Publications
News releases
Welcome to the UC Davis Health System newsroom. Below you will find the latest health and medicine news from UC Davis. You can also use the advanced search feature to find additional press releases. If you are a journalist, our news service staff is available to help identify sources for stories about patient care, research and education. Also please review important information for journalists for details about patient privacy and arranging for interviews at health system facilities.
June 2013
School of Nursing professor named director of new center devoted to boost women's numbers in academia
June 17, 2013 — Professor Mary Lou de Leon Siantz was recently appointed by UC Davis Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi as director for the new Center for the Advancement of Multicultural Perspectives on Science (CAMPOS). The center is part of a new effort, led by Katehi, to increase the participation of women, especially Latinas, in academic science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers.
UC Davis nursing school celebrates 2013 graduation
June 14, 2013 — From the class representative to the keynote speaker at the 2013 Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing Graduation Celebration, the messages included a similar theme to the Master of Science in Nursing Science and Health-Care Leadership graduates: Be the nurses who lead improvements in health care.
AMA awards $1 million to UC Davis-Kaiser Permanente partnership for innovative primary care training
June 14, 2013 — UC Davis School of Medicine in partnership with Kaiser Permanente has received a $1 million grant from the American Medical Association (AMA) for an innovative education program designed for an elite group of medical students committed to careers in primary care.
LGBT questions to become standardized demographic elements in electronic health records
June 13, 2013 — UC Davis Health System will become the first academic health system in the country to incorporate sexual orientation and gender identity as standard demographic elements within the electronic health records for its patients.
Kiwanis Family House sets mini-golf fundraiser June 22-23
June 13, 2013 — It’s “miniature” in size but gigantic in purpose: a miniature-golf fundraiser, featuring prizes, at the Kiwanis Family House in Sacramento.
College student to receive scholarship for essay about her Dad's brain tumor on Father's Day
June 13, 2013 — Sacramento State student Kimberly Schmidt and her father, Bobby Schmidt, a brain tumor patient at UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, 23 young athletes running in the 4K for Cancer event from San Francisco to Baltimore, MD to raise money for the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults.
Father's brain tumor treatment sparks essay, then college scholarship
June 12, 2013 — A Sacramento-area college student will receive a $2,500 college scholarship Sunday after being selected from hundreds of applicants based on an essay detailing her family’s experience following her father’s brain tumor diagnosis and treatment.
Top grad helps address health-care disparities
June 11, 2013 — The University of California, Davis, thinks Nicole Sitkin is going to go places and have an impact on the world — it has named her this year's University Medalist as the top graduating senior.
Reducing unnecessary and high-dose pediatric CT scans could cut associated cancers by 62 percent
June 10, 2013 — A study examining trends in X-ray computed tomography (CT) use in children in the United States has found that reducing unnecessary scans and lowering the doses for the highest-dose scans could lower the overall lifetime risk of future imaging-related cancers by 62 percent. The research by a UC Davis Health System scientist is published online today in JAMA Pediatrics. It is accompanied by a journal editorial. [en español]
UC Davis a longtime leader in appropriate CT scanning in children
June 10, 2013 — UC Davis has a long history of research pertaining to appropriate CT scanning in children with trauma, and the risks to children of unnecessary CT scans. This work has been performed through its leadership in the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN), the only federally funded pediatric emergency care research network in the U.S., co-founded by Nathan Kuppermann, chair of the UC Davis Department of Emergency Medicine and an internationally respected pediatric emergency medicine physician.
Researchers find diminished balance in those with poor vision
June 6, 2013 — UC Davis Health System Eye Center research has found that visually impaired individuals and those with uncorrected refractive error — those who could benefit from glasses to achieve normal vision but don’t wear glasses — have a significantly greater risk of diminished balance with their eyes closed on a compliant, foam surface than individuals with normal vision.
Epidemiology doctoral student wins award from American Telemedicine Association
June 6, 2013 — Nikki Yang, a Ph.D. candidate in the UC Davis Graduate Group in Epidemiology, recently won the 2013 Student Paper Award from the American Telemedicine Association.
