UC Davis Research News

Excess folic acid may pose health risks for the elderly, UC Davis study suggests

Karen Finney — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (November 19, 2009) - A new UC Davis study found that elevated levels of folic acid may aggravate metabolic complications associated with vitamin B-12 deficiency — a serious health concern that can lead to anemia and neurological damage. The results, which are online now and will be published in the December issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, suggest that it is wise to avoid taking folic-acid supplements unless specifically advised by a physician.

Text message reminders can encourage healthy action

Susan Mar-Schwab — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 08:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (November 16, 2009) - People who received daily text messages reminding them to apply sunscreen were nearly twice as likely to use it as those who did not receive such messages, a new study led by a UC Davis Health System dermatologist has found.

New UC Global Health Institute aims to prepare students to be world leaders

Susan Mar-Schwab — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (November 9, 2009) - The University of California today launched a new Global Health Institute with nearly $4 million in start-up funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

UC Davis researchers discover new source of brain cells

Susan Mar-Schwab — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (November 9, 2009) - Twenty-six years after scientists first suspected their existence, UC Davis researchers provide definitive evidence that certain neural progenitor cells, which can be identified by their expression of a myelin gene promoter, are present throughout the adult brain and spinal cord, and that these cells are capable of differentiating into neurons.

Villablanca and Howell receive grant to examine women's careers in medicine

Karen Finney — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (November 6, 2009) - UC Davis physician researchers Amparo Villablanca and Lydia Howell have received a $1.27 million, four-year grant from the National Institutes of Health for research on family-friendly policies for women with careers in medicine.

Community forum on stem cell research and cancer

Susan Mar-Schwab — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (November 3, 2009) - Four UC Davis stem cell experts will give brief presentations on stem cell research followed by a question-and-answer session during a community forum on Wednesday, Nov. 4, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at the UC Davis MIND Institute, 2825 50th Street, in Sacramento.

UC Davis study finds distinctions in physician satisfaction by medical specialty

Karen Finney — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 07:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (October 29, 2009) - Results of a UC Davis study of more than 6,500 physicians has found significant distinctions in job satisfaction based on medical specialty. Physicians who treat the elderly and children top the satisfaction list, while gynecologists and some surgeons had lower satisfaction levels.

$1 million study of inhaling carbon nanotubes funded by federal stimulus

Phyllis Brown — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 07:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (October 28, 2009) - Researchers at UC Davis have received a $1 million grant from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, or federal stimulus, to study the health effects of breathing a ubiquitous substance used in everything from sunblock to bicycles.

Undergrad biology student wows judges at cancer center research symposium

Dorsey Griffith — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 07:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (October 19, 2009) - When UC Davis undergraduate Tem Woldeyesus presented his scientific poster at the UC Davis Cancer Center research symposium recently, he didn't know his project was being scrutinized by a panel of three judges.

UC Davis study finds mercury levels in children with autism and those developing typically are the same

Phyllis Brown — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 07:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (October 19, 2009) - In a large population-based study published online today, researchers at the UC Davis MIND Institute report that after adjusting for a number of factors, typically developing children and children with autism have similar levels of mercury in their blood streams. Mercury is a heavy metal found in other studies to adversely affect the developing nervous system.

UC Davis scientists show how the brain changes minds

Phyllis Brown — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 07:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (October 15, 2009) - When you rationalize driving your SUV with the world growing ever warmer or smoking with the threat of lung cancer looming, a distinct area in the middle of the frontal lobes of your brain allows you to adjust your attitudes to justify your behavior, research conducted at UC Davis has found.

UC Davis researchers receive prestigious stimulus grant for stem-cell research on FXTAS

Phyllis Brown — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 07:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (October 13, 2009) - UC Davis researchers are among a handful of scientists nationwide to receive a highly coveted challenge grant from the National Institutes of Health, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The award is one of only 200 selected from among 22,000 challenge grant applications.

