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The 10 best research stories of 2021
The breadth and depth of UC research is without equal. Check out highlights from this year’s work on everything from deep space to agriculture here.
UC awards $20M in research grants for decarbonization, pandemic preparedness and materials engineering
The UC National Laboratory Fees Research Program awards five new multi-institution grants, with more than half the funds going toward projects that can help California meet its climate goals.
The brain-protecting power of exercise
Researchers show how physical activity protects cognition by altering brain chemistry that maintains synapses, especially for the elderly.
Archival papers show bond between Ralph Bunche and Martin Luther King Jr.
The only UC alumnus to be honored with a Nobel Peace Prize, Bunche marched with King in Alabama and was a champion of racial equality.
Why it’s time for medical grade masks
Experts discuss what makes N95 masks so effective and why we should (medical grade) mask up.
Undergrad Aissata Ba talks future and finds inspiration with Michelle Obama
Ba took part in a special event featuring Michelle Obama that will air on BET on Jan. 17.
UCLA-led team refines ‘kick and kill’ strategy aimed at eliminating HIV-infected cells
A new study in mice could point toward a method for clearing the virus from people who would otherwise depend on medication.
Outwitting omicron by making his own test
Graduate student Zach Aralis’s rapid test for the COVID-19 variant has already helped identify omicron cases and support targeted treatments.
Gov. Gavin Newsom proposes 5-year funding compact with the University of California
If approved, the spending plan would allow UC to increase access and affordability for families across the state and spur new innovations to combat climate change.
A cup of kindness
How a meeting between student Tommy Alejandrez, then living on the streets, and former NFL player Zack Follett changed both their lives.
Animals and the Big C
Seeking clues to the human susceptibility to cancer, a large study assesses the risk among other mammals.
Scientists breeding citrus tolerant of deadly disease
In the quest to save citrus, a new project gets to the root of farmers’ problems.
Smart roof coating keeps houses warm in winter, cool in summer
This new technology regulates household temperature without consuming natural gas or electricity.
You’re programmed to love sugar. An anthropologist explains why
Experiment after experiment finds the same thing: People are attracted to sugar from the moment they’re born.
Why does experiencing ‘flow’ feel so good?
Communication scientist Richard Huskey explains — and shares how to get there.
As Dec. 24 launch of James Webb Space Telescope nears, astronomers anticipate new era of discoveries
UC Santa Cruz astronomers have played a vital role in the new telescope's development, and will be among the first to use it after it launches Dec. 24.
Alumna bell hooks — celebrated feminist theorist, cultural critic, artist and writer — dies at 69
hooks was the author of over two dozen books, including the groundbreaking ‘Ain’t I a Woman? Black Women and Feminism’ and ‘Bone Black: Memories of Girlhood.’
Meet the ‘Heart Brothers’
Two UC San Diego Health cardiac transplant recipients forge a unique friendship.
Sunshine may shield children, young adults from multiple sclerosis
Exposure to UV rays boosts vitamin D and may protect against autoimmune disease, a new study finds.
Solar probe touches the sun for the first time in history
NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, carrying instruments built at UC Berkeley, took samples of particles and magnetic fields earlier this year.