UC Davis nursing school opens applications for new nurse practitioner, physician assistant programs
June 5, 2013 — The Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis expands its graduate programs this summer to include master’s-degree offerings for aspiring nurse practitioners and physician assistants with a focus on preparing primary-care providers for rural and underserved communities.
Emergency medicine faculty honored at national meeting
June 4, 2013 — Three members of the UC Davis Department of Emergency Medicine were honored recently for their achievements and leadership at this year’s annual Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) meeting in Atlanta.
Lack of awareness limits use of flexible career policies in academia
June 3, 2013 — To attract and maintain a diverse, qualified academic workforce, institutions of higher education should have — and promote — policies to help balance career and family life, according to an article published by UC Davis researchers in the June 2013 issue of Academic Medicine.
Code Blue training initiative pulsates with innovation and success
June 3, 2013 — Working to improve cardiac arrest training — training for what are called “Code Blue” events — a multidisciplinary UC Davis Health System team has created a novel initiative that takes advantage of the university’s high-tech simulation facilities and equipment and its highly regarded emergency and trauma-care expertise.
May 2013
School-located vaccination programs could reduce flu cases and deaths among children
May 31, 2013 — Offering flu vaccines at elementary schools could expand vaccination rates and reduce costs, according to a new study reported in the scientific journal Vaccine by researchers from UC Davis Health System; the Monroe County, N.Y., Department of Public Health; University of Rochester Medical Center; and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
UC Davis School of Medicine celebrates commencement
May 30, 2013 — Ninety-nine medical students officially became physicians on Saturday, June 1, following commencement ceremonies for UC Davis School of Medicine.
UC Davis professors honored for excellence and achievement
May 30, 2013 — Two UC Davis School of Medicine faculty have been recognized with the C. John Tupper Prize for Excellence in Teaching and the Hibbard Williams Extraordinary Achievement Award as part of this year’s commencement events.
Mann designated Fellow of Royal College of Physicians in Edinburgh and London
May 30, 2013 — Nirmal S. Mann, professor in the UC Davis Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, has been designated as a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians in Edinburgh and London.
Father and son to present their respective cancer research at ASCO
May 29, 2013 — What started as a dinner-table conversation between a teen and his father has become a bonafide cancer research study for Matthew Lara, a Davis High School sophomore and the son of UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center medical oncologist and researcher Primo (Lucky) Lara Jr.
Health differences explain most geographic variation in Medicare costs
May 28, 2013 — Wide geographic variation in Medicare costs is largely explained by health differences across communities rather than inefficient care delivery, according to a study published online today in the SAGE journal Medical Care Research and Review.
UC Davis hosts Veterans and Diversity Career Fair on June 3
May 28, 2013 — UC Davis will host its first Veterans and Diversity Career Fair on Monday, June 3, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the MIND Institute, 2825 50th St., Sacramento. The event is free and open to the general public.
Two UC Davis physicians honored as health-care heroes
May 24, 2013 — Two UC Davis Health System faculty were recognized today as 2013 Health Care Heroes by the Sacramento Business Journal for their outstanding achievements in making a difference in the health of the Sacramento region. Psychiatrist Robert Hales was recognized in the mental health practitioner category and cardiologist Amparo Villablanca was recognized in the researcher category.
Hales named Health Care Hero by Sacramento Business Journal
May 24, 2013 — Robert Hales, chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, has been named a Health Care Hero by the Sacramento Business Journal. The honor was announced today.
UC Davis Latino mental health expert to appear on PBS documentary
May 23, 2013 — Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola, a UC Davis physician and internationally renowned expert on mental health and other conditions that frequently impact underserved populations, will appear in a documentary titled “A New State of Mind: Ending the Stigma of Mental Illness,” set to air Thursday, May 30, at 9 p.m. on Sacramento PBS station KVIE-Channel 6.
UC Davis researchers receive grant to study neurodegenerative disease FXTAS
May 22, 2013 — Researchers at the UC Davis MIND Institute and the UC Davis Center for Mind and Brain have received a five-year, $3 million grant from the National Institute of Mental Health to conduct the first long-range study of the mental and psychological decline that accompanies the age-related neurological disorder fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome, or FXTAS.
