News: Dean’s Report

They have a fearsome reputation, but they are contributing to the battle
against COVID-19. Carnivorous plants have inspired a group of UCI scientists
to conduct promising research into treatments for people with the disease.
Their effort began in March 2020 when the pandemic forced UCI scientists to close
their laboratories and halt all but the most critical experiments. “Around the time
that we were thinking of how to shut things down safely, I began to consider how
we could get involved in the !ght against the virus,” said Rachel Martin, professor of
chemistry and molecular biology & biochemistry, who is leading the research team.

COVID-19 has profoundly affected humanity both through its severe toll and its rapid spread. As it emerged,
researchers quickly began developing animal models to help uncover its mechanisms and fight the symptoms.
Scientists from the UC Irvine Charlie Dunlop School of Biological Sciences and the UCI School of Medicine are working together on
this effort, which is crucial to understand how SARS-CoV-2 causes COVID-19.
For over a century, the use of animal models has led to signi!cant advances in our understanding and treatment of human
disease. Many animal species share a remarkable similarity to humans, making them suitable for studying a wide range of
pathologies. The models can help scientists understand the processes that cause disease and develop treatments.

COVID-19 and the surge in demand for social justice were wake-up calls for
institutions, ones that have forever defined 2020 in the collective psyche.
The School of Biological Sciences was already well-armed to help combat the
pandemic through research underway and new inquiries rapidly initiated.
To address the growing call for social reform, Dunlop School decided to develop a
comprehensive approach to improving institutional policies and practices. In
October 2020, the school established the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion,
or ODEI, headed by a new associate dean dedicated to this crucial issue.

Larry Marsh didn’t plan to go back into the classroom after retiring from UCI
Dunlop School. But then the pandemic struck, and the retired emeritus professor from the
Department of Developmental and Cell Biology found himself once again facing
students. This time, though, the learners were his four small grandchildren.

Believe in yourself. Help others. Commit to ending systemic racism. This call to Dunlop School’s
Class of 2021 came from commencement speaker Angeline Dukes, MSc., a neuroscience
PhD candidate at the school. Dukes drew from her own life and experience in founding
the international organization, Black in Neuro, to inspire the audience.

In January 2020, the first cases of COVID-19 were reported in the United States. Since that time,
SARS-CoV-2, the viral agent that causes COVID-19, has spread throughout the country, afflicting over
33 million people and resulting in over 600,000 deaths. Nevertheless, the spread of the virus has begun to diminish thanks to a combination of mitigating strategies, immunity and vaccination

While most people with COVID-19 get better within two to three weeks, it has become
clear that a number experience lingering symptoms. The condition is known as
“post-acute COVID-19 syndrome” or “long COVID,” referring to issues that manifest more than
four weeks after patients have recovered from their initial diagnosis.

While COVID-19 has dominated public awareness over the past year and a half,
climate change, pollution, invasive species, fire and more continue to threaten
the world’s future. Fortunately, a group of graduate students could carry out
critical environmental investigations despite pandemic protocols limiting much
scientific activity at UCI in 2020.