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.

May 28, 2026 | Being Patient

Treating Alzheimer's Before Memory Loss Begins

Joshua Grill joins us to discuss how new blood tests and biomarkers are changing the way researchers identify Alzheimer’s disease, including the possibility of detecting disease-related brain changes years before memory loss begins. … Grill is the director of UCI MIND and co-director of UC Irvine’s NIA-funded Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center.

May 26, 2026 | BBC – Science Focus Magazine

Feeling Just 'Meh' About Life? It Could Be Anhedonia - Here's How to Reverse It

In past decades, researchers defined anhedonia as simply the loss of the ability to feel pleasure. More recent work has slightly expanded that definition, says Prof Diego Pizzagalli, a neuroscientist at the University of California, Irvine.

Mar 23, 2026 | Spectrum News 1

LA-Based Project Sleep Works to 'Make Sleep Cool'

March is Sleep Awareness Month, and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1 in 3 adults in the United States reported not getting enough rest or sleep every day. … UCI Health Sleep Disorder Center Medical Director, KyongBin Im, MD, discusses the potential health effects of chronic sleep loss and deprivation.

Mar 18, 2026 | Orange Coast Magazine

Kickass Women: Dr. Leslie M. Thompson

For more than 30 years, Dr. Thompson has been researching new therapies for Huntington’s disease, a fatal neurodegenerative disorder that results in the progressive breakdown of the brain’s nerve cells, causing irreparable decline in patients’ physical and mental abilities.

Mar 06, 2026 | ABC7

Daylight Savings Time

As we prepare to “spring forward” into Daylight Saving Time this weekend, the shift can take a real toll on sleep, mood, and overall health. UC Irvine's School of Medicine Train New Trainers (TNT) program director, Robert McCarron, DO, recently spoke with reporter Denise Dador about practical ways to help your body adjust to the time change and maintain healthy routines.

Dec 30, 2025 | Futurism

Doctors Say AI Use Is Almost Certainly Linked to Developing Psychosis

“They simulate human relationships,” said Adrian Preda, a psychiatry professor at the University of California, Irvine. “Nothing in human history has done that before.”

Dec 30, 2025 | Los Angeles Times

UC Irvine Secures $12M CIRM Grant To Launch Phase 1/2 Stem Cell Trial for Huntington's

Leslie M. Thompson, Donald Bren Professor of psychiatry and human behavior and of neurobiology and behavior at the University of California, Irvine, has received a $12-million grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine to test a novel stem cell therapy for Huntington’s disease. “This trial is an exciting step for regenerative medicine and its potential to change the course of Huntington’s disease,” said Thompson, in a statement. “It provides additional hope to patients and families who currently have very few options.”