News

February 21, 2024
Detecting Pathogens--and Sepsis--Faster and More Accurately by Melting DNA
A new analysis method can detect pathogens in blood samples faster and more accurately than blood cultures, which are the current state of the art for infection diagnosis. The new method, called digital DNA melting analysis, can produce results in under six hours, whereas culture typically requires 15 hours to several days, depending on the pathogen. Full Story

February 21, 2024
Five Cutting-edge Advances in Biomedical Engineering and Their Applications in Medicine
Bridging precision engineering and precision medicine to create personalized physiology avatars. Pursuing on-demand tissue and organ engineering for human health. Revolutionizing neuroscience by using AI to engineer advanced brain interface systems. Engineering the immune system for health and wellness. Designing and engineering genomes for organism repurposing and genomic perturbations. These are the five research areas where the field of biomedical engineering has the potential to achieve tremendous impact on the field of medicine. Full Story

February 7, 2024
Renowned UC San Diego Microbiome Pioneer Rob Knight Elected to the National Academy of Engineering
Rob Knight, a University of California San Diego professor and international leader in the study of the roles microbes play in human health and disease and the functioning of ecosystems, has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering–the highest professional recognition afforded to engineers and computer scientists. On Feb. 6, 2024, the National Academy of Engineering recognized Knight for his pioneering leadership and “for understanding microbiomes and their application to healthcare and sustainability.” Full Story

February 5, 2024
Researchers Uncover Surprising Link Between Body Temperature and Depression
People with depression have higher body temperatures, a finding that supports nascent research suggesting a mental health benefit to lowering the temperatures of those with the disorder, a new research team that includes scientists at the University of California San Diego found. Full Story

February 1, 2024
Bioengineer Named NAS New Voice for Emerging STEM Leaders
Kiana Aran, a professor of bioengineering and medicine at UC San Diego, has been named to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s 2024 New Voices in Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine program. New Voices aims to expand the diversity of expertise engaged in the work of the National Academies while developing a network of U.S. leaders to address national and global challenges. Full Story

January 18, 2024
AI Harnesses Tumor Genetics to Predict Treatment Response
In a groundbreaking study published on January 18, 2024, in Cancer Discovery, computer scientists, bioengineers and physicians at UC San Diego leveraged a machine learning algorithm to tackle one of the biggest challenges facing cancer researchers: predicting when cancer will resist chemotherapy. Full Story

January 10, 2024
Noninvasive Test for Embryo Quality Could Streamline Fertility Treatment
Bioengineers and physicians at UC San Diego have discovered a noninvasive approach that can be used to better predict the quality of lab-grown embryos, potentially streamlining IVF treatment. Full Story

December 19, 2023
2023 Jacobs School Highlights
It was another busy year at the Jacobs School of Engineering, as our students, faculty, staff, and industry and community partners worked together to pursue engineering and computer science for the public good. From research breakthroughs in robotics, AI and healthcare, to launching new centers for microelectronics and computing, here are just a few highlights from 2023. Full Story

December 12, 2023
UC San Diego Engineering Professors Elected Fellows of National Academy of Inventors
Eric Fullerton, a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Prashant Mali, a professor in the Shu Chien-Gene Lay Department of Bioengineering, have been named 2023 Fellows of the National Academy of Inventors. Full Story

November 21, 2023
The science of sugar metabolism
Bioengineernig professor Lingyan Shi and her team are on the cutting edge of the science of sugar metabolism (and the science of fat metabolism). In particular, they were just awarded $1.97M in NIH grant funding to build an imaging platform to visualize sugar metabolic activities in aging and in disease. Full Story