Research

UC Merced Aerial Picture
Space Telescope Time and Data Analysis Boosting Astrophysics Studies This Fall
October 12, 2021
Dark matter and the life cycles of star clusters will come into focus as UC Merced’s astrophysicists get resources from the two space telescopes soon to be exploring the universe. NASA has granted Professor Anna Nierenberg observational... Read More
Scientists Assemble a Biological Clock in a Test Tube to Study How It Works
October 7, 2021
Daily cycles in virtually every aspect of our physiology are driven by biological clocks (also called circadian clocks) in our cells. The cyclical interactions of clock proteins keep the biological rhythms of life in tune with the daily... Read More
Brain Study 'Turns Off the Brake' to Understand How Sympathy Can Be Increased
October 5, 2021
A new study by faculty members and students in UC Merced's Department of Cognitive and Information Sciences takes a closer look at the sympathy people have for one another. The researchers who conducted the transcranial magnetic... Read More
UC Merced Names First Endowed Chair in Medical Education
September 30, 2021
Distinguished UC Merced Director of Medical Education and public health Professor Dr. Thelma Hurd has been appointed the inaugural Thondapu Family Endowed Chair in Medical Education. “I am both gratified and honored,” said Hurd. “It is... Read More
Research Shows Sleep and Social Support Are Vital to Latina Teen Mothers' Mental Health
September 29, 2021
It's no surprise that a good night's rest is one of the most important factors for a person's well-being, but not everyone can say they have the luxury of being able to sleep for eight hours a night. New research from UC Merced is... Read More
Researchers Unraveling Mysteries of Electrosensory Gel in Sharks, Skates
September 28, 2021
Cartilaginous fishes such as sharks and skates have a sixth sense, but it’s not ESP — it’s electrosense. Such fishes use hundreds or thousands of specialized organs to sense prey and mates and to navigate the oceans. A cross-disciplinary... Read More
USDA-funded Internship Program Introduced New Bobcats to Agriculture Research
September 20, 2021
Shortly before the fall semester kicked off in person, 11 students were wrapping up their first summer on campus as part of the FACTS summer bridge program. FACTS stands for San Joaquin Valley Food and Agriculture Cyberinformatics Tools... Read More
Spencer Lab Publishes New Technique for Live Imaging
August 31, 2021
Some scientific discoveries are a happy accident (think: penicillin). Others have been there all along, they just take a keen eye to notice, which was recently the case in Professor Joel Spencer’s lab. An observation Spencer made during... Read More
Chemistry Lab Receives NSF Funding to Study How Proteins Protect from Dehydration
August 26, 2021
Like many people this summer, Professor Shahar Sukenik has dehydration on his mind. But it’s not the soaring outside temperatures prompting this focus. Dehydration has been a theme of his lab’s work for the past year, from understanding... Read More
New Collaboration Aims to Help Students Understand the Hows and Whys of Calculus
August 24, 2021
More than a few students have probably asked themselves why they have to take calculus — the course is notoriously difficult for some. “People haven’t been taught math the way it should be,” Department of Applied Mathematics Professor... Read More