Aimee Edinger Associate Professor Developmental and Cell Biology Successful tumor cells must develop strategies to grow even in the face of famine. Tumors do not have enough blood vessels to keep all the cancer cells well fed, and the blood vessels that are present are leaky and don’t function properly. Despite these supply-side limitations, tumor … Read More
From Research Assistant to Biotech Entrepreneur

Charles “Charlie” Dunlop, founder of Ambry Genetics, sat down with Dean Frank LaFerla for a unique Ayala School Dean’s Distinguished Lecture on March 1st. This special Q&A between Dunlop, Dean LaFerla and the audience, addressed Dunlop’s early years as a fun-loving surfer and physics aficionado during the beginning of his college career at the University … Read More
Linking Brains to Machines

Billionaire Elon Musk isn’t the only one interested in linking brains to computers. Duke University Professor Miguel Nicolelis, M.D., Ph.D. has been a pioneer in brain machine interfaces (BMI) for decades. On February 27th, he shared his latest research with the UCI community at the 24th UCI Distinguished Lecture Series on Brain, Learning and Memory. … Read More
Mentoring Helps Build Biologists of Tomorrow

Many of science’s most exciting and relevant advances are taking place in the field of biology. And with good reason. Biological solutions are needed to overcome the global challenges we face that affect our health, our economy, our society and our world every day. To help students prepare for successful futures in such a demanding … Read More
Donuts with the Dean Mixes Students and Executives
For students, faculty and staff hungry for a snack and some new knowledge, Donuts with the Dean offers just the right mix. The quarterly program was established by Dean LaFerla to provide an opportunity for direct interaction between students and the dean as well as invited faculty/staff. The dean also extends an invitation to a … Read More
Gift Honors Professor James McGaugh and Funds Award
Dr. James T. Goodrich has led a highly successful career as a world-leading neurosurgeon. He is currently Professor of Neurological Surgery, Pediatrics and Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery as well as Chief of the Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City, working at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore … Read More
New Genetically Engineered Mouse Models Could Boost Alzheimer’s Drug Research
UCI researchers, lead by Ayala School Dean Frank LaFerla and Professor Andrea Tenner, have received an $11.4 million grant from the National Institute on Aging to create several humanized mouse models to more accurately mimic human Alzheimer’s conditions, and serve as valuable tools to better understand and target Alzheimer’s pathology. Ayala School Professors Grant MacGregor … Read More
Faculty Spotlight – Raju Metherate, Ph.D.
Professor Raju Metherate is a neuroscientist in the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior (NBB), and is the new Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education for the Ayala School of Biological Sciences at UCI. Professor Metherate, a faculty member at UCI for over two decades, has focused his research on understanding the workings of the auditory cortex. … Read More
Staff Spotlight – Yergalem T. Meharenna, Ph.D.
In her role as Training Grant Officer, Yergalem (Yerga) Meharenna balances her commitments to the UCI Schools of Biological Sciences and Medicine, coordinating training efforts that entail collaboration across the two Schools. Yerga received her Ph.D. in Genetic Engineering from Imperial College London in 2000. After completing her thesis, she came to work as a … Read More
Ayala Professor Amongst 2017 Most Cited Researchers
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Professor Steven Allison was listed among the top cited researchers in the 2017 Clarivate Analytics Highly Cited Researchers List. Professor Allison, who has a joint faculty appointment in Earth System Science, utilizes molecular, biochemical, and theoretical approaches to understand how microbes regulate ecosystem processes. The Clarivate Analytics Highly Cited Researchers List … Read More