UC Davis Health | University of California, Davis

School of Medicine grad returns to the region that inspired her to become a doctor

Mon, 09 Nov 2026 08:00:00 GMT

11/09/2026

School of Medicine grad returns to the region that inspired her to become a doctor

By Edwin Garcia

UC Davis alums on Central Coast lead effort to train future physicians for rural and medically underserved communities

This is one in a series of stories about UC Davis School of Medicine graduates who practice medicine in the underserved communities where they were raised.

(GREENFIELD, CA)

Alejandra Beristain-Barajas grew up in Santa Cruz County, left for Harvard University and eventually found her way to the UC Davis School of Medicine.

Before graduating, she interviewed for residency training programs throughout California. But when it came time to rank her choices, she knew where she needed to be.

Close to home. At Natividad Medical Center in Salinas.

She wanted to serve patients whose lives and experiences felt deeply familiar to her.

Today, Beristain-Barajas is a primary care doctor at a busy community health clinic in Greenfield, a small Monterey County community about an hour south of where she was raised. Many of her patients are farmworkers or members of farmworker families.

Dr. Beristain-Barajas and Dr. Rangel are completing and expanding the circle by giving back to their communities and mentoring the next generation of doctors. It’s good for the medical students, good for our clinic and good for our community.” — Noah Hawthorne, chief medical officer at Mee Memorial Healthcare System

“I really love the patient population here,” she said in an exam room at Albert and Donna Oliveira Clinic, where most patients speak Spanish or indigenous languages from Southern Mexico.

Beristain-Barajas is the kind of physician the UC Davis School of Medicine was designed to develop: one committed to rural and medically underserved communities that often face the greatest barriers to health care.

She is also a product of the School of Medicine’s Rural-PRIME medical education program, which trains students how to care for patients in rural regions.

“Oftentimes, once people will go to college or medical school, they’ll leave and won’t go back to those rural areas,” Beristain-Barajas said. “I felt like a mission or a pull to come back to this area.”

From student to mentor

Alejandra Beristain-Barajas, third from right, with Rural-PRIME classmates at the School of Medicine’s Induction Ceremony in 2016.

Now she’s helping build that same pathway for others.

Beristain-Barajas and clinic colleague Francis Rangel-Ventura, also a UC Davis School of Medicine graduate, are leading the effort to reestablish their Greenfield clinic as a training site for medical students.

They hope the experience will expose future physicians to the rewards of practicing rural medicine more than 200 miles from Sacramento. At the same time, they want to inspire students to build careers in communities that face deep health disparities and vast shortages of primary care doctors.

“Dr. Beristain-Barajas and Dr. Rangel are completing and expanding the circle by giving back to their communities and mentoring the next generation of doctors,” said Noah Hawthorne, chief medical officer at Mee Memorial Healthcare System.

“It’s good for the medical students, good for our clinic and good for our community,”

UC Davis medical school graduates Francis Rangel-Ventura, left, and Alejandra Beristain-Barajas are leading efforts to train and mentor the next generation of physicians to serve rural populations at a community clinic in Greenfield.

A dream without a roadmap

Beristain-Barajas was born in Santa Cruz County, a coastline where foggy, cool air blankets the strawberry fields teeming across the region.

She spent her early years in a trailer, then moved to low-income apartments. Although she was self-motivated and dreamed of becoming a pediatrician, she didn't know the path to medical school.

Her parents, immigrants from Mexico, didn’t know the path either: Her father toiled in construction, while her mother worked as a housekeeper.

But her mom encouraged her to apply to Harvard — and she got in.

It turned out to be an unexpected challenge that Beristain-Barajas was largely unprepared for.

“My mom had only a very limited formal education and my dad did not graduate from high school, so I didn't really have a roadmap for navigating higher education, networking, or the unwritten rules of a place like Harvard,” Beristain-Barajas said.

She juggled school with campus jobs and extracurricular activities, such as directing the school’s Ballet Folklorico troupe and assisting in a Boston Children’s Hospital clinic.

Beristain-Barajas graduated with a degree in neurobiology.

Alejandra Beristain-Barajas and her mother Clara Barajas at medical school commencement, which was held online due to the COVID pandemic.

Taking her own advice

Despite earning a diploma from an elite university, she wasn’t sure what she could, or should, do next.

So Beristain-Barajas went back home to Freedom, the tiny, unincorporated community bordering Watsonville and became a math tutor, then a charter school algebra teacher. She led parent meetings. She guided students with college applications. She thrived on pushing the sons and daughters of farmworkers to think big.

Then it hit her.

“Eventually,” Beristain-Barajas said, “I realized I needed to take my own advice.”

The thought of becoming a doctor finally moved to the forefront. “I had always been interested in medicine,” she reflected, “but wasn’t sure I could actually do it.”

She completed post-baccalaureate science coursework offered by UC San Francisco and pursued her dream.

Oftentimes, once people will go to college or medical school, they’ll leave and won’t go back to those rural areas. I felt like a mission or a pull to come back to this area.” — Alejandra Beristain-Barajas

Returning to the Central Coast

Four years after Harvard, she joined the UC Davis School of Medicine and its Rural-PRIME pathway, which placed her with patients near home. The experience eventually led her to the family medicine residency in Salinas.

“I saw the hospital, I saw the community, and I knew I wanted to be back here,” she said.

Beristain-Barajas didn’t think twice about her next move: joining the Greenfield clinic, which is part of the Monterey County-based Mee Memorial Healthcare system, where most patients are covered by Medi-Cal government insurance.

She’s been there two years.

“I’ve found a lot of meaning in returning to the Central Coast and caring for families in a community where I feel the work is genuinely needed,” Beristain-Barajas said.

“I like being here in Greenfield because I feel that I’m uniquely prepared to be working with this population because of my background,” explained Beristain-Barajas, who grew up speaking Spanish.

A region with limited access to care

Monterey County may be well-known for its coastal scenery, tourist attractions and lettuce shipped around the globe. But it also has another distinction: a region where physicians are in short supply.

Alejandra Beristain-Barajas returned to southern Monterey County, about an hour from the rural community where she grew up, to practice family medicine, drawn in part by the area's large farmworker population and need for accessible health care.

In 2023, the county had 51 primary care physicians for every 100,000 residents, according to the California Health Care Foundation. Sacramento County, by comparison, had 69 per 100,000. San Francisco had 123 per 100,000.

In sheer numbers, Monterey County had just 221 primary care doctors, which is about 15% less than the level recommended by a federal advisory committee.

UC Davis notices those kinds of statistics.

“Primary care is the front door to our health system — primary care physicians provide the preventive care that helps people live longer, healthier lives,” said Melody Tran-Reina, the UC Davis associate dean for workforce, pathways and collaboratives.

“When a community doesn't have enough of them, chronic conditions go untreated until they become emergencies, and patients end up in the nearest emergency room for care that could have been prevented,” added Tran-Reina, an internal medicine physician who oversees Rural PRIME and other pathways.

As a land-grant university established to serve the public good, UC Davis is committed to making a difference in Monterey County and communities throughout Central and Northern California.

“The Central Coast grows much of the food that feeds California and the world,” Tran-Reina said. “The people who do that work deserve the same access to care as anyone else, and we should do our part to keep their communities healthy.”

UC Davis alumni help shape the next generation of doctors

A new medical school partnership to draw students from UC Santa Cruz — PRIME Central Coast — will soon establish training sites in medically underserved communities in and around Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties.

Evelin González, a Rural-PRIME classmate of Alejandra Beristain-Barajas and Frances Rangel-Ventura, trains UC Davis medical students during clinical rotations at Salud Para La Gente in Watsonville.

Among the family medicine locations is Salud Para La Gente in Watsonville, led by UC Davis alum Evelin González, a Rural-PRIME classmate of Beristain-Barajas and Rangel-Ventura.

“As a daughter of farmworkers and an immigrant myself, I have always felt a strong need to serve communities like this one — particularly monolingual Spanish-speaking patients, immigrants and farmworkers. I see many of my own family members in the patients I care for,” González said.

“Having grown up in Mexico,” she added, “I feel that I can better understand some of the challenges they face, and being able to communicate with them in their native language while also understanding some of their traditional healing practices is paramount to developing trust and a strong therapeutic partnership.

The chief medical officer at Salud Para La Gente is excited about the health center’s new role with UC Davis and UC Santa Cruz.

“It’s a challenge to recruit people to come here,” said Devon Francis, who sometimes travels out of state in search of doctors to serve the Watsonville area. Francis is hopeful that the health center’s new role with UC Davis and UC Santa Cruz may help address the workforce shortage.

“We’ve found we’ve been most successful when people have some connection to living or working in the area,” she noted.

A full circle return

Back in Greenfield, Beristain-Barajas and Rangel-Ventura are preparing for the next students who will spend several weeks of their clinical rotations in rural healthcare.

It’s a promising development for the health center and for the UC Davis School of Medicine.

The opportunity is personally rewarding for Beristain-Barajas.

" It feels very meaningful and full circle to be here,” Beristain-Barajas said.

“I also take the responsibility of mentoring and training the next generation very seriously and hope that by rotating here they can see themselves in the role.”

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Edwin Garcia

Potentially deadly soil bacterium gaining foothold in new regions, including U.S.

Fri, 06 Nov 2026 08:00:00 GMT

A potentially deadly disease caused by a soil-dwelling bacterium long found in tropical regions may be slowly gaining a foothold in the continental United States and other regions around the world. The discovery of the bacterium in Mississippi is raising new questions about how doctors should identify infections and track its spread.

New study in Lancet Microbe finds antibody response in humans can persist for years, which can help track melioidosis

Melioidosis is a serious, sometimes fatal infection caused by the bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei, an organism commonly found in tropical and subtropical soil and surface water. The disease is treated with antibiotics but has a fatality rate of 10% to 50%.

Burkholderia pseudomallei, seen here on a laboratory culture plate, has been found in soil and water in Mississippi.

Researchers from the UC Davis School of Medicine and collaborators from Mahidol University in Thailand have published a new study in The Lancet Microbe examining how the body’s disease-fighting antibodies change over time after a melioidosis infection. Their findings could help scientists better understand where the disease is spreading and improve how blood tests are interpreted for diagnosis and surveillance.

"In places where melioidosis is rare or newly emerging, such as parts of the United States, these antibody tests may be especially useful because few people have been previously exposed," said Kristen Aiemjoy, assistant professor in the UC Davis Department of Public Health Sciences and co-senior author of the study. "But in areas where the disease has been circulating for decades, previous infections can make results more difficult to interpret."

People and animals can contract melioidosis after coming into contact with the bacteria in contaminated soil, dust or water. The disease has a wide range of signs and symptoms, including fever, stomach pain and seizures, and can be difficult to diagnose.

Melioidosis remains relatively uncommon in the United States, but experts say awareness among clinicians is essential because the disease can resemble many other illnesses and requires prompt treatment. The infection has sometimes been called "the great mimicker" because its symptoms can look like pneumonia, tuberculosis, cancer or other serious conditions.

Geographic range of ‘tropical disease’ is expanding

Melioidosis, which was historically considered a tropical disease, is endemic in northern Australia and Southeast Asia, particularly northeast Thailand. However, recent evidence suggests its geographic range is expanding.