UC Davis study profiles "bad-guy magnet" gun dealers

Carole Gan — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 07:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (October 13, 2009) - A new UC Davis study finds that licensed handgun retailers who sell crime guns more frequently than expected have distinguishing characteristics that can be identified using existing records collected at the federal level. The study, published in the October issue of the journal Injury Prevention, suggests that screening and focused law enforcement could help disrupt illegal gun commerce without unduly affecting the legitimate gun market.

AAMC awards UC Davis' Elizabeth Miller prestigious Nickens Fellowship

Phyllis Brown — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 07:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (October 8, 2009) - Elizabeth Miller, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the UC Davis School of Medicine, has been awarded the 2009 Herbert W. Nickens Faculty Fellowship by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the nation’s leading medical education organization. Miller will receive the award during the AAMC’s annual meeting Nov. 6 through 11 in Boston.

Revolutionary statewide UC collaboration targets breast cancer

Dorsey Griffith — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 07:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (September 30, 2009) - UC Davis Cancer Center will take part in an unprecedented statewide collaboration for breast cancer patients with the goal of revolutionizing the course of their care by designing and testing new approaches to research, technology and health-care delivery.

UC Davis investigators to receive NIH New Innovator funding

Karen Finney — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 07:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (September 28, 2009) - The National Institutes of Health has announced that two UC Davis Health System researchers will receive NIH Director's New Innovator Awards to support their work on pediatric brain cancer and tuberculosis.

Innovative, collaborative projects recognized with 2009 CTSC pilot grants

David Ong — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 07:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (September 17, 2009) - Seven UC Davis researchers received pilot grant awards from the UC Davis Clinical and Translational Science Center (CTSC) to conduct innovative and collaborative research. The awards support studies ranging from work on a more effective epilepsy drug to an improved computer interface for controlling a wheelchair, room lights and a computer mouse.

Difficulties with daily activities associated with progression to dementia

Phyllis Brown — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 07:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (September 15, 2009) - Among individuals with mild cognitive impairment — often considered a transitional state between normal cognitive function and Alzheimer’s dementia — those who have more difficulties performing routine activities appear more likely to progress quickly to dementia, according to a report published online in the September issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Study identifies which children do not need CT scans after head trauma

Susan Mar-Schwab — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 07:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (September 14, 2009) - A substantial percentage of children who get CT scans after apparently minor head trauma do not need them, and as a result are put at increased risk of cancer due to radiation exposure. After analyzing more than 42,000 children with head trauma, a national research team led by two UC Davis emergency department physicians has developed guidelines for doctors who care for children with head trauma aimed at reducing those risks.

Some Asian-American women affected differently by non-smoking rules and policies, new research shows

Susan Mar-Schwab — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 07:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (September 3, 2009) - Smoke-free policies and non-smoking rules are not always effective among Asian American women, a majority of which don’t smoke but may be at risk for second-hand smoke exposure, a recent study has found.

UC Davis report exposes loopholes in gun-control laws

Carole Gan — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 07:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (September 2, 2009) - Gun shows and the lack of uniform gun-control laws provide easy access to guns that can be used for criminal purposes, according to a new report released today from the UC Davis Violence Prevention Research Program.

PET plus CT accurately visualizes suspected breast cancer tumors in 3-D, UC Davis researchers report

Susan Mar-Schwab — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 07:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (September 2, 2009) - An innovative collaboration among UC Davis engineers, physicists and radiologists has resulted in the first-ever fully 3-D breast imaging technique that uses both high-resolution PET and CT scanning.

Girls and boys needed for study of wearable activity monitor

David Ong — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 07:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (September 1, 2009) - Volunteers are needed for a UC Davis study to assess how an activity monitor, a small device similar to a pedometer worn on the hip, can measure how hard the subjects land on the ground while walking and running.

UC Davis Health System presents public forum on stem cell treatment opportunities

Susan Mar-Schwab — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 07:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (September 1, 2009) - Four UC Davis stem cell experts will give brief presentations on stem cell research followed by question-and-answer sessions during a community forum on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2009, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the UC Davis Education Building, 4610 X Street, in Sacramento.

Girls and boys needed for study of wearable activity monitor

Susan Mar-Schwab — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 07:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (August 26, 2009) - Volunteers are needed for a UC Davis study to assess how an activity monitor, a small device similar to a pedometer worn on the hip, can measure how hard the subjects land on the ground while walking and running.

