Research

UC Merced Aerial Picture
Researchers Delve into Valley Fever from All Angles
November 24, 2014
One of the ways people contract valley fever is by breathing in agricultural dust from soil where the fungus is present.
Note: This story originally appeared in the Fall 2014 issue of UC Merced Magazine. Before it infects humans who breathe it in, the fungus that causes valley fever changes shapes in the environment. Once infected, some people fight it off... Read More
NIH Supports Professor’s Work in Inhibiting HIV Infection
November 19, 2014
Alt
Biochemistry Professor Patricia LiWang calls it a stroke of luck that she has become enmeshed in HIV research, but her developments are no accident. The National Institute for Health (NIH) apparently agrees, awarding her more than $2.3... Read More
Professor’s Soil Research Digs Up Many More Questions
November 5, 2014
Professor Hart measures soil emissions in the Sierra.
When people get near California’s giant sequoias, they usually look up.   But Professor Steve Hart looks down, and what he finds beneath the trees has intrigued him.   The trees, some of which could be more than 3,000... Read More
Campus, Community Programs Join to Prevent Obesity in Families
November 3, 2014
Alt
In an effort to combat the increasing rates of obesity among Latino residents, the University of California, Merced and the Merced County Central California Regional Obesity Prevention Program will join forces. Funded by a three-year, $90... Read More
Professor’s Research to Examine Whether Copper Plays Role in Alzheimer’s Disease
October 29, 2014
Professor Masashi Kitazawa and the students in his lab are researching the links between copper and Alzheimer's disease.
Professor Masashi Kitazawa wants to figure out if any environmental factors increase the risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease – specifically, whether elevated levels of copper in drinking water play a role. A new $2.6... Read More
Nobel Laureate Offers Chemistry Seminar
October 29, 2014
Alt
Professor K. Barry Sharpless of Scripps Research Institute and the 2001 winner of the Nobel Prize in chemistry, will offer a chemistry seminar at UC Merced at 3 p.m. Friday in COB 120. His pioneering work on asymmetric catalysis, which... Read More
Video Technology Gives Students More Access to Psychiatric Services
October 8, 2014
Students who are referred to a psychiatrist are linked to an off-campus doctor through a secure video-conferencing system at the H. Rajender Reddy Health Center.
With psychiatrists in short supply throughout the community, UC Merced is leveraging modern technology to expand that service to students. The UC’s 10th and newest campus is the first within the system to provide telemedicine... Read More
Extreme Changes in Seasonality Affect Soils’ Ability to Store Water and Carbon, Research Shows
September 10, 2014
Alt
Extreme changes in seasonality in the Sierra Nevada can have lasting impacts on meadow health and could mean less water and carbon storage in high elevation wetlands, according to research conducted at UC Merced. The results of work by... Read More
Rare Flower Variant Discovered by Professor Offers Insight into Evolution
August 25, 2014
Alt
The discovery of a new, rare species of monkey flower by Professor Jason Sexton provides clues as to how new species are born. Sexton, who researches the monkey flowers that grow wild throughout California, and are especially prolific in... Read More
Impact: MESA Lab Researching Friendly Drones
July 23, 2013