In 2022, researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention linked multiple human melioidosis infections to soil and water in Mississippi. The finding, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, provided some of the strongest evidence yet that the bacterium has become established in the continental United States.

Kristen Aiemjoy, an assistant professor in the UC Davis Department of Public Health Sciences, outside the Melioidosis Lab at Mahidol University.

There have also been increasing reports of melioidosis in South Asia and Africa.

Scientists have also warned that climate change could increase the areas where the bacterium can survive, potentially exposing new populations to infection.

"One of the things that makes this organism concerning is its ability to persist in the environment for very long periods of time," Aiemjoy said. "Once Burkholderia pseudomallei becomes established in soil and water, it can continue to survive and replicate, creating an ongoing risk of exposure."

Antibody response can help with diagnosis and monitoring

The new study followed people in Thailand after confirmed melioidosis infections to measure how long antibodies against the bacterium could be detected. Researchers examined antibody responses to two promising diagnostic targets and found that antibody levels can persist for years after infection.

This means that positive test results may reflect past infection rather than recent disease, an important consideration when monitoring the pathogen's spread into new regions.

"Better tools for tracking exposure will help us understand where this pathogen is today and where it may emerge in the future," Aiemjoy said. "As environmental conditions change, surveillance becomes increasingly important."

Resources

Research to develop personalized treatments for children with neurodevelopmental disabilities

Mon, 02 Nov 2026 08:00:00 GMT

Researchers at UC Davis Health and the University of Pennsylvania are working together to identify precision therapies for children with neurodevelopmental disabilities caused by ion-channel disorders.

Professor Roy Ben-Shalom with six members of his lab. All are wearing white lab coats and smiling at the camera.

Roy Ben-Shalom, assistant professor of neurology at UC Davis Health and the UC Davis MIND Institute, and Pranam Chatterjee, assistant professor of bioengineering and computer science at the University of Pennsylvania, recently received a Biomedical Research Collaboration Award from The Hartwell Foundation that will support the research. Both investigators were recipients of a 2022 Hartwell Individual Biomedical Research Award.

Ion channels are proteins that act as tiny gates in brain cells. Each one forms a pore that can open and close in a fraction of a millisecond. These channels control the movement of charged ions (such as sodium and potassium) in and out of neurons. The movement of those ions generates the electrical signal a neuron uses to fire, and how quickly the channels open and close sets how readily it fires. This neural activity affects the brain’s circuitry and functioning.

Ion-channel disorders, known as channelopathies, occur when genetic changes affect how ion channels work. A mutation can leave a channel opening too easily, closing too slowly or barely opening at all. Neurons then fire too much, too little or at the wrong moments, and the circuits they form develop differently. The result can be a neurodevelopmental disability, such as autism or childhood epilepsy.

“Every child with an ion-channel variant has a slightly different pattern in how their neurons fire. Each variant would need its own lab experiments before we could match it to a treatment,” Ben-Shalom explained. Ben-Shalom works on predicting the excitability of brain neuronal circuits in neurodevelopmental conditions.

According to Ben-Shalom, there are far more variants and candidate treatments than any lab can work through. His lab has spent years studying how these variants alter neuronal firing.

Precision medicine would mean developing treatments that correspond to each specific case. “For most of these children, we simply do not know what will help them,” he said.

The Ben-Shalom Lab studies brain neuronal circuits in neurodevelopmental conditions.

Synergy to find better treatment, faster

Today, each variant must first be measured in months of laboratory recordings. That is why only a small fraction of the thousands of known variants have been studied this way.

To speed up the process, the Ben-Shalom and Chatterjee Labs will use simulations to predict those measurements. Then, they will rank which approved medications are most likely to correct each variant and design new molecules for the variants that no existing drug fits. The collaboration combines Chatterjee’s AI-driven molecular design with Ben-Shalom’s expertise in how genetic changes affect brain function.

“We are determined to develop potential treatments tailored to the biology of childhood neurodevelopmental disabilities,” Chatterjee said. Chatterjee is the Africk-Lesley Distinguished Scholar of Innovation in Engineering.

He will use computational methods to develop models that can predict how gene mutations alter the three-dimensional shape of a channel and the way it opens and closes. These models will inform the design of molecules that can correct how these channels behave. The Ben-Shalom Lab will test the predictions against measurements of the electrical currents in neurons that carry the same variants.

Professor Pranam Chatterjee, at right, with two researchers in his lab. Photo credit: Sylvia Zhang, Penn Engineering.

“What excites me about this project is that we can bring that accumulated data into models that predict which interventions are worth trying, narrowing an impossible number of possibilities down to the few worth testing,” Ben-Shalom said.

With the Chatterjee Lab’s ability to design a molecule aimed at one specific variant, the collaboration could mean a family gets a treatment matched to their child’s mutation rather than to a diagnosis. This synergy in the researchers’ expertise will expedite unlocking the mysteries of brain circuitry, starting from the neuron’s electric gatekeepers, the ion channels.

“We are grateful to The Hartwell Foundation for giving us this unique opportunity to turn our complementary strengths into new therapeutic possibilities for children and their families,” Chatterjee said.

“Together, the two groups will create a variant-to-therapy framework that connects molecular mechanism to treatment selection and therapeutic design,” said Fred Dombrose, president of The Hartwell Foundation. “Each laboratory will address complementary components of the same challenge by contributing technologies that solve a critical part of the problem.”

The award provides $770,000 in direct cost over two years.

UC Davis podcast, Unfold, wins two national Signal Awards

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 07:00:00 GMT

10/30/2026

UC Davis podcast, Unfold, wins two national Signal Awards

Episode explored the experiences of patients with the fungal infection valley fever

(SACRAMENTO)

The UC Davis podcast Unfold has won two Signal Awards for an episode about valley fever, putting the show in the company of productions from CNN, Amy Poehler, NPR and others.

From left, Marianne Russ Sharp and Amy Quinton in the studio where they often record podcast episodes.

The winning episode, “Just One Spore,” profiled two patients whose lives have been upended by the fungal infection valley fever. The episode earned a silver award in the science and education category, and a bronze award in the health and wellness category.

The episode was reported and produced by Amy Quinton, a news and media relations specialist at UC Davis, and edited by Marianne Russ Sharp, managing editor for news at UC Davis Health. The pair co-hosted the episode. Both have backgrounds in public radio journalism.

"We were judged by some of the best audio storytellers in the business and competed with podcast companies whose budgets far exceed ours,” Quinton said. “We are extraordinarily grateful for this recognition and to be in the company of such talented people creating incredible podcasts."

The Signal Awards is a national contest that seeks to recognize “the most potent, meaningful and unprecedented audio projects being made today.” Judges included podcast creators from Podvision, Netflix, NPR, Podcasts at YouTube, TED, iHeart Media, and PRX.

Highlighting a growing threat

For most people, valley fever is a treatable illness, but for some, like patients Kyleigh Cooyar and Rex Dangerfield, it can cause debilitating symptoms.

“I don't feel normal anymore,” Dangerfield shared in the podcast episode. “I used to be able to play, you know, run around. I used to be able to play basketball. I used to love to bowl. I can't do that anymore.”

Both Dangerfield and Cooyar have been under the care of physician George Thompson, co-director of the UC Davis Center for Valley Fever. He’s helped improve their quality of life by finding the right treatments, which can be challenging.

“He's the one that got it under control, and I think he saved my life,” Cooyar said.

Thompson, an infectious diseases specialist, is also researching new treatments and the effect of climate change on the spread of valley fever beyond the West. The fungal infection is now popping up in places where people have never heard of it.

“Working on this episode was a real eye-opener in terms of the potential spread of valley fever and its impact on humans, and the importance of the work that physician-scientists like Dr. Thompson are doing,” Sharp said.

Quinton and Sharp also produced a second episode on the spread of valley fever in dogs.

Related Resources

Read an in-depth In Focus story on valley fever in both humans and dogs.

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Wider surgical margins may not mean better cancer control, finds large-scale treatment trial

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 07:00:00 GMT

It’s a question that surgeons often face: How much surrounding healthy tissue should they take out when removing a patient’s cancer to be sure it is fully eliminated? Removing more can sacrifice nearby nerves, blood vessels, tendons and even joints, with lasting effects on quality of life.

Micrograph of chondrosarcoma

A new study led by UC Davis researchers finds that in at least one type of cancer, control may be achieved with much narrower margins than previously thought.

Until now, surgeons have had no scientific evidence on the optimal surgical margins for pediatric patients with non-rhabdomyosarcoma soft tissue sarcomas (NRSTS).

In this first-ever large prospective clinical trial, scientists evaluated the risk of local cancer recurrence after surgical and chemoradiation therapies to non-metastatic NRSTS in children and young adult patients.

The trial (ARST0332) by the Children’s Oncology Group showed that close surgical margins as little as a millimeter — less than one tenth of the traditional surgical margin — would preserve precious healthy tissue and maintain low risk of recurrence. The findings were published today in JAMA Surgery.

“When we remove a tumor, our goal is to leave no cancer behind. So, when we operate on a child or young adult with soft tissue sarcomas, we ask how surgically aggressive we need to be in obtaining this negative margin?” said UC Davis Health orthopedic surgeon R. Lor Randall, the study’s senior author.

He specializes in pediatric oncology and is The David Linn Endowed Chair for Orthopaedic Surgery. Randall is also a professor and chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and director of Sarcoma Advanced Research and Clinical Fellowships at UC Davis Health.

“For a child, a few millimeters can make a lifelong difference when a tumor is next to an important nerve or blood vessel. These findings give us more evidence to help remove the cancer while protecting as much healthy tissue as possible,” Randall said.

The standard treatment for non-rhabdomyosarcoma soft tissue sarcomas is surgery with a complete resection.

About non-rhabdomyosarcomas therapies

NRSTS include many different types of cancers that start in tissues that normally develop into muscles, nerves and tendons. They make up over half of soft tissue cancers in children and young adults. Every year, around 550 new cases are diagnosed in children in the United States alone.

The standard treatment for NRSTS is surgery with a complete resection (known as R0) to fully remove the tumor with no cancer cells at the microscopic edges of the removed tissue. This is called a negative, or cancer-free margin. Traditionally, the recommended protocol is to have a 1-2 centimeter margin when feasible. However, in a child’s smaller body, this may be difficult to do without damaging important structures.

Some patients also need chemotherapy and radiation therapy. This will depend on the type of cancer, size and grade, as well as whether it can be completely removed. The objective is to prevent cancer from returning.

First study in children looking at non-rhabdomyosarcomas

This is the largest prospective trial to evaluate surgical margins in relation to risk of cancer recurrence.

The researchers assessed the impact of margin extent on local cancer recurrence and survival outcomes in 266 patients. The patients were under the age of 30 (median age 13.7 years) and had non-metastatic NRSTS. All had their tumors completely removed (via resection) with no cancer cells at the margins. Of these, 178 received surgery alone. The other 88 also received chemotherapy and radiation, either before or after surgery.

The team reviewed the patients’ diagnostic imaging, tumor biopsies and resection specimens and operative records. They followed the patients for a median of 6.2 years. They classified them into three groups: low risk with surgery and no other treatment; intermediate risk with upfront surgery followed by chemoradiation; and intermediate risk with upfront chemoradiation followed by surgery.

