“We know disparities have existed forever,” he told colleagues back then. “The question is, ‘What to do about it? How can we address them, and solve them?’ ”

He recruited experts from Harvard, UC Davis, the nonprofit research organization RAND and other institutions to learn about the needs of underserved Californians. He quickly secured funding to turn research into programs and policies.

Twenty years after its founding, the center has become a national model for advancing health and mental health equity.

“I feel very positive, grateful and proud that over the years we have remained constant about our commitment and determination: To do whatever it takes to serve the underserved,” Aguilar-Gaxiola said. “That’s the bottom line.”

Creating a center to break down barriers

Aguilar-Gaxiola, who earned a medical degree in his native Mexico, came to the U.S. for advanced study in clinical-community psychology. He was conducting research and teaching at California State University, Fresno, when UC Davis recruited him in 2005.

Top leaders from the UC Davis School of Medicine asked about his dream job. Aguilar-Gaxiola didn’t hesitate: Establish a research center to reduce health disparities. He was struck that the U.S. spends more on health care than any other country, yet lacks equal access or better outcomes.

The center builds on UC Davis’ commitment to serve vulnerable populations. It provides critical research shared nationwide and trains nonprofit organizations in meaningful community engagement and trust-building. It develops partnerships to eliminate barriers to care.

Beginning on Wednesday, May 6, the Center for Land-Based Learning is bringing its mobile farmers market to Aggie Square every other Wednesday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., making it easier for employees, neighbors and visitors to shop for affordable, locally grown fruits and vegetables right where they work and gather.

The mobile market offers a convenient way to support regional farmers while increasing access to healthy food. It also reflects a shared commitment to strengthening local food systems and investing in the next generation of agricultural leaders and environmental stewards.

The market is open to everyone and features a rotating selection of seasonal produce grown by local farmers connected to the Center for Land-Based Learning. Eligible shoppers can take advantage of a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program EBT match, helping stretch food dollars even further.

To make visiting the market even easier, community members who attend receive free validated parking in the Aggie Square garage.

Spring events kick off with music, art and sustainability

The mobile farmer’s market launch includes special pop-up events designed to turn a midweek lunch break into something a little more memorable.

On Wednesday, May 6, the spring market kicks off with live music and refreshments, setting the tone for a lively season ahead.

The Wednesday, May 20 market will feature a sustainability-focused afternoon, with partners including Atrium 916’s Zero Waste Art Cafe, the Sacramento Bicycle Kitchen Mobile Fixery, UC Davis CORE officers and K-9s, and the UC Davis Health Green Commuter Program. Visitors can explore alternative transportation options, learn about waste reduction and enjoy the market’s fresh offerings all in one place.

The market takes place outdoors at Aggie Square, 4480 2nd Ave., every other Wednesday from 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Whether you’re stocking up on produce for the week, discovering new ways to live more sustainably or enjoying time outside with colleagues, the mobile farmers market is designed to be an easy, welcoming stop in the middle of the day.

The annual Money rankings identify hospitals that deliver outstanding clinical outcomes, patient experience and value. For 2026, Money evaluated thousands of hospitals nationwide and named only 75 hospitals in each specialty category to its final lists.

UC Davis Medical Center was ranked #33 as a Best Hospital for Pediatric Care and #44 on the list for Best Hospitals for Maternity Care.

“This national recognition reflects the dedication, expertise and compassion of our physicians, nurses and care teams who serve children and families throughout Northern California and beyond,” said Satyan Lakshminrusmha, chief of pediatrics and pediatrician-in-chief at UC Davis Children’s Hospital. “From prenatal care and childbirth to highly specialized pediatric services, our teams are committed to providing the safest, most comprehensive care at every stage of life.”

Methodology behind the rankings

Money’s Best Hospitals for Maternity Care list spotlights facilities that excel in caring for patients before, during and after pregnancy while maintaining strong safety records and patient satisfaction. Hospitals are evaluated using federal quality data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, measures of maternity-specific expertise, neonatal intensive care capability and nationally recognized accreditations.

The methodology emphasizes hospitals that demonstrate a strong focus on maternity services, perform a high volume of deliveries, support breastfeeding and education, and are equipped to manage both routine and complex pregnancies.

Money’s Best Hospitals for Pediatric Care rankings focuses on hospitals with experienced pediatric specialists, strong clinical outcomes, dedicated pediatric trauma and intensive care units and high patient experience scores. The pediatric rankings also highlight transparency in hospital pricing, helping families better understand and prepare for the cost of care.

View Money’s full methodology for maternity care and pediatric care.

In a study of TRPM4 ion channel mutations, researchers found that body temperature plays a key role in which tissues are affected. One mutation becomes active only in cooler skin, and another exerts its effects only at the heart’s warmer, core body temperature. Cell type and local chemical signals also play a role.

The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), offer a clear explanation for why disease‑causing TRPM4 mutations lead to mutually exclusive conditions.

“This has been a mystery in the field for years,” said Yuhua Tian, first author of the study, and a visiting assistant professor in the Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology. “We now understand that it’s not just the mutation itself that matters, but where in the body the protein is active and under what conditions.”

What Is TRPM4?

The TRPM4 gene, found on Chromosome 19, provides instructions for making a protein that acts like a gate in the cell membrane.

When calcium levels inside the cell rise, the gate opens, allowing cations (small ions with a positive charge, such as sodium) to flow into the cell. This alters the cell’s electrical state and sends multiple signals to the cell.

This process is important in many organs, including the heart, where electrical signaling plays a major role in maintaining a normal heart rhythm.

In the skin and immune system, this gated activity helps regulate inflammation and cell migration.

A medical mystery

Doctors and researchers have known for years that some TRPM4 mutations cause inherited heart disorders. These include progressive familial heart block, which alters the normal beating of the heart, and Brugada syndrome, a condition that disrupts the heart's normal rhythm.

Other TRPM4 mutations cause rare, but severe, skin diseases, including progressive symmetric erythrokeratodermia (PSEK).

Strikingly, however, patients never develop both, even though the mutations increase TRPM4 activity.

“This didn’t make sense under traditional genetic models,” said Jie Zheng, senior author and professor of physiology and membrane biology at UC Davis. “If the same channel is overactive, why doesn’t it affect every tissue the same way?”

What the researchers discovered

The researchers combined electrophysiology, molecular modeling and mouse genetics to examine how disease‑linked TRPM4 mutations respond to calcium, membrane lipids and temperature. By measuring ion channel activity and cell behavior under skin‑like and heart‑like temperature conditions, they uncovered how heat and cold determine where these mutations cause disease.

The research shows that TRPM4 is controlled by a three‑part system:

• Calcium levels inside the cell
• A membrane lipid called PIP2 (phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate), which acts as an on-off switch for activity in a cell
• Temperature, which differs between the skin and the internal organs

Together, these factors determine when and where TRPM4 is active.

The latest biannual report from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) highlights UC Davis Health’s exceptional outcomes across several key measures. UC Davis liver transplant patients: 

• Outperformed both national expectations and the national average in terms of transplanted organ survival
• Experienced significantly better survival waiting for a liver compared with national benchmarks
• Received transplants much faster than the national average, resulting in substantially shorter wait times

“This report reflects our continued growth and our unwavering commitment to innovation, quality and patient‑centered care,” said Sophoclis Pantelis Alexopoulos, chief of Transplantation at UC Davis Health. “These outcomes demonstrate that UC Davis is among the top‑performing transplant programs not only in California, but across the West Coast.”

“ADOA affects about 3 in 100,000 people worldwide, causing progressive vision loss and eventual blindness. People with the disease develop blind spots, or scotomas, and there is no available treatment,” said Sara Thomasy, senior author on the paper. Thomasy is a professor of comparative ophthalmology and holds dual appointments at the Weill School of Veterinary Medicine and the Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Science at UC Davis. Many patients are diagnosed between the ages of 10 and 30, making it an important cause of vision loss in children.

In humans, ADOA is related to mutations in a gene called OPA1, which affects mitochondria. While mitochondria are found throughout the body, the long nerve axons that run from the retina to the brain are particularly vulnerable to mitochondrial defects.

Rhesus macaques and other non-human primates have a very similar eye structure and vision system to humans. Thomasy and colleagues found that some of the monkeys at the CNPRC had a spontaneous mutation in OPA1 that leads to changes in the eye very similar to those in people with ADOA.

The day-long event on April 23 was hosted by UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center. The symposium highlighted cancer research by the younger generation: students from high school, as well as undergraduate and predoctoral scholars. They were joined by more seasoned postdoctoral scholars, research staff, residents and fellows who shared their latest findings.

“The Ralph de Vere White Symposium gives early-stage investigators invaluable opportunities to sharpen their ideas, build confidence and form meaningful connections,” said cancer center Director Primo “Lucky” Lara Jr. “It also strengthens the pipeline of innovative, patient-centered cancer research for the future.”

