Health

September 14, 2026

Headshot of Hilly Rus and UC Merced campus entrance
For Holly Rus, ’17, a passion for health psychology and real-world impact has led to a career at the forefront of consumer sleep research. She is head of scientific research at Sleep.ai, where she directs studies designed to improve health and wellness through better sleep. “I lead a...
Ayomidamope Adebiyi, a board-certified family nurse practitioner and clinical lead at UC Merced's Occupational Health Services department, has taken the lead on researching and promoting ways to diagnose Valley fever earlier and treat it more thoroughly.
Key Points: Valley fever is widely underdiagnosed and often mistaken for common respiratory illnesses, leading to delayed diagnosis and unnecessary antibiotic use. Cases are rising...
UC Merced students have an expanding number of paths to internships, experiences and careers at national laboratories.
Editor's note: This story is republished from the Spring/Summer 2026 issue of UC Merced Magazine. Omar DeGuchy remembers the moment he left the comfort of UC Merced — the place he’...
Avinav Biswas has been named a 2026 Barry M. Goldwater Scholar.
Avinav Biswas, a third‑year undergraduate majoring in biological sciences at UC Merced, has been named a 2026 Barry M. Goldwater Scholar, becoming the university’s first recipient of one of the...
Faculty panel discusses student wellness
Community voices, student research and cross-sector partnerships took center stage at the UC Merced’s Public Health Symposium, where speakers emphasized equity, access and connection as urgent...
Dr. Rosa Manzo speaking from behind a podium
On March 20, UC Merced's Center for Health Equity brought together researchers, regional health partners and community members to share findings from a study on how community health workers are...
Blue-green algae in flasks are used by researchers at UC Merced and UC San Diego to further the understanding of circadian clocks. Image courtesy of UC San Diego.
Our circadian clocks play a crucial role in our health and well-being, keeping our 24-hour biological cycles in sync with light and dark exposure. Disruptions in the rhythms of these clocks, as with...
Biochemistry Professor Andy LiWang
Biochemistry Professor Andy LiWang has spent much of his career studying how life keeps time. His work on the circadian clock of cyanobacteria — tiny, ancient organisms that share the planet...
Collage photo of Black male with dark hair and beard wearing blue and gray long sleeve shirt and photo of campus signage and palm trees.
Public health Ph.D. student Felix Agyemang Opoku has been awarded the UC Global Health Initiative Center for Planetary Health Water and Health Summer Research Fellowship. The research...
Professor Oviedo
The same cellular renewal that keeps our bodies healthy might also fuel the growth of cancer. A UC Merced biologist has found that the brain could hold the key to stopping it. Professor Néstor...

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