Nov. 18, 2025









Students take cover under umbrellas as they make their way around campus on a rainy day. (Photo by Steve Zylius / UC Irvine)

UC IRVINE NEWS

A commitment to community

longtime UC Irvine supporters Susan and Henry Samueli







The Samueli Foundation, founded in 1999 by longtime UC Irvine supporters Susan and Henry Samueli, has received the 2025 National Philanthropy Day Special 40th Anniversary Legacy Award. It recognizes the foundation’s extraordinary philanthropic commitment and community impact across Orange County. “Few have done more to lift up communities and redefine what’s possible through philanthropy than Susan and Henry Samueli,” said Chancellor Howard Gillman.

Protective role of culture in Latina mothers’ mental health

Isabel F. Almeida, assistant professor of Chicano/Latino studies











Familism – a cultural value that emphasizes close bonds and family before self – has protective mental health benefits for Latina mothers during early parenting, according to a study led by Isabel F. Almeida, assistant professor of Chicano/Latino studies. “This study points to the importance of culturally specific protective factors in shaping maternal mental health among Latina mothers and the need for a more nuanced, culturally responsive approach to postpartum policy, clinical practice, research and care,” Almeida said.

Clinical trial tests therapy for lupus

Dr. Sheetal Desai, UCI Health rheumatologist and principal investigator at the UCI Alpha Clinic











UCI Health has opened a clinical trial to test an investigational cell therapy for lupus that could give patients long-term remission of symptoms. The first-in-kind enhanced CAR T-cell therapy called FT819 has the potential to help patients suffering with moderate to severe systemic lupus erythematosus who do not respond to current treatments, said Dr. Sheetal Desai, UCI Health rheumatologist and principal investigator at the UCI Alpha Clinic, one of 10 U.S. clinical trial sites. “One of the first California participants, a 41-year-old Irvine woman, has experienced a striking decrease in symptoms and improved quality of life,” she said.

UC NEWS

SpeechMatters podcast: Building Campus Cultures for Constructive Dialogue

SpeechMatters podcast: Building Campus Cultures for Constructive Dialogue graphic





In this episode of the SpeechMatters podcast, Caroline Mehl, co-founder and executive director of the Constructive Dialogue Institute, shares how higher education can model the kind of discourse democracy demands. She also discusses the social science behind constructive dialogue, what leaders can do to foster trust, and why free expression remains essential to learning and civic life.

#IamUCI

Suzann Duan receives BTSI award

Suzann Duan, assistant professor of pharmaceutical sciences






Suzann Duan, assistant professor of pharmaceutical sciences, was honored with the 2025 Basic/Translational Science Investigator Award from the North American Neuroendocrine Tumor Society and the Neuroendocrine Tumor Research Foundation. As the recipient of the BTSI Award, Duan will get $100,000 to support her project “Targeting the Epigenetic Landscape of GEP-NETs Through Menin-MLL Inhibition.”

#UCIconnected spotlights interesting updates from the UC Irvine community. #IamUCI spotlights profiles of students, faculty, staff and alumni. Send submissions via email or post on social media with the #UCIconnected or #IamUCI hashtags.

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