The annual event was renamed in 2024 in honor of Professor Emeritus Ralph de Vere White, former director of the cancer center. De Vere White was instrumental in obtaining the National Cancer Institute designation for UC Davis Health as a “comprehensive” cancer center.

Now retired, de Vere White demonstrates his continued dedication to early-stage investigators by attending the event and watching the verbal portion of poster presentations. He challenges the presenters with probing questions, visits the poster sessions and participates in the round table discussions.

Presenters

Welcome remarks were presented by Janai Carr-Ascher and Miquell Miller, UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center assistant directors for the Office of Education, Training and Workforce Development.

The keynote address by Christopher Lucchesi, an assistant professor in the Department of Urologic Surgery, featured his personal story as a cancer survivor to illustrate how to sustain a commitment to research and patients.

New this year, the symposium included students in the Cancer Research Immersion Academy at Sheldon High School and their teacher Tabitha Lai. Fifteen students presented their own cancer research.

The academy is designed to attract more students to biomedical research by expanding their confidence, knowledge and skill in developing and communicating scientific research while exploring pathways to college.

“The cancer center approached us with this opportunity due to our biomedical career technology track, and we were excited to participate,” Lai said.

Winning research

Early-stage investigators showcased their research to experienced investigators, learned of potential research and collaborative opportunities and networked. They also competed for a chance to win a prize for oral or poster presentations.

Presentations were judged on scientific innovation, significance and ultimate potential for clinical impact, as well as scientific communication skills. Winner received $500 in cash.

Oral presentation 

Winner: Conner Suen and Asneh Singh, undergraduate students

Mentors: Christopher Lucchesi

Title: “A Functional-Digital Precision Oncology Platform Integrating AI Histology and 3D Bioprinted Tumoroids to Predict Therapeutic Response”

Poster presentation

Winner: Mira Miles, project policy analyst

Mentor: Shehnaz Hussain

Title: “Inflammation and Occupational Exposures in the California Firefighter Cancer Research Study (CAFF-CRS)”

Roundtables

Nine roundtable discussions focused on critical professional development topics ranging from building mentorship teams, to best practices in grant writing, to educational pathways. They were moderated by cancer center senior investigators, grant experts and students.

The annual symposium was organized by the Office of Education, Training and Workforce Development.

“PCBs were banned in the 1970s but are still around us,” said Janine LaSalle, professor in the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, MIND Institute faculty member and senior author on both studies. “PCB chemicals are decreasing in the environment, but surprisingly, low exposure levels aren’t always less hazardous. Higher chemical levels can trigger the body to turn on DNA repair and other stress-related pathways. However, lower levels can slip under the body’s radar and have long-term effects.”

LaSalle and colleagues used PCBs as a lens to better understand developmental biology. The first paper investigated why girls seem to respond differently than boys to some environmental and genetic exposures linked to neurodevelopmental conditions. The second dissected the combined role the MECP2 gene and PCBs play in Rett syndrome.

Together, the two studies provide a more detailed picture of how PCBs influence gene expression and how the body responds.

The final chapter of California Tower’s first success story arrived not with a ribbon-cutting, but on beating wings.

The last two hummingbird fledglings raised inside the tower, lovingly and humorously named OSHA and OSHPoD, have now taken flight, marking the end of a remarkable nesting season that captured the hearts of construction crews, clinicians and employees across the organization and hummingbird lovers near and far.

OSHA was the first to go, spreading its wings and flying off over the weekend of April 18–19. A few days later, on the afternoon of April 22, OSHPoD followed, prompting cheers, pride and more than a little wistfulness from the crew that had carefully watched over the nest for weeks.

“We are so proud of him,” one team member said.

The names were a fitting tribute. OSHA and OSHPoD are playful nods to the California state offices that oversee workplace safety and the approval of healthcare construction, a little inside humor from a team that lives and breathes compliance, patience and precision.

OSHPoD lingered a bit longer, even staying put for a few rainy days after its sibling departed. One photo captured the young bird perched near the nest during a spring shower, as if taking one last look at the place that kept it safe while the world rushed by below.

On April 23, biologists returned to the site to oversee the careful closure of the wall opening that had remained in place to protect the birds’ flight path. With the fledglings safely gone, the space could finally be sealed, allowing construction to continue uninterrupted.

The nest itself, a tiny, intricate masterpiece woven from spiderwebs, plant fibers and construction dust, was taken down later that afternoon. In a gesture that felt both symbolic and gentle, the construction team scattered the nest into the grass near the traffic circle outside the project site, returning its materials to the landscape where the mother bird once foraged for food.

For many, the moment brought the story full circle.

For Christina Middleton, project manager with Cambridge CM, the experience left a lasting impression on the people behind the scenes.

“It’s meant so much for many of our tradespeople,” Middleton said. “They all care a lot about the birds and always ask how they’re doing. We definitely need more good news like this these days, and we are sad to see them go. The world keeps turning while people are busy making plans. So grateful for life’s small miracles.”

Since the original story was shared, employees have reached out to say how much it meant to them, offering a moment of happiness amid difficult days. Others shared cultural connections, explaining that in their traditions, hummingbirds are believed to be relatives who have passed away, returning to visit and watch over loved ones.

For a brief season, those visitors chose a place of cranes, concrete and constant motion, and found care, patience and protection there.

The California Tower has yet to open its doors to patients, but its first residents arrived early and left a lasting mark. Four tiny lives reminded us that, even amid deadlines, blueprints and heavy machinery, there is room for wonder and for stories that lift spirits long after the birds themselves have flown on.

April 15, 2026

California Tower’s first patients arrive early — and have wings

By the time California Tower opens its doors to patients in 2030, its first residents will already have taken flight.

Four years before the massive new medical facility is scheduled to welcome patients, four hummingbirds quietly claimed space inside the tower, transforming an active construction site into an unexpected nursery and giving new meaning to the idea of patient-centered care.

Since mid-February, two mother hummingbirds have nested inside the California Tower as it rises skyward, each laying two eggs. All four hatchlings survived — a rare and heartening outcome — with the first pair already airborne and the second expected to leave the nest by mid-April.

The discovery unfolded on February 13, when construction teams spotted a tiny nest on Level 6 at the tower’s north end near the water tank. The nest, improbably delicate against the industrial backdrop, was built inside the top of a Ziploc bag attached to a wire hanger.

All trade workers and staff receive training on how to respond when wildlife is encountered, particularly protected species such as hummingbirds.

To protect the birds while keeping the project moving, a team of biologists from ICF, contracted by UC Davis, partnered closely with the project team to ensure the birds were properly protected and that flight paths remained clear.

The mother hummingbird was quickly nicknamed “Zippy,” a nod to her use of unconventional building materials and her quick speed.

“She couldn’t have picked a more unlikely place,” said Christina Middleton, project manager with Cambridge CM, “but she picked it well.”

Zippy laid two eggs, and both hatchlings survived and matured. Workers named the fledglings “Fragnet,” a term for a construction scheduling delay, and “Delay-la,” an affectionate nod to the brief pause required to keep them safe. By March 31, the young hummingbirds had grown strong enough to leave the nest and fly away from the tower.

But before they departed, the team was met with another surprise: it seems Zippy shared her secret.

On March 17, workers discovered a second hummingbird nest on Level 4, also tucked inside a Ziplock bag attached to a wire hanger support. This nest sat near the emergency department circle drive — an area buzzing with activity and in the middle of extensive siding installation.

The second mother, named “Ziplock,” posed a more complex challenge.

Unlike the first nest, exterior construction in this area was already well underway. The biologists again worked closely with the team, led by UC Davis Environmental Planning Liaison Alex Tremblay. As with the first nest, workers immediately followed established bird-mitigation protocols. 

The biologists evaluated Ziplock’s flight path, identified a buffer zone, and helped determine which sections of the siding (also known as curtainwall) installation could proceed without disturbing the nest.

Installation in the immediate flight path was moved to other areas as the team identified ways to work around the area and continue progress. Then, for three days, the biologist remained on site to monitor conditions — tracking noise levels, activity and proximity to ensure the mother and nest were not disturbed.

The eggs hatched on March 31. The two fledglings are healthy and growing, and they are expected to leave the nest in mid-April. They have not yet been named.

The male hummingbirds, meanwhile, have played their own role by guarding nearby food sources while the mothers remained at their nests.

Zippy relied on flowering plants outside the Cancer Center for food, while Ziplock has been spotted feeding in the landscaped traffic circle in front of the medical center.

Why would hummingbirds choose a towering construction site over quieter trees or eaves?

Project leaders and biologists have a theory: Constant noise and activity may deter natural predators, creating an unexpectedly safe nesting environment.

The first nest, an intricate, gossamer structure woven from spiderwebs and plant fibers, was carefully preserved after the fledglings left. Project leaders hope to include it in the building’s time capsule, a lasting reminder that life finds ways to thrive even during large-scale construction.

For workers on the project, the hummingbirds offered more than a schedule adjustment. They became a daily reminder of purpose.

