News 2022

The Blavatnik Family Foundation and the New York Academy of Sciences named Dr. Hsiao as a laureate of the 2022 Blavatnik National Award for Young Scientists. The award was created to inspire and encourage young, talented scientist to take risks and push boundaries of science. Three independent juries–one each for life sciences, chemistry and physical sciences and engineering–were composed of some of America’s most distinguished scientists. She will receive $250,000, the largest unrestricted scientific award for America’s most innovative, young faculty-ranked scientists and engineers. List of winners of the 2022 Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists

Lin Chang, MD, on Talking Gut with Dr. Jim Kantidakis podcast

Dr. Chang discussed stress and the gut in a recent episode of Talking Gut with Dr. Jim Kantidakis. The conversation covered various topics, from how stress affects the gut from a neurobiological perspective to how stress affects the gut microbiota. Run time for the episode is 1 hour 22 minutes. Listen to the podcast

Elaine Hsiao, PhD, featured in A World of Women in STEM

Dr. Hsiao is interested in figuring out how our gut microbiomes communicate with our nervous systems. Her lab is exploring and probing the gut-brain connection with the hope that one day, we might be able to treat complex brain disorders not by treating the brain, but by treating our human gut bacteria! "Trust your gut" interview

Jennifer S. Labus, PhD, highlighted in Medicine Innovates series

The Medicine Innovates series published research by Dr. Labus, director of the Integrative Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Core in the G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience, and Andrea J. Rapkin, MD, UCLA gynecology, on the association between steroid hormones, brain connectivity and provoked vestibulodynia symptoms. Read more on this exploratory metabolomics study

Dr. Hsiao and her lab study the trillions of microbes in the gut microbiota that impact health and disease. They have made discoveries into how the gut microbiome influences the brain and behavior, and are investigating how these microbes communicate with the nervous system, their effects on the nervous system, and how interactions between microbes and the nervous system impact health and disease. Her research offers new insights into the causes and treatments of neurological diseases such as autism and epilepsy. The prize is administered by the New York Academy of Sciences and sponsored by Takeda Pharmaceuticals. Explore the Hsiao Lab at UCLA

Dr. Church, director of the neuroimaging core for the G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience, and Dr. Dong, assistant clinical professor of medicine, were awarded the 2022 UCLA Innovation Grant by the UCLA Technology Development Group. Drs. Church and Dong will be working on a probiotic mixture targeting obesity and food addiction.