UC Davis stem cell researcher awarded funding for novel approach to wound repair

Susan Mar-Schwab — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 07:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (August 21, 2009) - Min Zhao, professor of dermatology and an expert in cell migration, has been awarded a three-year, $1 million grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM).

UC Davis researcher receives funding for schizophrenia research

Karen Finney — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 07:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (August 11, 2009) - The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation has selected Michael Minzenberg of UC Davis as a recipient of a 2009 Clinical Scientist Development Award for his pioneering work in treating schizophrenia.

Chronic disease self-management program is not more effective than typical care after one year

Karen Finney — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 07:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (August 4, 2009) - A peer-led health education and counseling program designed to help patients manage their chronic illnesses initially had some positive outcomes but did not improve patient health after one year, according to new research from UC Davis.

Subjects needed for study of minimally invasive treatment for severe emphysema

David Ong — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 07:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (July 30, 2009) - UC Davis Medical Center is among several sites across the United States that is now recruiting patients with acute and chronic conditions of the lung for a study of a minimally invasive treatment for severe emphysema.

Alzheimer's-causing amyloid and bacteria trigger same immune response in the brain

Phyllis Brown — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 07:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (July 22, 2009) - In a new study published today in the July issue of the journal Cell Host & Microbe, UC Davis researchers report that amyloid plaques found in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients and structures made by some gut bacteria both likely elicit the same response by human immune cells.

UC Davis study highlights work-life issues of female surgeons

Karen Finney — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 07:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (July 20, 2009) - Even with the demands of surgical careers, most surgeons would still choose their profession again. Women surgeons, however, are far more likely to postpone having children or to not have children at all and would prefer more flexibility in their work schedules, a national survey conducted by UC Davis researchers has found. The survey findings are reported today in the Archives of Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Poor health care access not to blame for high death rates among American Indian women with breast cancer

Dorsey Griffith — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 07:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (July 20, 2009) - Low breast cancer screening and survival rates for American Indian and Alaska native women have more to do with cultural beliefs than with barriers such as access to health care, a new UC Davis study has found.

UC Davis researchers launch study of second-hand smoke and infection in infants, young children

Phyllis Brown — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 07:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (July 2, 2009) - Each year during the winter and spring, pediatricians’ offices are inundated by visits from very young children suffering from a variety of upper respiratory infections, ranging from rhino virus, or the common cold, to seasonal flu viruses, respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, and pneumonia.

College students take giant step toward cancer science careers

Phyllis Brown — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 07:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (June 29, 2009) - Nine area college students are taking a giant step toward cancer science careers this summer — and helping to address a shortage of under-represented groups in cancer research — by working as interns in one of four UC Davis cancer research laboratories.

UC Davis researchers develop new test for fragile X syndrome

Phyllis Brown — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 07:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (June 25, 2009) - Researchers at UC Davis have developed a new test that will measure the protein deficit responsible for fragile X syndrome — the single-most common cause of intellectual impairment and the most-commonly inherited cause of autism.

Brain functions that can prevent relapse improve after a year of methamphetamine abstinence

Susan Mar-Schwab — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 07:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (June 25, 2009) - In a study published online by the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, UC Davis researchers report that it takes at least a year for former methamphetamine users to regain impulse control. The results tell recovering substance abusers, their families and drug-treatment specialists that it can take an extended period of time for the brain functions critical to recovery to improve.

UC Davis researchers visualize formation of a new synapse

Phyllis Brown — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 07:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (June 17, 2009) - A protein called neuroligin that is implicated in some forms of autism is critical to the construction of a working synapse, locking neurons together like "molecular Velcro," a study lead by a team of UC Davis researchers has found.

Health system severs ties with KRXQ

David Ong — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 07:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (June 10, 2009) - Due to recent comments made by announcers on KRXQ about transgender children, and the lack of a public response from KRXQ management about those comments, UC Davis Health System has canceled its advertising on the radio station and ended its partnership with the station for Children's Miracle Network fundraising.

