Wednesday, September 30

UCLA researchers help create pendant for early Alzheimer’s, dementia detection

UCLA researchers are partnering with a biotech company to test a wearable pendant that could detect early signs of Alzheimer’s and dementia. Researchers from the UCLA Center for Advanced Surgical and Interventional Technology will conduct a year-long joint study with biotech company BioSensics. Read more...

Photo: Bijan Najafi, a principal investigator on the grant and a professor of surgery, is featured. Najafi and other researchers are working with biotech company BioSensics to create a device that simultaneously tracks movement and speech and may help doctors diagnose dementia patients early on. (Courtesy of Bijan Najafi)


UC physicians lead unionization push, cite degraded work, patient care conditions

This post was updated Aug. 25 at 1:21 p.m. Potentially 10,000 UC doctors – including UCLA Health employees – could start the largest unionization campaign of attending doctors in United States history. Read more...

Photo: The Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center is featured. UCLA physicians involved in the UC Doctors United campaign said they organized due to alleged increases in labor burden, patient boarding crisis and hospital leadership who won’t address ongoing issues. (Crystal Tompkins/Daily Bruin senior staff)


Robert Carradine’s family sues UC Regents for neglect after his death at UCLA hospital

This post was updated Aug. 23 at 6:14 p.m. Editor’s note: This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, you can reach the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the United States by calling or texting 988. Read more...

Photo: Cars drive by a UCLA Health sign. Actor Robert Carradine’s family filed a lawsuit against the UC Board of Regents on Aug. 7, alleging that medical neglect at UCLA’s Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital led to his death. (Crystal Tompkins/Daily Bruin senior staff)


UCLA researcher awarded $250,000 grant to increase AI accessibility

This post was updated Sept. 4 at 3:01 p.m. A UCLA researcher received a new Amazon computing grant to make multilingual artificial intelligence more accessible. Saadia Gabriel, an assistant professor of computer science, was awarded $250,000 of compute credits – which provide processing time, memory and storage on online computer hardware – through Amazon’s Build on Trainium grant. Read more...

Photo: Saadia Gabriel, a grant recipient and assistant professor of computer science, is featured. Gabriel’s research aims to improve AI tools for millions of users in Africa. (Courtesy of Saadia Gabriel)


LARC uplifts communities through education on heat safety

Sources: California Environmental Protection Agency CalHeatScore data and Los Angeles County ZIP Codes. Graphic reporting by Charlie Hamilton, Science and Health editor. Interactive by Bianca Peralta, Data editor. Read more...

Photo: A heat ambassador distributes flyers to raise awareness on the dangers of extreme heat. These community healthcare workers are trained by LARC and distribute resources including flyers, fans, water bottles, sunscreen and Metro TAP cards to residents. (Courtesy of Ellen Ma)


$5 billion science research bond clears California Assembly committee

The California Assembly Appropriations Committee voted Thursday to advance a UC-sponsored bond measure that would fund scientific research across the state. The California Science and Health Research Bond Act – or Senate Bill 895 – would create the California Foundation for Science and Health Research to award $5 billion in grants and loans to public and private research institutions, including UC campuses. Read more...

Photo: Vials are pictured. The California Assembly Appropriations Committee voted Thursday to advance a UC-sponsored bond measure that would fund scientific research across the state. (Selin Filiz/Daily Bruin senior staff)