Aug 10, 2026 | Medical Xpress

Different Inflammatory Processes Tied to the Same Alzheimer's Disease-Related Brain Shrinkage and Memory Loss

"We keep talking about Alzheimer's as though it is one disease with one cause, but the biology is much messier than that," said senior author Michael A. Yassa, PhD, professor and James L. McGaugh Endowed Chair in Neurobiology and Behavior and director of UC Irvine's Center for the Neurobiology of Learning & Memory.

Aug 06, 2026 | Parade

Why Quitting Antidepressants 'Cold Turkey' Causes a Shock To Your Body, says Psychiatrists

Dr. Bryan Shapiro, MD, is a board-certified UCI Health psychiatrist. He explains that when you take antidepressants for months or years, the brain adapts. “Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) like Zoloft or Lexapro increase brain serotonin levels, and in response, serotonin receptors become less sensitive over time (a process called downregulation),” he says.

Jul 30, 2026 | PsyPost

Scientists are Using Biological Markers to Take the Guesswork Out of Depression Treatment

“Treating depression still involves too much trial and error: only about 30-50% of patients respond to the first antidepressant they receive, and it can take several weeks to determine whether a medication is working,” said Diego A. Pizzagalli, founding director of UC Irvine’s Noel Drury, M.D. Institute for Translational Depression Discoveries and distinguished professor of psychiatry and human behavior, neurobiology and behavior, and biomedical engineering.

Jul 13, 2026 | NeurologyLive

Inside the World's First Stem Cell Trial for Huntington's Disease

The trial is the result of more than 12 years of research and eight years of clinical planning at the University of California, Irvine, supported by a $12 million grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine.

Jul 10, 2026 | Bioengineer.org

First Clinical Trial of Stem Cell Therapy for Huntington's Disease Announced

Leslie Thompson, PhD., a Huntington’s disease pioneer affiliated with the University of California, Irvine, emphasized the trial’s monumental nature, reflecting decades of preclinical research, rigorous safety evaluations, and regulatory collaboration.

Jul 06, 2026 | News Medical Life Science

Psychiatry May Be Moving Closer to Precision Medicine

A new study led by researchers at the University of California, Irvine and Mass General Brigham-affiliated McLean Hospital suggests that psychiatry may be moving toward something far more precise. … Diego A. Pizzagalli, founding director of UC Irvine's Noel Drury, M.D. Institute for Translational Depression Discoveries and Distinguished Professor of psychiatry and human behavior, neurobiology and behavior, and biomedical engineering, led the effort.

Jul 03, 2026 | The Washington Post

I Said Yes to an Alzheimer's Blood Test. Then I Panicked.

Unlike a blood draw, a result can have a blast radius that reaches far beyond the exam room — into your family, your finances, your future. Once this information is out, cautioned Joshua Grill, a professor at the University of California, Irvine and director of UCI MIND who has received research funding from makers of Alzheimer’s drugs and diagnostic tests, “you cannot put the toothpaste back in the tube.”

Jun 24, 2026 | Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News

First-in-Human Stem Cell Therapy Trial for Huntington’s Disease Begins at UCI Health

“This clinical trial highlights the important role that an interdisciplinary academic and clinical team together with the HD families, plays in advancing medicine,” said Leslie M. Thompson, PhD, professor of psychiatry and human behavior at UC Irvine.

Jun 15, 2026 | HD Buzz

First Participant Dosed in Pioneering Neural Stem Cell Trial for Huntington's Disease

The study is being conducted at the University of California, Irvine through the UCI Alpha Clinic, with support from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). The trial is led by Leslie Thompson, PhD, a long-time HD researcher.