Low rates of cancer returning with narrow margins

Exact margin widths were available for 132 patients, about half of those studied. In this group, the estimated risk of cancer returning at the surgical site within five years was 4.9% with a 1-millimeter margin, 2.0% with a 2- to 5-millimeter margin, and 0% with a margin of 6 millimeters or more.

“For the first time, we have evidence from a large prospective trial to help answer how closely we can safely get to these tumors,” Randall explained. “So, it is very exciting to find that getting close to the tumor — within a millimeter — can potentially save a blood vessel or healthy tissue and meet the standard of care, something that had never been shown before.”

Randall explained that most smaller tumors (less than 5 cm) do well with close margins even without chemotherapy and radiation. Larger tumors (more than 5 cm), on the other hand, would likely require chemotherapy and radiation.

The study also showed that with surgery and no chemoradiation treatment, the risk of local return of cancer was 5.6% for patients with smaller tumors. For patients with large tumors and who received chemotherapy, the risk of local recurrence was 3.7%.

Randall noted that wider margins may also be more important for patients treated with surgery alone.

“These findings can help surgeons decide when a close, but cancer free margin may be enough, allowing them to preserve more of a young person’s limb and its function,” said Sheri Spunt, coauthor and principal investigator on the trial. Spunt was an endowed professor of pediatric cancer at Stanford University and is now a senior medical director at AbbVie.

UC Davis Health earns Comprehensive Hypertension Center Certification from American Heart Association

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 07:00:00 GMT

UC Davis Health has been awarded the American Heart Association’s Comprehensive Hypertension Center Certification. This achievement recognizes the health system’s commitment to improving hypertension care and reducing patients’ risk for heart disease and stroke.

A patient has blood pressure monitored during an appointment by a member of the care team.

UC Davis Medical Center is one of only six healthcare facilities in California to be a Certified Hypertension Center and the only one located north of San Francisco.

Hypertension (high blood pressure) occurs when blood pushes too strongly against artery walls, making the heart work harder to pump blood. High blood pressure is sometimes called “the silent killer” because many people have no symptoms until it causes serious problems like heart attacks, strokes and kidney damage.

Certified Comprehensive Hypertension Centers are recognized as leaders in implementing quality improvement practices. They follow proven guidelines for treating high blood pressure and ongoing professional education.

“Becoming a Certified Hypertension Center is an exciting achievement for our team,” said Surabhi M. Atreja, professor of cardiology and director of the Hypertension Clinic in Cardiovascular Medicine at UC Davis Health. “This recognition reflects the hard work of our team, our focus on improving patient outcomes and our dedication to advancing the highest standards of hypertension care. We are proud to help put UC Davis Health on the map as a leader in the treatment and management of high blood pressure.”

Extreme risk protection orders are designed to prevent gun violence. But how do they impact the people subject to them?

Tue, 27 Oct 2026 07:00:00 GMT

About 125 people die from gun violence through homicide or suicide in the United States every day. Many more are injured by firearms.

A new study from the UC Davis Centers for Violence Prevention examines the benefits and harms reported by people subject to extreme risk protection or

Extreme risk protection orders (ERPOs), known in California as gun violence restraining orders, are designed to keep firearms temporarily away from people at risk of harming themselves or others. While previous research has focused on whether these orders prevent violence, a new study from the UC Davis Centers for Violence Prevention examines a different question: What consequences — including violence prevention — do people subject to these orders attribute to them?

Detailed answers are now published in PLOS One, Public Library of Science. The paper is the first to draw directly on the experiences of people subject to ERPOs.

Methods

Researchers conducted in-depth interviews with 24 people who had been issued ERPOs in California between 2016 and 2020. The interviews, conducted from March through November 2024, were transcribed and analyzed by two researchers to identify common themes and important differences in participants' experiences.

Findings

Participants reported a wide range of consequences after being issued an ERPO:

Some perceived little impact, while others described benefits and harms related to violence risk, legal and economic outcomes, opinions and attitudes, and social and emotional wellbeing.
Two participants believed their orders prevented violence, and one was unsure. Most participants believed they would not have committed violence regardless of the order. A few described perceived increases in suicidal or violent thoughts, while others said the experience prompted self-reflection and positive behavioral changes.
Some participants reported employment or housing difficulties when the order appeared on background checks. They also noted stigmatization, damaged relationships and reduced trust in the legal system.
None of the participants said the ERPO process itself connected them with mental health care, substance-use treatment, or other supportive services.

The findings illustrate that respondents' experiences are not uniform. This suggests that evaluations of ERPO laws should consider a broader range of outcomes in addition to violence prevention.

“To comprehensively evaluate extreme risk protection orders, researchers and policymakers must consider their full range of consequences, including those reported by respondents themselves,” said first author Veronica Pear. Pear is a researcher at the Centers for Violence Prevention and an assistant professor in the UC Davis Department of Emergency Medicine. “This broader evidence can guide policy refinements that preserve these laws' public-safety benefits while reducing avoidable harms.”

Limitations and future research

The researchers caution that the study reflects participants' own accounts and cannot determine whether the ERPO itself caused the outcomes they described. They also caution that the study included only 24 respondents and is not representative of ERPO respondents generally.

However, they note the interviews provide important insight into perceived consequences that may not be captured in administrative data or measures typically used to evaluate ERPO outcomes.

Among the issues identified for future study are:

Whether respondents could benefit from stronger connections to mental health care, substance-use treatment, or other support services.
Whether removing an ERPO record under certain circumstances could reduce employment and housing difficulties.
Whether procedural changes, such as access to legal representation, could improve trust in the legal process while maintaining public-safety goals.

“Extreme risk protection orders are intended to prevent tragic outcomes, and research suggests they can reduce suicide risk,” said Garen Wintemute, senior author of the study. Wintemute is an emergency room physician and director of the UC Davis Centers for Violence Prevention. “As these laws continue to evolve, listening to respondents can help policymakers identify practical improvements in implementation while maintaining the goal of preventing violence.”

A full list of authors appears in the study.

Resources

UC Davis Health performs first HIV-to-HIV kidney transplant

Tue, 27 Oct 2026 07:00:00 GMT

The UC Davis Transplant Center has reached an important milestone with its first kidney transplant between a deceased donor with HIV and a recipient living with HIV. This approach can help shorten the wait for a lifesaving transplant by increasing the number of organs available to eligible patients.

Surgeons perform a kidney transplant procedure in an operating room.

Just over a decade ago, federal law prohibited the use of organs from donors with HIV in any transplant recipient, including people who were also living with HIV.

The 2013 HOPE Act changed that by allowing researchers to study HIV-to-HIV kidney transplants. Years of research showed these transplants are safe and effective.

In 2024, federal regulations removed the strict research-only requirements. UC Davis Health then brought together a multidisciplinary team of experts to launch its HIV-to-HIV kidney transplant program. It’s the only program of its kind in the Sacramento region.

“Many people living with HIV develop kidney disease over the course of their lives, and some will require a transplant,” explained Sana J. Shaikh, associate professor of Transplant Nephrology, who oversees the HIV positive-to-positive kidney transplant program at UC Davis Health. “HIV-to-HIV transplantation creates an additional pathway to care because organs from donors with HIV are available only to recipients living with HIV. By increasing the number of organs available to these patients, we can potentially reduce wait times and help people get transplanted faster.”

Thoracic surgeon David Tom Cooke elected to American College of Surgeons Board of Regents

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 07:00:00 GMT

10/23/2026

Thoracic surgeon David Tom Cooke elected to American College of Surgeons Board of Regents

By Rebecca Badeaux

(SACRAMENTO)

UC Davis Health surgeon David Tom Cooke has been elected to the Board of Regents of the American College of Surgeons (ACS), the organization's highest leadership body.

The Board of Regents helps guide the governance, policies and strategic direction of the ACS, which represents approximately 95,000 members in 144 countries.

Cooke is a professor and founding chief of the Division of General Thoracic Surgery in the Department of Surgery at UC Davis Health. A nationally recognized thoracic surgeon, he leads the division's clinical, research and educational missions while advancing innovations in patient care and surgical training. Cooke is also physician-in-chief for UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center.

David Tom Cooke

"Being elected to the Board of Regents is deeply meaningful," Cooke said. "This opportunity represents a chance to help shape the future of our profession, develop the next generation of surgical leaders and strengthen the institutions and systems that support excellent surgical care. I am especially proud to represent UC Davis Health on this national stage."

Cooke's involvement with ACS spans more than two decades. He has served in numerous leadership roles. His contributions have included service with the Resident and Associate Society, Young Fellows Association, Program Committee, Patient Education Committee, Board of Governors, Commission on Cancer and the Northern California Chapter of the ACS.

As a regent, Cooke will help oversee the direction of the college and contribute to national discussions on surgical practice, patient care, education, research and emerging innovations such as artificial intelligence and robotics.

"Dr. Cooke's election to the Board of Regents is a well-deserved acknowledgment of his national leadership and longstanding commitment to surgical excellence and service," said UC Davis School of Medicine Dean Susan Murin. "He has dedicated his career to improving care for patients and is an inspiration for the next generation of surgeons."

The American College of Surgeons has served the surgical profession for more than 100 years. Its mission is to improve the care of surgical patients and safeguard standards of care in an optimal and ethical practice environment.

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From heartbreak to hope: First UC Davis fetal care patient turns 10

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 07:00:00 GMT

10/23/2026

From heartbreak to hope: First UC Davis fetal care patient turns 10

By Tricia Tomiyoshi

(SACRAMENTO)

After fertility challenges, two miscarriages and the full-term stillbirth of their daughter, Elk Grove couple Khae Saetern and Bobby Angeles found hope once more.

The year was 2016. They were having a baby boy. His name was to be Matthew, a name that literally means “gift of God.”

But Saetern’s ultrasound at 32 weeks revealed a problem. Matthew had fluid in his lungs and in his heart.

The life-changing fetal diagnosis was one that they had never heard of: Hydrops.

“Matthew’s condition of fetal hydrops is essentially lethal. If we had done nothing, we would have expected him to be stillborn,” said Shinjiro Hirose, the UC Davis Health physician who was part of his care team.

Bobby Angeles holds baby Matthew at the UC Davis Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

“I kept thinking this is not happening to us again,” Angeles said.

But the couple also received a lifeline, a chance of survival for their unborn baby. The answer was a first-of-its-kind surgery at UC Davis Fetal Care and Treatment Center.

It would be the first fetal surgery at this new fetal care facility, located in UC Davis Children’s Hospital, designed to help families just like theirs.

A life-saving intervention before birth

At 32 weeks gestation, the surgeons inserted a catheter to drain the fluid from Matthew’s chest – all while he was still in the womb. Within days, the hydrops improved.

Matthew Saetern-Angeles, age 10.

About a week later, Saetern went into labor.

Matthew Saetern-Angeles — the baby that they had wanted so much and waited for — was born.

“The most beautiful thing is that he did cry when he was born. It made us cry. That was the best,” remembered Saetern.

Celebrating 10 years

This fall, the UC Davis Fetal Care and Treatment Center celebrates its 10^th anniversary. Matthew also turned 10 years old last month.

