UC Davis Advancing Health Worldwide News

Plant Cell Structure Could Hold Key to Cancer Therapies and Improved Crops

Andy Fell — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 17:22:25 PST

Can the bend of a banana give us insight into cancer? What does the shape of a rice grain have to do with infertility? The proteins that give plants their shape and structure are also involved in human disease. A team led by researchers at the University of California, Davis, has mapped out the structure of a key player, augmin, in exhaustive detail.

First Cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Northern Elephant Seals Confirmed in California

Katherine E Kerlin — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 10:00:00 PST

Seven weaned elephant seal pups in California’s Año Nuevo State Park tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory confirmed Tuesday evening.

What is Gut Health?

Amy M Quinton — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 08:51:11 PST

An international panel led by UC Davis professor Maria Marco defines “gut health” for the first time, offering a scientific framework for medicine, research and consumer claims.

H5N1 Causes Die-off of Antarctic Skuas, a Seabird

Katherine E Kerlin — Thu, 05 Feb 2026 07:00:00 PST

More than 50 skua deaths in Antarctica from H5N1 mark the first confirmed die-off of wildlife from bird flu on the continent, reports study from UC Davis and Erasmus MC.

Cat Disease Challenges What Scientists Thought About Coronaviruses

Amy M Quinton — Mon, 12 Jan 2026 10:54:47 PST

A UC Davis study shows a deadly cat coronavirus infects multiple immune cells, helping explain persistent inflammation and long COVID–like illness.

Federal Funding Protects California’s Future

Jocelyn C Anderson — Mon, 15 Dec 2025 09:00:20 PST

Federal grants support UC Davis research in FIP treatment, Alzheimer’s technology and water-efficient farming that protects communities and the environment.

New Field of Ecological Medicine Emphasizes Health Benefits of Connectedness

Andy Fell — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 10:48:43 PST

Ecological medicine is a new approach to health science that draws on a very old idea: connecting with each other, with animals and plants, and with the natural world fosters health and well-being for people and the planet.

Hayfeeders and Other Tools Can Improve Health, Welfare of Stabled Horses

Amy M Quinton — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 09:00:00 PST

UC Davis research finds items like hay feeders, giant rubber activity balls and shatter-proof mirrors can improve the health and welfare of stabled animals while also reducing frustration behaviors

GLP-1 and Health: Beyond Weight Loss in the Ozempic Era

Andy Fell — Thu, 13 Nov 2025 11:13:19 PST

This week, the White House announced a deal with Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to lower the cost of their GLP-1 weight loss drugs, Wegovy and Zepbound. The move could significantly expand access to these treatments for people with diabetes and obesity.

Federal Contract for up to $40 Million Fuels Research to Revolutionize Clean Indoor Air and Defend Against Next Pandemic

Andy Fell — Thu, 16 Oct 2025 14:05:23 PDT

When a public building catches fire, its built-in systems automatically respond: Smoke alarms blare, sprinklers kick on, and occupants quickly evacuate.

But what if the life-threatening danger isn’t fire but invisible airborne contaminants that can make occupants sick? Could a similar smart-building system monitor and improve the quality of the air indoors, where Americans spend 90 percent of their time?

Newly Recognized Pathway Could Protect People with Diabetes from Hypoglycemia

Andy Fell — Thu, 02 Oct 2025 11:15:09 PDT

A new study by the University of California, Davis, shows how cells work together to avoid a sudden drop in blood sugar. Understanding these feedback loops could improve the lives of people with diabetes and help them avoid dangerous hypoglycemia.

The work was published Sept. 16 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Psilocybin May Present è�� Risks During the Postpartum Period

Andy Fell — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 13:14:22 PDT

Magic mushrooms may not be the answer to postpartum depression, new research from the University of California, Davis, suggests.

Landmark Discovery Reveals How Chromosomes Are Passed From One Generation to the Next

Andy Fell — Wed, 24 Sep 2025 17:00:52 PDT

When a woman becomes pregnant, the outcome of that pregnancy depends on many things — including a crucial event that happened while she was still growing inside her own mother’s womb. It depends on the quality of the egg cells that were already forming inside her fetal ovaries. The DNA-containing chromosomes in those cells must be cut, spliced and sorted perfectly. In males, the same process produces sperm in the testes but occurs only after puberty.

Valley Fever Is Spreading Across the Arid West, Affecting People and Dogs

Jocelyn C Anderson — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 09:22:56 PDT

A soil fungus fuels valley fever, now reaching beyond California and Arizona due to climate change. UC Davis doctors and veterinarians trace the threat.

Federal Grants Support Research on AI-driven Protein Design

Andy Fell — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 10:26:06 PDT

Two projects at the University of California, Davis, that use artificial intelligence to design and engineer proteins for industrial and health applications have been funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF).

$110.5M in Gifts Fuel UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine Expansion

Amy M Quinton — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 12:30:00 PDT

The University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine today announced plans to launch a new phase of its veterinary medical complex — made possible by philanthropic gifts totaling $110.5 million to date. The expansion will help address the critical veterinary workforce shortage, expand patient care and support cutting-edge research in cancer, translational medicine and other key areas of biomedical science.

Engineers Create Mini Microscope for Real-Time Brain Imaging

Andy Fell — Fri, 12 Sep 2025 14:21:11 PDT

UC Davis researchers have created a miniaturized microscope for real-time, high-resolution imaging of brain activity in mice. The device is a significant step toward revolutionizing how neuroscientists study behavior and perception in the brain.

UC Davis Health’s IFM Fund Backs Delix Therapeutics in First Investment

Andy Fell — Wed, 10 Sep 2025 10:10:31 PDT

UC Davis Health Ventures, part of the Innovation and Economic Development Office (IEDO) at the University of California, Davis, today announced the first investment from its Investing in the Future of Medicine (IFM) Fund, backing Delix Therapeutics. Delix, a UC Davis spinout, is developing non-hallucinogenic neuroplastogens for major depressive disorder (MDD) and other serious neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative conditions.

Total-Body PET Imaging Takes a Look at Long COVID

Andy Fell — Thu, 28 Aug 2025 09:59:41 PDT

Using total-body PET imaging to get a better understanding of long COVID disease is the goal of a new project at the University of California, Davis, in collaboration with UC San Francisco. The project is funded by a grant of $3.2 million over four years from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health.

New Cancer Drug Could Help Cats and People

Amy M Quinton — Thu, 28 Aug 2025 08:00:06 PDT

A new cancer treatment for cats could help humans too. New UC Davis cat clinical trial using UCSF developed drug shows the disease was controlled in 35% of cats, with minimal side effects.