Biochemist Publishes Paper on Hepatitis C Research

UC Merced biochemistry Professor Jinah Choi is studying the hepatitis C virus and its behavior in hopes of developing a solution to this challenging health problem.

Understanding how the hepatitis C virus leads to liver cancer is crucial in seeking cures for the disease, which affects millions of people across the world.

"It's really exciting that all the pieces are coming together," Choi said. "Whatever we find in the lab has consequences. It has the potential to really impact people."

Choi has published a paper about her research in the July issue of Hepatology, the leading journal in the field of liver disease.

Hepatitis C is blood borne and most often transmitted through contaminated needles, though it can also be passed through unprotected sex. The virus, first discovered in 1987, doesn't directly cause liver cancer. Instead, it causes a chronic infection, which over time causes cirrhosis of the liver and damages a person's DNA. Overtime, that damaged DNA may lead to mutations and cancerous cells in the liver. A person can carry hepatitis C for years without knowing it.

New School Year Begins at UC Merced

Classes began today for some 4,000 UC Merced students. With enrollment up nearly 18 percent compared with fall of 2009, which was itself a record year, the newest UC campus is clearly hitting its stride.

“UC Merced has come a long way since we welcomed our inaugural class of 875 students in 2005,” said Steve Kang, UC Merced chancellor.

“This year’s applicant pool was by far the largest, most talented and most competitive in our history. Students increasingly recognize they can earn a quality UC education in a much more personal, innovative environment than they can find elsewhere, and they see that as a huge advantage in preparing for a successful career or their next academic challenge.”

This year’s student body includes approximately 1,385 new undergraduate students and nearly 50 new graduate students. And eight new faculty members also have been added this year, bringing the faculty total to 130 ladder-rank professors and 100 lecturers.

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Professor Awarded Grant to Further Obesity Research

Biology Professor Rudy Ortiz has been given the National Institutes of Health's Independent Scientist Career Development Award, which will allow him to focus on his innovative research into obesity.

The $414,720 grant, spread throughout four years, will allow Ortiz to spend more time conducting research into obesity by reducing some of his teaching and administrative duties.

"To get more time to focus on my research is huge," Ortiz said. "It gives me a great advantage because of the release-time it affords me to concentrate on my research."

Ortiz is studying how elephant seals are able to fast for several months by relying on their fat reserves and how they can experience apnea without harming their health.

Humans wouldn't live much longer than a month if they were deprived food. An instance of sleep apnea has the potential to harm their body within minutes and can be fatal. Yet, Ortiz explained, there is something that cues this behavior in seals. While fasting, elephant seals won't even bother to eat food put in front of them.

"What if we could figure out that switch?" Ortiz asked. "Obese people could eliminate their carbohydrate intake and rely on their fat mass until they're lean and can return to a balanced diet."

Ortiz's award, which covers most of his salary, dovetails with another National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant he was awarded in 2009. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, a division of NIH, gave Ortiz a five-year $1.78 million research award.

UC Merced Launches School Supply Drive with Local Nonprofit

UC Merced has teamed up with Rock Da Block, a program run through a local nonprofit, to provide backpacks and school supplies for thousands of Merced County children in preschool through 12th grade.

The "Stuff the Bus" school supply drive was launched today at Kohl's in the Merced Mall and ends Aug. 31.

Businesses and members of the community are encouraged to donate new backpacks and school supplies at ongoing collection sites or scheduled drop off events

UC Merced Sociologist Studies Anti-Government Militias, Hate Crimes

UC Merced sociologist Nella Van Dyke researches hate crimes on college campuses, the factors that lead people into activist careers and anti-government militias.

Sourcing a report by Southern Poverty Law Center, Van Dyke notes that more than 350 militias were established last year, a “hugely disturbing increase.” With such growth, Van Dyke is back trying to pinpoint the key factors that lead to such trends. Evidence suggests the economic downturn or a Democratic president or even both may be the cause.

Her research offers insight into some of society's most challenging problems and could be influential in future policy decisions.

The last major anti-government movement came in the 1990s and led to the Oklahoma City bombing. Van Dyke coauthored a paper, published in 2002, showing that a decline in manufacturing jobs and family farms influenced the mobilization of militias.

"When people are facing economic hard times, they're looking for people to blame," Van Dyke explained, "and they look to the federal government."