UC Riverside School of Medicine

Congratulations to Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education Pablo Joo, MD, on being named a member at large of the AAMC's 2026-27 Curriculum, Assessment, Instruction, and Research Group Steering Committee.

Researchers at the University of California, Riverside have taken an important step toward a potential treatment for Fragile X syndrome, the most common inherited cause of autism and intellectual disability. In a new study, scientists used gene therapy to restore a missing protein in the brains of mice, reversing key behavioral and neurological symptoms associated with the condition.

The research was led by Iryna Ethell, PhD, professor of biomedical sciences at the UC Riverside School of Medicine, and builds on years of work aimed at addressing the root cause of Fragile X syndrome. The findings offer new hope that gene-based therapies could one day help improve outcomes for people living with this genetic disorder.

The link to the story is in the comments.

The UCR School of Medicine is saddened to announce the passing of Jeffrey Davis, who worked as a standardized patient in the Center for Simulated Patient Care. He died on May 21, 2026 at the age of 72 after a short illness.

A resident of Rancho Cucamonga, Davis began working as a standardized patient (SP) on August 1, 2023.

A devout family man, Jeff is survived by his wife Charlene, his sons Brandon, Patrick, Zachary, and Matthew, his daughters Shelley and Danielle, and four grandchildren.

Jeff was remembered by his colleagues at the Center for Simulated Patient Care at the School of Medicine as being a beloved member of the simulation team. Affable and friendly, he often shared stories from his life and was deeply curious about the people he worked with. His friend and fellow SP Greg King, who joined UCR at the same time, said “I can honestly say that I never heard him say a bad thing about anybody. That is a rare quality in a human being.”

Jeff also worked as a standardized patient at California University of Science and Medicine in Colton and Keck Graduate Institute (KGI) in La Verne.

“He really, really loved being a standardized patient. He was so passionate about doing a good job and he loved working with the students and colleagues,” his wife Charlene.

Prior to becoming a standardized patient, Jeff worked for more than 20 years in the healthcare industry , primarily at Baxter Healthcare and at Kaiser Permanente. He sold kidney dialysis equipment and educated patients about treatment options.

In his free time Jeff enjoyed flying his Cessna 172 out of Cable Airport in Upland and was described as a “passionate pilot.” He also enjoyed spending time with family on his boat.

A memorial will be held on July 10, 2026 at 2 pm at Hillside Community Church, 5354 Haven Ave., Rancho Cucamonga, CA, followed by a gathering at the Davis family’s hangar at Cable Airport.

This afternoon, the SOM Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion hosted a Lunch and Learn event in honor of Pride Month. The event featured Lisa Fortuna, MD, MPH, MDiv, professor and chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences. Her talk, “Faith, Acceptance, and Mental Health: Working with Religiously and Culturally Diverse Families of LGBTQ Youth,” focused on helping young LGBTQ people and their families navigate faith and identity while supporting mental health and preserving family ties.

Read more about the event on the SOM News website. The link is in the comments

A new University of California, Riverside School of Medicine-led study found significant gaps in annual flu vaccination among patients visiting emergency departments across the United States. Researchers surveyed more than 3,200 adults and found that nearly 60% were not up to date on their flu vaccine, with lower vaccination rates among people without a primary care provider, health insurance, or regular access to care.

The study, led by Robert Rodriguez, MD, and co-led by Rajesh Gulati, MD, and medical student Sanya Dhama, highlights the important role emergency departments can play in improving access to preventive care. Researchers found that more than one-third of unvaccinated patients would accept a flu shot if it were offered during their emergency department visit.

The link to the story is in the comments

Congratulations to Amber Keith, a doctoral student at the University of California, Riverside School of Medicine's Division of Biomedical Sciences, on being awarded a prestigious California Initiative to Advance Precision Medicine Predoctoral Fellowship. The fellowship will provide $150,000 over two and a half years to support her research on health disparities in pancreatic cancer and help advance more equitable health outcomes for Californians.

Keith conducts her research under the mentorship of Meera Nair, PhD, professor of biomedical sciences at UC Riverside School of Medicine. Her work is helping to expand our understanding of pancreatic cancer disparities and identify solutions that can improve care for underserved communities.

The link to the story is in the comments.

While online research is a useful way to reach people who may not take part in in-person studies, researchers are increasingly concerned that fake, automated, and duplicate survey responses can reduce data quality and compromise findings.

A study led by Brandon Brown, PhD of the Department of Social Medicine, Population, and Public Health and other researchers at UC Riverside, the University of Connecticut, Brown University, UCLA, and Fordham University highlights the importance of rigorous participant verification procedures in online health research, particularly when studies recruit hardly reached populations and offer compensation for participation.

The link to the story is in the comments

We were happy to welcome reporter Rina Nakano from CBS LA and members of the JW Vines Society, including incoming Vines Society President and UCR alumni Michael Nduati, MD, MPH, to the School of Medicine to talk about the Vines Society Summer Internship Program. UCR SOM medical students (and twin sisters) Ericka and Akciree Knight, who participated in the program, and UCR SOM Professor Adwoa Osei, MD, are featured in the piece.

A nonprofit is recruiting for more doctors in the Inland Empire A UC Riverside study shows the Inland Empire is one of the most underserved regions in the country, and the nonprofit JW Vines Medical Society is working to recruit doctors of color to reverse the potential doctor shortage.

UCR School of Medicine Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Presents June LGBTQ+ Safe Zone Workshop Series

Register for the in-person LGBTQ+ Safe Zone workshop series offered by the UCR School of Medicine’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion this June. This introductory program aims to help participants understand basic LGBTQ terms and concepts, develop an appreciation for our own and others’ lived experiences, and prepare ourselves to become more effective allies.

Complete the full series to be receive a Safe Zone placard to display at your workstation (below) and recognition at the Rainbow Ceremony at the conclusion of the series.

Three 1-hour workshops in June from 12-1 PM in SOM Ed II Room 205

Wednesday, June 3rd Session 1: Introduction to LGBTQ Basics
Tuesday, June 16th Session 2: Trans 101
Wednesday, June 24th Session 3: Becoming an Effective Ally

Help us create a more inclusive SOM community for individuals of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions.

Who? All School of Medicine students, residents/fellows, postdocs, faculty, and staff are welcome.

The RSVP link is in the comments.

A culturally tailored health program developed by researchers at the UCR School of Medicine is helping rural Latina and Indigenous women build healthier habits.

In a recent study, Ann Cheney, PhD, professor of social medicine, population, and public health, and her colleagues found that participants in ¡Coma, Muévase y Viva! (Eat, Move, and Live!) were more likely to improve their nutrition, increase physical activity, and make progress toward personal health goals. The findings highlight the power of community-based, promotora-led programs to advance health equity in underserved communities.

The link to the story is in the comments.