What if the path to delaying the onset of dementia symptoms begins at the nose?
It is a doorway that the research of Dr. Michael Leon opened with a 2023 study on the power of olfaction enrichment to influence memory function and brain health. The findings drew wide acclaim and interest when his results found that stimulation of our sense of smell with essential oils had a profound impact on memory, cognition, and language recall.
ICAN Update: Welcoming Our New Directors
Left to right: Professor Stephan Mahler, Professor Christie Fowler Today, the Irvine Center for Addiction Neuroscience (ICAN) is thrilled to announce significant changes in its leadership. As many may already be aware, Professor Marcelo Wood, who has served as the...
Diego A. Pizzagalli named founding director of UC Irvine depression research institute
Diego A. Pizzagalli, Ph.D. – a leading researcher into the causes, manifestation and treatment of mood disorders, particularly major depression – has been named the founding director of a transdisciplinary depression research institute at the University of California, Irvine, following a nationwide search. The institute is supported by a record $55 million estate gift from philanthropist Audrey Steele Burnand.
Human brains, in and out of skulls, promise to unravel Alzheimer’s mysteries
Why do some brains remain robust as time marches on, while others wither? What can be done to halt deterioration in its tracks, or even better — reverse it?
That’s the mystery that decades of work at UCI and other federal research centers are dedicated to unraveling. Some of the biggest brains in science are devoted to understanding aging, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Sweet smell of success: Simple fragrance method produces major memory boost
When a fragrance wafted through the bedrooms of older adults for two hours every night for six months, memories skyrocketed. Participants in this study by University of California, Irvine neuroscientists reaped a 226% increase in cognitive capacity compared to the control group. The researchers say the finding transforms the long-known tie between smell and memory into an easy, non-invasive technique for strengthening memory and potentially deterring dementia.
UCI biologists to study COVID-19 link to Alzheimer’s
UCI biologists Kim Green and Tom Lane have been awarded $250,000 from the Alzheimer’s Association to assess how COVID-19 affects the onset and severity of Alzheimer’s disease.
Professor Michael Yassa and Dean Frank LaFerla Honored with Distinguished Faculty Awards
The School of Biological Sciences is proud to announce that Professor Michael Yassa and Dean Frank LaFerla have been selected as recipients of the Academic Senate's highest honors, the Distinguished Faculty Awards. These prestigious awards recognize excellence in...
UC Irvine neuroscientists develop ‘meta-cell’ to move Alzheimer’s fight forward
University of California, Irvine neuroscientists probing the gene changes behind Alzheimer’s disease have developed a process of making a “meta-cell” that overcomes the challenges of studying a single cell. Their technique has already revealed important new information and can be used to study other diseases throughout the body.
Break a Sweat for Better Memory
There is plenty of research that demonstrates the health benefits of regular exercise, but a team of researchers, led by Neurobiology and Behavior Professor and Chair Marcelo Wood and Postdoctoral Fellow Ashley Keiser, has made a groundbreaking discovery that shows...
Addressing Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Alzheimer’s disease in the State of California by Michael Yassa, PhD
More than 650,000 people aged 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s disease in California. This number is projected to more than double by the year 2040. Hispanic/Latine and Black communities will see a disproportionate tripling in prevalence1. Genetic factors do...