Dear UCI Community, 

As I reflected in my most recent Forbes Contributor column, there is no doubt women have always been critical contributors, yet undervalued, to health and wellbeing. From Florence Nightingale and Madame Curie to Gloria Steinman and Michelle Obama – our role models show up as midwives, nurses, doctors, public health advocates, and activists. Women have been key figures in helping shape our health and while we recognize the achievements of remarkable women throughout the ages – and now during Women’s History Month – we also need to recognize the continued disparities in women’s health and societal equity. 

There are several examples where we need to do better: The gender pay gap for one. In the U.S., women earn an average of 80% of what men earn, which has not moved in two decades – this must change now. It is even more disheartening that our nation is the only country among 41 nations that does not mandate any paid leave for new parents. Women still only hold a very small percentage (5.8%) of the top positions of Fortune 500 companies, and women make up a little more than a quarter of the members of Congress. 

These are just socially constructed examples of disparities. The health disparities that women continue to face are daunting because even though the overall health of women has improved over the past several decades, not all women have benefited equally. Women of color experience a significantly greater burden of risk factors that cause some of the leading causes of death like heart disease and stroke.  

This month’s recognition of the role women have played in the history of our country serves as a reminder of the importance of ongoing research around women’s health issues and advocacy for comprehensive policies that help tackle inequities on various fronts like equal pay, reproductive freedom, health disparities, and gender discrimination.  

In essence, Women's History Month is not just a time to celebrate, it is a call to action.  Around the campus, we have several groups and initiatives that are empowering women, including in technology, the Womxn’s Center for Success, and research here at UCI Public Health, just to name a few. 

Let us commit to ongoing research, education, and activism to honor the past, empower the present, and shape a more equitable future for all women. 

Sincerely,

Family-based heart health

The SERVE OC Program takes a community-centered, participatory research approach to improve heart health and has engaged households in Garden Grove, Santa Ana, Westminster and Anaheim. Enrolled participants include nearly 450 people from 178 families within Orange County’s Latino and Vietnamese American populations.  

Informatics and Technology Training Program Prepares the Next Generation of Public Health Practitioners

A Q&A with program co-director, Tim Bruckner, gives more insight into how the students of this program will pave the way for the integration of technology and data analytics into our healthcare system and disease prevention interventions. 

Retiring faculty Trina Norden-Krichmar leaves her mark on the field of bioinformatics and its application to the understanding of human diseases

After nearly 10 years with UC Irvine, Trina M. Norden-Krichmar will step down from her role as an associate professor of epidemiology and biostatistics. She leaves a legacy of groundbreaking contributions in the field of bioinformatics.

In a study published by the European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, professor, Karen Edwards, doctoral student, D’Artagnan M. Robinson, and team conducted a first-of-its-kind study using saliva biomarkers to measure exposure to toxic heavy metals and provide a potential link to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in adolescents.  

In the fight against mosquito-borne diseases, a study published in Malaria Journal found a species of mosquito that carries the WHO-validated R6221 mutation in four isolates in eastern Ethiopia when they had only been reported along the north-west border of Ethiopia. This signals a need for enhanced monitoring since the R6221 mutation is rapidly spreading. Lab members include corresponding author and professor, Guiyun Yan, doctoral student Brook Jeang, associate project scientist, Daibin Zhong, and associate project scientist, Ming-Chieh Lee.  

On behalf of the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), professor, Bruce Albala, and fellow board members released a review in Alzheimer’s & Dementia journal detailing the assessments on new technologies, platforms, and methods that will aid in facilitating successful clinical trials for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. 

Through a retrospective cohort study of nearly 27,000 American Indians, ozone exposure is associated with a higher risk of dementia among American Indians. The findings are published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health that show the correlation with county-level average air pollution data and Indian Health Services data of dementia incidence. The study is led by corresponding author and professor, Luohua Jiang, and additional authors from UCI Public Health include Yachen Zhu, Yuxi Shu, Scott Bartell, and Maria Corrada.

Bernadette Boden-Albala named a ‘Kick Ass’ Woman by Orange Coast Magazine

Founding Dean Boden-Albala was named a 2024 Kick Ass Woman by Orange Coast Magazine, which recognized her 25+ year career to drive health equity. She shared the title with many other inspirational women in Orange County, including two UCI colleagues: Dyonne Bergeron, vice chancellor for equity, diversity and inclusion and Tamara Inoue, coach of women’s basketball. 

UC Irvine researchers awarded grant by the National Institutes of Health to study the invasion of malaria-carrying mosquitos

Chloe Wang, research specialist, and Guiyun Yan, professor of population health & disease prevention, both from the Department of Population Health & Disease Prevention, will act as PIs on the study and will test a new technology to track exposure to malaria.

For the second year in a row, Karen Lincoln was named one of Stanford University's list of the top 2% of scientists worldwide

Each year, Stanford releases a list of the world's top-cited scientists – an indicator of expertise and reputation in their respective fields and considered the most prestigious worldwide. The ranking includes more than 200,000 researchers from the more than 10 million scientists considered to be active worldwide, with 22 scientific fields and 176 subfields considered.

Forging Our Own Path: The Importance of Black Leadership in Environmental and Climate Advocacy
Thursday, April 25 | Sue Gross Auditorium
Panel: 11 a.m. - Noon
Reception: Noon - 1 p.m.

Join UCI Public Health and the UCI Center for Environmental Health Disparities Research for an informative, interdisciplinary discussion with keynote speaker Abre’ Conner, Esq. Abre will delve into the disproportionate environmental burdens faced by Black communities, shedding light on how systemic exclusion from decision-making exacerbates health disparities. Explore actionable strategies to center impacted communities in environmental and climate-related decisions, and learn how prioritizing Black and frontline groups can contribute to collective solutions for the climate crisis.

Spring 2024 Spit Camp: Intensive 2-Day Workshop in Salivary Bioscience
Tuesday, May 14 - Wednesday, May 15 | UCI Campus in Social Ecology I

Spit Camp is an intensive two-day workshop that combines lecture/didactic and hands-on laboratory training. There is a focus on the theoretical perspectives of salivary bioscience, use of oral fluid as biological specimens, practical aspects of sample handing, collection, study design, and the basics of salivary immunoassays. The laboratory component includes hands-on, supervised training on sample processing, salivary immunoassay and kinetic reaction assays, as well as learning basic wet-lab procedures.

Spit Camp Fee: $1,430 per person | Space is limited, register today >>