“Watching everyone slow down, problem-solve and protect something so small while building something so big — it really stuck with people,” Middleton said.

As the California Tower construction continues and prepares for its future role in patient care, its earliest success story has already taken flight, four tiny lives nurtured through collaboration, care and an unusual Ziplock-bag nursery high above the ground.

While the tower’s first human patients are still to come, its first residents have already shown what’s possible when compassion extends beyond blueprints.

Yet when these conversations do take place, they often become a meaningful gift — providing clarity, easing the burden of decision‑making and ensuring that care aligns with what matters most to the patient.

Despite its importance, studies consistently show that the number of people who complete ACP documentation remains low. Common barriers include gaps in care between settings, inconsistent documentation, difficulty accessing ACP information in electronic health records (EHRs) and insufficient clinician education.

“For advance care planning to be truly effective, it must be an ongoing, iterative process,” explained Nathan Fairman, a health sciences clinical professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at UC Davis Health. “A system‑wide approach is essential — one that consistently identifies patients who need support with ACP and ensures resources are accessible and available across every care setting where patients are seen.”

The successful effort was on full display last month at Match Day: Half of the School of Medicine’s graduating class of 2026 will train in primary care residencies.

Few other medical schools prepare a larger share of students for careers in primary care fields, which include family medicine, pediatrics and internal medicine.

In fact, of the roughly 200 medical schools in the country, the UC Davis School of Medicine is grouped with 15 other institutions in the top tier ranking for primary care the past three years, based on U.S. News & World report data published last week. When U.S. News last reported individual school rankings in 2023, UC Davis was at the No. 6 spot for primary care.

Students are often drawn to UC Davis because of its strong emphasis on primary care. One of those is Abigail Vidrio, a first-year medical student from Orange Cove, a majority Hispanic town of fewer than 10,000 residents southeast of Fresno. 

She remembers a childhood with long drives to see a doctor and encountering crowded clinics and cultural barriers to care. In her teenage years, she would wake up at 4 a.m. to prepare her grandfather for his dialysis regimen.

“After each appointment, it became more apparent that accessible, quality care was a luxury rather than a right in communities like mine,” Vidrio recalled.

“My goal is to return to Fresno County and work in rural communities and make health care a little bit more accessible to people in the community,” she added.

The primary care commitment goes back to the school’s founding in the 1960s: The California Legislature created the medical school to help alleviate physician shortages in Northern California, especially outside major cities. Over the years, the school strengthened that purpose through mission-focused admissions policies. More recently, it developed unique programs and academic tracks centered on primary care that have gained national attention.

“Our founding mandate or mission is to train the physicians California needs; that’s our goal,” said Mark Servis, the vice dean for medical education. “And if primary care is the greatest need, then we want to excel at it.”

A mission rooted in community need

The rise of UC Davis as a primary care powerhouse is closely tied to the needs of the communities it serves. Located in Sacramento, the school serves vast rural regions and pockets with limited access to health care in the northern and central valley areas.

Six decades ago, state officials recognized the location as key to serving patients in a 33-county area that other public medical schools couldn’t reach. That commitment solidified even more in the late 1960s and early 1970s when the Sacramento County Hospital was part of UC Davis Health.

“Access to physicians was a big issue back then, and the shortages were the most acute in primary care medicine,” Servis said.

“The feeling was that UCSF, UCLA, UC San Diego and UC Irvine were all doing a pretty good job of training specialists,” he noted. “The hope was that UC Davis would get more primary care physicians into the interior of California."

From its inception, the UC Davis School of Medicine endeavored to deliver medical education with that focus. The school selects many applicants committed to primary care, exposes them to primary care mentors and emphasizes primary care experience in third-year clinical rotations, commonly known as clerkships.

The significance of primary care medicine

Primary care physicians are the linchpin of the health care delivery system.

These doctors often serve as the first point of contact for patients. They build trusted, long-term relationships and coordinate care with specialty providers to ensure continuity. They also improve access for underserved populations. In addition, primary care physicians play a vital role in communicating medical information in a clear and supportive way, which helps patients stay on medications and follow prevention tips.

Medical school graduates who go on to become primary care physicians are required to spend three years in a residency training program.

Those who choose internal medicine, for example, will work in outpatient clinics, while others will become hospitalists rounding on patients in medical centers. Many others enter internal medicine residency as a springboard to subspecialty training, fulfilling requirements needed to then move into fields such as oncology, cardiology, and nephrology.

Those who enter family medicine, however, are more likely to spend their careers practicing the full scope of primary care, including caring for children and adults and delivering babies.

Their breadth and depth of practice is especially valuable in medically underserved communities that lack pediatricians and obstetrician-gynecologists.

Family medicine: Caring for patients “from cradle to grave”

“We hold patients' medical histories from cradle to grave and partner with them over their lifetimes to ensure good health," said Micaela Godzich, a clinical professor in the UC Davis Department of Family and Community Medicine. She adds: “We're often the first person to identify life-threatening conditions, we counsel them on preventive care, and we celebrate when they manage their chronic diseases effectively.”

Primary care doctors have proven to reduce health care costs by keeping patients healthy and minimizing the need for emergency and surgical care.

Nearly all adults with regular primary care access receive cost-effective preventive services versus about 68% of those without regular access, according to a recent report. The work was co-funded by The Physicians Foundation and the Milbank Memorial Fund.

The report, developed by researchers at the American Academy of Family Physicians’ Robert Graham Center, also found primary care access was linked to 11% fewer emergency department visits and 20% lower odds of hospitalization.

Unlike most medical schools, UC Davis requires students to complete a five-week clerkship in family medicine, in keeping with the school’s mission, said Kris Srinivasan, clinical professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine and director of its medical student education program.

“UC Davis is unique in that family medicine is generally held in pretty high regard here,” Srinivasan said, “which I don’t think is necessarily true at a lot of other academic institutions."

Family medicine students can select from many clerkship experiences. Some will focus on reproductive health, others will be assigned mentors at the Sacramento County Health Center, which serves a large Medi-Cal population. Some students will learn about gender-affirming care in Sacramento while others will spend several weeks in far Northern California to treat patients in rural communities.

Medical education tailored to community needs

UC Davis also stands out from most medical schools in how it offers academic options for students to practice where the need is greatest: among underserved communities which lack access to primary care.

Nearly a third of students choose to join a pathway that trains them in how to care for specific populations. The learning starts in the classroom and extends into rural and urban underserved areas.

“We are innovative, and the pathway programs we’ve created are the most expansive in the country,” said Vice Dean Servis. “It’s because of this programming that we’re ranked so highly.” 

Most of the pathways were launched with seed money from the state and earmarked for a University of California initiative called Programs in Medical Education (PRIME). The pathways are meant to address specific needs among underserved communities determined by each campus. UC Davis has continued to add pathways and now offers seven.

The school’s PRIME pathways focus medical education by region or population groups, including:

• The Central Valley
• Urban underserved patients
• Rural communities
• American Indian and Alaska Native populations
• The Central Coast

In addition, UC Davis hosts the only program on the West Coast that allows medical students to complete their education in three years instead of four, so they can more urgently fill the need for primary care physicians.

ACE-PC, short for Accelerated Competency-based Education in Primary Care, was established in partnership with Kaiser Permanente in 2014.

Its success led to the launch of a new pathway this year, Rural ACE-PC, which relies on community partnerships to host UC Davis students at clinical training sites in Shasta, Nevada and Humboldt counties. The end goal of the new track is to boost the local primary care and psychiatry workforce in places such as Redding, Grass Valley, Nevada City and Eureka.

“It is deeply fulfilling to work at a school that places primary care at the heart of its mission and as a core expression of its values and responsibility to our communities,” said Alicia Gonzalez-Flores, the ACE-PC leader and an internal medicine physician.

Despite the large share of UC Davis students choosing primary care residencies, national experts express concern that the number may soon drop due to economic pressures.

For one, new federal student loan limits taking effect July 1 may increase financial strain on future medical students, pushing some toward higher-paying specialties to repay debt more quickly. In addition, recent reports from the California Health Care Foundation and other organizations suggest health systems and insurers are under-investing in primary care, which also keeps salaries relatively low and ultimately limits primary care access to patient populations who need it most.

A common thread links pathway students

Many students who study primary care at UC Davis can relate to health inequities because they grew up in households with government insurance, or no insurance at all. Some were expected to serve as interpreters for their parents at medical appointments. 

Having experienced barriers to care is a motivating factor for wanting to provide care for underserved and vulnerable populations.

“If you grew up on Medi-Cal, you understand how such patients struggle to access care because many primary care practices don’t accept patients with Medi-Cal,” said Mark Henderson, the UC Davis dean of medical school admissions who also teaches hands-on doctoring skills to students and residents.

Abigail Vidrio, in her first year at the UC Davis School of Medicine, is part of REACH, the pathway to boost the number of physicians in the Central Valley.