Past trauma, poor understanding of health-care services common among Sacramento Iraqi refugees
May 20, 2013 — Past trauma and a lack of understanding of the U.S. health-care system are key factors affecting the mental and physical health of Iraqi refugees in Sacramento, according to a new report released by UC Davis’ Center for Reducing Health Disparities and Clinical and Translational Science Center, as well as Opening Doors Inc. and the Mesopotamia Organization (MESO) — two community groups that serve refugee populations.
Study identifies new approach to improving treatment for MS and other conditions
May 17, 2013 — Working with lab mice models of multiple sclerosis (MS), UC Davis scientists have detected a novel molecular target for the design of drugs that could be safer and more effective than current FDA-approved medications against MS.
One million dollar incentive program for rural e-health information exchange launched
May 16, 2013 — The California Health eQuality (CHeQ) program, managed by the UC Davis Institute for Population Health Improvement (IPHI), has launched a new $1 million Rural Health Information Exchange Incentive Program to help physicians, clinics and hospitals in rural California implement technologies that enable the secure and reliable exchange of health information to improve health-care quality, lower costs and achieve federal meaningful use criteria.
Fenton recognized for cancer research with the 2013 Joan Oettinger Memorial Award
May 15, 2013 — Joshua Fenton, a UC Davis associate professor of family and community medicine, is the recipient of the UC Davis School of Medicine’s 2013 Joan Oettinger Memorial Award for his research in cancer screening and prevention and his dedication to improving the quality of health-care services.
UC Davis Center for Reducing Health Disparities receives $1 million grant from Covered California
May 15, 2013 — The UC Davis Center for Reducing Health Disparities has received a $1 million grant from Covered California, the state’s health insurance marketplace, to provide outreach and education to underserved populations about obtaining health insurance.
Hertz-Picciotto and Baumler receive 2013 School of Medicine Research Award
May 15, 2013 — UC Davis faculty members Irva Hertz-Picciotto and Andreas Baumler have been selected to receive the 2013 UC Davis School of Medicine Research Award.
Unions resist pension reforms, call for strike May 21-22 at UC medical centers
May 14, 2013 — The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) union announced on Friday (May 10) that it is asking UC patient care and service employees to strike at UC medical centers on May 21 and 22. The strike is scheduled to start at 4 a.m. on May 21 and continue until 3:59 a.m. on May 23.
Children's Hospital patient to appear on Animal Planet series
May 14, 2013 — Cable television channel Animal Planet was at UC Davis Children’s Hospital last week to produce an episode of the series “Monsters Inside Me” about Precious Reynolds, the Humboldt County grade-schooler who in 2011 became the third person in the United States known to have survived rabies infection.
UC Davis receives awards to study new treatments for childhood diseases
May 13, 2013 — Three researchers from the University of California, Davis, are among the scientists selected to receive Individual Biomedical Research Awards from The Hartwell Foundation this year. The awards recognize early-stage, innovative and cutting-edge biomedical research that has the potential to benefit children in the U.S. and beyond
Tailoring pulmonary rehabilitation could improve outcomes for women with COPD
May 10, 2013 — —One of the most effective treatments for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) — pulmonary rehabilitation — could potentially work even better if programs were designed based on gender, according to a UC Davis pulmonary physician.
Free hepatitis B screenings offered on May 19
May 10, 2013 — Asian Americans and adult children of foreign-born Asian Americans are invited to a free hepatitis B screening event Sunday, May 19 at the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Brodie is president-elect of American Neurotology Society
May 10, 2013 — Hilary Brodie, professor and chair of the Department of Otolaryngology, is the president of the American Neurotology Society. He began his term as president of the society May 1.
UC Davis researchers identify mechanism for controlling calcium influx in cells
May 8, 2013 — When brain cells are overwhelmed by an influx of too many calcium molecules, they shut down the channels through which these molecules enter the cells. Until now, the “stop” signal mechanism that cells use to control the molecular traffic was unknown. In the new issue of the journal Neuron, UC Davis Health System scientists report that they have identified the mechanism. Their findings are relevant to understanding the molecular causes of the disruption of brain functioning that occurs in stroke and other neurological disorders.
