Dec. 8, 2025

Swirling clouds reflect off Aldrich Hall windows. (Photo by Steve Zylius / UC Irvine)

UC IRVINE NEWS

Donation propels UCI MIND

With a $50 million lead gift from the Quilter family and $30 million in new commitments, UCI MIND will begin planning to build a state-of-the-art research and care facility to enhance its position as a global leader in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias research and patient care. “We are profoundly grateful to the Quilter family for this remarkable lead gift,” said Chancellor Howard Gillman. “Their support will not only help fund a new building, but their gift and the generosity they have inspired in our community will empower UC Irvine to ultimately find cures for Alzheimer’s and related dementias.”

UCI Health Spine Center honored

Becker’s Hospital Review has recognized the UCI Health Comprehensive Spine Center as one of the nation’s best combined neurosurgery and spine programs in the country for its leadership in treatment, research and education. Orange County’s only spine program based at an academic medical center is nationally known for its innovation in spine surgery and state-of-the-art training programs.

Support for families affected by addiction

For parents battling substance use disorders, every stressor can be a potential trigger, every challenge a test of sobriety. To help parents in recovery, Jessie Borelli, professor of psychology, has launched “Relational Health Enhanced Parenting Support,” a project designed to strengthen parent-child relationships as a cornerstone of addiction recovery. “While parenting is associated with stressors that can trigger relapse or stress in parenting with substance use disorders, it can also be a powerful motivator for sobriety and recovery,” said Borelli. “With the right support in place, the parent-child relationship can provide a space for healthy connection, healing and recovery.” Funding from the National Institutes of Health supports the project. #SpeakUp4Science

Greener metals

Diran Apelian, Distinguished Professor of materials science and engineering, is one of the most impactful metallurgists. In the ‘80s, he helped make aluminum foil stronger. In the ‘90s, he helped develop alloys to create the first mass-market car with an all-aluminum body, the Audi A8, paving a road for lighter, more fuel-efficient cars. As electric vehicles emerged, he found a way to recycle lithium-ion batteries. Now, his labs are using cutting-edge technology to manipulate scrap metal. “We’re developing new alloys from 100 percent recycled material. We’re making the sausage of metals,” said Apelian. His approach reduces the CO2 footprint of metal manufacturing. “When you use recycled aluminum, you save 99 percent of the energy. We’re working with General Motors and some of the other companies where the materials that are being utilized in the car now are hundred percent scrap.” #SpeakUp4Science

UC NEWS

Environmental Stewards Conference

The 2026 University of California Environmental Stewards Conference will take place in Santa Barbara Oct. 9-11. Attendees can expect engaging presentations, hands-on workshops and field trips that will highlight local natural history, culture and the environment, with a focus on climate change and climate resilience work in California. The conference is open to all individuals with an interest in building a more equitable, resilient and sustainable future for California.

#IamUCI

An interdisciplinary approach

Jeremy Yeaton, a language science Ph.D., demonstrates the value in taking a cross-pollinating approach to understanding speech loss. “[The] Department of Language Science is highly interdisciplinary, seeking to understand how human language ability works by integrating and cross-fertilizing with other areas of cognition, neurobiology, biomedical research, statistics and computer science. Jeremy’s research does exactly this through focus on how syntax – a core component of language science – is enabled and processed by the brain through the study of clinical populations and using analytical tools from neuroscience and statistical modeling,” said Greg Hickok, Distinguished Professor of cognitive sciences & language science.

#UCIconnected

Fun holiday cheer

UC Irvine spread some fun holiday cheer at the Irvine Spectrum Center ice rink.

#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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