Update on Alumnus Homero Camacho

After completing his Ph.D. and working for a couple of years, Homero decided to enroll in medical school at the Ponce Health Sciences University in Puerto Rico.  Upon graduation, he entered a in residency program in psychiatry at the UCLA-affiliated Kern Medical Center in Bakersfield, CA.  After completing his residency, he worked via telemedicine helping hundreds of patients, many of them on Medi-Cal, and was recently recognized with a substantial loan-repayment award by Physicians for a Healthy California for his work helping Medi-Cal patients.  Recently, he has begun working as an independent psychiatrist at the California State Prison, Los Angeles County in Lancaster, California evaluating and treating inmates struggling with mental health problems.  He recently passed his board exams and is now a certified psychiatrist by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.  Outside of work, he continues to live in the Los Angeles area. He enjoys traveling and has made several trips to Europe in recent years.  The photo above was from a recent trip to Paris.  He asked me to do a shout out to Drew, Maik, Shambhu, Leslie, Kristy, Wanyoike and other ETOX alumni saying that if anyone wishes to talk about anything, he's available.  Our congratulations to Homero for having received his board certification and for his new position.  

If other alumni would like to update the ETOX community on their lives and achievements, please contact me at david.eastmond@ucr.edu.  

Prof. Julia Bailey-Serres Recognized as a Highly Cited Researcher

Prof. Julia Bailey-Serres, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Botany and Plant Sciences and an ETOX faculty member, has again been selected for inclusion on the 2024 Highly Cited Researcher list compiled by Clarivate Analytics.  The list contains the researchers who have published multiple highly-cited papers that rank in the top 1% by citations for field and year in the Web of Science.  According to Clarivate Analytics, they are also considered to be in the top 0.1% of scientists. More information can be found on the Inside UCR website. Julia has been on the Highly Cited Researcher list every year since 2014. Our congratulations to Julia for again receiving this impressive recognition.

Probiotic Seen to Counteract Adverse Flame Retardant Effects in Mice

A research team led by Maggie Curras-Collazo, Professor of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology and ETOX faculty member, has observed that supplementing the maternal diet of mice with the probiotic Limosilactobacillus reuteri (LR) can help prevent negative effects from exposure to PBDE flame retardants.  Treatment of pregnant mice with LR corrected most of the behavioral and metabolic abnormalities caused by PBDE exposure such as delayed weight gain in the adult male offspring and exaggerated digging, hyperactivity and altered glucose metabolism and insulin levels in adult female offspring.  More information about their results and their research can be found in a recent UCR News article.  Our congratulations to Maggie and her research group for this promising research advance.  

Prof. Mihri Ozkan Selected as a Ambassador for the National Academy of Inventors

Mihri Ozkan, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and ETOX faculty member, has recently been selected to serve as an Ambassador for the National Academy of Inventors and will be traveling across the country to promote academic innovation. The Ambassador Program which works in partnership with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has a mission to celebrate the impact of academic invention, expand access to invention education and resources, and inspire the next generation of inventors, according to the academy. More information on Dr. Ozkan's appointment can be found in this UCR News article.  Our congratulations to Mihri on this nice recognition.  

Prof. Ashok Mulchandani Selected to Present the 2024 Faculty Research Lecture

Ashok Mulchandani, Distinguished Professor of Chemical and Environmental Engineering and an ETOX faculty member, has been selected by the University of California, Riverside Academic Senate to give the 2024 Faculty Research Lecture.  This is the 72nd annual Faculty Research Lecture and is considered to be one of the highest honors bestowed by UC Riverside on a faculty member.  His lecture, entitled, "Nanoengineering of field-effect transistor biosensors for better healthcare” will be given on December 9 at 3 pm at the Alumni and Visitors Center.  Those interested in attending are asked to RSVP by Nov. 15.  Our congratulations to Ashok for this impressive recognition.  

Prof. Samantha Ying and Colleagues Receive Grant to Improve Sustainable Agriculture

Samantha Ying, a professor in the Environmental Sciences Department and an ETOX faculty member, and six other faculty members at UC Riverside and Sacramento State University have been awarded $1.5 million in grants from the California Department of Food and Agriculture to lead three inter-related projects to enhance speciality farming in California. As described in a recent UC Riverside News article, the initiatives will focus on youth engagement, sustainable waste management, and advanced agricultural technologies. We congratulate Samantha and her colleagues on the award, and wish them success.  

Danielle Stevenson's Phyto and Fungal Bioremediation Work is Receiving Widespread Attention

The phyto and fungal bioremediation work of Dr. Danielle Stevenson, a recent ETOX alumna, in the brownfields of Los Angeles is receiving widespread attention.  Her work was the focus of an extended interview in a recent Yale360 article entitled "Turning Brownfields to Blooming Meadows, With the Help of Fungi".  Earlier this year her work was the focus of an article in the Guardian newspaper entitled "Solar-powered vacuum cleaners’: the native plants that could clean toxic soil".  Our congratulations to Danielle for the success of her work and the recognitions that it is receiving. [The first photo above is from the Guardian article and the second is from the Yale360 article.]