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Jan 07, 2026 | UC Irvine Health Affairs
Dorota Skowronska-Krawczyk Awarded RPB Catalyst Award for Innovative AMD Lipid Metabolism Research
Dr. Dorota Skowronska-Krawczyk has received the Dr. H. James & Carole Free Catalyst Award for Innovative Research Approaches for Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Her project explores lipid metabolism and omega-3 fatty acids as early intervention strategies to preserve retinal health during aging.
Jan 06, 2026 | UC Irvine Health Affairs
Audrey Lapinaite Awarded RPB Career Advancement Award for Innovative AMD Genome Editing Project
Dr. Audrey Lapinaite has received the RPB Career Advancement Award for her project, “Modulation of Angiogenic Factors via Precision Genome Editing in AMD.” Her work uses next-generation genome editing technologies to develop a durable, one-time therapeutic strategy for neovascular age-related macular degeneration.
Jan 05, 2026 | UC Irvine Health Affairs
Emily Tom Awarded 2025–2026 Distinguished Public Impact Fellowship
Emily Tom, an MD/PhD candidate in Dr. Dorota Skowronska-Krawczyk’s lab, has just been selected to receive a 2025-2026 Distinguished Public Impact Fellowship. The Fellowship is intended to support and highlight academically excellent students whose research demonstrates the potential to significantly improve or enrich the lives of people in California and beyond.
Jan 04, 2026 | UC Irvine News
New hospital opens at UCI Health – Irvine; The Next Stage
UCI Health – Irvine opened its new 144-bed, all-electric acute care hospital and welcomed its first patients, marking a major expansion of research-driven healthcare in the region. The Digest also highlights a new partnership between UC Irvine’s Claire Trevor School of the Arts and South Coast Repertory to provide MFA theatre students with professional training opportunities, recognizes two UCI faculty members named fellows of the National Academy of Inventors, and includes important campus updates such as a warning about direct-deposit phishing scams and UC-wide academic and community news.
Dec 09, 2025 | UC Irvine Health Affairs
Targeting ELOVL2-Mediated Fatty Acid Elongation to Address Age-Related Vision Decline: Seminar by Dorota Skowronska-Krawczyk, PhD
The International Centre for Translational Eye Research (ICTER) recently welcomed Dorota Skowrońska-Krawczyk, PhD (Brunson Center for Translational Vision Research, UC Irvine School of Medicine) for a day of scientific exchange that included a lab tour, meetings with leadership, and a seminar on targeting ELOVL2-mediated fatty acid elongation to address age-related vision decline. She shared emerging research highlighting ELOVL2 as a key enzyme and biomarker of aging in the retina, with reduced activity linked to functional decline. Early findings suggest that restoring retinal lipid balance may improve visual function and help counter age-related changes, supported by new human genetic data connecting ELOVL2 variants to intermediate age-related macular degeneration.
Dec 05, 2025 | UC Irvine News
Stellaromics Establishes First U.S. Pyxa™ 3D Spatial Transcriptomics Site at UC Irvine
UCI researchers have identified a promising therapy that could reverse age-related vision loss. Their study, published in Science Translational Medicine, shows that supplementing retinal fatty acids can restore vision in mice and may help prevent diseases like macular degeneration. The findings also suggest potential benefits for immune health and cancer treatment.
Dec 03, 2025 | UC Irvine School of Medicine
UCI Welcomes Dr. Chang C. Liu to the Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences
The Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences is pleased to announce the joint appointment of Chang C. Liu, PhD. Dr. Liu is a leading innovator in synthetic biology and genome engineering, known for technologies like OrthoRep and CHYRON that enable rapid evolution and biomolecule discovery. At UCI, he directs the Engineering + Health Institute and the Center for Synthetic Biology and Evolution, and co-directs the NIH T32 Visual Science Training Program. His appointment will strengthen collaborations in retinal disease modeling, gene editing, nanomedicine, and next-generation vision therapies, while expanding interdisciplinary training opportunities. For more information, visit www.liulab.com.
Sep 26, 2025 | UC Irvine School of Medicine
Reversing Age-Related Vision Decline
Sep 03, 2025 | UC Irvine News
$15 Million Gift Names and Supports UC Irvine’s Center for Translational Vision Research
The University of California, Irvine has received a $15 million gift from the Brunson Foundation, led by James and Cynthia DeBoard, in honor of philanthropist Robert M. Brunson. The gift will name the Brunson Center for Translational Vision Research and provide long-term support through a $10 million endowment. An additional $5 million will complete construction of the Falling Leaves Foundation Medical Innovation Building, where the center will be housed. Under the leadership of Dr. Krzysztof Palczewski and Dr. Baruch Kuppermann, the center is dedicated to advancing treatments and cures for blinding diseases.
Sep 02, 2025 | UC Irvine School of Medicine
New TIGER Mouse Model Helps Advance Genetic Medicine
UC Irvine researchers have developed a new model for investigating precision-genome editing, helping advance methods to address many inherited and environmental disorders.