Research

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Genetic Changes Made Native Americans Susceptible to Smallpox, Study Shows

Professor Emilia Huerta-SanchezA new study identifies genetic changes in Native Americans that came about when Europeans settled in the Pacific Northwest and might have played a major role in why so many natives died of infectious disease.

Cognitive Scientist Earns Early Career Impact Award

Rick DaleUC Merced Professor Rick Dale is a recipient of the Federation of Associations in Behavioral & Brain Sciences (FABBS) Early Career Impact Award from the 

Scientists Build Synthetic Cell-Sized Membranes Out of Paper

Professor Anand SubramaniamScientists have been synthesizing lipid membranes from a variety of materials, making them as lifelike as possible to learn more about how cells work and how they can be manipulated.

Professor’s Himalayan Archaeological Finds Documented on ‘NOVA’

Join UC Merced Professor Mark Aldenderfer as he and his colleagues explore the world’s highest cave tombs, revealing new details about the lives of the people who settled the Himalaya, in the season premiere of “NOVA” on PBS.

In “Secrets of the Sky Tombs,” archaeologist Aldenderfer and fellow researchers from around the globe step back in time to learn more about the people who buried their dead in these hard-to-reach rock-cut caves.

Researchers to Discuss Strong Family Relationships in Symposium

UC Merced will host its fourth annual Symposium on the Child and Family from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Jan. 28, offering a day of talks by researchers on the theme of “Strong Families: Fostering Healthy Parent-Child Relationships and Child Development.”

The symposium is designed to be of interest to individuals who work with young children or have an interest in learning more about early child development. It will consist of a series of talks by distinguished researchers and small-group discussions between researchers and attendees.

Researchers Enlist Hospital in Fight Against Antibiotic Resistance

There are 1.7 million multidrug-resistant, hospital-acquired infections that extend hospital stays, increase medical expenses and decrease quality of life. The United States alone reports at least 120,000 deaths annually from resistant infections that are improperly treated because of a scarcity of reliable antibiotics. 

But a new study shows that not only can hospitals be breeding grounds for antibiotic-resistant bacteria, they are also important in stopping the evolution of resistant bacteria.