She is eager to be the kind of barrier-breaking doctor she rarely saw while growing up.

The aspiring family medicine physician wants to provide preventive care, health education and help patients manage their medical needs.

“This is very important to me” she said. “Every time I go back home and see the community I’m going to help, it just reignites my passion and reminds me why I’m doing this.”

To better examine the role of thyroid hormones in cardiac contractility, endocrinology clinicians at UC Davis Health examined patients with myxedema coma, the most severe form of hypothyroidism. This life‑threatening condition offers a rare opportunity to observe the heart in a state of profound thyroid hormone deprivation.

Cardiac effects of hypothyroidism and critical illness

Individuals with low thyroid hormone levels (hypothyroidism) often exhibit changes in cardiac function, including delays in the onset of contraction, prolonged contraction and relaxation times and abnormalities in blood flow during cardiac filling.

A similar pattern of cardiac dysfunction is commonly observed in septic shock, a leading cause of death in intensive care units. In this setting, low circulating triiodothyronine (T3) levels occur in up to 95% of patients, a phenomenon often referred to as non‑thyroidal illness syndrome.

At the same time, approximately 30 - 40% of patients with septic shock develop septic cardiomyopathy, characterized by impaired myocardial contractility and reduced cardiac output.

“These observations raise an important question,” explained Joaquin Lado, chief of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism at UC Davis Health. “Is it possible that untreated low thyroid hormone levels contribute to heart dysfunction?”

Traditionally, endocrinologists have been reluctant to treat low thyroid hormone levels during acute illness, viewing them as an adaptive metabolic response rather than a true hormone deficiency. However, this long‑held assumption is increasingly being challenged.

“If thyroid hormone deficiency weakens the heart,” Lado added, “why wouldn’t a prolonged deficiency worsen septic cardiomyopathy?”

The study was published in the Journal of Nephrology Social Work.

Hemodialysis and kidney disease

Chronic kidney disease affects an estimated 35.5 million Americans, or more than 1 in 7 U.S. adults.

End-stage kidney disease, also known as kidney failure, represents the last stage of chronic kidney disease. This is when the kidneys function at less than 15% of their normal ability. Kidney failure can lead to unexplained weight loss, inability to urinate, loss of appetite and fatigue.

The most common treatment for kidney failure is hemodialysis at a treatment facility. During hemodialysis, a machine moves the patient’s blood through a filter outside the body to remove waste and extra fluids. The filtered blood is then returned to the body.

Hemodialysis patients typically travel to a clinic three times a week, which makes reliable transportation essential.

Listening to hemodialysis patients and clinic staff

The research is based on 78 in‑depth interviews with patients and staff at four Northern California dialysis clinics. It highlights how unreliable and complex transportation systems directly affect health, safety and treatment success.

“Our study shows that transportation isn’t just a detail — it’s a core part of dialysis care,” explained the study’s lead author Na’amah Razon. “When rides are late or unreliable, it directly harms patients’ health and puts tremendous pressure on clinic staff.” Razon is an assistant professor in UC Davis Department of Family and Community Medicine and Division of Nephrology. She is faculty affiliated with UC Davis Center for Healthcare Policy and Research.

Transportation challenges overwhelm hemodialysis patients

The study showed that patients often face a confusing mix of transportation options. These include paratransit (door-to-door service), public transit, ride‑hail services (like Uber and Lyft) and insurance‑based non‑emergency medical transportation

Many patients said that figuring out who to call, how to schedule rides, and what to do when a driver did not show up was overwhelming. One patient described long wait times and poor communication, calling transportation companies “untouchable.”

The quality of transportation was an even bigger concern. Patients reported late pickups, no‑show rides, unsafe driving and drivers who did not understand the needs of dialysis patients. Some patients were left waiting outside clinics for hours, even while feeling dizzy or weak after treatment.

These transportation struggles caused significant emotional distress. Many patients said they experienced daily anxiety about whether rides would arrive on time. Several explained that the stress of unreliable transportation added to the mental burden of dialysis itself.

Despite these obstacles, patients emphasized their strong commitment to attending treatment, knowing that missed sessions could quickly lead to dangerous fluid buildup and emergency medical crises.

Transportation issues disrupt the work of dialysis clinic staff

Dialysis clinic staff described similar challenges. Unreliable transportation caused late arrivals, early departures or shortened sessions, all of which disrupted clinic schedules. Staff said they often struggled to safely manage patients whose treatments were cut short because drivers would not wait. One nurse described it as a “snowball effect,” where one late ride could throw off the entire clinic workflow.

The study also found that staff often took on additional responsibilities, acting as transportation coordinators, translators and advocates. Social workers, in particular, spent significant parts of their days on hold with transportation companies, reducing the time available for counseling and other essential patient support. Many staff members described emotional exhaustion from witnessing patients stranded or distressed because of transportation.

Ultimately, both patients and staff agreed that missed or shortened treatments caused by transportation failures had serious health consequences. They may even affect the patients’ eligibility for kidney transplants, which require consistent attendance.

“The findings make it clear that health care and transportation systems must work together. Dialysis patients deserve reliable, respectful and safe transportation every time they go for treatment,” said the first author on the study, Bethney Bonilla-Herrera. Bonilla‑Herrera is a clinical research analyst at the Center for Healthcare Policy and Research.

This project was supported by the National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (grants UL1TR001860 and KL2 TR001859) and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) (grant K23 DK140602). It was also supported by the Paul F. Gulyassy Endowment at UC Davis.

Coauthors on the study are Navkirn Saini, Iris Corina, Bertha Dickerson, Maria Elena Grijalva, Daniel Jovan Pulido, Baback Roshanravan, Joshua J. Fenton and Laura M. Gottlieb.

Colonoscopies are a key tool in preventing colon cancer because they allow physicians to detect and remove precancerous polyps before they become cancerous. While increasing access to screening is important, the quality of each procedure is just as critical.

“Not all colonoscopies are equal,” said Juan Carlos Garcia, medical director of gastroenterology clinical services at UC Davis Health. “The goal isn’t just to perform a colonoscopy, but to perform a high-quality colonoscopy that detects precancerous lesions early.”

One of the most important measures of colonoscopy quality is the adenoma detection rate (ADR). ADR represents the percentage of procedures in which a physician finds adenomas, a common type of precancerous polyp.

Research shows that for every 1% increase in physician’s adenoma detection rate, their patient’s risk of developing colorectal cancer after a colonoscopy drops by about 3% and dying from colorectal cancer by approximately 5%.

“The data clearly shows that early detection leads to better outcomes,” Garcia said. “Our goal is to identify areas for improvement and make sure patients receive the highest-quality care possible.”

Closing gaps in data with AI

Until recently, accurately tracking ADR required manual data entry. After each colonoscopy, pathologists had to manually flag findings such as tubular adenomas in the electronic medical record. This extra step sometimes led to missing or incomplete data, making consistent performance measurement difficult.

To address this challenge, gastroenterologists at UC Davis Health implemented an AI-supported tool within Epic, the health system’s electronic medical record. The tool automatically analyzes pathology reports and identifies the number of detected adenomatous polyps. By removing the need for manual input, the system produces more accurate, complete and reliable data.

In the publication’s 2026 Best Graduate Schools issue, in the medical school category, UC Davis ranks in the top tier nationwide for primary care medical education and in the second tier for research.

For many years, U.S. News assigned numerical rankings to institutions for these two categories, but it now groups schools into four tiers. Last year, UC Davis was also ranked in Tier 1 for primary care and Tier 2 for research.

“This year’s rankings underscore our school’s longstanding leadership in training physicians committed to serving all of California’s communities, while also advancing groundbreaking research that is transforming the lives of patients worldwide,” said Susan Murin, dean of the UC Davis School of Medicine.

That commitment extends to rural and medically underserved areas where patients face barriers to access primary care doctors.

The U.S. News ranking also reflects the school’s ongoing success in research funding. This has brought national attention to its dedication to study diseases, develop new treatments, improve patient care and test new medical technologies.

In addition to the tiered rankings, the school was listed as No. 16 in the category of most graduates practicing in primary care (up from No. 17 the year before).

Primary care: A priority since the school’s creation

Primary care is the bedrock of the health care delivery system. It includes the fields of family medicine, pediatrics and internal medicine. Primary care providers are responsible for coordinating a patient’s care, managing their chronic conditions and helping them prevent diseases.

Training students to become primary care doctors has long been a core component of the medical school.

UC Davis School of Medicine was approved by the California Legislature in the 1960s with a mandate to produce more primary care physicians to help fill workforce shortages.

“Historically, there’s always been this unique, strong culture and emphasis to admit students with interests in primary care,” said Mark Servis, the medical school’s vice dean for medical education. “UC Davis offers more clinical rotations in primary care settings for students than most schools in the country.”

Students also gain primary care experience through volunteering: Hundreds of medical students and UC Davis undergraduates are involved in about a dozen student-run clinics. These clinics provide care to uninsured and underinsured Sacramento-area residents.

