Health

Unlocking the Secrets of Tiny, Living Clocks Could Revolutionize Science

February 2, 2026

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 with us — has shed light on one of biology’s most elegant systems. But his newest...

Bioengineer Invited to Join NIH Review Board

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) have invited bioengineering Professor Eva De Alba Bastarrechea to serve as a member of the Macromolecular Structure and Function C Study Section within the...

Professor Zoghbi, seated, and some of the students in her lab.

Lab Aims to Understand Transporter Protein that Protects Cells from Damage

Professor Maria-Elena Zoghbi and her lab are taking a closer look at a human transporter protein that acts as a cellular protector by relocating a molecule that has important antioxidant properties...

Systemwide Climate Justice Course Debuts This Fall

Undergraduates will have a new, one-of-a-kind class they can sign up for this fall — Climate Justice — a hybrid course that features lectures by faculty from all 10 UC campuses....

To find out where the COVID pandemic is headed, look here: The sewer

School of Engineering Professor Colleen Naughton's wastewater-tracking dashboard is helping the U.S. and many other countires follow the clues found in the sewers that indicate where COVID is...

Pack of Natural American Spirit cigarettes

Study on Cigarette Packs' Native American Imagery Raises Questions About Safety, Cultural Misappropriation

Most people are familiar with the adage "a picture is worth a thousand words." However, the message conveyed by an image may not always be factual. Authors of a study recently...

Engineer and Dentist Partner to Root Out Problems in Teeth

A trip to the dentist isn't something most people look forward to. But computer science and engineering Professor Shijia Pan found inspiration and a new collaborator at her dentist’s...

Organizers give a presentation during Worker Week of Action.

Report Makes Case to Provide Unemployment Benefits for Undocumented Workers

Tens of thousands of undocumented immigrant workers in California could receive aid from an unemployment benefit system if the state approves the program. UC Merced's Community and Labor Center...

Graduate Students’ Fellowships Promote Study of Valley Fever

Professor Katrina Hoyer ’s lab is helping UC Merced serve the San Joaquin Valley community through its studies of immune responses to Valley fever and other diseases. Graduate students...

UC Merced, Stanislaus State Awarded $1.4 Million to Help Snuff Out Tobacco Use

UC Merced's Nicotine and Cannabis Policy Center (NCPC) and California State University, Stanislaus, are partnering on a large project as part of California Endgame's goal to end...