Gladys (Sandy) Ramos, M.D., is a UC San Diego Health perinatologist and professor who cares for patients with complex pregnancies, including those affected by diabetes. She explains how immigrating from Peru, learning from her grandmother and wanting to serve Spanish-speaking communities shaped her work. Ramos also describes feeling out of place in college and not getting into medical school on her first attempt. Research, mentors, supportive peers and a UC Irvine medical school preparation program helped her strengthen her skills and confidence. Today, she uses her bilingual skills and cultural knowledge to build trust, discuss nutrition and health beliefs, and help patients work toward safe pregnancies and healthy babies. Her experience also shapes the guidance she gives students pursuing medicine.

Series: "Education Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Education] [Show ID: 41599]

Vaginal microbiome research may offer new ways to understand infections, fertility, preterm birth and other areas of women’s health. Pita Navarro, co-founder and chief scientific officer of Evvy, joins Cynthia Gyamfi-Bannerman, M.D., M.S., of UC San Diego Health, to explain how patient-contributed samples and health information can support research and product development. Navarro describes Evvy’s direct-to-consumer testing model, its work to build a large metagenomic data set and the importance of distinguishing established findings from emerging evidence. She also discusses clinical validation, patient trust, academic partnerships and the challenges of bringing scientific discoveries into everyday care. Their conversation shows why successful health startups need more than promising science: they must solve meaningful problems, fit real-world workflows and stay close to the patients they aim to serve.

Series: "UC San Diego Women's Health Symposium" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41657]

More than 7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's, according to the Alzheimer's Association. UC Davis researcher Alyssa Weakley is working on I-Care, a new technology that's helping Alzheimer's patients live longer in their own homes.

At UC Davis, our researchers are working to better understand the causes of dementia, including Alzheimer’s, its most common form, while advancing understanding and improving care for those affected. Through innovative studies, we’re paving the way for new treatments and strategies to slow, prevent and ultimately transform how we approach these complex neurological conditions. Series: "UC Davis News" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41737]

Grecia Paola Siono Gutierrez and Jose Enrique Siono Gutierrez share how family, mentorship and community shaped their path from Mexicali to studying electrical engineering at UC San Diego. The siblings describe beginning at community college, transferring together and adjusting to classrooms where they often saw few students who shared their background. Grecia discusses finding support through the Raza Resource Centro, the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and research mentorship, while Jose explains how studying music strengthened his discipline and inspired projects connecting sound and electrical engineering. They also reflect on their parents’ sacrifices, the importance of role models and their own support for one another. Their advice to students is to seek supportive communities, learn from setbacks and keep pursuing ambitious goals even when the path is not straightforward. Series: "Education Channel" [Science] [Education] [Show ID: 41495]

Social isolation may influence how the body recovers from pelvic floor injury after childbirth. Lindsay Burnett, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor and physician-scientist at UC San Diego, studies factors during pregnancy and postpartum that may affect pelvic floor muscle recovery, including medications, diet, exercise and social interaction. Her research grew from clinical observations connecting patients’ perceptions of traumatic births with physical outcomes such as fecal incontinence. In a preclinical model, social support was associated with improved pelvic floor muscle regeneration and distinct metabolic changes. Burnett is investigating metabolites involved in wound healing and skeletal muscle regeneration, along with possible connections between social interaction, the gut microbiome and systemic metabolism. The research offers a biological perspective on why emotional and social support may matter during postpartum recovery.

Series: "Motherhood Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41640]

Mechanical forces may help the body coordinate pregnancy and labor. Yunxiao Zhang, Ph.D., of Scripps Research Institute, examines how PIEZO1 and PIEZO2, proteins that open in response to stretch, contribute to uterine contractions and the timing of birth. Zhang finds PIEZO1 in uterine smooth muscle and PIEZO2 in sensory nerve fibers around the cervix. In mouse models, removing both channels weakens labor contractions, delays the start of delivery and increases the time between pups. The findings suggest that PIEZO1 helps prepare uterine muscle for stronger contractions, while PIEZO2 helps sensory nerves detect cervical stretch. Zhang also discusses how fats in cell membranes may change PIEZO1 sensitivity and why uterine cells and sensory nerves have connected roles. This research offers a new way to study how physical forces help regulate labor.

Series: "Motherhood Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41642]

David Brockman suffered a traumatic accident in 2019 that led to the amputation of his hand from the wrist down. Following his surgery at the UC Davis Medical Center, he was connected with engineering professor Jonathon Schofield, who collaborates with Ph.D. students on prosthetic technology.

Through federally funded research projects, these students were able to design and provide Brockman with a custom myoelectric hand —a prosthetic he can control electronically. He emphasizes that without federal funding, schools and researchers wouldn’t have the resources to develop these innovations.

"My hand prosthetic would not have been available to me without funding.Without that money, these schools can’t do that and give people a chance to see what is possible.” — David Brockman Series: "UC Davis News" [Public Affairs] [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41733]

UC Davis students are experiencing Shakespeare's plays in a new world — a virtual world. English professor Gina Bloom is teaching “Interactive Shakespeare: From VR to AI,” a class where students learn about Shakespeare and perform his plays in the virtual reality game "Play the Knave VR." Watch as students act out a scene from "Romeo and Juliet" in the virtual world. Series: "UC Davis News" [Humanities] [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 41732]

Valley fever, also known as coccidioidomycosis, is a fungal infection that is contracted when soil borne spores are disrupted and inhaled. The infections can cause symptoms similar to pneumonia or COVID-19, such as cough, headache, fever and, in more severe cases, meningitis. UC Davis Health patient Rex shares his journey with valley fever and how UC Davis doctors and researchers are advancing earlier diagnosis and better treatments through clinical care and laboratory science. Series: "UC Davis News" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Agriculture] [Show ID: 41743]

RNA damage, mentorship and the realities of building a career in science come together in Alex Chaim's work and personal journey. Chaim, principal investigator of the Chaim Lab and assistant professor of cell and developmental biology at UC San Diego, studies whether damage to RNA may contribute to diseases associated with oxidative stress, including neurodegeneration. He also reflects on finding community and learning from mentors throughout his education and career. Chaim describes creating CASAS, a scientific seminar series conducted in Spanish, and explains why he tries to humanize science in both his classroom and lab. His advice to students centers on seeking research experience, finding good mentors and learning from experiments that do not go as expected. His story shows how persistence and community can shape a life in science. Series: "Mi Universidad " [Science] [Education] [Show ID: 41492]