelvin shudders whenever he hears the term "Arab Spring." "'Spring' implies renewal and joy, and we'

Young breast cancer survivors face serious quality-of-life challenges
Quality of life in younger patients treated for breast cancer is seriously compromised, and these women face more physical and mental health issues than women their age who haven't had cancer and women over 50 who have, according to a study by researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Vision improves modestly in patients after human embryonic stem cells transplants
Researchers at UCLA's Jules Stein Eye Institute and colleagues who successfully transplanted specialized retinal cells derived from human embryonic stem cells into the eyes of two legally blind patients report that the transplants appear safe and that both patients have experienced modest improvement in their vision.

UCLA professors Andrea Ghez, Terence Tao honored by Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
Two internationally renowned UCLA professors — Andrea Ghez, a professor of physics and astronomy, and Terence Tao, a professor of mathematics — have been awarded the Crafoord Prize by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. The prize, which recognizes extraordinary achievements in mathematics, astronomy and other fields, is among the most prestigious honors in science.

’Moving Forward: Life After the Great East Japan Earthquake’ opens March 4 at Fowler
On March 11, 2011, a devastating magnitude 9.0 earthquake hit the coast of northeastern Japan, triggering a tsunami that sent waves as far as six miles inland.

UCLA joins forces with White House to meet unique needs of veterans, families
As part of a White House effort to ensure that America's military heroes receive care worthy of their service, the UCLA Health System and the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA have pledged to m

’The Social Network’: Charles Dickens wrote the script
He looked at the technological revolution unfolding around him and recognized the possibility for new kinds of social networks, and the insight catapulted him to the pinnacle of his field and changed popular culture forever.

Young UCLA leukemia patient launches kid-friendly cookbook, hosts book signing
Jack Witherspoon, an 11-year-old aspiring chef who has battled leukemia three times and recently underwent a successful bone marrow transplant at Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA, will sign copies of his new cookbook, "Twist It Up" (Chronicle Books), written to inspire kids to have fun cooking.

Diet counts: Iron intake in teen years can impact brain in later life
Iron is a popular topic in health news. Doctors prescribe it for medical reasons, and it's available over the counter as a dietary supplement. And while it's known that too little iron can result in cognitive problems, it's also known that too much promotes neurodegenerative diseases. Now, researchers at UCLA have found that in addition to causing cognitive problems, a lack of iron early in life can affect the brain's physical structure as well.

UCLA’s World Arts and Cultures/Dance announces events for winter 2012

UCLA Department of Music announces winter 2012 events

Protein changes identified in early-onset Alzheimer’s
With a lack of effective treatments for Alzheimer's, most of us would think long and hard about whether we wanted to know years in advance if we were genetically predisposed to develop the disease. For researchers, however, such knowledge is a window into Alzheimer's disease's evolution. Understanding the biological changes that occur during the clinically "silent" stage — the years before symptoms appear — provides clues about the causes of the disease and may offer potential targets for drugs that will stop it from progressing.

Professor’s cell phone microscope honored as best innovation of 2011
A groundbreaking imaging technology developed by UCLA Engineering professor Aydogan Ozcan that can turn a simple cell phone into a powerful microscope has been named the top innovation of 2011 by The Scientist , a magazine focusing on the life sciences, research and technology.

’Back talk’ from blood cells to their progenitors is critical to balancing blood supply
When it comes to the body's blood supply, maintaining the right balance is crucial. UCLA stem cell scientists have now discovered that in the common fruit fly, this balancing act requires a complex "conversation" involving more parties than originally thought. In a new study, they show that two-way signaling from two different sets of cells is necessary for bloody-supply balance, both to ensure that enough blood cells are produced to respond to injury and infection and that blood progenitor cells remain available for future needs.

Home monitoring may help manage and reduce costs for heart failure
Heart failure affects 5.8 million people in the U.S. alone and is responsible for nearly 1 million hospitalizations each year, most resulting from a build-up of body fluid in the lungs and other organs due to the heart's inability to pump effectively.

UCLA political scientist heads to Iowa, New Hampshire for survey of presidential campaign
After watching in frustration as the nation's press corps has written the history of one presidential election after another, UCLA political scientist Lynn Vavreck finally decided something had to give.

Removal of lymph nodes during surgery for thyroid cancer may be beneficial
Papillary thyroid cancer accounts for the majority of all thyroid malignancies, which primarily impact women. A new study indicates that routinely removing lymph nodes in the neck in these cancer patients may help prevent the disease from coming back. When thyroid cancer metastasizes, lymph nodes in the neck may be affected, but these lymph-node tumors can be tiny and may not be detected by ultrasounds done before surgery to remove the diseased thyroid — or even during the procedure itself.

West Coast’s first hand transplant recipient to ride in 2012 Rose Parade
( Editors: PHOTO OP available Thursday, Dec. 22, at 1:30 p.m. at 1888 Elliott in Yuba City, Calif.

Snipping key nerves may help life-threatening heart rhythms
What do sweaty palms and abnormal heart rhythms have in common? Both can be initiated by the nervous system during an adrenaline-driven "flight-or-fight" stress reaction, when the body senses danger.

