Media Relations

Explore a featured selection of earned media placements in local and national news outlets

The Washington Post • March 9th, 2024

‘Monumental’ experiment suggests how life on Earth may have started

A much-debated theory holds that 4 billion years ago, give or take, long before the appearance of dinosaurs or even bacteria, the primordial soup contained only the possibility of life. Then a molecule called RNA took a dramatic step into the future: It made a copy of itself. Then the copy made a copy, and over the course of many millions of years, RNA begot DNA and proteins, all of which came together to form a cell, the smallest unit of life able to survive on its own.

Now, in an important ad

NPR • October 16th, 2023

Scientists built the largest-ever map of the human brain. Here's what they found

Scientists built the largest-ever map of the human brain. Here's what they found

Scientists are one step closer to understanding the 170 billion brain cells that allow us to walk, talk, and think.

A newly published atlas offers the most detailed maps yet of the location, structure, and, in some cases, function of more than 3,000 types of brain cells.

"We really need this kind of information if we're going to understand what makes us unique as humans, or what makes us different as individuals,

WIRED • October 12th, 2023

A Groundbreaking Human Brain Cell Atlas Just Dropped

Today, an international team of researchers shared an extraordinarily detailed atlas of human brain cells, mapping its staggering diversity of neurons. The atlas was published as part of a massive package of 21 papers in the journal Science, each taking complementary approaches to the same overarching questions: What cell types exist in the brain? And what makes human brains different from those of other animals?

With hundreds of billions of cells tangled together, mapping the whole brain is li

KPBS • October 12th, 2023

Institute for understanding breastfeeding gets an executive director, a year after its founding

The Human Milk Institute at UC San Diego is one of a kind. No other institute at a university is focused on understanding the science of breast milk and the role it plays in our lives.

Institute founder Lars Bode said he doesn't know why no other institute has the same dedication.

“There is no all-encompassing, harmonizing institute that takes all aspects of human milk, from molecular biology all the way to public health, social sciences, politics. I mean there’s a lot of space to cover here,”

NPR • September 19th, 2023

In Good Health: When A Popular Decongestant Doesn't Work : 1A

Have you ever suffered from a cold or allergies, reached for medication, and well, it doesn't work? Phenylephrine, a common ingredient in many over-the-counter decongestant medications, may not be doing anything for your stuffy nose.

Last week, an FDA advisory panel unanimously agreed that the ingredient is ineffective. The decision could affect hundreds of products including Sudafed PE, NyQuil Severe Cold and Flu, and Benadryl Allergy Plus Congestion.

This comes as COVID cases continue to ris

The New York Times • September 12th, 2023

A Decongestant in Many Cold Medicines Is Ineffective

But you still may want to look for alternatives. “Me, personally, I wouldn’t want myself or my kid to take anything that’s unnecessary and that’s demonstrated ineffective,” said Jennifer Le, a member of the advisory committee and a professor of clinical pharmacy with the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of California, San Diego.

If I want to relieve congestion, what ingredients should I look for instead?

Pseudoephedrine, which is found in behind-the-count

Washington Post • August 30th, 2023

Federal health agency recommends easing marijuana restrictions

The nation’s top health agency is recommending easing restrictions on marijuana in what could portend a landmark shift in federal policy on cannabis. The Department of Health and Human Services has recommended to the Drug Enforcement Administration that marijuana be reclassified as a lower-risk, Schedule III controlled substance, according to a person familiar with the recommendation who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the issue. Marijuana is curr

Washington Post • August 20th, 2023

After the blaze, coping with ‘fire brain’

Randy Gerhardt, 66, and wife Sandi Knapp Gerhardt, 55, fled the 2018 Camp Fire in California, the deadliest and most destructive in that state’s history, and noticed changes in themselves almost immediately. They would have clear mental pictures of an item they would be looking for — a tool, a lawn game — but couldn’t recognize the new item they replaced it with. Other times, they would walk into a room and not know why they were there.

There also is guilt, along with increased anxiety and depr

Medical News Today • August 17th, 2023

Alzheimer's treatment: Stem cell transplant shows promise in mice

Research in mice suggests that stem cell transplantation may help treat the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease by reducing toxic plaque build-up in the brain. Image credit: kali9/Getty Images.
• About 55 million people globally have Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.
• As scientists expect that number to continue to grow each year, there has been much focus on developing new treatments for the condition.
• Researchers from UC San Diego School of Medicine have found a hematopoietic stem cell t

STAT • August 10th, 2023

A yogurt drink instead of a colonoscopy? Study uses engineered bacteria to detect cancer

Dan Worthley, a gastroenterologist and cancer scientist at Colonoscopy Clinic in Brisbane, Australia, does thousands of colonoscopies a year, seeking and destroying precancerous polyps. It’s a practically surefire way to prevent colorectal cancer, but an unpleasant experience for patients. The future, Worthley hopes, will be much less onerous — and he’s developing a technology that, if it works one day, might make the experience more of a piece of cake.

Or, rather, a cup of yogurt — containing

STAT • June 3rd, 2023

Cross-border ‘twinning programs’ may reduce survival disparities for childhood leukemia

CHICAGO — A few miles can mean a life or death difference to children with cancer, if those miles cross a national border. “Twinning programs” helped to reduce survival disparities in childhood acute leukemia between high-income and lower-income countries, according to a study presented here at the American Society of Clinical Oncology on Saturday.