UC Davis to collaborate on nation's most comprehensive study of autism early risk factors

Phyllis Brown — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 07:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (June 9, 2009) - A network of leading autism researchers from three regions across the country today launched one of the largest research studies of its kind to investigate early risk factors for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).

Hypertension among employees with lower-status jobs lingers well into retirement

Karen Finney — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 07:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (June 9, 2009) - Retirement from some occupations may not provide relief from the potentially devastating health effects of work-related hypertension, according to a new study from UC Davis. Published in the June issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, the study is the first to show that retirement-aged Americans who held higher-status jobs — such as chief executives, financial managers and management analysts — tend to have the lowest rates of hypertension, while those who had lower-status jobs tend to have the highest rates.

Study shows link between depression and cognitive decline in older Latino couples

David Ong — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 07:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (June 3, 2009) - Researchers studying older Latino married couples found that a husband’s level of depression negatively impacts not only his cognitive abilities but can also negatively affect his wife’s depression and mental faculties over time. The reverse situation, however, does not hold true. These are some of the findings from an eight-year National Institute of Aging-funded study published online in Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders.

Poor attention in kindergarten predicts lower high school test scores, UC Davis researchers find

Phyllis Brown — Tue, 26 May 2009 07:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (May 26, 2009) - As thousands of students nationwide prepare to leave high school, a UC Davis study appearing online today in the June issue of the medical journal Pediatrics shows a clear link between attention problems early in school — as early as kindergarten — and lower high school test scores.

Researchers induce formation of new blood vessels using stem cells from bone marrow

Susan Mar-Schwab — Fri, 22 May 2009 07:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (May 22, 2009) - Researchers have successfully induced the formation of new blood vessels in mice with reduced blood flow (ischemia) to their limbs using adult human stem cells. The breakthrough treatment resulted in fully functioning limbs that showed both increased blood flow to previously damaged areas and an increase in the number of blood vessels.

Second annual Literature and Pathology Conference set for May 22-24

David Ong — Tue, 19 May 2009 07:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (May 19, 2009) - Images of illness in literature and drama will be the focus of the second annual Literature and Pathology Conference, set for May 22 through May 24 at the Education Building on UC Davis' Sacramento campus, 4610 X St.

Women previously diagnosed with abnormal cervical cell growth at higher risk for recurrence and invasive cancer

Susan Mar-Schwab — Tue, 12 May 2009 07:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (May 12, 2009) - New research from the UC Davis Center for Healthcare Policy and Research has found that women who have been treated for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (abnormal cervical cell growth), are at higher risk for a recurrence of the disease or invasive cervical cancer.

UC Davis Health System researchers awarded new stem cell grants

Charles Casey — Fri, 01 May 2009 07:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (May 1, 2009) - The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), the state stem cell agency, has approved two multimillion dollar, multi-year grants to UC Davis Health System researchers to develop a novel stem cell therapy for neurodegenerative disorders such as Huntington's disease and to support the development of treatments for young patients suffering from sickle cell anemia, thalassemia and other inherited blood and metabolic disorders.

Burns selected for award from Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology

David Ong — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 07:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (April 23, 2009) - Marie Burns, associate professor in the UC Davis Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Science and a member of the UC Davis Center for Neuroscience, is the 2009 recipient of the Cogan Award. The award, bestowed by the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, recognizes a researcher 40 years or younger who has made important contributions to research in ophthalmology or visual science that are directly related to disorders of the human eye or visual system, and who shows substantial promise for future research.

Researchers identify how PCBs may alter in utero, neonatal brain development

Phyllis Brown — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 07:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (April 13, 2009) - In three new studies — including one appearing online today in the Public Library of Science - Biology (PLoS - Biology) — UC Davis researchers provide compelling evidence of how low levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) alter the way brain cells develop.

New funding allows UC Davis researchers to develop simple diagnostic test for kidney cancer

Susan Mar-Schwab — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 07:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (April 9, 2009) - UC Davis researchers have received a $1.25 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to identify the biomarkers of kidney cancer. The funding makes possible a five-year project that will find early indicators and a diagnostic test for the disease.