Saetern and Angeles beam with pride when they talk about their growing son … who is now in fourth grade. They describe him as a social butterfly who enjoys school and plays striker on his soccer team. It’s a reality the couple could not have fully imagined 10 years ago.

“We are so grateful for the fetal program at UC Davis and for all that they have done for us and for Matthew,” Angeles said.

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What does voter suppression have to do with health?

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 07:00:00 GMT

Public health researchers have long examined how societal forces can shape health outcomes. Decades after redlining was outlawed, for example, researchers continue to document its lasting effects on life expectancy, chronic disease and access to healthcare resources in many communities.

Person casts a ballot into a clear voting box with an American flag in the background.

UC Davis psychiatrist Ruth Shim, a contributing author for JAMA Health Forum, suggests that another structural force deserves the same scrutiny: voter suppression.

In her latest article, Shim makes the case that voting is a social determinant of health. She asserts that voter suppression is a structural determinant of health, one of the policies and practices that shape who has access to the conditions for good health.

"We have spent two decades bringing the social determinants of health into clinical practice, but we have paid far less attention to the structures that create them," said Shim, professor in the UC Davis Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. "Voter suppression is one of those structures, and it can be changed."

Shim notes that U.S. voter turnout lags behind many other countries, in part because states administer elections and set their own registration rules. She also points to the Supreme Court's 2013 decision in Shelby County v. Holder, which was followed by polling place closures that reduced voting access in communities of color, lower-income communities and rural areas.

Shim highlights studies showing links between voter participation and population health.

Research has found that states with lower voter turnout have worse health outcomes, while people in poor health are less likely to vote. Together, those findings point to what Shim calls a vicious cycle of voter suppression and poor health.

Some of the most striking evidence comes from historical analyses.

One study cited by Shim found that passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was associated with significant reductions in Black infant deaths in Jim Crow states.

Other studies have examined the health consequences of voting restrictions.

Shim points to research linking felony disenfranchisement laws with increased depressive symptoms among Black people, but not among White people.

Shim notes that health professionals, who are trusted messengers in the communities affected by health disparities, can support voter registration in health care settings. She points to nonpartisan resources such as Vot-ER and the Civic Health Alliance. Both organizations advance public understanding of the relationship between voter access and health.

"These inequities are not accidental," Shim said. "When people are blocked from voting, they lose a voice in the decisions that shape their health. Protecting the right to vote is a public health intervention."

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UC Davis Health recognized as 2026 CHIME Digital Health Most Wired

Wed, 21 Oct 2026 07:00:00 GMT

10/21/2026

UC Davis Health recognized as 2026 CHIME Digital Health Most Wired

(SACRAMENTO)

UC Davis Health has once again been recognized as a national leader in digital health, earning Level 9 certification in both acute and ambulatory care in the 2026 Digital Health Most Wired Survey for the 15^th consecutive year.

The recognition comes from the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME), whose internationally recognized Digital Health Most Wired program benchmarks organizations that excel in using digital technology to improve patient care, outcomes and operational performance.

For more than two decades, the Digital Health Most Wired (DHMW) survey has been the health care industry's most trusted measure of digital maturity. Each year, hospitals, health systems, ambulatory care organizations, and long-term and post-acute care providers around the world use DHMW to understand where they stand, where they need to go, and how they compare to their peers.

“This honor reflects our team’s unwavering commitment to using digital innovation to advance safe, high-quality, patient-centered care,” said Bruce Hall, Associate Vice Chancellor of Clinical Strategy. “By thoughtfully integrating technology, data analytics and cybersecurity into clinical practice, we are improving outcomes and creating a better experience for our patients.”

Reinventing patient care

As health care organizations navigate persistent cybersecurity threats, evolving care models, workforce shortages and budget constraints, the need to accelerate digital transformation has never been more urgent. Artificial intelligence (AI) and digital infrastructure are reshaping how and where care is delivered.

Among the 44,000 facilities represented in this year’s survey, UC Davis Health distinguished itself by ranking above its peers in key focus areas including:

Clinical quality and safety
Analytics and data management
Cybersecurity
Population health
Infrastructure
Patient engagement
Innovation

As digital health becomes increasingly important to the quality of patient care, the CHIME Digital Health Most Wired survey highlights how leading health care providers are advancing and reinventing the way they care for their patients.

“Earning this recognition for the 15^th consecutive year reflects our team’s sustained commitment and expertise in using technology to improve care,” said John Cook, associate chief information officer at UC Davis Health. “We are proud to once again be recognized as a leader in digital health and will continue exploring new, responsible ways to use data and technology to support our clinicians and deliver exceptional care to every patient.”

To learn more about the 2026 DHMW results, visit the DHMW website.

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10 safety tips for a happy Halloween

Wed, 21 Oct 2026 07:00:00 GMT

Everyone loves a good scare on Halloween, but not when it comes to child safety.

Two children and woman in witch hat stand in doorway while man reaches into bowl.

Your costumes and decorations can be both creative and safe with these tips from Jennifer Rubin, Safe Kids Greater Sacramento Coalition coordinator and injury prevention manager at UC Davis Health.

Trick-or-treat safety tips

Follow age recommendations on costume packaging. Avoid giving children items with small magnets and batteries. These items might include accessories with lights, motion, or sound effects. Small toy mouthpieces with button or coin batteries can be a choking hazard, especially for young children.
Select costumes that are the right size to prevent trips and falls (avoid long trailing fabric) and choose face paint over masks (which can limit children's vision).
Don’t wear decorative Halloween contact lenses sold without a prescription. They may seem like a fun way to complete a costume, but non-prescription contact lenses can cause serious eye damage.
Before your trick-or-treat group heads out the door, talk about sticking together, crossing the street at corners and crosswalks and making eye contact with drivers before crossing.
Ensure your trick-or-treaters carry glow sticks or flashlights, use reflective tape or stickers on costumes or bags, and wear light colors to help kids be seen. Avoid light-up toys with wires or lightbulbs that can be removed, which can be a choking hazard.
Accompany children under age 12 for trick-or-treating.

Decoration safety tips

Teach children to stay away from open flames, including jack-o’-lanterns with candles inside.
Keep Halloween decorations away from open flames and other heat sources, such as light bulbs and heaters. Dried flowers, cornstalks and crepe paper catch fire easily.
Avoid placing decorations near exits, so nothing blocks escape routes.
Ensure all smoke alarms are working.

Attention drivers! Drivers can do their part to help everyone have a happy Halloween by slowing down and being alert, especially in residential neighborhoods.

First-in-human study of dual-imaging catheter to assess heart attack risk, guide treatment

Tue, 20 Oct 2026 07:00:00 GMT

Researchers at the UC Davis National Center for Interventional Biophotonic Technologies (NCIBT) have just concluded the first-in-human test of a new device that could help doctors better detect and treat atherosclerosis, the narrowing of blood vessels due to plaque buildup. The flexible catheter-based device, developed at NCIBT labs, is designed to navigate the interior walls of arteries and capture detailed information about plaque buildup in real time.

Group photo of NCIBT team with the cath lab members are celebrating the completion of the study.

“Testing this device marks a major step toward advancing heart health. Our technology could help clinicians better understand atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease progression and personalize treatment,” said Laura Marcu, founding director of NCIBT. Marcu holds the Endowed Professorship in Neurosurgical Research and is a professor in the Departments of Neurological Surgery and Biomedical Engineering.

The device uses fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIm) and polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT) to simultaneously identify the microstructure and biochemical composition of plaque in coronary arteries.

UC Davis Health offers new accelerated treatment program for depression

Mon, 19 Oct 2026 07:00:00 GMT

10/19/2026

UC Davis Health offers new accelerated treatment program for depression

By Lisa Howard

Stanford Accelerated Intelligent Neuromodulation Therapy (SAINT) may help patients improve more quickly

Patients interested in learning whether SAINT may be appropriate for them can find more information on the department's Mood Disorders and Depression web page.

(SACRAMENTO)

UC Davis Health has added an accelerated treatment approach for depression at its Advanced Psychiatric Therapeutics (APT) clinic in East Sacramento.

Known as SAINT, short for Stanford Accelerated Intelligent Neuromodulation Therapy, the treatment uses multiple daily sessions of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over five consecutive days. In a small study conducted at Stanford University, 90% of the participants experienced relief from some symptoms of severe depression following SAINT treatment.

"Treatment-resistant depression can be devastating, affecting every aspect of a person's life, including relationships, work and physical health," said Debra Kahn, a psychiatrist and medical director of the APT clinic. "Many patients come to us after years of trying medications and psychotherapy without sufficient relief. SAINT offers a new option that may help patients experience meaningful improvement much more quickly."

For Medical Director Debra Kahn, SAINT offers a new option that may help patients with treatment-resistant depression recover more quickly.

Depression at historically high levels in U.S.

A 2025 Gallup poll found the percentage of U.S. adults who reported currently having or being treated for depression was 18.3% — a historically high number. According to 2025 data from the Centers for Disease Control, the prevalence of depression has increased about 60% in the past decade. Of the people being treated for depression, nearly one-third experience treatment-resistant depression, which is when the symptoms persist despite trying multiple medications.

The new treatment adds to the APT clinic's interventional psychiatry program, which already offers advanced therapies, including conventional TMS and esketamine (delivered as a nasal spray) and electroconvulsive therapy (also known as ECT).

How SAINT differs from conventional TMS

Like traditional TMS, SAINT delivers magnetic stimulation to the brain, but the treatment differs in several ways. Before treatment, each patient's unique brain connectivity is mapped using a non-invasive imaging technique known as fMRI. The mapping lets the team identify optimal areas in the brain for treatment and create personalized targets for each patient.

And while traditional TMS is typically delivered once daily over six weeks or longer, SAINT uses an accelerated protocol, providing 10 treatment sessions per day over five consecutive days.

Psychiatrist Katharine Marder, at right, receives SAINT training at the APT clinic in East Sacramento.

‘Treatment-resistant’ does not mean untreatable

"Patients need to know that treatment-resistant does not mean untreatable,” said Katharine Marder, a psychiatrist at the APT clinic.

She notes that treatment-resistant depression can occur for many reasons. Factors such as underlying medical conditions, anxiety disorders, genetic factors and previous trauma may all contribute to depression that is more difficult to treat.

“The field of interventional psychiatry is advancing rapidly, and we now have more tools than ever before to help patients who have exhausted traditional options. Our goal is to match each patient with the treatment most likely to help them regain their quality of life," Marder said.

The team at the APT clinic helps patients regain quality of life with advanced therapies for treatment-resistant depression.

Treatment options for depression greatly expanded

Helen Kales is a psychiatrist and chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.

“With the launch of our electroconvulsive clinic at 48X in July, and now the addition of SAINT in the APT clinic in East Sacramento, we have greatly expanded the options available to people who have often exhausted traditional treatments,” Kales said. "I am deeply grateful to everyone whose persistence and hard work helped bring these services to our community, and to the amazing clinical teams who provide exceptional care to patients and families every day."

Patients interested in learning whether SAINT may be appropriate for them can find more information on the department’s Mood Disorders and Depression web page.

