Specialties
Subscribe to RSS FeedsNews releases
May 2013
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.
MIND Institute lecture focuses on autism risk genes
May 21, 2013 — Renowned geneticist Stephen Scherer, who holds the GlaxoSmithKline-Canadian Institutes of Health Research Endowed Chair in Genome Sciences at The Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto, will discuss “Interpreting the Many Autism Risk Genes” during the next UC Davis MIND Institute Distinguished Lecturer Series presentation.
UC Davis MIND Institute partners in nationwide brain tissue collection program
May 2, 2013 — UC Davis Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences David Amaral, director of research at the UC Davis MIND Institute, will be the first director of a new network of sites that will collect and disseminate autism brain tissue to advance research in the field.
April 2013
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]
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.
March 2013
Development of the brain's networks topic of next MIND Institute Distinguished Lecture
March 27, 2013 — Bradley L. Schlaggar of the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis will discuss “Development of the Brain’s Functional Networks” during the next UC Davis MIND Institute Distinguished Lecturer Series presentation.
Study to examine mental-health effects of Mexican parents' deportation on their American children
March 12, 2013 — How the deportation of undocumented Mexican migrants affects their American-born children, who are faced with either going with their parents to Mexico or remaining in the land of their birth without them, is an issue of paramount importance as the nation engages in discussion of comprehensive immigration reform ― and is the subject of groundbreaking new research by The University of Texas, Austin, UC Davis Health System and the National Institute of Psychiatry, Mexico. [en español]
UC Davis MIND Institute holds National Autism Awareness Month activities
March 5, 2013 — April is National Autism Awareness Month and the UC Davis MIND Institute, an institute respected internationally for its groundbreaking research into therapies for autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders, is holding a series of free, inclusive events in recognition of the month-long observance. The events also mark the 15-year anniversary of the MIND Institute, founded in 1998.
Rogers honored for "Breaking the Glass Ceiling"
March 5, 2013 — Sally J. Rogers, UC Davis professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, was honored on Monday during the Breaking the Glass Ceiling Awards of the California Legislative Women’s Caucus. The awards celebrate the successes of California women in breaking barriers in the fields of science, technology, the arts, the judiciary and beyond. The ceremony was part of the Assembly’s celebration of Women’s History Month during the Floor Session.
February 2013
Vascular brain injury greater risk factor than amyloid plaques in cognitive aging
February 11, 2013 — Vascular brain injury from conditions such as high blood pressure and stroke are greater risk factors for cognitive impairment among non-demented older people than is the deposition of the amyloid plaques in the brain that long have been implicated in conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, a study by researchers at the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at UC Davis has found.
January 2013
Low levels of common flame-retardant chemical damages brain cells
January 16, 2013 — A common ingredient in flame retardants, BDE-49 accumulates in human blood, fat and breast milk. Despite these concentrations, little research has been done on the chemical’s potential health risks. However, a study by scientists at the UC Davis MIND Institute is shedding new light on BDE-49’s potential danger to brain health. The study showed that even tiny amounts of the compound damage neural mitochondria, the energy plants that power our cells. The chemical, quite literally, reduces brain power.
MIND Institute researchers receive grants from Autism Speaks
January 11, 2013 — Two internationally respected UC Davis MIND Institute researchers have received grants from Autism Speaks, a national autism advocacy and science organization, to study autism from two different perspectives.
Researchers to scale Mount Kilimanjaro to raise funds for fragile X research
January 10, 2013 — UC Davis Professors Paul and Randi Hagerman have devoted their lives to finding cures for a host of disorders that all spring from an inherited defect on the X chromosome that causes lifelong intellectual disability in children, tremors in older men and reproductive problems in women.
MIND Institute lecture explores gap between autism detection and intervention
January 3, 2013 — Wendy L. Stone, director and Susan & Richard Fade Endowed Chair at the University of Washington Autism Center in Seattle, will discuss “From Early Detection to Early Intervention: Bridging the Gap in Autism Services” during the next UC Davis MIND Institute Distinguished Lecturer Series presentation.
Gary Small, New York Times best-selling author, to speak on Alzheimer's disease
January 2, 2013 — New York Times best-selling author Gary Small, professor of psychiatry at UCLA and one of the world's leading physician/scientists in the fields of memory and longevity, will present a special lecture titled "Alzheimer’s Prevention Strategies for Keeping Your Brain Healthy," on Monday, Jan. 7, at 5:30 p.m. in the UC Davis MIND Institute auditorium.
December 2012
Genetic defect that causes fragile X-related disorders more common than thought
December 21, 2012 — A single genetic defect on the X chromosome that can result in a wide array of conditions — from learning and emotional disabilities to primary ovarian insufficiency in women and tremors in middle-aged men — occurs at a much greater frequency than previously thought, research led by the UC Davis MIND Institute has found.
UC Davis MIND Institute studies among the world's best in 2012
December 21, 2012 — Three UC Davis MIND Institute research studies are included in the Top 10 Autism Research Achievements of 2012 as identified by Autism Speaks, the world’s largest autism advocacy and research organization.
November 2012
Development of language and communication in autism the topic of next MIND Institute Lecture
November 30, 2012 — Boston University Professor and President of the International Society for Autism Research Helen Tager-Flusberg will give a presentation titled "On the Origins and Development of Language and Communication in Autism Spectrum Disorder" for the next UC Davis MIND Institute Distinguished Lecturer Series presentation.