The medical school has also created numerous academic tracks, or pathways, to serve specific populations and regions of the state, most often in primary care settings.

Among the pathways is ACE-PC, a fast-paced program that allows medical students committed to primary care to complete school in three years instead of four — the only such program in California. Recently, the pathway, formally known as Accelerated Competency-based Education in Primary Care, added a psychiatry component, called Rural ACE-PCP.

“The UC Davis primary care ranking highlights the institution’s commitment to health equity and community well-being, and it reflects how seriously the school takes its responsibility to the communities it serves,” said Alicia González-Flores, executive director of ACE-PC. She is also an internal medicine physician.

She added: “It is deeply fulfilling to work at a school that places primary care at the heart of its mission and as a core expression of its values and responsibility to our communities.”

Servis said the school’s focus on primary care training will continue to benefit communities across California.

“The investments we've made in the last dozen years,” he said, “are going to continue to pay off in terms of graduates going into the right places to meet health care disparities and needs.”

Research funding leads to scientific breakthroughs

The Tier 2 U.S. News ranking for research highlights a School of Medicine priority that is driving innovation and transforming the health of Californians.

U.S. News uses multiple indicators to assess research rankings. They include the school’s total research funding, National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding and research productivity per faculty member.

This year, UC Davis School of Medicine was ranked among the nation’s leading medical schools in terms of NIH research funding. In the latest report by Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research, the medical school placed 31st nationally, with a record total of $233 million in NIH grants. Twelve departments ranked in the top 20 nationally in their fields, and two were in the top 10.

“We are delighted to be ranked in Tier 2 for research,” said Kim E. Barrett, vice dean for research and distinguished professor of physiology and membrane biology. “While our position is limited, to some extent, by the smaller size of our faculty compared to our competitor schools, we are proud of the substantial impact of our research programs and their translation into new treatments and cures as well as improvements in community health.”

The school’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC) is home to some of the biggest NIH-funded clinical trials and studies on Alzheimer’s and other dementias. Professor Rachel Whitmer is the PI with the largest NIH funding at UC Davis and in public health sciences nationwide. She studies age-related dementia, cognitive impairment and brain pathology among different ethnic groups. Also, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Neurology Charles DeCarli is the PI on a $15.8 million grant to study brain aging in Hispanic-Latino community living in the United States.

School of Medicine researchers have been achieving national and global recognition for advancing scientific knowledge innovation.

A research team led by fetal surgeon Diana Farmer has safely performed the world’s first spina bifida treatment combining fetal surgery with stem cells. The results from the Phase 1 ongoing CuRe clinical trial have been published in The Lancet.

Neurosurgeon David Brandman and neuroscientist Sergey Stavisky were named to the 2026 TIME100 Health List of the World’s Most Influential Leaders in Health. The designation recognizes their outstanding work on developing a brain-computer interface (BCI) that helped an individual with ALS "speak" again. 

Also, Professors David Segal of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, and Janine LaSalle, of the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, were recently elected as AAAS Fellows. They were recognized for their work to decipher complex neurodevelopmental conditions, such as autism and Angelman syndrome.

Research conducted at UC Davis Health has global impacts, too.

Researchers in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine have created a new tuberculosis (TB) blood test that can detect the active, infectious form of the disease. The discovery enables faster diagnosis and treatment. It also helps prevent the spread of TB by quickly identifying those who are contagious.

Launched in 2024, the Pediatric Mobile Clinic provides free health care services to historically marginalized and underserved populations by partnering with school districts and community-based organizations to reduce barriers to care for children facing access challenges. The clinic currently provides general pediatrics, mental health, developmental-behavioral pediatrics and asthma care in a mobile clinic setting.

This includes acute care, assessments for autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions and care for depression, anxiety and other childhood conditions.

“This program is about meeting families where they are,” said Serena Yang, division chief of general pediatrics and vice chair of community engagement at UC Davis Health. Yang is part of the mobile clinic team made up of clinicians and staff from the MIND Institute, CAARE Diagnostic and Treatment Center and Children’s Hospital. “By bringing specialty services into schools and community spaces, we’re improving access, building trust and supporting children’s health together.” The Pediatric Mobile Clinic is entirely funded by a grant from Children’s Miracle Network at UC Davis Children’s Hospital.

School-based partnership shows early impact

In its first year of regularly scheduled clinics from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025, the Pediatric Mobile Clinic established a weekly presence at the Cordova Lane Center in partnership with Folsom Cordova Unified School District. Clinics served children with developmental concerns, mental health needs, asthma and school-entry health requirements – many of whom had not previously accessed specialty care.

Key results from the first year include:

• 52 children received specialty consultations directly at school sites, ranging in age from 3 to 15 years old.
• No-show rates were low (less than 10%), reflecting improved access and reducing transportation barriers to care.
• Nearly half of children served were insured by Medicaid or had pending coverage, but many were not connected to primary care.
• Families rated their experience an average of 4.95 out of 5, citing convenience and support.

The affected batches are sold under numerous brand names and distributed to retailers including Walgreens, Kroger and CVS. Some of the brands include: “Ultra Lubricating Eye Drops,” “Dry Eye Relief Eye Drops,” “Sterile Eye Drops,” and “Artificial Tears Sterile Lubricant Eye.”

For a full list, including lot numbers and expiration dates, see below or check the FDA's enforcement report. Consumers are advised to discard the recalled bottles.

OTC eye drops do not require prior FDA review

This current eye-drop recall follows several such recalls over the past few years, during which products were taken off the shelves due to the risk of serious infections. In 2023, recalled eye drops were associated with four deaths, 14 cases of vision loss and 80 infections. The source of the infections was a drug-resistant bacterium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Gary Novack is a clinical professor in the UC Davis Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Science. He is a board-certified clinical pharmacologist and a consultant in ophthalmic product development.

Details about why these eye drops were recalled have not been released.

But Novack notes that, unlike prescription eye drops — such as those used to treat glaucoma, dry eyes or retinal diseases — over-the-counter eye products do not require prior FDA review before they are sold.

“That said, they still need to be compliant with what is known as Current Good Manufacturing Practice. For eye drops, that means strict sterility, ensuring products are free from microorganisms like bacteria,” Novack said.

Inspections can reveal problems

Although they don’t require prior review, FDA inspections of manufacturing facilities making over-the-counter eye products may occur at any time. This can highlight previously unknown problems in the manufacturing process or facility, according to Novack.

He notes that all medications used in the eye must be stable (meaning the composition of the drops does not change before the expiration date) and sterile (free of germs).

"To achieve that, manufacturing sites must be free of microbes, and products must be designed to prevent contamination," Novack said. 

Infections from eye drops are uncommon

Eye infections from eye drops can be serious but are, luckily, very uncommon. The current voluntary recall has not reported any infections to date.

Jeffrey H. Ma, an ophthalmologist at the UC Davis Eye Center, specializes in diseases that damage the surface layers of the eye.

For his patients with dry eyes, he routinely recommends preservative-free drops that come in disposable single-use vials.

“Drops that are not on the recall list should be safe to use,” Ma said, “If you have any of the drops on the list, you should immediately throw them away.”

How to avoid common eye infections

Although contaminated eye drops grab headlines when it comes to eye infections, he notes people get common eye infections in much more ordinary ways.

“Conjunctivitis, known as pink eye, is the most common type of eye infection,” he said. Pink eye is estimated to affect about six million people every year.

“It is usually viral or bacterial, and is transmitted through direct contact, such as touching or rubbing your eyes after touching a contaminated item,” Ma said. 

Bacterial conjunctivitis is treated with antibiotic drops, but viral conjunctivitis can clear up on its own.

Because conjunctivitis is easy to spread, people who are near someone with pink eye are also at risk of getting an eye infection. Ma suggests being diligent about washing hands frequently, especially before touching your face or eyes.

Contact lens wearers have a higher risk of eye infections, particularly if they sleep in their lenses. Proper hygiene — washing hands before touching the lenses — can help prevent eye infections. Although less common, infections can also occur when dormant viruses, such as those that cause herpes or shingles, reactivate in the eye.

Symptoms of an eye infection include:

• blurry vision
• discharge
• pain or discomfort
• redness of the eyelid or eye
• feeling like there is something in the eye
• increased sensitivity to light

“If you have any of these symptoms and they are not improving or getting worse, please make an appointment to see an eye care professional,” Ma said.

Recalled eye drops

Below is the FDA list of the over-the-counter eye drops recalled as of April 2026. Check the FDA's enforcement report for any updates.