First UC Davis Alzheimer's Disease Center distinguished lecture to explore artistry in dementia
May 7, 2013 — “Portraits of Artists with Dementia” is the topic of the first UC Davis Alzheimer’s Disease Center Distinguished Lecture, to be presented by Bruce L. Miller, director of the UC San Francisco Memory and Aging Center, on Thursday, May 23. The lecture will be presented from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the auditorium of the UC Davis MIND Institute, 2825 50th St., Sacramento. The discussion is free and open to the public; no reservations are required.
UC Davis radiation oncology chief leads development of new prostate cancer guideline
May 7, 2013 — Based on a major effort co-led by UC Davis prostate cancer expert Richard Valicenti, the nation’s leading urological and radiation oncology organizations today announced a new guideline for radiation therapy after prostatectomy.
UC Davis Medical Center named mother-baby friendly workplace
May 6, 2013 — UC Davis Medical Center has been named a recipient of the Mother-Baby Friendly Workplace Award from the Breastfeeding Coalition of Greater Sacramento, an affiliate of the California Breastfeeding Coalition. Each year, the coalition presents the award to local organizations that have been nominated by their employees to demonstrate appreciation for businesses that go 'above and beyond' to support their breastfeeding employees. The award will be presented on May 13 at 11 a.m. on the North Steps of the State Capital.
Ubiquitous engineered nanomaterials cause lung inflammation, study finds
May 6, 2013 — A consortium of scientists from across the country has found that breathing ultrafine particles from a large family of materials that increasingly are found in a host of household and commercial products, from sunscreens to the ink in copy machines to super-strong but lightweight sporting equipment, can cause lung inflammation and damage.
Lecture by University of Washington bioethics chair set for May 16
May 3, 2013 — Wylie Burke, professor and chair of the Department of Bioethics and Humanities at the University of Washington, will speak on Thursday, May 16, as part of the UC Davis Bioethics Distinguished Lecture series.
UC Davis recognized as a top school for family medicine
May 3, 2013 — The American Association of Family Physicians (AAFP) has recognized UC Davis School of Medicine as one of the nation’s top 10 schools for graduating medical students who go on to family medicine residencies.
UC Davis faculty awards reception set for May 14
May 3, 2013 — The Academic Senate and Academic Federation of UC Davis will come together on May 14 to present their highest faculty honors. Pain medicine specialist Scott Fishman and public health advocate Joy Melnikow of UC Davis Health System will be recognized for distinguished public service.
Mannis recognized for contributions to ophthalmology
May 2, 2013 — Mark J. Mannis, director of the UC Davis Eye Center, has been named to the University of Florida College of Medicine’s Wall of Fame.
April 2013
Commentary calls for greater transparency in highlighting social value of research
April 29, 2013 — In a commentary published in the May issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, UC Davis bioethicist Mark Yarborough proposes that more information about the social value of individual research studies be made available to patients during the informed consent process so they are more aware of the degree to which a study has the potential to improve health for all.
MIND Institute, Yale study finds abnormalities in the placentas of children at risk for autism
April 24, 2013 — A study by researchers at the UC Davis MIND Institute and the Yale University School of Medicine has found that more than 95 percent of the placentas of infants who are among those at the greatest risk for developing autism contained abnormal cells, called trophoblast inclusions, suggesting that the abnormality may hold promise as a very early marker for autism risk.
Health-care worker visits increase hepatitis B screening rates for Hmong Americans
April 23, 2013 — In the first study of its kind, lay health workers increased screening rates for hepatitis B virus (HBV) and knowledge about the disease among a group of Asian Americans, known as the Hmong, UC Davis researchers have found. The study appears online today in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.
UC Davis ophthalmology resident receives national fellowship award
April 23, 2013 — UC Davis ophthalmology resident Bobeck Modjtahedi has been awarded one of this year’s prestigious Heed Fellowships. A graduate of UC Davis and UC Davis School of Medicine, Modjtahedi will finish his residency training at the UC Davis Eye Center in June and then continue postgraduate training at Massachusetts Eye and Ear, a Harvard Medical School teaching hospital in Boston.
