Large-scale study finds no link between crime and unauthorized immigration

Irvine, Calif., Aug. 11, 2026 — For more than two decades, Charis E. Kubrin has followed the data wherever it leads. As UC Irvine Chancellor’s Professor of Criminology, Law and Society, she has built a career studying one of America’s most politically charged questions: does immigration drive crime? Now, in one of the most geographically…

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Different inflammatory processes tied to the same Alzheimer’s disease-related brain shrinkage and memory loss

Two blood markers of inflammation were associated with different forms of disease markers in the brain. YKL-40 was linked to damage in the brain’s small blood vessels, while GFAP was linked to amyloid buildup. The two routes were associated with a shared pattern involving greater abnormal tau, shrinkage in memory-related brain regions and poorer memory.…

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Flaunting our faculty

Flaunting our faculty

When the University of California, Irvine opened its doors in 1965, it was the youngest campus in the University of California system. Unlike older institutions with generations of established traditions and reputations, UC Irvine began with a blank canvas and an ambitious vision. Over six decades, the campus has matured into one of the nation’s…

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Julie Washington appointed dean of UC Irvine School of Education

Irvine, Calif., July 30, 2026 — The University of California, Irvine has named Julie A. Washington dean of its highly ranked School of Education. She has served as interim dean of the school since April 2025. “Since its founding in 2012, the UC Irvine School of Education has grown into one of the nation’s finest,…

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UC Irvine researchers create California wildfire damage risk map

A new study in Science Advances by UC Irvine researchers reveals that wildfires follow predictable patterns of destruction and that structural elements such as fences, siding and eaves contribute greatly to the risk of fires spreading. A first-of-its-kind, 100-meter-resolution risk map developed by the UC Irvine team can aid in land-use planning, fire mitigation investments…

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Seeking the whole truth

Seeking the whole truth

For most of modern biology’s history, progress meant dissecting things, identifying the gene, isolating a protein, naming the cell type. This approach yielded remarkable results – a century of Nobel Prizes, lifesaving medicines and the sequencing of the human genome. But for all that it revealed, reductionist biology struggled to answer a more fundamental question:…

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When childhood feels unpredictable, the brain remembers

For years, pediatricians have relied on a widely used checklist to identify children who have experienced traumatic events such as abuse, neglect or household violence. But a new UC Irvine-led study suggests that another, less visible form of adversity may be shaping children’s mental health, and it often goes undetected. Researchers found that growing up…

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As snowpack shrinks, Sierra Nevada mountain ponds undergo dramatic change

Irvine, Calif., July 15, 2026 — On a summer afternoon in the Sierra Nevada, a mountain pond can look calm and still, reflecting granite peaks and alpine sky. But beneath the surface, these small, shallow waters are anything but stable. In fact, they are among the most thermally variable aquatic ecosystems on Earth, with water temperatures…

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AI takes on one of physics’ biggest mysteries

Observing a neutrino is a lot like listening to a weak radio signal. It’s there, but it can be hard to pinpoint and decipher what the signal is saying. A neutrino is a tiny, nearly invisible particle that rarely interacts with matter. When it does, it leaves behind a signal called a neutrino event. During…

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A new era of precision depression treatment

For millions of people living with depression, finding an effective treatment can feel like a long and uncertain journey. Patients often spend months trying different medications, enduring side effects and persistent symptoms while waiting to discover whether a prescription will help. A new study led by researchers at the University of California, Irvine and Mass…

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