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UC Davis Health nurse scientist advances national framework for nursing care

Mon, 19 Oct 2026 07:00:00 GMT

Some of the most meaningful contributions nurses make are also among the hardest to measure.

Nurse in blue scrubs smiles while speaking with a patient in a hospital bed with monitors in the background.

Now, a UC Davis clinical nurse scientist is helping lead a national effort to better define nursing’s impact on patients and families.

Lori S. Kennedy, director of the Center for Nursing Science at UC Davis Health, has published a new framework Oct. 19 in JAMA Internal Medicine that identifies nine domains of nursing practice and proposes new ways to measure nurses’ contributions to patient outcomes.

By appearing in one of the nation's leading physician journals, the Viewpoint article brings the conversation to doctors, health system leaders and policymakers whose decisions help shape how quality of care is measured and evaluated. In addition to her leadership role, Kennedy is also an associate professor at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis.

Good food is good medicine: UC Davis Health earns Snail of Approval

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 07:00:00 GMT

Food and Nutrition Services at UC Davis Health has been recognized by Slow Food, Sacramento Chapter with a Snail of Approval award. The award recognizes food and beverage organizations that demonstrate a strong commitment to local sourcing, sustainability and community impact.

Person moves boxes of food supplies from a delivery cart inside a storage area lined with stacked produce and shipping cartons.

UC Davis Medical Center is just the fourth hospital to receive this recognition in the United States and the first hospital west of the state of New York.

Slow Food is a global, grassroots organization and movement that promotes local food, traditional cooking and sustainable farming as an alternative to fast food.

“We are honored to receive the Snail of Approval, especially because it reflects our belief that good food is good medicine,” said Santana Diaz, executive chef and director of culinary operations and innovation at UC Davis Health. “This recognition is a testament to our innovative food service model and the dedication of our team, whose focus on local sourcing, nutrition and exceptional taste helps support the health and well-being of our patients, staff and visitors.”

Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing named a 2026 Best School for Men in Nursing

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 07:00:00 GMT

The American Association for Men in Nursing (AAMN) has named the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis one of its 2026 Best Schools for Men in Nursing.

Two male nursing students review patient records with a medical mannequin lying in a hospital bed behind them.

The national award honors schools that recruit men into nursing and help them succeed.

The recognition comes as men's share of the profession has slipped to 10.4%. In addition, men have represented only 11.8% of students in master’s nursing programs across the country in recent years — yet the school’s number of male students has increased.

“This award belongs to our students and faculty, who show every day that nursing is a career for anyone with the skill and heart to do it well,” said Stephen Cavanagh, dean of the school. “Our communities are diverse and the nurses caring for them should be too. When more men see nursing as a real option, patients benefit.”

At the School of Nursing, men made up 19% of admitted students over the past four years, nearly twice the national rate.

Admitting men above national rates

Over the past four years, men accounted for an average of 19% of students admitted to the school, up from 13%. In the Master's Entry Program in Nursing (MEPN), 21.3% of students admitted in 2025 were men. In the school's new Doctor of Nursing Practice — Nurse Anesthesia (DNP-NA) program, three of every four students in the first admitted class are men.

So, what changed? The school looked closely at how it reviewed applications. Faculty built a scoring rubric they believe ensures every applicant is judged the same way, no matter who reads the application file.

Role models in the classroom and the clinic

From left, Bryan Tune, Piri Ackerman and Stephen Cavanagh attend the AAMN conference in Las Vegas.

Men in the school’s programs don’t have to look far to see who has walked their path. A man leads the school as dean, and men hold one in five leadership roles and 14% of faculty and staff positions. Every clinical course in the nurse practitioner program pairs students with male faculty or preceptors. The coursework reflects men’s health, too.

“Seeing someone with a similar background who has successfully navigated the profession can be incredibly empowering,” explained Bryan Tune, an associate professor in the DNP-NA program. “What I hope to communicate to every student is that your place in nursing is not determined by your gender, but by your commitment to learning, your compassion for others and the contributions you are willing to make to the profession.”

In the school’s graduation exit survey the past three years, 71% of male students said they felt valued, included and respected. Alumnus Aron King graduated from the both the master’s-degree leadership and the Ph.D. programs at the School of Nursing.

A total of 71% of graduating male students, when surveyed, said they felt valued, included and respected at the School of Nursing.

“Belonging isn’t simply about being welcomed into a space but being able to see yourself in that space without feeling like you have to prove why you deserve to be there. Nursing needs Black men, Latino men, Asian men and men from all backgrounds,” explained King, who advocates for underserved populations and participates in the Capitol City Black Nurses Association.

At the recent AAMN conference where UC Davis was honored, King received recognition of his own: He was named a Distinguished Fellow for his work to diversity the healthcare workforce and advance men’s health.

“I hope this recognition inspires others to reach back and create opportunities for those coming behind them.”

King puts that philosophy into practice as a leader in the UC Davis SHINES program designed to introduce students to nursing careers and help them see themselves in the profession.

The pathway has welcomed 141 participants since it started four years ago. Of those, 22% were young men — more than double the number of men in the nurse/nursing? workforce. A number of male nurses are mentors and speakers.

“We hope every young man who walks in leaves able to picture himself as a nurse,” said Piri Ackerman, who created SHINES.

The receptor behind chili-pepper burn may hold clues to pain treatments

Thu, 15 Oct 2026 07:00:00 GMT

Scientists have long known that capsaicin, the ingredient that makes chili peppers feel hot and is used in some pain-relief creams, works by activating a pain-sensing receptor known as TRPV1.

Two dried red chili peppers, a natural source of capsaicin, on a white background.

New research from the UC Davis School of Medicine reveals that the receptor does not respond to every trigger in the same way. Instead, different stimuli appear to place TRPV1 into distinct functional states. The finding opens new possibilities for more targeted pain treatments.

The study, published in PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences), was led by researchers in the UC Davis Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology. The findings challenge a longstanding assumption that TRPV1 adopts a single activated state regardless of what triggers it.

TRPV1 as a potential target for pain medicine

TRPV1 is often called the body's capsaicin receptor. Located on pain-sensing nerve cells, it detects heat, tissue injury, inflammation and chemical compounds — including the capsaicin in hot peppers.

Because TRPV1 plays a central role in pain pathways and does not involve opioid signaling, it has long been considered a potential target for developing nonaddictive pain medicines. However, efforts to block the receptor have been complicated by its equally important role in regulating body temperature.

"Researchers have generally assumed that once TRPV1 is activated, the channel enters essentially the same open state regardless of what stimulus triggered it," said first author Bo Hyun Lee, a former researcher in the Zheng Lab at UC Davis. "Our findings show that the receptor is more sophisticated than that. Different stimuli appear to stabilize different open states, each with distinct functional properties."

Methods measured receptor’s response to different stimuli

To investigate how TRPV1 responds to different stimuli, the researchers measured electrical currents passing through individual channels activated by:

Capsaicin, the compound that gives chili peppers their heat
Resiniferatoxin, an extremely hot compound derived from a succulent plant
Hydrogen ions (protons), which create acidic conditions commonly associated with tissue injury and inflammation
2-APB, a chemical commonly used to modify ion channel activity
Heat

They found that different activators consistently produced different conductance levels. This finding suggests the channel opens in distinct ways rather than entering a common activated state.

Modeling of the different states of the TRPV1 pore, including closed (left), capsaicin-activated (middle) and 2-APB-activated (right).

The team then combined several approaches to see if those different conductance levels reflected structural differences in the receptor itself.

Using sensitive ion-permeation measurements (which measure how quickly charged particles move across a barrier), the researchers detected evidence that different activators altered the shape of the channel pore. They also used a fluorescence-based technique in living cells that allowed them to watch different parts of the channel protein shift position as it responded to different stimuli.

Finally, computational modeling helped visualize how the receptor's structure changed when activated by different stimuli.

Together, these approaches pointed to the existence of multiple distinct open configurations of TRPV1.

"We were able to see consistent evidence from several independent experimental methods that the pore of the channel does not look exactly the same when activated by different stimuli," said senior author Jie Zheng, professor in the Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology. "That convergence of evidence gave us confidence that these are genuine functional states rather than experimental artifacts."

The researchers also made another unexpected discovery. When two stimuli were applied together, the channel opened more slowly instead of more quickly. The finding suggests that different activation mechanisms may sometimes interfere with one another, revealing an additional layer of complexity in how pain signals are processed.

By showing how capsaicin receptors respond to triggers, Jie Zheng hopes to open the door to new pain medicines.

Findings may have implications for pain and basic research

Previous attempts to target TRPV1 with drugs for pain relief have often caused unwanted side effects, including major disruptions in body temperature regulation. The new study suggests it may someday be possible to selectively target receptor states associated with painful stimuli while preserving those involved in normal heat sensation.

"Our study provides a conceptual framework for thinking about TRPV1 in a much more nuanced way," said Vladimir Yarov-Yarovoy, co-author and professor in the Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology. "If different forms of activation produce different functional states, we may eventually be able to design therapies that selectively affect pain-related activity while leaving other essential functions intact."

The study also offers insight into how proteins function when encountering nontypical stimuli.

The work provides a new understanding of one of the body's most important pain sensors. It offers a potential roadmap for developing safer, more precise analgesic therapies. More research is needed to translate the study’s findings into new treatments.

Additional authors include Shisheng Li, Simon Vu, and Zhihao Yao from UC Davis and Yuhua Tian from UC Davis and Qingdao University.

Funding

This study was funded by the National Institutes of Health (R01NS103954) and the Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (RS-2023-00212567, RS-2023-00219399).

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Remote monitoring program improves diabetes management for youth with type 1 diabetes

Thu, 15 Oct 2026 07:00:00 GMT

A UC Davis Health pilot remote patient monitoring (RPM) program for youth with type 1 diabetes has shown promising results: young patients improved blood glucose management between clinic visits and enjoyed timely access to clinical support.

A child wears a continuous glucose monitor. A cellphone is held up to the device.

The program enrolled 20 youths with type 1 diabetes who had elevated hemoglobin A1C levels (above 8%) and were already using continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) technology. Over four months, clinicians reviewed CGM data weekly and reached out when patients met criteria indicating a need for additional support.

“Continuous glucose monitoring provides a wealth of health information, but the data often goes largely unreviewed between office visits,” said UC Davis pediatric endocrinologist Stephanie Crossen, who led the initiative. “This pilot demonstrates how remote monitoring can help us proactively identify patients who may be struggling and offer personalized guidance when they need it most.”

During the program, clinicians monitored measures such as:

Time-in-range (the percentage of time a patient’s glucose level stays within a target range)
Changes in glucose control
Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
CGM wear time (the maximum number of days a single continuous glucose monitor can be worn before it must be removed and replaced with a new one).

Participants received support through phone calls, text messages or electronic medical record messaging when intervention was needed.

Remote patient monitoring supports better glycemic control

The pilot produced meaningful improvements in glycemic control. Average time-in-range, a key measure of diabetes management, increased from 34.4% at baseline to 40% by the end of the program.

Participants also experienced a significant reduction in time spent above target glucose levels, decreasing from 64.8% to 58.9%. Most notably, 35% of participants achieved a time-in-range improvement of 10% or greater, a change that correlates with an estimated 0.5% to 0.8% improvement in hemoglobin A1C.

