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The Science of Mind-Body Interactions in Cancer Survivorship with Dr. Julienne Bower
This lecture will focus on the interactions between psychology and the immune system in cancer patients and survivors through examination of the links among the central nervous system, the immune system, and tumor biology. A central focus of Dr. Bower’s work is on the translation of basic findings in psychoneuroimmunology into effective behavioral interventions for cancer patients and survivors.
Cancer researchers learn about big data analysis using Anvil
The BigCare workshop, otherwise known as the “Big Data Training for Cancer Research,” is a program funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The purpose of the workshop is to help cancer researchers develop the requisite skills for managing, visualizing, analyzing, and integrating various types of “omics” data in cancer studies. BigCare was founded in 2020 by Min Zhang, PhD, a professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of California, Irvine’s Program in Public Health, as well as the biostatistics shared resources director for the UCI Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center.
When young people survive cancer, their mental-health struggles are often just beginning
“Young cancer survivors suffer from numerous late effects,” said Joel Milam, a professor in the department of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of California, Irvine and co-director of the Southern California Center for Young Adult Cancer Survivorship Research, who was not involved in the study. “Much of the focus historically has been on medical late effects, like higher risk for cardiovascular disease or [cancer] recurrence. The fact that there are also mental health implications is not surprising at all.”
July 12, 2023 Bulletin
Events, Announcements & Funding Opportunities
Bridging the Gap: Latinx Children with Cancer, Culturally Appropriate Support for Families
Fortier’s work has shown that the pain management treatment of Latinx children – and their outcomes – are too often inadequate when compared to non-Latinx white children. Besides the immediate impact of not assisting a child in need, researchers have found that there are long term consequences to poorly managed pain that amplify health inequities for Latinx patients when they are adults including changes in their physiological responses to pain and avoidance of preventive healthcare to support wellness.
Shimako Kawauchi
July 26, 2023 Bulletin
Just Published NUTRIENT Trial: Mediterranean Diet Intervention in MPNs
Dr. Fleischman, an MPN specialist at University of California, Irvine, is a leader in connecting the fresh foods Mediterranean diet with symptom improvement in people living with essential thrombocythemia (ET), polycythemia vera (PV), and myelofibrosis (MF). In this latest study, she and her collaborators examined how effective education would be in changing MPN patients’ eating habits to align with the Mediterranean diet. Dr. Fleischman et al reported results of the NUTRIENT trial, based on work funded in part by MPNRF through a 2017-2019 Challenge award. The research established that a Mediterranean diet intervention is in fact feasible in the MPN patient population and can improve symptom burden.
$2 million gift from the Nicholas R. Conway, DO, and Betty Sha Family names infusion center terrace at UCI Health ― Irvine
UCI Health is pleased to announce a generous $2 million donation from the Nicholas R. Conway, DO, and Betty Sha Family, which will significantly contribute to the development of the $1.3 billion UCI Health – Irvine medical campus. In acknowledgment of this gift, the outdoor infusion center terrace at the new Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and Ambulatory Care building will proudly carry the name of the Nicholas R. Conway, DO, and 888 Betty L. Sha Foundation Infusion Terrace.
The Speed King
Professor Greg Weiss and collaborators have developed a method of detecting cancer molecules within minutes, a breakthrough that could save lives
UCI Health Breast Center earns national accreditation
The National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC), a quality standards program administered by the American College of Surgeons, has granted accredited status to the UCI Health Breast Center. The UCI Health Breast Center is part of the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive center based in Orange County. This NCI designation reflects the deep longstanding commitment the university and health system make to advancing scientific understanding of the causes and prevention of cancer and translational and clinical research to improve the standards of cancer care.
UC Irvine receives record $653 million in research funding for fiscal 2022-23
The Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center received $106 million for basic, translational and clinical studies in fiscal 2022-23, 28 percent more than last year.
Associate Professor Claudia Benavente featured on Chilean TV show
Claudia Benavente, UCI associate professor of pharmaceutical sciences, was recently featured on the Chilean TV show “Pasaporte Ciencia” (“Science Passport”) as one of the Chilean scientists conducting important research in various countries around the world. The host, Cristian Hernandez, and his team traveled to campus for the interview. “The initial challenge for the production was to prove they could create a show with gender parity, and I immediately saw the value in the opportunity to bring science closer to the average person,” Benavente said. “The show touches on our experiences from training to the work we currently do, which, in my case, is searching for cures for childhood cancer.”
August 9, 2023 Bulletin
UC Irvine-led study links low-dose radiation to higher cancer risk
“We wanted to strengthen the scientific basis for radiation protection by directly studying settings where low-dose exposures occur,” said corresponding author David Richardson, Ph.D., professor of environmental and occupational health with UCI’s Program in Public Health. “Understanding those associations is essential to inform decisions about medical and commercial uses of ionizing radiation, exposure limits for the public, and workers.”
Jose Lechuga
Why the rare skin cancer that killed Jimmy Buffett may become more common
Climate change may directly or indirectly contribute to rising skin cancer cases. … In the 1970s, [UCI] scientists started noticing holes in the ozone layer. Further investigation showed that artificial compounds such as chlorofluorocarbons were destroying ozone. … While Merkel cell carcinoma is more aggressive than melanoma, it is curable if caught early and treated successfully, says Ling Gao, an associate professor of dermatology at the University of California, Irvine. “For all skin cancers, early diagnosis greatly improves outcomes.”
August 23, 2023 Bulletin
September 6, 2023 Bulletin
Michael Hou