Health Sciences Research Institute

Researchers Rebuild Microscopic Circadian Clock That Can Control Genes

February 10, 2026

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 jet lag and daylight saving time, can throw our daily rhythms out of whack. But a group of...

Study: Skewed Academic Expectations Linked to Sexual Risk

Scholars and educators alike believe raising expectations leads to higher achievement and self esteem among adolescents. But new research from the University of California, Merced, shows that when a...

New Nanomaterials Taking Research to Mexico, Possibly into Space

Professors Linda Hirst and Sayantani Ghosh are combining liquid crystals with nanoparticles such as gold and quantum dots to come up with a new platform that could have applications in fields such...

Study: Smoke-Free Zones, Higher Taxes Deter Youth Smoking

Banning smoking in the workplace and increasing taxes on cigarettes have discouraged teens and young adults from taking up smoking, according to a study by researchers at UC San Francisco and UC ...

NIH Grant Charts Path to UC Merced Ph.D. for Fresno State Students

A new grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will create a pipeline to doctoral degrees in biomedical and behavioral sciences at the University of California, Merced, for underrepresented...

Scientists Decipher the Tick-Tock of Biological Clocks

Researchers at the University of California, Merced, have taken another step toward unlocking the mysteries of the biological clock. In a study published online today (June 25) in Science Express —...

Biomedical Researcher Named Campus's First Pew Scholar

Professor Clarissa J. Nobile of the University of California, Merced, is one of 22 researchers named today as a Pew Biomedical Scholar for her work exploring how communities of microbes conspire to...

Relax: Benefits of Leisure Go Beyond the Moment

Doing the things you enjoy can be good for your health, according to a new study by Professor Matthew Zawadzki, a health psychologist with the University of California, Merced. The study,...

Professor Contributes to Research on Oil Spills

Researching oceanic oil spills can be difficult when you work at a landlocked university like UC Merced. But thanks to a large consortium of researchers from around the country, that’s exactly what...

Research Week Puts Array of Important Work on Display

Members of the campus and community are invited to learn more about UC Merced research — including work on sustainability, psychology and antibiotic resistance — during the university’s eighth annual...