UC Davis researcher receives $2.6 million grant to study most common human genetic deletion

Phyllis Brown — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 07:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (April 2, 2009) - The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded Tony J. Simon, pediatric cognitive neuroscientist with the UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute, a five-year, $2.6 million grant to study the syndrome associated with the single most common genetic deletion in humans — chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome.

UC Davis researchers identify a protein that may help breast cancer spread, beat cancer drugs

Karen Finney — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 07:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (April 1, 2009) - New research from UC Davis Cancer Center shows that a protein called Muc4 may be the essential ingredient that allows breast cancer to spread to other organs and resist therapeutic treatment. The study, which appears in the April 1 issue of Cancer Research, is one of the first to characterize the role of Muc4 in this disease.

Reducing traffic deaths from impaired driving via increased DUI convictions is aim of UC Davis project

David Ong — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 07:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (March 30, 2009) - Hospital emergency rooms have long been a place where lives are saved on the spot. A new program being developed by the UC Davis Trauma Prevention Program will extend that lifesaving work by making sure law enforcement agencies know the blood-alcohol content of patients admitted after alcohol-related vehicle crashes.

First-ever video reveals how HIV spreads between immune cells

Susan Mar-Schwab — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 07:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (March 26, 2009) - For the first time, scientists at UC Davis and Mount Sinai School of Medicine have captured video footage showing the transfer of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) from an infected T-cell to an uninfected one through an adhesive structure called a virological synapse.

UC Davis researchers find personality test can predict whether medical study participants will stay or go

Phyllis Brown — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 07:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (March 26, 2009) - A study by researchers at UC Davis has found that giving clinical trial participants a simple personality test can predict which ones are more likely to drop out of a study or miss data collection appointments and potentially "wreak havoc" with study outcomes.

"The fever effect" in autism subject of April 2009 M.I.N.D. Institute Distinguished Lecture

Phyllis Brown — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 07:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (March 24, 2009) - More often than children with other neurodevelopmental disorders, children with autism are observed to experience periods of improved behavior and language use during fevers and illness. Studies of this behavioral anomaly, known as “the fever effect,” will be the topic of the April 2009 UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute Distinguished Lecturer Series.

Inconsistent performance speed among children with ADHD may underlie how well they use memory

Phyllis Brown — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 07:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (March 24, 2009) - Children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) show more variable or inconsistent responses during ‘working’ or short-term memory tasks when compared with typically developing peers, a study by UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute researcher Julie Schweitzer has found.

UC Davis researcher receives funding to develop diagnostic test for ovarian cancer

Susan Mar-Schwab — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 07:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (March 19, 2009) - UC Davis researcher Gary Leiserowitz has received $900,000 from the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund to support his efforts in finding an early diagnostic marker for ovarian cancer.

Sacramento State and UC Davis awarded stem cell grant for graduate student research training

Susan Mar-Schwab — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 07:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (March 13, 2009) - Sacramento State graduate students will soon be working in UC Davis stem cell laboratories thanks to a grant approved Thursday, March 12 by the governing board of the state’s stem cell agency, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM).

UC Davis researchers coax brain cells to mimic inner ear sensory cells

Susan Mar-Schwab — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 07:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (March 9, 2009) - Deafness caused by the death of the thousands of minute hair cells that line the inner ear and vibrate to create the sense of hearing may be reversible using stem cells from another part of the brain that can be coaxed into replicating the sound-sensing functions needed for hearing, according to research now being done by UC Davis Health System scientists.

UC Davis researchers find no differences in survival or neonatal outcomes in pregnancy-associated colorectal cancer

Karen Finney — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 08:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (February 26, 2009) - In one of the first studies to examine maternal and newborn health risks and colorectal cancer, UC Davis researchers have found that women diagnosed with the disease during or shortly after their pregnancies have the same survival as women who have the disease and are not pregnant. The study also found that, while there is an increased chance of preterm labor, the outcomes for the babies is the same for women with colorectal cancer as for those without the disease.