1. Sterile Eye Drops A.C. 0.5 fl o. (15 mL)
• Lot code and expiration date:
• AC24E01, May 31
• Brands and distributors:
• Best Choice - UPC: 0-70038-47010-6
• QC – Quality Choice (Sterile Eye Drops Irritation Relief) - NDC: 83324-190-14
• Discount Drug Mart (Eye Drops A.C.) - UPC: 0-93351-01158-0
• GoodSense (Sterile Eye Drops) - NDC: 50804-160-01
• Walgreens (Eye Drops) - UPC: 3-11917-17954-4
• CareOne (Itchy Relief Eye Drops)
• Equaline - UPC: 0-41163-25114-4
• TopCare Health - UPC: 0-36800-03640-6
• Meijer - NDC: 41250-598-01
• H‑E‑B A.C. Eye Drops - UPC: 0-41220-43746-7
2. Advanced Relief Eye Drops 0.5 fl oz (15 mL)
• Lot codes and expiration dates:
• AR24D01, April 30
• AR24G01, July 31
• AR24G02, July 31
• AR24M01, Oct. 31
• Brands and distributors:
• Walgreens - UPC: 3‑11917‑20074‑3
• Kroger
• CVS - UPC: 0‑50428‑43544‑1
• QC – Quality Choice - NDC: 83324‑191‑14
• Discount Drug Mart - UPC: 0‑93351‑01155‑9
• Foster & Thrive - NDC: 70677‑1158‑1
• GoodSense - NDC: 50804‑130‑01
• TopCare Health - UPC: 0‑36800‑03641‑3
• DG Health - UPC: 0‑95072‑02556‑3
• Fast Acting – Code Red Eye Drops - NDC: 83817‑963‑01
3. Dry Eye Relief Eye Drops 0.5 fl oz (15 mL)
• Lot codes and expiration dates:
• LT24E01, May 31
• LT24E02, May 31
• LT24E03, May 31
• LT24F01, June 30
• LT24G01, July 31
• LT24M01, Oct. 31
• LT24M02, Oct. 31
• Brands and distributors:
• GeriCare - NDC: 57896-181-05
• TopCare Health - UPC: 0-36800-36100-3
• Rite Aid - NDC: 11822-1067-2
• Leader - NDC: 70000-0502-1
• Discount Drug Mart - UPC: 0-93351-01156-6
• H‑E‑B - UPC: 0-41220-43741-2
• Foster & Thrive - NDC: 70677-1158-1
• Meijer - NDC: 41250-718-01
• DG Health - UPC: 0-95072-02656-0
• Harris Teeter - UPC: 0-72036-71303-2
• Exchange Select - UPC: 6-14299-05620-6
• Good Neighbor Pharmacy - NDC: 46122-605-05
4. Ultra Lubricating Eye Drops 0.5 fl oz (15 mL)
• Lot codes and expiration dates:
• SU24E01, May 31
• SU24E02, May 31
• SU24E03, May 31
• SU24K01, Sept. 30
• Brands and distributors:
• Leader - NDC: 70000‑0457‑1
• Harris Teeter - UPC: 0‑72036‑73588‑1
• Foster & Thrive - NDC: 70677‑1160‑1
• Walgreens - UPC: 3‑11917‑20167‑2
• P High Performance (Publix) - UPC: 0‑41415‑09876‑3
• Kroger
• Good Sense - NDC: 50804‑160‑01
• Meijer - NDC: 41250‑937‑01
• CVS Health - UPC: 0‑50428‑39690‑2
• CVS Health (Twin Pack) - UPC: 0‑50428‑44738‑3
• QC – Quality Choice - NDC: 83324‑029‑15
• Avenova (Twin Pack) - UPC: 8‑57005‑00411‑9
5. Sterile Eye Drops 0.5 fl oz (15 mL)
• Lot codes and expiration dates:
• RG24E01, May 31
• RG24G01, July 31
• RG24G02, July 31
• Brands and distributors:
• Good Sense - NDC: 50804‑141‑01
• Walgreens - UPC: 3‑11917‑20073‑6
• Walgreens (2‑Bottle Pack) - UPC: 3‑11917‑20076‑7
• Kroger - UPC: 0‑11110‑38597‑0
• Lil’ Drug Store Products - UPC: 3‑66715‑68324‑3
• CVP - UPC: 7‑61606‑16500‑3
• Harris Teeter - UPC: 0‑72036‑71302‑5
• H‑E‑B - UPC: 0‑41220‑43747‑4
• Rugby - NDC: 0536‑1217‑94
• Equaline - UPC: 0‑41163‑25110‑6
• Discount Drug Mart - UPC: 0‑93351‑01156‑3
• Leader - NDC: 70000‑0454‑1
• CareOne - NDC: 41520‑431‑05
• Circle K - UPC: 1‑94283‑65185‑8
• DG Health - UPC: 0‑95072‑00556‑5
• Good Neighbor Pharmacy - NDC: 24385‑075‑05
• TopCare Health - UPC: 0‑36800‑03639‑0
• Best Choice - UPC: 0‑70038‑47011‑3
6. Sterile Eye Drops Redness Lubricant 0.5 fl oz (15 mL)
• Lot codes and expiration dates:
• RL24D01, April 30
• RL24F01, June 30
• RL24F02, June 30
• Brands and distributors:
• Industrial Eye Relief – UPC: 130209
• Good Neighbor Pharmacy – NDC: 46122‑606‑05
• Colirio Ojo de Águila – UPC: 3‑48201‑01615‑5
• Colirio Oftal‑Mycin – UPC: 3‑48201‑01613‑1
• Leader – NDC: 70000‑0010‑1
• Equaline – UPC: 0‑41163‑46151‑2
• Walgreens – UPC: 3‑11917‑17741‑0
• Foster & Thrive – NDC: 70677‑1161‑1
• Rite Aid – NDC: 11822‑6453‑4
• Discount Drug Mart – UPC: 0‑93351‑03411‑4
7. Sterile Eye Drops Soothing Tears 0.5 fl oz (15 mL)
• Lot codes and expiration dates:
• SY24K01, Sept. 30
• SY24K02, Sept. 30
• Brands and distributors:
• Rugby – NDC: 0536‑1219‑94
• Walgreens - UPC: 3‑11917‑20300‑3
8. Artificial Tears Sterile Lubricant Eye Drops 0.5 fl oz (15 mL)
• Lot codes and expiration dates:
• AT24D01, April 30
• AT24E01, May 31
• AT24E02, May 31
• AT24G01, July 31
• Brands and distributors:
• Leader – NDC: 70000‑0011‑1
• Good Sense – NDC: 50804‑110‑01
• Good Neighbor Pharmacy – NDC: 24385‑006‑05
• TopCare Health – UPC: 0‑36800‑09331‑7
• Best Choice – UPC: 0‑70038‑47008‑3
• Kroger – UPC: 0‑11110‑38600‑7
• P (Publix) – UPC: 0‑41415‑00976‑9
• Quality Choice – NDC: 83324‑189‑14

Tregs act as immune system "brakes," calming inflammation to prevent overreaction. They are often decreased in autistic individuals.

Previous studies have found higher levels of inflammatory immune cells in the blood, brain and gastrointestinal tissues of people with autism. These increased inflammatory responses are often linked to greater behavioral support needs, while higher levels of Tregs are associated with improved behavioral outcomes. Despite this, Tregs have not been well studied in autistic children, and their potential as a therapeutic target remains largely unexplored.

Altered Tregs in autistic children

The first study, published in the Journal of Neuroinflammation, characterized Tregs in children with autism. It determined if gastrointestinal (GI) issues, a common co-occurring condition, altered Tregs in a unique way.

The researchers found autistic children had altered Tregs both in number and in the genes those cells use. This was compared to typically developing children. All participants were enrolled in the CHARGE study (Childhood Autism Risk from Genetics and Environment), an ongoing study that supports autism research.

The researchers compared the number and type of Tregs in 36 children with autism and 18 typically developing children. They also examined gene expression in Tregs to determine if there were differences between the two groups. In addition, they looked at the relationship between Tregs and gastrointestinal symptoms in autistic children.

The researchers found children with autism showed altered Tregs. Compared to typically developing children, children with autism had:

• A lower number of Tregs. Tregs were generally reduced in autistic children but decreases in specific Treg populations differed depending on whether a child had GI issues. Children with autism and GI issues had fewer Tregs capable of producing anti-inflammatory proteins. Children without GI issues had fewer Tregs capable of dividing after activation.
• Differentially expressed genes. Tregs from autistic children had 213 differentially expressed genes, with 171 upregulated (increased output) and 42 downregulated (decreased output).

The upregulated genes mainly help cells reorganize and repair DNA and adjust how they manage energy and fat metabolism. The downregulated genes were mostly involved in energy production, such as the conversion of oxygen and nutrients into usable energy.

The researchers note that more research is needed, but that these changes in metabolism and DNA organization suggest the identity of Tregs is unstable. One commonality was that having fewer Tregs was associated with more challenging behaviors in both typically developing children and children with autism.

“These differences in Treg populations may help explain the higher levels of inflammation seen in autism and could be linked to both gastrointestinal problems and certain behavioral traits,” said Rachel Moreno, a postdoctoral fellow at the MIND Institute and first author of the study. “This data further supports the idea that the immune system plays an important role in autism in at least some individuals.”

