Department of Physiology and Biophysics > News

Latest News

2023

Date	Description
NOV 1	In Memoriam: Kenneth M. Baldwin, PhD

2022

Date	Description
APR 12	UCI-led study reveals how TREM2 gene mutation in brain microglia immune cells can increase Alzheimer’s risk
APR 12	Professor co-writes book on how membranes and their proteins work
APR 12	Two grad students win Grad Slam competition

2021

Date	Description
OCT 22	UCI-led study suggests new molecular target for therapeutic interventions aimed at C. difficile infection
JUN 24	UCI professor wins Spain’s prestigious Princess of Asturias award for scientific research
JUN 23	UCI Professor Uncovers Blueprints Behind Botox Bacteria
APR 8	Geoff Abbott, PhD, speaks on Super Human Radio about the Antihypertensive Properties of Green and Black Tea
MAR 09	Science Reveals Why Tea is Good For Your Heart
MAR 08	New discovery explains antihypertensive properties of green and black tea
FEB 05	Physiology & Biophysics faculty named among the top 2% of scientists in the world

2020

Date	Description
DEC 18	2020 Physiology & Biophysics Department Annual Awards
DEC 01	A preference for peers over faculty: implementation and evaluation of medical student-led physiology exam review tutorials
NOV 24	Dr. Steve Goldstein named AAAS Fellow
OCT 28	Transforming University of California, IRVINE medical physiology instruction into the pandemic era
OCT 27	Dr. Philip Felgner is awarded the UCI Beall Innovator COVID-19 Response Award
JUN 06	Graduate student Desiree Macchia is selected as a recipient of the Inclusive Excellence Ambassador Fellowship
JUN 06	Graduate student May Hui is selected as a recipient of the Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program’s Predoctoral Fellowship Award
JUN 04	Krzysztof Palczewski, PhD is selected as a recipient of the Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) Stein Innovation Award
MAY 21	A Physiology and biophysics PhD student, Elizabeth Hubbard, has been awarded the UCI Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory’s (CNLM) Jared M. Roberts Memorial Award
NOV 23	Regulatory T cells could lead to new immunotherapies aimed at treating multiple sclerosis
NOV 03	Understanding a virus Q&A with Dr. Philip Felgner
OCT 16	Married scientists take on fight against breast cancer
AUG 19	UCI develops low-cost, accurate COVID-19 antibody detection platform
JUN 27	New study reveals how day- and night-biting mosquitoes respond differently to colors of light and time of day
JUN 3	Blood will tell
APR 16	Departments of Ophthalmology and Physiology & Biophysics welcomes Dorota Skowronska-Krawczyk, PhD
APR 6	Doctors race to develop coronavirus drugs, speeding through hurdles
MAR 30	Coronavirus: Scientists Looking Into Immunity Testing
FEB 25	Philip Kiser, PhD, is named recipient of the 2020 Pisart Award in Vision Science
FEB 18	UCI researchers reveal how low oxygen levels in the heart predispose people to life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias
JAN 24	UCI researchers identify a connection between early life adversity and opioid addiction
DEC 13	Graduate student Ryan T. Davis is selected as the recipient of the 2019 Gazzaniga Family Medical Research Award

2019

Date	Description
NOV 26	Dr. Tallie Z. Baram named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
NOV 7	UCI-led study reveals non-image light sensing mechanism of circadian neurons in fruit flies; Researchers reveal the role of blue and ultra violet light and how they affect central brain neurons
OCT 22	Dr. Kenneth Baldwin, professor emeritus of Physiology & Biophysics, has been selected as the UC Irvine Emeriti/ae Association's Outstanding Emeritus for 2019
OCT 21	Krzysztof Palczewski, professor of physiology & biophysics, elected to National Academy of Medicine
OCT 15	Dr. Kevin Beier, assistant professor of Physiology & Biophysics receives prestigious NIH Director’s New Innovator Award for the development of novel approaches to modulate neuronal plasticity.
JUL 15	New UCI-led study uncovers weakness in C. diff toxin; Discovery may lead to new therapeutics and vaccines aimed at fighting the deadly disease
JUL 10	UCI child neurologist Dr. Tallie Z. Baram is awarded $15 million Conte Center grant
JUL 1	UCI researchers to join national effort to build atlas of human breast cells
FEB 28	UCI School of Medicine Researcher, Geoff Abbott PhD, awarded nearly $4 million for studies related to neurological disorders including epilepsy

2018

Date	Description
DEC 08	Albert Zlotnik, Chancellor's Professor of Physiology & Biophysics, receives the 2018 Award for Academic Excellence from the National College of Chemists Pharmacists and Biologists of Mexico.
NOV 28	Stephen White, professor emeritus of physiology & biophysics, is named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
OCT 10	UCI researcher Geoffrey Abbot discovers molecular mechanisms of ancient herbal remedies.
OCT 02	UCI neuroscientist Medha Pathak, PhD, receives NIH Director's New Innovator Award for research on the mechanics of human neural development.
SEP 10	Physiology & Biophysics welcomes Philip Kiser, PhD, as assistant professor.
JUL 01	Physiology & Biophysics congratulates Hamid Said for his distinguished professor distinction!
JUL 01	Physiology & Biophysics congratulates Qin Yang for his promotion to associate professor (tenured)!
JUL 01	Physiology & Biophysics welcomes Kevin Beier, PhD, as assistant professor.
JUN 01	Phil Felgner, PhD, joins the Department of Physiology & Biophysics.
JUN 01	Amanda Burkhardt, PhD, joins the Department of Physiology & Biophysics.
MAY	The Department congratulate PhD student Katrina Evans, the recipient of the 2018 School of Medicine Stanley Behrens Fellows in Medicine award. She is advised by Professor Devon Lawson.
MAY	The Department congratulates PhD student Jenna Kastenschmidt, the recipient of the 2018 School of Medicine Stanley Behrens Fellows in Medicine award. She is advised by Professor Armando Villalta.
MAY 21	Ancient sequence motif leads Geoffrey Abbott, PhD, UCI professor of Physiology and Biophysics, to discover novel mode of neurotransmitter-based communication.
MAY 11	Rongsheng Jin, PhD, UCI professor of Physiology and Biophysics, helps identify how the Clostridium difficile toxin causes deadly gastrointestinal infections.
MAY 02	Todd C. Holmes, PhD, Professor of Physiology and Biophysics, receives $2.1-million NIH grant, UCI's first ever Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (MIRA).
APR 10	Special announcement: PhD candidate Karissa Munoz receives 2018 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program Award.
APR 10	Todd Holmes receives UCI’s first Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award from the NIH