Participants also reported high satisfaction with the program. Nearly half (44%) of the patients described RPM as “very helpful,” while 56% said it was “a little helpful.”

Eighty-three percent of participants indicated that remote monitoring should continue as part of their diabetes care. Frequently cited benefits included helping patients stay focused on diabetes management between appointments and making it easier to receive support from their care team.

Insight from the pilot program

The pilot program also identified important opportunities for future refinement. Clinicians found that outreach often required repeated attempts, with phone calls proving more effective than text messaging alone. Researchers also observed considerable variation in reimbursement of RPM services across public and private insurance plans, highlighting ongoing challenges in creating sustainable care models.

Based on the pilot’s success, the team plans to expand its remote monitoring capabilities by:

Integrating the diabetes data platform Tidepool into the hospital’s electronic medical record software
Refining documentation and billing workflows
Providing additional staff training
Studying RPM in newly diagnosed Type 1 diabetes patients through a multi-site research grant.

Record research funding for UC Davis School of Medicine

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 07:00:00 GMT

UC Davis School of Medicine researchers secured a record $439 million in external research funding last fiscal year — up 32% from the previous year. This funding supports trailblazing medical research ranging from basic science studies to clinical trials that help bring lifesaving treatments to patients.

Four researchers wearing white coats, purple gloves and lab goggles are working in professor Yuanpei Li lab at UC Davis Health.

In fiscal year 2025-26, UC Davis received a total of $953 million in external funding. The medical school received around 46% of this funding, making it the top recipient among all UC Davis colleges and schools.

In total, the school’s researchers received 2,042 grant awards — a 29% increase from the year before.

“Funding research remains critical to advancing promising discoveries and transforming them into real-world breakthroughs that could save lives and improve quality of life,” said Kim Barrett, vice dean for research at UC Davis School of Medicine. “Kudos to our university community, who stepped up in this time of challenge, submitted a record number of grant applications, and led numerous research studies and clinical trials.”

Federal, state and industry funding

Public and private investments in university-based research have been a cornerstone of American prosperity, security and innovative leadership.

One key source of funding is the federal government. The medical school received around $234.7 million in federal funding, a 45% increase over the year before. According to the latest ranking by Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research, the UC Davis School of Medicine is among the nation’s leading medical schools in National Institutes of Health (NIH) research funding.

Professor Rachel Whitmer is leading the two largest federal grants (total of $19.8 million) at UC Davis. Her studies, funded by the NIH, focus on age-related dementia and cognitive impairment and brain pathology among different ethnic groups. Whitmer is a professor of public health sciences and neurology and co-directs the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center.

This year also marked the federal grant renewals to multiple UC Davis centers, including the Clinical and Translational Science Center (CTSC) ($10.8 million), Comprehensive Cancer Center ($7.1 million) and the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center ($6.4 million). These centers continue pursuing basic and translational science, developing treatments for cancer, dementia and other diseases, and mentoring the next generation of scientists.

At professor Yuanpei Li’s lab, researchers use biomedical engineering approaches to develop innovative nanomedicine and molecular imaging agents to improve cancer treatments.

Funding from the state of California reached $30.3 million this year. The top state funding source was a grant of $15.8 million for the Statewide California Cancer Registry. This grant is led by Professor Ted Wun, director of CTSC.

This year marks a significant increase in industry funding (around 61%) with a total of $112.6 million. These funds mainly support clinical trials and studies to test potential treatments for various diseases and conditions. For example, Jonathan Riess is the site principal investigator of a $6.2 million grant for a cancer clinical trial sponsored by BridgeBio Oncology Therapeutics. Riess is the medical director of Thoracic Oncology and an associate professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology.

The medical school also received $61.1 million in funding from other sources.

Supporting early researchers and collaborations

This year, the school received 36 Research Career Development Awards (K-awards), an unprecedented number. These NIH awards help faculty develop careers as outstanding teacher-scholars and achieve independent research funding in the biomedical, behavioral or clinical sciences.

The school also made significant investments in supporting interdisciplinary research and promoting research seed funding.

“UC Davis School of Medicine has vastly expanded its pilot award programs to support early career researchers and interdisciplinary collaborations among our internationally recognized research community," said School of Medicine Dean Susan Murin. "Over the last five years, we've launched new initiatives fostering innovative research, offering seed funding programs, collaborations with the VA Northern California Health Care System, symposia support, bridge funding and many others."

Dean Susan Murin reflecting on a remarkable year of research achievements during the 2026 School of Medicine Research Celebration.

UC Davis extramural funding

Research investments allowed UC Davis to produce a wide range of scientific breakthroughs to improve health, enhance food supplies, protect the environment and empower a more resilient society. For example, last year, UC Davis researchers submitted 201 invention disclosures.

“UC Davis researchers continue to attract substantial investments based on deep expertise, unique collaborations and a long history of delivering impactful insight and solutions,” said Simon J. Atkinson, vice chancellor for research at UC Davis. “Despite significant funding uncertainty and regulatory change, our faculty and staff have drawn on their passion and ingenuity to keep their important — often life-changing — work moving forward.”

Learn more about how public investment in UC Davis research powers innovation, strengthens the economy and advances human health in From Labs to Lives. A detailed breakdown of the funding sources can be viewed in 2026 Annual Research Impact Report.

Discover more School of Medicine research stories.

Smoking history of living kidney donors linked to higher transplant complications

Mon, 12 Oct 2026 07:00:00 GMT

UC Davis Health research has found that people who received a kidney from a living donor with a history of smoking face a higher risk of transplant failure. Transplant failure, known as graft loss, occurs when the transplanted kidney permanently stops working. The highest risk was among patients whose donors had a substantial smoking history.

A hand holds a lit cigarette with smoke coming from it.

The new findings come from one of the largest studies to examine the impact of donor smoking on kidney transplant outcomes.

The study, published this month in Kidney360, analyzed data from 88,490 living donor kidney transplant recipients in the United States. The recipients underwent transplantation between 2004 and 2022 and are part of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network database.

Researchers found that recipients of kidneys from donors with any history of smoking experienced a 13% higher risk of all-cause graft loss compared with recipients of kidneys from donors who never smoked. Also, donor smoking history was associated with an 18% increase in the odds of acute rejection during the first year after transplant.

The greatest risks were observed among donors with more than 20 pack-years of smoking exposure. A pack-year is the equivalent of smoking one pack of cigarettes a day for one year.

Compared with recipients of kidneys from never-smokers, recipients of these organs from heavy users faced a:

29% higher risk of graft loss
24% higher risk of delayed graft function
32% higher risk of acute rejection

“Our findings suggest that smoking history, particularly heavy smoking exposure, should be considered during living donor evaluation and counseling,” said UC Davis pediatric nephrologist Machi Kaneko McBee, the lead author of the study. “At the same time, living donor transplantation remains a highly beneficial treatment option and smoking history alone should not automatically disqualify an otherwise suitable donor.”

The study also found that kidneys from former smokers performed better than those from active smokers. This suggests that smoking cessation prior to donation may help reduce transplant risks. However, the duration of smoking abstinence did not significantly alter long-term graft survival outcomes.

Study co-authors are Daniel Tancredi and Lavjay Butani of UC Davis Health.

Read the study.

Your guide to flu and COVID-19 vaccines at UC Davis Health

Fri, 09 Oct 2026 07:00:00 GMT

UC Davis Health is now offering updated 2026-27 flu and COVID-19 vaccines for patients. These vaccines are designed to help protect against the viruses expected this respiratory virus season.

A smiling family sits on a couch with their sleeves rolled up showing an adhesive bandage on their shoulder.

Influenza, or the flu, is a respiratory illness that affects the nose, throat, and lungs. Symptoms can range from mild to severe. In some cases, the flu can lead to hospitalization or even death.

What is the flu?: Symptoms and treatments

COVID-19 is an infectious disease that often causes symptoms similar to a cold or the flu. Most people recover, but some can become very sick and develop serious health problems.

COVID-19 symptoms and treatments

Vaccination is the best protection against serious illness from flu and COVID-19. Health experts recommend flu vaccines for everyone ages 6 months and older. COVID-19 vaccines are especially recommended for young children ages 6 to 23 months, those 65 years of age or older, and other priority groups with risk factors for severe disease and are available to anyone ages 6 months and older who chooses protection.

For the 2026-27 respiratory virus season, UC Davis Health is offering the following flu and COVID-19 vaccines:

Flu vaccines

FluLaval: An injectable inactivated influenza vaccine used to prevent illness caused by influenza A and B viruses.

Who can get it: Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for people 6 months and older.
How it works: The vaccine helps your body build protection against the flu by teaching your immune system to recognize and fight the flu viruses included in that season's vaccine.
How it is given: It is administered as a single shot in the upper arm.
Egg content: It is made using egg-based methods, however the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says people with egg allergies can receive any flu vaccine that is right for their age and health status. If you have had a severe allergic reaction to eggs and have concerns, talk with your doctor about getting vaccinated.

Fluzone High-Dose: An annual influenza vaccine specifically made for adults 65 and older to provide a stronger immune response than standard-dose flu.

What makes it different: This vaccine contains a higher dose to help create a stronger immune response. It has four times more flu-fighting antigen than a standard flu shot.
Who should get it: It is recommended for adults 65 and older because the immune system becomes weaker with age.
How it is given: It is administered as a single shot in the upper arm.
How well it works: Studies show it provides better protection against the flu and can help reduce flu-related hospital stays in older adults compared to a standard-dose flu shot.
Egg content: It is made using egg-based methods. The CDC says people with egg allergies can receive any flu vaccine that is right for their age and health status. If you have had a severe allergic reaction to eggs and have concerns, talk with your doctor about getting vaccinated.

COVID-19 vaccines

Spikevax (Moderna) for ages 6 months to 11 years: FDA-approved mRNA COVID-19 vaccine for active immunization to prevent COVID-19 in children.

Who should get it: The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) recommends the updated COVID-19 vaccine for everyone 6 months and older to reduce their risk of severe illness, hospitalization or death.
What it protects against: The 2026-27 vaccine is designed to protect against the COVID-19 XFG variant, a descendant of the JN.1 strain.
How it works: It trains the immune system to recognize and fight the COVID-19 virus, significantly lowering the risk of severe COVID-19, hospitalization and death.
How it is given: Given as a shot in the muscle.

Spikevax (Moderna) for ages 12 years and older: FDA-approved, mRNA COVID-19 vaccine for active immunization to prevent COVID-19.

Who should get it: CDPH recommends the updated COVID-19 vaccine for everyone 6 months and older who chooses to reduce their risk of severe illness, hospitalization or death.
What it protects against: The 2026-27 vaccine is designed to protect against the COVID-19 XFG variant, a descendant of the JN.1 strain.
How it works: It trains the immune system to recognize and fight the COVID-19 virus, significantly lowering the risk of severe COVID-19, hospitalization and death.
How it is given: Administered as a shot in the muscle.