UC Davis study to prevent osteoporosis with dietary supplement begins recruitment

David Ong — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 08:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (February 26, 2009) - Osteoporosis affects many women and can cause painful, disabling and even life-threatening fractures. Researchers from the UC Davis Department of Internal Medicine are seeking a simple, inexpensive way to prevent the disease.

Autism in the U.S. and around the world the topic of March M.I.N.D. Institute distinguished lecture

Phyllis Brown — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 08:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (February 23, 2009) - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) researcher and developmental pediatrician Marshalyn Yeargin-Allsopp will provide a global perspective on autism and discuss surveillance and early identification efforts in the United States on Wednesday, March 11, as part of the UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute Distinguished Lecturer Series.

Gaps in colorectal cancer screening persist between whites and non-whites

Karen Finney — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 08:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (February 18, 2009) - Colorectal cancer screening among patients with Medicare coverage is increasing, but a persistent gap remains between whites  who are screened most frequently  and all other racial and ethnic groups, according to a new study by researchers at UC Davis and the University of Washington. They study also showed that the biggest gap is between whites and Hispanics.

Web portal project for drug research information gets data boost

Susan Mar-Schwab — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 08:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (February 10, 2009) - Scientists know there are drugs that have been developed, tested and found lacking for one disease that might help patients with a completely different condition.

UC Davis study finds vitamin use is highest in kids who don't need them

Phyllis Brown — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 08:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (February 2, 2009) - A study by UC Davis Children's Hospital researchers published in the February 2009 issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals, has found that most of the healthy children and teenagers in the United States who are taking daily vitamin and mineral supplements probably don't need them.

"Insights into the Developmental Mechanisms That Contribute to Neuropsychiatric Disorders" is February Distinguished Lecturer Address

Phyllis Brown — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 08:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (January 30, 2009) - John L.R. Rubenstein, a professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco, will discuss “Insights into the Developmental Mechanisms That Contribute to Neuropsychiatric Disorders” during the Feb. 11 UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute Distinguished lecture.

UC Davis Health System part of national information project to aid researchers

Susan Mar-Schwab — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 08:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (January 26, 2009) - UC Davis has been named part of a pilot project supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is designed to improve informatics support for researchers conducting small- to medium-sized clinical studies.

Telemedicine can dramatically improve child sexual assault examinations in rural areas, UC Davis study finds

Phyllis Brown — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 08:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (January 23, 2009) - The use of telemedicine can dramatically improve the quality of child sexual assault examinations in rural communities where rates of abuse and neglect are highest — sometimes more than double the statewide rate  — a study published in the January issue of the medical journal Pediatrics has found.

UC Davis study links smoking with most male cancer deaths

Karen Finney — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 08:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (January 21, 2009) - The association between tobacco smoke and cancer deaths  beyond lung cancer deaths  has been strengthened by a recent study from a UC Davis researcher, suggesting that increased tobacco control efforts could save more lives than previously estimated.

UC Davis researchers seek to map the brain patterns of Alzheimer's disease

Phyllis Brown — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 08:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (January 16, 2009) - Researchers at UC Davis have launched an innovative study to determine whether closer examination of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans can detect the onset of Alzheimer's disease even before patients begin to show the symptoms of cognitive decline that are the hallmarks of the condition.

UC Davis researcher sheds light on soft-tissue sarcoma survival

Karen Finney — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 08:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (January 12, 2009) - New studies led by a UC Davis Cancer Center researcher have found what makes a relatively uncommon form of cancer  soft-tissue sarcoma  deadly for some patients. The outcomes support the idea that detailed knowledge of tumor factors such as size, site, grade and depth can help physicians recommend treatments that improve survival.

UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute study shows California's autism increase not due to better counting, diagnosis

Phyllis Brown — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 08:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (January 7, 2009) - A study by researchers at the UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute has found that the seven- to eight-fold increase in the number children born with autism in California  since 1990 cannot be explained by either changes in how the condition is diagnosed or counted — and the trend shows no sign of abating.

New drug shows promise for treatment of adults with fragile X syndrome

Phyllis Brown — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 08:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (January 6, 2009) - A study by researchers at Rush University Medical Center, Chicago and the UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute has found that an oral drug therapy, called fenobam, shows promising results and could be an effective new treatment for adults with fragile X syndrome.

