A UCLA student is working to protect firefighters from cancer
Too many firefighters are dying of cancer. UCLA’s Ph.D. student Derek Urwin aims to change that.
News
UCLA Professor explains benefits and uses of machine learning
Machine learning is a new tool that is being used more and more everyday across different disciplines. Professor of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Jacob Bortnik illustrates the diverse ways to apply machine learning to Earth and space sciences in his Eos publication. Machine learning uses large and complex data steps to reveal unanticipated patterns and...
Interview with new faculty Chenfanfu Jiang
Meet Chenfanfu Jiang—an extraordinary mathematician that will be joining the UCLA Physical Sciences Division during the 2021-2022 academic year.
Geologists solve half-century mystery of a two billion year old rock holding animal traces
Geologists have been baffled by perforations in an Australian quartzite rock, identical in shape to burrows made in sands by crustaceans; the original sandy sediment is a billion years older than the oldest known animals. An international team of scientists has now resolved the mystery.
Welcome our 2021 new faculty to the Division of Physical Sciences
Abigail DoyleChemistry & BiochemistrySaul Winstein Chair of Organic Chemistry Prof. Doyle joined the department as a Full Professor effective July 1, 2021. Her office and laboratory are located in the Molecular Science Building. Born in Princeton, New Jersey, Prof. Doyle received her A.B. and A.M. summa cum laude in Chemistry and Chemical Biology from Harvard...
Virtual reality boosts and retunes brain rhythms crucial for learning and memory
New research shows that VR therapy can be used for the early diagnosis and treatment of memory disorders, ranging from Alzheimer’s to ADHD.
Reappointment of Miguel García-Garibay as Dean of Physical Sciences
On July 2, Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Emily Carter circulated the announcement below: Dear Colleagues: Following a customary five-year administrative review, Chancellor Block and I have asked Miguel García-Garibay to continue to serve as dean of the Division of Physical Sciences at UCLA. I am pleased to inform you that he has accepted the...
Continuing the Fight Against COVID-19
From mathematics to virology, scientists in UCLA’s Division of Physical Sciences have taken the mechanisms they specialize in and applied them to creating tools to combat COVID-19.
New developments in analyzing data
New developments in analyzing data A perspective article by Dr. Jingyi Jessica Li, associate professor of statistics, was published in the journal Patterns, a new data science journal of Cell Press. The article can be read here. Co-authored by Dr. Xin Tong at University of Southern California, Dr. Li’s article offers practical guidelines for choosing...
Honoring Professor Olga Radko
UCLA Mathematics Professor Olga Radko (1975-2020), Founder of Los Angeles Math Circle Pioneering UCLA mathematics professor Olga Radko died of ovarian cancer on June 29 at the age of 45. She was known for her work in the field of Poisson geometry, in particular her complete classification of two-dimensional Poisson structures, objects now sometimes referred...
UCLA study finds that if physical distancing measures are relaxed too soon, efforts may have been all for naught
Andrea Bertozzi, distinguished professor of mathematics, joined a team of other mathematicians and scientists to compare the results of three mathematical models of disease transmission that they used to analyze data from local and national governments. The models all highlight the dangers of relaxing public health measures too soon. The study, published in the journal...
UCLA physicists overcome challenges to make new materials with optimized properties
Ni Ni, a UCLA associate professor of physics, and her research team reported the discovery of the first intrinsic ferromagnetic topological insulator. They also reported in Nature Communications their discovery of an intrinsic magnetic topological insulator early this year. “We are quite excited about these two sequential discoveries, which provide new material systems to explore new...