2017

Date	Description
NOV 15	The Lawson lab is awarded pilot funds from the Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative to build a cell atlas of human breast tissue. Collaborators include the Kessenbrock lab at UC Irvine.
SEP 25	The Department welcomes CMB transfer PhD student Albert Ta who has joined the Ping Wang lab and INP transfer student Jesse Holt who has joined the Pathak lab.
SEP 25	The Department welcomes CMB transfer PhD students Andrew Wheat who has joined the Lan Huang lab and Karissa Munoz who has joined the Villalta lab.
AUG 02	Medha Pathak, PhD, and Ian Parker, PhD, receive pilot funding of $50,000 from the School of Medicine & Ayala School of Biological Sciences. Great work!
JULY 01	The Department welcomes Hamid Said, Ph.D. as Professor
JULY 01	The Department welcomes Geoffrey Abbott, PhD, and his lab members to Irvine Hall!
JUN 19	Physiology & Biophysics PhD dtudent Ceazar Nave explains how insect research at UC Irvine may lead to a cure for "social jet lag” from staying up late and sleeping in.
JUN 17-18	Galina Schmunk from the Gargus lab served as the Gordon Research Seminar on Calcium Signaling organizer chair! The aim of this Gordon Research Seminar is to bring together students, postdocs and junior investigators in the field of calcium signaling to share cutting-edge research and to create opportunities for future collaborations. Great job Galina!
MAY 31	'You are already catalyzing change,' Armando Villalta, PhD, tells UC Santa Cruz students at end-of-year celebration for graduating seniors and others in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math
APR 18	Autism research news from the Center for Autism Research and Translation: "Mighty element plays major part in autism."
APR	The Department welcomes CMB transfer PhD student Chang Zhao who has joined the Tombola lab and MCSB PhD student Kerrigan Blake who has joined the Lawson lab.
FEB 23	Armando Villalta, PhD, receives an Institute of Clinical & Translational Science 2017 Pilot Grant Award for work on regulatory T-cell responses in muscle degenerative disorders.
FEB	Researchers Francesco Tombola and Medha Pathak are recognized by the Society of General Physiologists with the Cranefield Award who in the preceding calendar year published an outstanding article in the Journal. Pathak, M.M., Tran, T., Hong, L., Joós, B., Morris, C.E., Tombola, F. (2016) The Hv1 proton channel responds to mechanical stimuli. J. Gen. Physiol. 148(5): 405-418.
FEB 02	CART Symposium
JAN	Jenna Kastenschmidt of the Villalta Lab wins award at Asilomar Midwinter Conference

2016

Date	Description
SEPT	The Department welcomes new international PhD students Hugo Lin and Laura Mendez.
AUG 01	The Department welcomes CMB transfer Ph.D. student Athena Papasodero!
JULY 01	The Department welcomes CMB transfer Ph.D. students Ryan Davis, Katrina Evans, Jenna Kastenschmidt, and Ceazar Nave!
JUNE 27	The Department of Physiology & Biophysics welcomes Milton Greenberg, Ph.D. to Assistant Adjunct Professor/Course Director.
JUN 13	A study co-led by UC Irvine’s Rongsheng Jin, professor of physiology & biophysics, reveals Botox’s sweet tooth underlies its key neuron-targeting mechanism.
JUN 07	Qin Yang, MD and PhD, is chosen as a Research Associates Award Recipient.
JUN 01	The Department of Physiology & Biophysics welcomes Medha Pathak, Ph.D. to Assistant Professor.
JUNE	The Department Congratulates Professor Kenneth Longmuir's Excellence in Teaching- Basic Science Award!
MAY 21-25	Lisa Baik receives merit award for "CRYPTOCHROME is a Direct Neuronal Ultraviolet Light Sensor" presentation at Society for Research on Biological Rhythms' 2016 conference.
MAY 13	Gabriel Vargas, MD and PhD, selected as one of UC Irvine Graduate Division's top 50 graduate and postdoctoral scholar alumni honorees.
FEB 24-26	Lisa Baik awarded “Best Poster” at the Center for Circadian Biology Symposium: From Cells to Clinic, 2016.

2015

Date	Description
NOV 18	Lisa Soyeon Baik has been selected as the 2015-2016 ARCS Scholar.
OCT 16	The Department of Physiology & Biophysics welcomes new faculty members for the 2015-2016 year.
JUN 02	Chemistry Nobel laureate Dr. Irwin Rose passed away June 2, 2015.
JAN 14	Jay Gargus, M.D. turning the corner on autism

2014

Date	Description
JUN 19	Rongsheng Jin, Ph.D. and his lab learn how botulism-causing toxin enters bloodstream