University Communications and Public Affairs
The University of California, San Diego will host its first-ever fundraiser for prostate cancer research, “Breakfast with Champions,” on Friday, Feb. 22 at the La Jolla Country Club. The event will feature Pro Football Hall of Famers and prostate cancer survivors Mike Haynes and Deacon Jones who will discuss their experiences as champions, both on and off the field. The public is invited; all proceeds from the event will benefit prostate cancer research at the UC San Diego School of Medicine.
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine say overexpression of a protein called alpha-synuclein appears to disrupt vital recycling processes in neurons, starting with the terminal extensions of neurons and working its way back to the cells’ center, with the potential consequence of progressive degeneration and eventual cell death.
February 07, 2013 • General, Health, Science and Engineering
Equipped with circuit wires, small motors, batteries and cardboard boxes, more than 150 high school girls constructed, decorated and launched miniature robots during a workshop designed show them the fun side of engineering. Hosted by the UC San Diego Society for Women Engineers (SWE), the Jan. 26 Envision event presented a chance for young women—especially those from underrepresented schools—to experience the multitude of pathways available in the field of engineering.
Students who work together and interact online are more likely to be successful in their college classes, according to a study published Jan. 30 in the journal Nature Scientific Reports co-authored by Manuel Cebrian, a computer scientist at the Jacobs School of Engineering.
At the 2011 National Medal of Science ceremony in which Shu Chien accepted his award, President Obama stressed the importance of encouraging young students to pursue STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields. Chien, a UC San Diego professor of bioengineering and medicine and director of the Institute of Engineering in Medicine, echoed the sentiment: “The strength of our country depends on science and engineering,” he said. Now, Chien is serving as the chief engineer of the 2013 San Diego Festival of Science & Engineering, taking place March 16-23.