UC Davis researchers find molecule that targets brain tumors

Karen Finney — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 08:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (December 26, 2008) - UC Davis Cancer Center researchers report today the discovery of a molecule that targets glioblastoma, a highly deadly form of cancer. The finding, which is published in the January 2009 issue of the European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, provides hope for effectively treating an incurable cancer.

UC Davis discovery offers hope for treating kidney cancer

Karen Finney — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 08:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (December 23, 2008) - In one of the first discoveries of its kind, UC Davis Cancer Center researchers have identified ways to block a cancer gene's own repair mechanism and, in so doing, help make chemotherapy for kidney cancer more effective and better tolerated. The outcome is published in the current issue of Cancer Biology and Therapy.

A diet high in vegetables, fruit and fiber may cut risk of breast cancer recurrence in women without hot flashes

Susan Mar-Schwab — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 08:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (December 15, 2008) - A secondary analysis of a large, multicenter clinical trial has shown that a diet loaded with fruits, vegetables and fiber and somewhat lower in fat compared to standard federal dietary recommendations cuts the risk of recurrence in a subgroup of early-stage breast cancer survivors – women who didn’t have hot flashes – by approximately 31 percent.

New method of scoring IQ tests benefits children with intellectual disabilities

Phyllis Brown — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 08:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (December 15, 2008) - Parents of children with intellectual disabilities have long been frustrated by intelligence quotient (IQ) testing that tells them little to nothing about the long-term learning potential of their children.

UC Davis team refines cancer treatments to reduce potential nerve damage

Karen Finney — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 08:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (December 15, 2008) - Radiation treatments are effective in stopping cancer cells from spreading or shrinking tumors, however oncologists have become increasingly concerned about inadvertent exposures during head and neck cancer treatments to nerves responsible for upper body mobility. To reduce the possibility of permanent nerve damage, UC Davis Cancer Center researchers have established new guidelines for physicians nationwide.

Two UC Davis scientists receive state funding for innovative stem cell research

Charles Casey — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 08:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (December 12, 2008) - Two UC Davis School of Medicine stem cell researchers were among the nearly two dozen scientists who received research funding this week from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), the state's stem cell agency.

UC Davis researchers discover new mechanism for attentional control in the human brain

Phyllis Brown — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 08:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (December 12, 2008) - A study by UC Davis researchers appearing today in the journal Science reports the discovery of a new mechanism of attention in the human brain. Previous studies in animals implicated changes in the state of a portion of the brainstem, called the locus ceruleus (LC), in shifts from distractible to attentive states.

New UC Davis Telemedicine Program advances community-based health care

Charles Casey — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 08:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (December 11, 2008) - Community hospitals and primary care clinics that want to establish telemedicine programs or improve existing infrastructure are invited to apply for videoconferencing and related telehealth equipment through a new program just launched by UC Davis Health System in Sacramento.

UC Davis researchers exploring gene therapy to fight AIDS

Susan Mar-Schwab — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 08:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (December 5, 2008) -  The apparent success of a case in which German doctors cured a man of AIDS using a bone marrow transplant comes as no surprise to Gerhard Bauer, a UC Davis stem cell researcher. Bauer has been working for more than 10 years on a similar cure for AIDS based on replacing the devastated immune system of an HIV-infected patient with stem cells that have been engineered to resist human immunodeficiency syndrome.

UC Davis Cancer Center to study breast-cancer vaccine

Carole Gan — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 08:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (December 1, 2008) - UC Davis Cancer Center researchers are launching a study of a new, experimental vaccine to determine if it can arrest or prevent breast cancer when used in conjunction with standard hormonal therapies.

M.I.N.D. Institute researchers call for fragile X testing throughout the lifespan

Susan Mar-Schwab — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 08:00:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (November 25, 2008) - Writing in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association, UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute researchers urge physicians to test for mutations of the fragile X gene in patients of all ages. That's because, after decades of research, it is clear that mutations in this gene cause a range of diseases, including neurodevelopmental delays and autism in children, infertility in women and neurodegenerative disease in older adults.