Ways UC Davis Health patients can get their flu and COVID-19 vaccines

The most convenient way to schedule a vaccination appointment is to use MyUCDavisHealth:
- Schedule through MyUCDavisHealth
- Click to schedule an appointment
- Select flu shot or COVID-19 vaccination
- Follow the prompts to choose a date, time and location
You can schedule your flu and COVID-19 vaccine appointments by calling the vaccine line at 916-703-5555.
If you have an in-person appointment with your primary care provider, you can ask to receive your vaccines during that visit.
You can schedule a vaccine-only appointment at any UC Davis Health primary care clinic in the region, Monday through Friday.
Drive-through flu shots are available by appointment only at the following locations:
- UC Davis Health Elk Grove Clinic: Oct. 24 to Nov. 7
- UC Davis Health Folsom Medical Care Clinic: Oct. 17 to Dec. 5
- UC Davis Health Rancho Cordova Clinic: Oct. 3 to Nov. 14
- UC Davis Health Roseville Clinic: Oct. 10 to Nov. 21
Vaccines are also available for patients ages 18 years and older at two UC Davis Health pharmacies:
- 48X Pharmacy
  - Flu, COVID-19, and RSV vaccines
  - Walk-ins are welcome Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
- Davis Clinic Pharmacy
  - Flu and RSV vaccines
  - Walk-ins are welcome Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., closed for lunch 12:45 – 1:30 p.m.

Important Information

Immunocompromised patients should call the vaccine line (916-703-5555) to schedule their COVID-19 vaccines. They may need a different vaccine schedule than other patients.
If you have a scheduled COVID-19 vaccine appointment, you can ask to receive a flu shot during the same visit.
If you have a scheduled flu shot appointment, a COVID-19 vaccine cannot be added when you arrive. COVID-19 vaccines require special handling and must be scheduled in advance.

How to get the flu and COVID-19 vaccine if you’re not a UC Davis Health patient

If you are not a UC Davis Health patient, here are some resources to help you get a flu vaccine:

Consumer pharmacies (drugstores): Check the website for the pharmacy of your choice or give them a call.
California Department of Public Health (CDPH)
Sacramento County Health Services
Yolo County Health and Human Services
Placer County Public Health

How a kidney transplant changed the life of a boy with rare genetic disorder

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 07:00:00 GMT

Crystal Perkins loves her boys. The noisy, energetic and occasionally messy reality of raising sons is an everyday part of her family’s household.

Boy with an off white shirt sitting in a chair in front a of colorful background in the doctor's office

Crystal Perkins celebrates the pending arrival of her fourth son.

That’s why, when her fourth boy was due in 2018, she and her husband, JR, felt confident they knew what to expect.

But five weeks before Crystal’s delivery date, the couple went to an ultrasound appointment and got news they were not expecting to hear — Crystal’s amniotic fluid was low. The baby’s kidneys were “bright.” Doctors refer to this as echogenic kidneys, a finding in which the kidney tissue appears brighter or whiter than normal when compared with the liver. This increased brightness can signal a variety of kidney conditions and may indicate changes in the kidney tissue that require further evaluation.

“All the other pregnancies were really healthy,” Crystal said. “We were so surprised because we didn’t think anything was wrong.”

The couple was immediately sent to labor and delivery at a hospital near their Rancho Cordova home.

A rare genetic disorder: Autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease

Crystal spends times with Jordy in the NICU.

Jordy Perkins was born on April 29, 2018. Then came the diagnosis: auto recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD), a rare genetic disorder that affects about one in 20,000 children.

Low amniotic fluid results in underdeveloped lungs, which causes major breathing issues in babies. The disease also leads to lifelong issues with kidney function … if the baby survives.

About 30 percent of newborns with ARPKD die within their first week.

The Perkins held onto hope that their son would make it.

Rushed to UC Davis Children’s Hospital

Jordy’s best chance, doctors said, was for an ambulance to take him to UC Davis Children’s Hospital, the only one in the area that could provide the level of care he required. UC Davis has the only nationally ranked pediatric nephrology program in the Sacramento region.

Jordy’s underlying kidney condition put him at high risk of developing progressive chronic kidney disease and, ultimately, dialysis or a transplant.

HALO support group helps parents heal after miscarriage and infant loss

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 07:00:00 GMT

No one is prepared to lose a child.

Woman holds teddy bear sitting next to crib

Ruby Robinson recalls completing her first trimester and feeling excited about the promise of being a parent. She began sharing the happy news with friends and family. She was going to have a girl.

But at 16 weeks gestation, something seemed off. First there was spotting, then contractions. She went to the emergency room, where she went into labor and delivered. It was a nonviable pregnancy.

Robinson was understandably devastated.

She turned to a UC Davis Health support group that helped her cope during such a difficult period. HALO (Healing After the Loss of a Child) is a safe space that meets weekly online to help people like Robinson work through their anger and grief with others in a similar situation.

“It’s still such a taboo subject so you feel so alone,” Robinson said. “When you lose a child through miscarriage, you’ve lost the chance to know them. You’ve lost the chance to raise them, and you have no memories to rely on. It’s a different kind of grief.”

HALO was started in 2021 by UC Davis perinatal psychiatrist Shannon Clark.

“We wanted to provide a safe, compassionate community to help our patients with the heartbreak and loneliness that are often the hallmarks of miscarriage and infant loss,” Clark said. “Through peer support and clinician-led care, we help parents grieve openly, manage guilt and trauma, and, when desired, prepare emotionally and medically for a future pregnancy.”

Patients can attend for as long as they need. Healthcare providers are encouraged to refer anyone affected by pregnancy or infant loss. Patients can also self-refer into the group.

Memorializing her loss

Michelle Jaromay’s first miscarriage in October of 2021 was the worst moment of her life.

She was looking forward to a gender-reveal party at a scenic bridge on the preserve behind her house in Elk Grove.

Instead, she memorialized her child with a bench just a short distance away.

“No one knows how to talk to someone who has had a miscarriage,” Jaromay said.

She found HALO through Clark, who was on her maternal-fetal health team during pregnancy. “HALO gave me the support that I didn’t get with my family or friends. The group was a healing environment.”

MIND Institute lecture series opens with symposium on mental health and developmental disabilities

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 07:00:00 GMT

The UC Davis MIND Institute’s popular Distinguished Lecturer Series kicks off this month with a symposium focused on mental health and other challenges commonly experienced in people with autism and other developmental disabilities.

A large group of people seated in chairs at round tables listen to a speaker at the MIND Institute auditorium.

The free event, which is open to the public, takes place Oct. 14 from 4 to 6:15 p.m. in the MIND Institute auditorium in Sacramento. It will feature a keynote address on mental health and a panel discussion about anxiety, feeding problems and gastrointestinal issues.

“The symposium is a chance to discuss not only scientific discoveries, but also what they mean for individuals and families,” said David Hessl, director of the lecture series and a professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the MIND Institute.

Mental health, feeding challenges and GI issues

Clinician-scientist Meng-Chuan Lai of the University of Toronto will present the keynote, "Going Beyond the Label: Rethinking Mental Health in Autistic People."

Lai’s lecture will examine why autistic people experience mental health challenges at higher rates than the general population and why those challenges can be overlooked or misunderstood. He will discuss how a person’s mental health needs change across a person’s lifetime and how care can be better tailored to autistic individuals.

Lai is a child psychiatrist who leads an internationally recognized research program on the mental health, psychology and wellbeing of autistic people. He is senior scientist and associate professor of psychiatry at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and University of Toronto.

Lai’s lecture will be followed by a panel discussion on other health and behavioral challenges that commonly affect people with developmental disabilities. Panelists include UC Davis experts in the following areas:

Anxiety: Marjorie Solomon, professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Feeding problems: Scott Akins, developmental-behavioral pediatrician and MIND Institute medical director
Gastrointestinal issues: Bibiana Restrepo, developmental-behavioral pediatrician

What is pneumonic plague?

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 07:00:00 GMT

10/07/2026

What is pneumonic plague?

By Tricia Tomiyoshi

(SACRAMENTO)

Pneumonic plague has been in the news, but most people have never heard of it. We asked Stuart Cohen, chief of infectious diseases at UC Davis Health, what we need to know about this form of plague, how it spreads and how deadly it is.

What is pneumonic plague?

Pneumonic plague is a lung infection caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. If left untreated, it is nearly 100% fatal.

Can pneumonic plague spread person-to-person?

Pneumonic plague can spread person-to-person through respiratory droplets with close and sustained contact.

Cats can also spread pneumonic plague to humans, if the plague bacteria (Yersinia pestis) has infected the cat’s lungs.

What are the symptoms of pneumonic plague?

Fever
Shortness of breath
Chest pain
Cough
Sputum (thick mucus produced by the lungs)

The incubation period of pneumonic plague can be as short as one day after exposure.

Is this the same as the plague from the Middle Ages?

All forms of the plague are caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. In addition to pneumonic plague, this also includes:

Bubonic plague: The most common form of plague and the plague associated with the Black Death. It is caused by an infected flea bite, causing painful, swollen lymph nodes, often filled with pus.
Septicemic plague: A severe form of plague in which the bacteria spreads through the bloodstream. It can occur on its own or develop from bubonic plague.
Pharyngeal plague: A less common form of plague that affects the throat. This occurs after eating uncooked or undercooked meat from an infected animal.

If bubonic plague or septicemic plague are left untreated, they can spread to the lungs as pneumonic plague.

How is pneumonic plague diagnosed?

Plague can be identified by:

Blood test
Cultures of respiratory samples (such as sputum or lung fluid)

Lab staff need to be alerted anytime plague is suspected so they can protect themselves by wearing protective gear.

What are the treatment options for pneumonic plague?

For those who have been exposed to pneumonic plague, antibiotics are the best treatment option to prevent active infection. Doxycycline, one of the tetracycline drugs, or ciprofloxacin, an antibiotic from the fluoroquinolone drug class, are often prescribed. Recovery rates are high if treated quickly – less than 24 hours after symptoms begin.

For those who have pneumonic plague, the treatment would be IV antibiotics, typically old school antibiotics like gentamicin. But also fluoroquinolones would be options in patients who can't tolerate the aminoglycosides.

How infectious is pneumonic plague?

The transmission rate (R0) for pneumonic plague is about 1.3. It means that someone with pneumonic plague would infect an average of 1.3 people. By comparison, measles has an R0 of 12-18.

Will this become a global pandemic like COVID?

No. There was no treatment for COVID in the beginning and we all had limited access to diagnostic tests. With pneumonic plague, we know what this disease is and already have the tools for diagnosis and treatment.

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Clinical trial tests AI-assisted medication device for older adults with memory loss

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 07:00:00 GMT

Marianne Blake has lived in the same home for nearly half a century. She plays bridge regularly, drives to her hair appointments and, at 88 years old, enjoys her independence.

Woman compares labels on two prescription medication bottles while seated at a kitchen table.

But her daughter who lives in a nearby neighborhood isn’t quite as carefree when it comes to her mom’s well-being: Patty Soulsby often worries about whether her mother is keeping up with her medication.

“Mom’s pretty good about taking her morning pills, but sometimes she won’t take them until 2 p.m. or not at all. The evening pills are the harder ones to remember to take,” Soulsby said. “She forgets, then she says she doesn’t feel good, it’s a vicious circle.”

Blake recognizes her memory is not what it once was, but she is convinced she has it under control.

