Health and Medicine (Audio)

As we age, experiences of loss often become more common, but so can our capacity for resilience. Danielle Glorioso, executive director of the Stein Institute for Research on Aging, explores the psychological and emotional processes that help older adults adapt to bereavement and other significant life losses. Drawing on current research and clinical insights, participants will learn how...

A federally funded clinical trial played a pivotal role in Tom Mugno’s journey after a diagnosis of lymphoma that was not responding to chemotherapy. With guidance from Dr. Joseph Tuscano at ‪UC Davis Health‬, Mugno enrolled in a National Cancer Institute–funded study exploring a novel immunotherapy-based research approach. His experience offers a personal perspective on how clinical research can...

Gladys (Sandy) Ramos, M.D., is a UC San Diego Health perinatologist and professor who cares for patients with complex pregnancies, including those affected by diabetes. She explains how immigrating from Peru, learning from her grandmother and wanting to serve Spanish-speaking communities shaped her work. Ramos also describes feeling out of place in college and not getting into medical school on...

Vaginal microbiome research may offer new ways to understand infections, fertility, preterm birth and other areas of women’s health. Pita Navarro, co-founder and chief scientific officer of Evvy, joins Cynthia Gyamfi-Bannerman, M.D., M.S., of UC San Diego Health, to explain how patient-contributed samples and health information can support research and product development. Navarro describes...

Sacramento is working on the largest water recycling project on the West Coast, and UC Davis research is behind the technology used to filter and recycle wastewater for such projects. Mike Falk, received his Ph.D. from UC Davis, and was a consultant for the project. He works on large civil infrastructure projects for public utilities like Sacramento Sewer. Falk said federal funding helps advance...

More than 7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's, according to the Alzheimer's Association. UC Davis researcher Alyssa Weakley is working on I-Care, a new technology that's helping Alzheimer's patients live longer in their own homes. At UC Davis, our researchers are working to better understand the causes of dementia, including Alzheimer’s, its most common form, while advancing...

Social isolation may influence how the body recovers from pelvic floor injury after childbirth. Lindsay Burnett, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor and physician-scientist at UC San Diego, studies factors during pregnancy and postpartum that may affect pelvic floor muscle recovery, including medications, diet, exercise and social interaction. Her research grew from clinical observations connecting...

Mechanical forces may help the body coordinate pregnancy and labor. Yunxiao Zhang, Ph.D., of Scripps Research Institute, examines how PIEZO1 and PIEZO2, proteins that open in response to stretch, contribute to uterine contractions and the timing of birth. Zhang finds PIEZO1 in uterine smooth muscle and PIEZO2 in sensory nerve fibers around the cervix. In mouse models, removing both channels...

David Brockman suffered a traumatic accident in 2019 that led to the amputation of his hand from the wrist down. Following his surgery at the UC Davis Medical Center, he was connected with engineering professor Jonathon Schofield, who collaborates with Ph.D. students on prosthetic technology.Through federally funded research projects, these students were able to design and provide Brockman with a...

Valley fever, also known as coccidioidomycosis, is a fungal infection that is contracted when soil borne spores are disrupted and inhaled. The infections can cause symptoms similar to pneumonia or COVID-19, such as cough, headache, fever and, in more severe cases, meningitis. UC Davis Health patient Rex shares his journey with valley fever and how UC Davis doctors and researchers are advancing...