Exploring Tregs as potential biological therapies

There is growing interest in biological therapies for autism that target Tregs.

In a second study, also published in the Journal of Neuroinflammation, the authors assessed whether increasing Tregs could reduce inflammation and behavioral challenges.

They used a mouse model of altered neurodevelopment, maternal immune activation (MIA), in which offspring exhibit autism-like behaviors.

The team transferred Tregs from healthy mice into male and female MIA mice, and evaluated tissues commonly inflamed in autism, including blood, brain and gut.

They found significant sex differences in the MIA mouse offspring that received the Treg transfer, with males showing greater changes than females.

Latinos are one of the fastest growing demographic groups in the United States. They also have a higher risk of heart and vascular diseases and are more prone to developing mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia than people from other groups. Still, Latinos remain underrepresented in research on aging and dementia.

The grant will support the creation of the most comprehensive long-term dataset on Hispanic and Latino brain aging to date.

“Our goal is to identify the factors that matter most for healthy cognitive aging — and ultimately reduce the burden of dementia for millions of families. Our new study will give us an unprecedented ability to understand how the brain changes over time in Latino communities,” said Charles DeCarli, UC Davis distinguished professor of neurology and the study’s principal investigator. DeCarli is also the co-director of the UC Davis Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center.

The study will track brain and cognitive changes in Latinos from diverse backgrounds, reflecting the wide range of ancestry, culture and health experiences within Latino populations that can influence how the brain ages.

“Latino communities have been historically overlooked in aging research. This grant allows us to change that,” said UC San Diego professor Héctor González, co-principal investigator on this new grant. “By studying brain health in a diverse and deeply characterized Latino cohort, we can develop better tools for early detection and more effective strategies for prevention that truly reflect our communities.”

These problems are made worse by overcrowded shelters, unsafe water and sanitation, disrupted medical systems and long‑term underfunding, especially for IDPs.

To raise awareness about these concerns, students from the UC Davis School of Medicine hosted the 10th annual Coalition for Health Equity (CHeQ) Conference. This year’s event focused on urgent health crises affecting migrant and displaced communities in places such as Sudan, Gaza and countries across the Americas. 

Students, faculty and community members learned about the health impacts of displacement and explored ways to take action through policy change, advocacy and care that understands trauma.

The event was co-led by second-year students Yasmine El‑Hage, Era Goel and Maya Sahtout. The conference was sponsored by the School of Medicine and the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis.

“We’re all children of immigrants, so issues of migration and displacement are very personal to us and to many of our classmates,” shared El‑Hage. “We wanted to highlight what we’re seeing around the world and how deeply connected these crises are. These situations create major health inequities — not only abroad but also here in our own communities.”

A space to share experiences and understand realities

Throughout the conference, students talked openly about the pressures facing both local and global communities. Many of these conversations connected to students’ own family histories and experiences with immigration, which made the discussions especially meaningful.

Speakers included physicians Anna Yap, Anik Patel and Mogahed Ilkeet, who joined the conference virtually from Sudan. Their perspectives helped students better understand the realities of providing care in conflict zones.

“We wanted to hear directly from people working with displaced populations on the ground,” Sahtout explained. “Authenticity matters in crisis settings. We wanted our students and health community to learn from experts who see these challenges every day and to have real conversations with them. We also wanted to take the next step — to think about how we can amplify their voices, build coalitions beyond the clinic and gain skills that truly support displaced communities.”

Each of the student leaders work in UC Davis student‑run clinics in Sacramento, where they care for many immigrant patients and serve diverse communities. Students often hear real concerns in the clinics — including worries about how immigration enforcement could affect patient care.

“It’s easy to think that crises in other countries won’t affect us,” Goel shared. “But the pandemic and recent migration emergencies showed how connected we all are. If we don’t care for one another globally, the impact reaches everyone. That understanding is what drives my passion for global health and my goal to practice medicine across borders.”

Global Health and Health Equity Week

The CHeQ Conference was part of the first Global Health and Health Equity Week at UC Davis Health. The week featured a full schedule of events across the Sacramento? campus. It was hosted by the UC Davis Center for Global Health, which was created to support collaboration, training and global partnerships across all specialties.

During the week, faculty members shared research findings, clinical cases and personal stories from recent global health trips, offering attendees a closer look at work happening around the world.

A diverse group of more than 200 students, residents, fellows and faculty attended from across the UC system. Attendees saw more than 30 research posters, oral abstracts, presentations and visual exhibits that highlighted global health innovation and efforts to advance better health care for all.

The week opened with a keynote address from Diana Farmer, chair of the Department of Surgery, who reflected on her career in global health and shared her vision for the field’s future. Susan Murin, dean of the UC Davis School of Medicine, delivered welcoming remarks during the oral abstracts and research symposium. 

A presentation by Christine McBeth highlighted a team of radiology and emergency medicine physicians who traveled to The Gambia to provide two weeks of classroom and hands‑on training for local doctors.

Ousman Sanyang, a general surgery resident at Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital in The Gambia, joined remotely to share how the UC Davis point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) program helped diagnose a perforated stomach ulcer. The case was a powerful example of the program’s strong collaboration and real clinical impact.

“Hearing these stories shows how impactful global work can be,” said Norkamari Shakira Bandolin, director of global health at UC Davis. “Experiences like these help physicians, staff and students build practical skills, understand how social conditions affect health and develop cultural competence.”

Committed to improving the wellbeing of all

The UC Davis Center for Global Health strives to improve health and equity for patients locally and around the world. Through ongoing work with partners in the United States and abroad, the center offers students, residents, fellows and faculty hands‑on opportunities to learn how to practice thoughtful, culturally responsive health care. It also connects UC Davis Health providers with clinical, educational and research programs.

UC Davis Health follows an interdisciplinary model known as One Health to guide its global health efforts. One Health recognizes that people, animals and the environment are closely connected. By understanding these links, the concept can better address the root causes of poor health and improve well‑being for all communities.

“To improve patient health, we must provide high‑quality, individualized care while also working to reduce health inequities,” Bandolin said. “Through global health research, education, training and strong partnerships, we aim to expand access to care both locally and internationally. This commitment strengthens the care we provide here at home in the Sacramento region.”

UC Davis Health will host the next Global Health and Equity Week from Nov. 30 to Dec. 4.  More details about how to get involved, along with the full schedule of events, will be shared this spring and summer.

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is an intestinal disease that can affect medically fragile infants during their first weeks and months of life. UC Davis Children’s Hospital provides lifesaving care for babies at risk of NEC and the NEC Society is the world’s leading nonprofit advancing NEC research, education and advocacy.

Yolo County residents Jennifer Canvasser and her husband, UC Davis urologic surgeon Noah Canvasser, launched the NEC Society after tragically losing their son, Micah, to the disease.

Funds raised will benefit UC Davis Children’s Hospital.

The event features a 10K, 5K and 2K run/walk at 8 a.m. at the UC Davis Health Stadium in Davis. A virtual run/walk is also offered for those unable to attend in person. 

Register for the race.

The news rocked the community and all who knew him on the baseball diamond.

“The coaches, parents and board were uniquely motivated to make sure they would be prepared to protect their players, coaches, staff and visitors. It was a priority,” said Heather Houston, a Pocket Little League parent. She also happens to be a UC Davis Health cardiovascular research nurse who led the effort to obtain an automated external defibrillator (AED) for the league.

Last fall, Houston contacted two organizations focused on preventing sudden cardiac arrest in youth. First, she got in touch with Project ADAM Sacramento coordinator Rebecca McCormac, who connected her to the Kyle J. Taylor Foundation. Within a month, the Kyle J. Foundation approved her paperwork for the AED. In preparation for the upcoming baseball season, Project ADAM Sacramento then provided CPR and AED training for all coaches and created a cardiac emergency plan.

On opening day, Pocket Little League received the unique distinction of being named the first Heart Safe Youth Sports Program by Project ADAM Sacramento. Houston accepted the new AED and certificate on behalf of Pocket Little League.

Under a state law known as the Navaeh Youth Sports Safety Act, all California youth sports organizations will soon be mandated to provide access to an AED at all games and practices. By Jan. 1, 2027, all coaches must be certified in CPR and AED use, and have a comprehensive emergency response plan in place.

“The Pocket Little League is a model example of what can be done in a short amount of time, with Project ADAM Sacramento’s help,” McCormac said.

McCormac wants to help more youth sports programs become heart safe, in addition to the work she does supporting and training schools and school districts to be better prepared for cardiac emergencies.

“The response from parents, coaches and the community has been so positive. We have seen how much this means to people. Everyone has been so engaged and actively participating in these efforts,” Houston said.

Project ADAM Sacramento is committed to helping schools implement and sustain a CPR and AED program so they can handle cardiac emergencies and save lives. Project ADAM Sacramento was established at UC Davis Children’s Hospital in 2015 and was the first California affiliate of Project ADAM.