“Ask me what I did yesterday and I couldn't tell you,” Blake said. “But I feel I still have the mental capacity, I'm comfortable in my home and I feel I can keep on living here.”

Patty Soulsby, right, reviews pill bottles with her mom, Marianne, as she worries whether her mother takes the prescribed medication at the right time.

Researchers estimate that 4.3 million older Americans live alone and have memory and thinking problems, representing about a quarter of older adults with dementia or mild cognitive impairment. Researchers worry that these challenges can lead to a heightened risk of medication errors, which has been shown to increase the odds of being hospitalized by 71%.

For families like the Soulsbys, the constant uncertainty often revolves around a single question: Did Mom take her medication?

A new UC Davis Health clinical trial is testing whether leading-edge technology can provide the answers — and peace of mind.

Addressing one of dementia care's biggest challenges

Neuropsychologists Alyssa Weakley and Sarah Tomaszewski Farias want to learn whether an AI-assisted, home-based medication device can help people with mild cognitive impairment and dementia take their prescription drugs while reassuring caregivers that the medications were actually taken.

The study is funded by a $2.48 million grant from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program.

Medication management is one of the most common challenges facing older adults with cognitive impairment. A national study found that more than 13% of older adults with dementia had difficulty managing medications.

The AI-assisted HiDO system dispenses medications on schedule and, unlike other devices, records a short video to confirm each dose was taken.

Technology that goes beyond reminders

The device used in the study is roughly 17 inches high, sits on a countertop and fits easily beneath standard kitchen cabinets. It contains a 90-day supply of as many as seven different medications.

Created by HiDO Health, it goes beyond simple reminders or electronic pillboxes. It is designed to give the right medication at the right time, confirm who is taking it and record that it was taken, all while keeping approved caregivers informed.

Many low-tech medication tools already help people organize pills or remember when it's time to take them. Some sound alarms. Others, like the plastic pillbox Blake uses, only tell caregivers that medication has been removed.

But those systems may leave one critical question unanswered: Did the person actually take the medication?

The HiDO device is designed to close that gap.

Traditional pillboxes show when doses are missing; developers say HiDO confirms they were taken, giving caregivers greater peace of mind.

“I feel like this is the biggest miss in health care. It's the last mile of care,” said HiDO CEO Charles Gellman. “We don't know how many medication errors are happening in the home because no one's monitoring anything.”

By giving approved caregivers a way to check medication use remotely, the system may reduce reminder calls, pillbox checks and worry about missed doses, while helping older adults remain independent.

For caregivers like Soulsby, who may live miles away, that information could reduce the daily uncertainty that often accompanies supporting a loved one with memory loss.

"If we can have a medication device deliver that medication and, as a caregiver, know it was taken at the right time, that's huge," Weakley said.

Why researchers want evidence, not marketing claims

The UC Davis trial will enroll 50 people with mild cognitive impairment, a condition associated with early changes in memory and thinking that can make some everyday tasks harder, to moderate dementia, which is when memory and thinking problems interfere with daily life and require more help from others.

Half will use the HiDO device along with training and support. The other half will continue their usual medication routine.

Researchers will follow participants for one year, measuring medication adherence, cognition and daily functioning. They will also collect blood samples to monitor health indicators for conditions treated with their medications such as cholesterol and glucose levels.

A UC Davis Health pharmacy team will carefully review the participants’ medications as a safety measure before they begin the study.

CEO Charles Gellman, center, joins researchers Alyssa Weakley, left, and Sarah Tomaszewski Farias, who are testing whether the device verifies medication use.

Rigorous testing is essential because consumers are increasingly being asked to trust technology without clear evidence that it works, said Tomaszewski Farias.

"There are a lot of devices out there to support lots of aspects of daily function or promote better cognition, but many are sold to the public with no evidence that they actually work," she added.

Peer-reviewed research shows early evidence that HiDO is practical, accurate and easy to use for people living with dementia and their caregivers. This study will help researchers determine not only whether the device helps people take medications as prescribed, but also which patients benefit most and how caregivers can be supported to use it most effectively.

Can the technology deliver?

For HiDO’s Gellman, the study is about more than evaluating a single device. It is an opportunity to generate rigorous evidence about whether technology can help people with cognitive impairment manage medications and remain independent longer.

"I think a lot of people are definitely very skeptical of whether or not this actually works," Gellman said. "So, it'll be a very, very good, strong data source."

Gellman said the UC Davis team is uniquely positioned to evaluate whether the technology can make a measurable difference in the daily lives of people with cognitive impairment.

"Together, this research has the potential of demonstrating that these folks can actually use it over a long period of time," he said.

With dementia linked to the highest rate of medication-management trouble, researchers hope HiDO helps people stay safely at home longer.

Helping older adults stay independent longer

Weakley is excited about the study because her research focuses on people with cognitive impairment who live alone, and whose family members try to support them from a distance.

“This could help people with cognitive impairment remain more functional and even stay in their homes longer potentially,” Tomaszewski Farias added.

For Soulsby, the hope is simple: She wants her mother to continue living where she feels most comfortable without constantly wondering whether she's taking her medication.

“Right now, I have to go over there at least once a week to fill her pill case, and that's really the only way I know whether she's taking her medication," Soulsby explained. "If I could know she was taking it without constantly checking, that would be a huge relief."

For the millions of families helping older adults navigate memory loss, the study may help answer an increasingly urgent question: Can technology provide enough support to preserve both independence and peace of mind?

From Labs to Lives

This work was supported by federal research funding, which helps transform promising discoveries into real-world breakthroughs that save lives and improve quality of life.

Learn more about how public investment in UC Davis research powers innovation, strengthens the economy and advances human health in From Labs to Lives.

Snoopy mural comes to life at UC Davis Children’s Hospital Peanuts Paintfest

Tue, 06 Oct 2026 07:00:00 GMT

For more than 75 years, Charles Schulz’ beloved Peanuts comic strip has brought joy to millions of fans around the world. For the past seven of those years, Peanuts Worldwide and the nonprofit Foundation for Hospital Art have brought hands-on Peanuts joy to a very special audience: hospital patients, staff and communities on seven continents.

Two adults sit by child in hospital gown painting a Charlie Brown mural.

A patient paints Franklin with art therapist Cassy Lacroix in the pediatric infusion room.

UC Davis Children’s Hospital in Sacramento joined this international celebration today when the Child Life and Creative Arts Therapy team hosted Peanuts PaintFest. Patients and their families along with staff collaborated to paint a 56” x 49” six-panel mural featuring Peanuts characters Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, Sally, Franklin, Snoopy and Woodstock.

The mural’s six panels feature black-and-white outlines of the popular characters, which participants filled with color using the paints and brushes and guidelines provided by Peanuts and the Foundation for Hospital Art. Pediatric patients participated at the hospital’s Panda Cares Center of Hope, the Tower 6 Playroom, at patients’ bedside as well as the Pediatric Infusion Room at UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center.

“Community art projects in the hospital create opportunities for patients, families and staff to connect, express themselves and find moments of joy and meaning in an otherwise challenging environment,” said Jennifer Miller, art therapist at UC Davis. “Through the shared creative process, art fosters a sense of belonging, supports emotional well-being and highlights the value of creativity and connection in the healing environment. We are thankful to Peanuts Worldwide and Foundation for Hospital Art for bringing this opportunity to our hospital.”

The mural is a permanent gift to UC Davis Children’s Hospital made possible through a collaboration among Peanuts Worldwide, UC Davis Children’s Hospital and the Foundation for Hospital Art.

“Charles Schulz would be delighted to know that his characters will bring joy to the hospital community for years to come,” said Melissa Menta, senior vice president of Global Brand and Communications of Peanuts Worldwide.

Neurosurgeon David Brandman wins 2026 NIH Director’s New Innovator Award

Tue, 06 Oct 2026 07:00:00 GMT

Neurosurgeon David Brandman has been selected to receive the 2026 NIH Director’s New Innovator Award. This National Institutes of Health (NIH) award will support his efforts to develop a brain-computer interface (BCI) to help restore speech for stroke survivors with agrammatic aphasia, a language disorder that affects the ability to speak.

UC Davis neurosurgeon David Brandman has received the 2026 NIH Director’s New Innovator Award to develop a brain-computer interface that can help rest

Brandman joins the ranks of exceptional ‘New Innovators’ who do groundbreaking research. He is the third UC Davis Health researcher selected for this award in the last five years.

“We're delighted that Dr. Brandman's innovative research has been recognized with this prestigious funding. He is one of only a handful of neurosurgeons nationwide ever to have received a New Innovator award,” said Kim Barrett, vice dean for research at UC Davis Health.

Restoring speech to patients after stroke

One in four adults will have a stroke in their lifetime. When the blood flow to the brain is blocked or reduced, brain cells get deprived of oxygen. This might impact language areas in the brain and lead to aphasia.

Neurosurgeon David Brandman

In fact, one-third of stroke survivors will lose speech. Options to help stroke survivors regain naturalistic speech are limited.

“Stroke survivors consistently identify aphasia as the most devastating post-stroke deficit,” said Brandman, the co-director of the UC Davis Neuroprosthetics Lab. “Our BCI research has the potential to dramatically improve the quality of life for one of the world’s most common neurological conditions.”

Brandman will develop a BCI to restore communication and serve as a rehabilitation device. His study will combine insights from rehabilitation medicine and breakthroughs in artificial intelligence.

“BCI can be powerful tool to restore speech to those who want to be heard,” Brandman said.

Brandman and his team will use BCI to record signals from sensors (microelectrode arrays) implanted into participants’ motor-speech and language areas of the brain. Machine learning tools will help decode these signals from the brain neurons.

This research is part of the BrainGate2 clinical trial. Brandman and UC Davis neuroscientist Sergey Stavisky have already shown that a BCI can restore speech to people living with paralysis from ALS.

From Labs to Lives

The award (grant #DP2DC024816-01) is administered by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. It is part of the NIH Common Fund’s High-Risk, High-Reward Research program. It includes a funding of $475,000 per year for the next five years.

Federal funding helps transform promising discoveries into real-world breakthroughs that save lives and improve quality of life. Learn more about how public investment in UC Davis research powers innovation, strengthens the economy and advances human health in From Labs to Lives.

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‘Treatment-resistant’ does not mean untreatable

Treatment options for depression greatly expanded

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UC Davis Health nurse scientist advances national framework for nursing care

Good food is good medicine: UC Davis Health earns Snail of Approval

Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing named a 2026 Best School for Men in Nursing

Admitting men above national rates

Role models in the classroom and the clinic

The receptor behind chili-pepper burn may hold clues to pain treatments

TRPV1 as a potential target for pain medicine

Methods measured receptor’s response to different stimuli

Findings may have implications for pain and basic research

Funding

Resources

Remote monitoring program improves diabetes management for youth with type 1 diabetes

Remote patient monitoring supports better glycemic control

Insight from the pilot program

Record research funding for UC Davis School of Medicine

Federal, state and industry funding

Supporting early researchers and collaborations

UC Davis extramural funding

Smoking history of living kidney donors linked to higher transplant complications

Your guide to flu and COVID-19 vaccines at UC Davis Health

Flu vaccines

COVID-19 vaccines

Ways UC Davis Health patients can get their flu and COVID-19 vaccines

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