Epidemiologist to give lecture on connections between autism risk factors and health-care claims
April 22, 2013 — Epidemiologist Craig Newschaffer of Drexel University will discuss "Autism Outcomes and Risk Factors: What Can We Learn from Health-Care Claims?” during the next UC Davis MIND Institute Distinguished Lecturer Series presentation.
Immunological factors, genes, and the environment in autism
April 18, 2013 — The UC Davis MIND Institute will host an update for parents and health-care professionals on research exploring the growing body of evidence suggesting associations between environmental mechanisms, immunological susceptibility and autism on Saturday, June 1.
Farmers market comes to UC Davis Health System
April 16, 2013 — UC Davis Health System launches a weekly farmers market on May 16, reflecting a national trend that expands access to fresh, locally grown produce sold directly to consumers.
Mammogram tool improves some breast cancer detection but also increases false alarms
April 15, 2013 — A costly and widely used mammography add-on increases detection of noninvasive and early-stage invasive breast cancer but also makes more mistakes than mammography alone, researchers from UC Davis and the University of Washington have found. [en español]
Women with advanced vascular disease have more complications but not common risks
April 12, 2013 — Research by UC Davis physicians has found that women with a severe arterial condition that restricts circulation to arms and legs are at greater risk than men of experiencing a heart attack or stroke yet are less likely to have a history of heart disease or diabetes — common risk factors for major cardiovascular events.
School of Nursing doctoral candidate wins prestigious Doris Duke Charitable Foundation fellowship
April 12, 2013 — Sheridan Miyamoto, a doctoral candidate in the Nursing Science and Health-Care Leadership Graduate Degree Program at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, was awarded a prestigious Doris Duke Fellowship for the Promotion of Child Well-Being. Miyamoto is one of just 15graduate students nationwide selected for the award this year.
Study finds physicians often receive no information about harmful effects of medicines
April 10, 2013 — More often than not, family doctors receive little or no information about the harmful effects of medicines during clinic visits by pharmaceutical sales representatives (“sales reps”), according to an international study involving physicians in the United States, Canada and France.
Growing Up Latino and Surviving to 25 slated for April 23
April 9, 2013 — “Growing Up Latino and Surviving to 25,” a panel discussion exploring the mental-health challenges faced by Latino youth in the United States, will be held at UC Davis on April 23 and moderated by award-winning journalist and host of the National Public Radio program “Latino USA" Maria Hinojosa. [en español]
Tian receives international investigator award for brain function studies
April 9, 2013 — Lin Tian, assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular medicine at UC Davis School of Medicine, is one of 28 scientists worldwide awarded a 2013 Young Investigator Grant from the Human Frontier Science Program to better understand the complex mechanisms of living organisms.
Small molecule unlocks key prostate cancer survival tactic
April 9, 2013 — The most recent in a series of studies from a team at the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center has shown that a single molecule is at the heart of one of the most basic survival tactics of prostate cancer cells.
Minocycline, an antibiotic, improves behavior for children with fragile X syndrome
April 8, 2013 — Minocycline, an older, broad-spectrum antibiotic in the tetracycline family, provides meaningful improvements as a therapeutic for children with fragile X syndrome, a study by researchers at the UC Davis MIND Institute has found. The finding is important, the researchers said, because minocycline is readily available by prescription.
UC Davis neurosurgeons launch clinical trial for acute spinal cord injury
April 3, 2013 — Spinal surgeons at UC Davis Health System are enrolling individuals immediately following spinal cord injury in a multi-center clinical trial of an investigational compound that is being tested to determine whether it can protect and regenerate the spinal nerves after catastrophic injury.
Fatty acid metabolite shows promise against cancer in mice
April 2, 2013 — A team of UC Davis scientists has found that a product resulting from a metabolized omega-3 fatty acid helps combat cancer by cutting off the supply of oxygen and nutrients that fuel tumor growth and spread of the disease.
UC Davis MIND Institute's Rogers receives prestigious Autism Centers of Excellence award from the NIH
April 2, 2013 — Autism researchers at the UC Davis MIND Institute have received a prestigious $13 million award from the National Institutes of Health to establish an Autism Center of Excellence and Treatment Network, making the MIND Institute one of only nine such centers in the United States.