Pocket Little League is based in South Sacramento’s Pocket neighborhood, west of Interstate 5. The league supports more than 300 players from as young as age 4 through middle school.

His primary care physician recommended that he join UC Davis Health’s Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) program for high blood pressure. This would allow the care team to track his readings more closely and guide him through any needed medication or lifestyle changes.

What the team found surprised everyone.

A program designed for safety and early intervention

Patients enrolled in the RPM program check their blood pressure from home using connected devices such as blood pressure cuffs and scales. These devices send readings to the UC Davis Population Health team, which includes a doctor, pharmacist, nurse and medical assistant. The team watches these readings daily to make sure they stay in a healthy range and catch problems early.

UC Davis Health enrolls about 40 new participants each month and has around 180 patients active in the program. The program also offers group classes, one‑on‑one coaching and help with medications. It lasts six months, but those who need more time to reach their goals can stay for up to a year.

“The program looks at all the factors that affect a person’s ability to manage high blood pressure,” said Katie McHenry, a supervisor for the RPM program. “With daily monitoring and quick follow‑up, the team can spot problems early — before they become emergencies.”

Cross-team collaboration to prevent emergencies

The population health care team uses a color‑coded report to quickly flag patient blood pressure readings outside normal limits. When a patient’s numbers look concerning, the population health team works with UC Davis Health’s nurse triage team to check on the patient.

“When we see a reading that’s outside a safe range, we reach out right away. Sometimes patients don’t realize how quickly blood pressure can change, so a simple check‑in can make a big difference,” explained registered nurse Brianne Harms, who is serving as lead for the RPM program in nurse triage. “The RPM program helps us identify and reach patients quickly to adjust medications or address concerns before they become emergencies.”

The nurse triage team provides comprehensive triage by phone and clinical advice for all of UC Davis Health patients. On average, the department handles 400 to 500 patient calls per day. Using evidence‑based protocols and expert nursing judgment, the nurse triage team evaluates each patient’s needs and determines the most appropriate level of care. 

“With over 700 years of combined RN experience, our nurse triage team knows how to get patients the right care at the right time,” shared Rachel Teixeira, nurse manager of UC Davis Health nurse triage. “Collaborating with the RPM program is another example of how we’re driving innovation to make health care more convenient, more accessible and more equitable for every patient.”

A subtle warning that might have been missed

After several weeks in the RPM program, Becker’s care team noticed something unusual in his daily readings: his heart rate was dropping even though his blood pressure looked normal. At one point, his pulse fell into the 50s, then later into the mid‑40s.

Even with these low numbers, Becker felt fine. Each time the triage nurses called, he reported no dizziness, shortness of breath or chest pain — nothing out of the ordinary.

Still, the readings continued to raise concern. One afternoon, he received another call — his heart rate had fallen to 36 beats per minute. Even without symptoms, nurse triage recommended he go to the emergency department.

“A heart rate that low can be a sign that something serious is happening beneath the surface,” said triage nurse Sumali Valentine, who had spoken with Becker. “Even if a patient feels fine, we don’t want to take chances. Our job is to make sure they get evaluated quickly so we can rule out anything dangerous.”

At the hospital, Becker’s heart rate dropped as low as 29. Doctors admitted him and determined he needed a pacemaker to keep his heart beating safely. After six days in the hospital, he received the device, and his condition stabilized.

After the procedure, Becker’s blood pressure improved. He now feels safer knowing the UC Davis Health team is watching out for him.

“I never had a single warning sign and had no idea I was at high risk,” Becker shared. “If it weren’t for that remote monitoring program, who knows what would have happened?”

Related stories:

• New at-home monitoring program for patients with high blood pressure
• Remote monitoring shows real results: UC Davis Health helps patients lower blood pressure at home

School of Medicine scholars shaping science of neurological conditions

Janine LaSalle is a professor of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, affiliated with the MIND Institute and the Genome Center. She is also deputy director of the Environmental Health Sciences Center and co-director of the Perinatal Origins of Disparities Center. She was elected an AAAS Fellow for her pioneering research on gene x environment epigenetics (heritable chromosome changes that affect gene functions), specifically for autism. She’s also being honored for her research on epigenetic mechanisms in neurodevelopmental conditions and the placenta.

David J. Segal is a professor and chair of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine. He also holds appointments in the Department of Pharmacology, the UC Davis Genome Center and the UC Davis MIND Institute. Segal was recognized for his distinguished contributions to the field of molecular and translational genetics. He is a leader in developing gene editors like zinc finger (distinct DNA-binding protein structures that include zinc ions), TALE and CRISPR and applying them to treat neurologic conditions.

“This national recognition of Dr. Segal’s and Dr. LaSalle’s remarkable contributions to deciphering complex neurodevelopmental conditions, like autism and Angelman syndrome, speaks to their success in advancing science that can transform lives,” said UC Davis School of Medicine Dean Susan Murin. “Becoming an AAAS Fellow is among the most distinct honors within the scientific community, and we are proud that their impactful work is being recognized.”

A century of UC Davis AAAS Fellows

In 1926, Professor Tracy Storer became the first UC Davis elected a AAAS Fellow. Since then, 358 UC Davis professors have been elected. This year, in addition to Segal and LaSalle, two UC Davis professors were elected to this distinguished honor.

Joanna Chiu is a professor and chair of the Department Entomology and Nematology. She is recognized for her great contributions to the understanding of the molecular mechanisms by which circadian clocks integrate environmental and metabolic signals to regulate animal biological rhythms.

Gitta Coaker is a professor and Fiddyment Endowed Chair in the Department of Plant Pathology. She was elected for her work on plant pathology and immunity, particularly elucidating how plant receptors and bacterial components interface in disease. She is also recognized for her outstanding leadership and service to foster early career researchers.

The new Fellows have been invited to the annual Fellows Forum that will be held in Washington, D.C. on May 29.

The program, MIND Graduate Admissions Pathway, or MINDGAP, is funded by the University of California Office of the President. It launched last summer.

“This experience has been amazing! I learned so much about myself as a scientist,” said Xi A. McWilliams, a 2025 scholar. She gained experience working in a lab, which altered her career aspirations.

“I was always under the impression that you had to choose between asking questions or solving the problem. But after coming to UC Davis, I have realized that you can do both. That has solidified my career in medicine and research.”

McWilliams is a neuroscience major with a concentration in biology and chemistry and graduates this May. She hopes to pursue an M.D./Ph.D. program, perhaps at a University of California.

A pathway to a research career

Scholars are co-mentored by faculty from both Xavier and UC Davis. They work with MIND Institute researchers for eight weeks and present their work at a national conference.

“We want to build confidence and help students see themselves as scientists,” explained Roy Ben-Shalom, an assistant professor in the Department of Neurology who co-directs the program. “If we want a research workforce that reflects our communities, we have to build the pathway to get there. When students see people who look like them leading studies and get real lab access, it builds trust. That means increased participation and better science for everyone,” he said.

Ben-Shalom notes that diverse research teams ask different questions and recruit more broadly, producing findings that translate more widely in the real world.

David Segal, professor and chair of the Department Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, co-directs the program with Ben-Shalom.

“It’s been gratifying to see the impacts of this program, even after just one year,” Segal said. “And it’s not just a one-way street. The scholars are learning about research careers while we’re learning from them, getting new perspectives and new ideas.”

Graduate research areas of focus include:

• Integrative Genetics and Genomics
• Neuroscience
• Biochemistry, Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Pharmacology and Toxicoloy

MINDGAP scholars receive a summer stipend, lodging and transportation, and application fees are waived for those who apply to a UC graduate program. MINDGAP is open to Xavier University of Louisiana juniors. The new class will visit UC Davis in May and begin the program in mid-June.

Building confidence and community 

“MINDGAP was even more rewarding than I expected,” shared Kaidyn White, who was a scholar last summer. “Some of my favorite moments have been learning Western blotting and Luminex assays, interpreting real patient data and getting to ask questions directly to leaders in the field.”

She especially enjoyed weekly meetings with researchers who discussed their career paths, shared how to prepare for a Ph.D. and shed light on fields of research she hadn’t considered.

White, who is from Tampa, and McWilliams, from New Orleans, lodged with the other scholars in Davis during the summer program.

“It was amazing, with tons of exciting things to do and explore,” said McWilliams. She particularly enjoyed the Davis Farmer’s Market.

“The MIND Institute community has been especially welcoming,” White added.

White, who is a neuroscience pre-med major at Xavier, said personal experiences in her family and community cemented the importance of understanding mental health and neurological conditions.

She plans to graduate in May and wants to pursue an M.D./Ph.D. program. Thanks to MINDGAP, she has narrowed in on a field of research: the intersection of neuroscience and immune-related mechanisms in neurodevelopmental conditions.

The pathway now feels tangible.

“I’ve learned new lab techniques, connected with incredible mentors and seen firsthand how collaborative and impactful this kind of work can be,” White said.