In 2008, researchers and clinicians at Rady Children’s Hospital, the University of California, San Diego, and Hospital General-Tijuana created one o

Time • April 17th, 2023

The Latest Promising Long COVID Treatment? Psychedelic Drugs

fter more than a year of being short of breath, tired, and riddled with heart, motor, cognitive, gastrointestinal, and menstrual issues, Ruth was willing to try anything to make her Long COVID go away. So she turned to psychedelic drugs.

Ruth, 31, who asked to be identified by only her first name, had tried psychedelics a few times in the past and was familiar with the research on their therapeutic use. Feeling like she had nothing to lose, she took five grams of psilocybin mushrooms in Decembe

WIRED • April 10th, 2023

Stem Cell ‘Junk Yards’ Reveal a New Clue About Aging

Robert Signer sees himself as an auto mechanic for human cells. The professor of regenerative medicine at UC San Diego is intrigued by the elusive secrets of the stem cells in our blood. These are a class of rejuvenating entities that replenish supplies of red and white blood cells and platelets. Their job is to help keep our bodies healthy, but as we age their performance dips. When they fail, it can lead to blood cancers, anemia, clotting issues, and immune problems. Signer’s job is to underst

KPBS Public Media • February 23rd, 2023

Children less attracted to 'baby talk' are more likely to have autism

Three-year-old Elliot shoots baskets with a toddler-sized hoop at UC San Diego’s Autism Center for Excellence. Elliot has been diagnosed with autism, a developmental disability related to language and social skills.

His mom, Casey Cumpian, said she was not worried about his risk of autism. He was diagnosed after being enrolled in an eye-tracking study at UC San Diego around the age of two.

“We can tell with extremely high precision: Is the baby looking at social images or non-social images? Ho

UCSD-TV • January 9th, 2023

VIDEO: E-Cigarettes as a Public Health Problem

E-cigarettes were first sold in the United States in 2007. These battery-operated devices heat a liquid made of flavorings and other chemicals, including some with high levels of nicotine, to make an aerosol that users inhale into their lungs. Recent studies show there has been a dramatic increase in their usage – data from 2017 found 1 million American youth aged 14 to 17 years old became new daily tobacco users within the past two years. By 2019, more than three quarters of these youth were va

New York Times • July 6th, 2022

F.D.A. Lets Juul Appeal Ban and Stay on the Market During a Review

Juul, the most popular e-cigarette company in the United States, has been blamed for an epidemic of teenage nicotine addiction.

As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Anyone can read what you share.

The F.D.A. has suspended its order to stop the company from selling its vaping products.

The Food and Drug Administration has decided to allow Juul Labs’ vaping products to stay on the market temporarily, citing “scientific issues” that warrant a review of the agency’s ruli

Fox News • June 21st, 2022

COVID-19 rebound after Paxlovid treatment likely due to insufficient exposure to the drug

"COVID-19 rebound," the relapse of symptoms that occurred in some patients treated with Paxlovid, may actually be caused by insufficient drug exposure, according to a recent study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases.

Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had issued a health advisory warning individuals about "COVID-19 rebound" where symptoms of COVID infection returned in some patients after a course of treatment with the medication Paxlovid. Paxlovid is currently

ABC10 News - KGTV • June 18th, 2022

UCSD Health studies impacts of neurological COVID symptoms

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - It’s been more than two years, with still plenty of questions and answers coming about when it comes to COVID-19 and long hauler symptoms.

One person looking for answers is Jessica Blake.

“I got myoclonus with it. So those are the muscle jerking, involuntary shock-like muscle spasms. So that has been difficult to do deal with," Blake said. "Those symptoms presented on day 5 of when I had COVID in 2020 and I’ve had them ever since."

Blake is one of the more than 50 participa

NBC 7 San Diego • June 15th, 2022

Half-Year After COVID, Long-Haul Neurological Impacts ‘Significant,' Says Early UC San Diego Research

The neurological impact of "long-haul" COVID-19 is significant, even six months after infection, according to the first round of research published Wednesday by UC San Diego scientists.

The results, published in Wednesday's Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology, found various short- and long-term symptoms and, while many patients showed improvement, the majority still had some neurological symptoms half a year later. Additionally, a subset of people also exhibited significant coordinat

ABC10 News - KGTV • April 25th, 2022

Mindfulness reducing PTSD and depression in gun violence survivors

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — More Americans died of gun-related injuries in 2020 and 2021 than in any other years on record, and in many major cities, 2022 is on pace to break those records.

Loved ones of shooting victims often never recover from the trauma they face, but researchers found these traumas can be alleviated.

For Sandy and Lonnie Phillips, any peace of mind they can find is welcome. But since 2012, peace has been impossible to hold onto for long. They’re missing a piece of their hearts th

ABC10 News - KGTV • March 16th, 2022

In-Depth: What we know about COVID and pregnancy after two years

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - For two years, the COVID-19 pandemic has transformed pregnancy from one of the happiest times in many people's lives into a constant state of worry and fear.

"It was eye-opening to see these young, healthy women get sick and get sick quite severely," says Dr. Joanna Adamczak, the Chief Medical Officer at Sharp-Mary Birch Hospital for Women and Newborns.

Dr. Adamczak says the number of women getting pregnant declined throughout the pandemic. Meanwhile, fear kept many of the w

NBC • November 30th, 2021

Inside lab where scientists are searching for omicron variant

NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt story on UCSD's efforts to track COVID-19 variants

Load More