UCLA Department of Design | Media Arts announces events for winter 2012
Media Arts (DMA) is offering a variety of events for the public's enjoyment this winter, including exhibitions, seminars, symposia and lectures.

UCLA Architecture and Urban Design announces events for winter 2012

UCLA Ethnomusicology announces events for winter 2012

Building the smart grid of the future: UCLA teams with Korea’s energy research institute
Imagine a home in which every appliance — computer, television, washing machine, refrigerator, air conditioner — can carry on a minute-by-minute "conversation" with the local power grid,

UCLA Department of Art announces events for winter 2012

Fowler exhibition highlights artist Alighiero Boetti’s embroideries by Afghan women
From 1971 to 1994, Italian artist Alighiero Boetti (1940–94) embarked on a series of projects with Afghan embroiderers, creating monumental pieces that would become some of his most iconic works.

What do animals ’know’? More than you may think
"Rats often make judgments and behave as if they're rational creatures," said UCLA associate professor of psychology Aaron Blaisdell, a member of UCLA's Brain Research Institute and senior author of a new study published in the December issue of the journal Psychonomic Bulletin and Review.

Researchers enhance graphene to enable multicolor photodetection
Graphene, a one-atom–thick layer of carbon lattice with a honeycomb structure, is seen as an attractive semiconductor material for use in future electronics and optoelectronics because of its speed, transparency, flexibility and strength.

Sound and vision work hand in hand, UCLA psychologists report
"If we think of the perceptual system as a democracy where each sense is like a person casting a vote and all votes are counted to reach a decision — although not all votes are counted equally — what our study shows is that the voters talk to one another and influence one another even before each casts a vote," said Ladan Shams, a UCLA associate professor of psychology and the senior author of the new study.

5 UCLA professors named fellows by American Association for the Advancement of Science
Five UCLA scholars have been selected as fellows by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world's largest general scientific society and the publisher of the journal Science.

Older Californians with disabilities struggle to remain at home as public programs lose funding
California's low-income seniors with disabilities are struggling to remain in their homes as public funding for long-term care services shrinks and may be slashed even further, according to a new study by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research conducted with support from The SCAN Foundation.

Anderson Forecast: U.S. economy mired in slump, but little chance of double-dip recession
In its fourth quarterly report of 2011, the UCLA Anderson Forecast's outlook for the nation sees gross domestic product growth at a "below-trend rate" for the next five quarters.

Researchers suggest unconventional approach to control HIV epidemics
A new weapon has emerged to prevent HIV infection. Called pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, it is a strategy of providing medications to at-risk people before they are exposed to the virus. Having shown great promise in recent phase 3 clinical trials, PrEP may soon be rolled out for public use. Because PrEP is based on the same drugs used to treat HIV-infected individuals, the big public health fear is that the dual use of these drugs will lead to skyrocketing levels of drug resistance.

U.S. has more elected, appointed Asian American officials than ever
More Asian Pacific Americans hold public office in the United States than at any other time in U.S. history, a sign of the community's growing engagement with the political process, according to a newly released political almanac published by UCLA's Asian American Studies Center.

Breathe easier: New parenting book addresses full range of children’s respiratory issues
Why do infants make snorting sounds during feedings? Is snoring normal in a toddler? Is it safe to give popcorn to a 2-year-old? How many colds a year are normal for a 5-year-old? Does air quality in the home affect a child's respiratory system? About 80 to 90 percent of children at one time or another experience breathing problems.

Older may not mean better when it comes to human embryonic stem cell lines
Older, established human embryonic stem cell lines, including those approved for federal research funding under former President George W. Bush, differ from newly derived human embryonic stem cell lines, according to a study by UCLA stem cell researchers.

Powerful mathematical model greatly improves predictions for species facing climate change
UCLA life scientists and colleagues have produced the most comprehensive mathematical model ever devised to track the health of populations exposed to environmental change.

Fowler Museum launches world music educational series for families

Food served in children’s hospitals rated largely unhealthy
Given the obesity epidemic among the nation's young, one might hope that children's hospitals would serve as a role model for healthy eating.

The study-abroad route less traveled: A year in Russia

2 million Californians report mental health needs; most receive little or no treatment
Nearly 2 million adults in California, about 8 percent of the population, need mental health treatment, but the majority receive no services or inadequate services, despite a state law mandating that health insurance providers include mental health treatment in their coverage options, a new report by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research shows.

Scientists engineer blood stem cells to fight melanoma
Researchers from UCLA's cancer and stem cell centers have demonstrated for the first time that blood stem cells can be engineered to create cancer-killing T-cells that seek out and attack a human melanoma. The researchers believe the approach could be useful in about 40 percent of Caucasians with this malignancy.

Andrew C. Charles named inaugural holder of Luskin Chair in Migraine and Headache Studies
Andrew C. Charles, a professor of neurology and director of UCLA's Headache Research and Treatment Program , has been named the first holder of the Meyer and Renee Luskin Chair in Migraine and Headache Studies.

UCLA Nursing’s teen-mom intervention program to receive funding under Affordable Care Act
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has chosen an adolescent pregnancy-intervention program designed by the UCLA School of Nursing as a model program for funding under the health care reform law.