Higher anxiety is associated with poorer functioning in children with chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome
November 5, 2012 — UC Davis researchers have found that for children with the genetic disorder known as chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome anxiety ― but not intelligence ― is linked to poorer adaptive behaviors that affect daily life. The developmental syndrome, which is associated with a constellation of physical, cognitive and psychiatric problems, usually is apparent at birth or early childhood, and leads to lifelong challenges. [en español] or [中文 Chinese]
DeCarli named to first Victor and Genevieve Orsi Endowed Chair in Alzheimer's Disease Research
November 2, 2012 — Charles DeCarli, director of the UC Davis Alzheimer's Disease Center and an internationally renowned expert on behavioral neurology, degenerative dementias and neuroimaging, is the first Victor and Genevieve Orsi Endowed Chair in Alzheimer's Research at UC Davis Health System.
October 2012
Controlling depression is associated with improved health for heart-failure patients
October 30, 2012 — Controlling depression in patients with heart failure can improve health status, social functioning and quality of life, according to a new study by psychiatrists and cardiologists at the UC Davis and Duke University schools of medicine. [en español]
Autism early intervention found to normalize brain activity in children as young as 18 months
October 26, 2012 — An intensive early intervention therapy that is effective for improving cognition and language skills among very young children with autism also normalizes their brain activity, decreases their autism symptoms and improves their social skills, a nationwide study has found. The researchers said that the study is the first to demonstrate that an autism early intervention program can normalize brain activity. [en español]
Immune activation in pregnant mice affects brains of offspring
October 25, 2012 — A brief kick to the immune system of a pregnant mouse can cause persistent changes in the brains of the offspring, according to new research from the University of California, Davis, Center for Neuroscience.
"Sharing Knowledge, Improving Lives" conference to address Latino mental-health issues
October 17, 2012 — Community and mental-health leaders from across Northern California will converge on UC Davis for a daylong conference to explore effective and culturally and linguistically appropriate solutions to mental illness among the nearly 40 percent of the state's population that identifies as Latino.
UC Davis establishes prestigious new NIH-funded research center for aging Latinos
October 2, 2012 — Assembling a nationally respected team of nurse, physician and mental-health leaders with broad expertise in brain health and minority aging, UC Davis has established the Latino Aging Research Resource Center (LARRC), through a prestigious five-year, $3 million grant from the National Institute on Aging (NIA). [en español]
September 2012
MIND Institute 2012-2013 Distinguished Lecturer Series begins Oct. 10
September 21, 2012 — The UC Davis MIND Institute begins the 11th year of its Distinguished Lecturer Series on Wednesday, Oct. 10. Series presenters include nationally and internationally recognized researchers in autism spectrum disorder and Down syndrome, among other neurodevelopmental disorders.
Carter honored as Mental Health Champion by Sacramento County
September 13, 2012 — Cameron Carter, director of the UC Davis Center for Neuroscience, has been honored by the Division of Behavioral Health Services of the Sacramento County Department of Health and Human Services as a Mental Health Champion.
MIND Institute researchers study ADHD and methamphetamine addiction
September 10, 2012 — Why people with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at greater risk of substance dependence, particularly methamphetamine dependence, and have greater difficulty overcoming their addiction is the subject of a new study by researchers at the UC Davis MIND Institute.
August 2012
Three young UC Davis researchers receive prestigious national grants to study schizophrenia
August 28, 2012 — Each addressing the disease from different and unique perspectives, three young UC Davis researchers have received one of the most prestigious mental-health grants in the world to investigate one of the least understood and devastating psychiatric disorders: schizophrenia.
Aguilar-Gaxiola appointed to lead statewide autism task force
August 16, 2012 — Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola, director of the UC Davis Center for Reducing Health Disparities, has been appointed by state Senate Pro-Tempore Darrell Steinberg to co-chair a task force to investigate the equitable distribution of autism services to diverse communities in California. [en español]
Research shows gene defect's role in autism-like behavior
August 10, 2012 — Scientists affiliated with the UC Davis MIND Institute have discovered how a defective gene causes brain changes that lead to the atypical social behavior characteristic of autism. The research offers a potential target for drugs to treat the condition.
UC Davis launches new program to help students navigate medical school
August 7, 2012 — UC Davis has launched an innovative new effort to help its students navigate the rocky shoals of medical education by engaging some of their biggest and most ardent and important supporters: their families and friends. [en español]
July 2012
UC Davis program addresses California's need for diverse physician workforce
July 5, 2012 — An innovative physician education program that combines psychiatry with either family practice or internal medicine training has received $1.2 million in additional funding from the California Department of Mental Health to extend the program through 2014. [español]
June 2012
Internationally renowned neuroscientist joins UC Davis MIND Institute
June 29, 2012 — Jacqueline N. Crawley, one of the world's foremost researchers in behavioral neuroscience and a leading investigator using mouse models to develop novel, targeted treatments for individuals with autism spectrum disorder, joins the faculty of the UC Davis School of Medicine and UC Davis MIND Institute in July as the Robert E. Chason Chair in Translational Research.
