Research
UCLA Connects: Knowledge In Action
UCLA research has been a force for transformation that extends far beyond our Westwood campus. Whether we’re pioneering medical breakthroughs that save lives, developing sustainable technologies that protect our planet, shaping policies that help communities or peering deep into the cosmos to better understand our universe, our goal is simple: to connect, to uplift and to improve the world.
The gift of life: UCLA’s transplant program
UCLA has set the pace in organ transplantation since our doctors performed their first pioneering kidney transplant in the 1950s. Today, UCLA has performed an astounding 22,000 solid-organ transplants, with survival rates far above the national average.
In the process, UCLA Health has earned the distinction of being one of the few medical centers in the nation with expertise in both pediatric and adult transplants, as well as in complex dual-organ transplantation. And we continue to innovate, breaking new ground in face, hand, intestine, cornea, pancreas and bone marrow transplants.
Hear the stories of people whose lives have been saved by UCLA transplants
“I have committed my life to public service in roles that bridge academia, social policy and public health practice across different countries and sectors. I look forward to fulfilling this commitment in new ways at UCLA and in the vibrant, diverse city of Los Angeles.”
— Chancellor Frenk
Finding your voice
Imagine that a soft, thin, stretchy adhesive patch on the throat could help people with voice disorders speak again. UCLA bioengineer Jun Chen has made it a reality with a 1-inch-square bioelectric system that attaches to the skin, detects movement in a person’s larynx muscles and translates those signals into audible speech with the assistance of machine-learning technology — with nearly 95% accuracy.
It’s one of the many ways in which UCLA-developed wearable medical technology is improving the lives of those with disabilities.
Avoiding calamity
As the head of NASA’s NEOWISE mission for more than a decade, UCLA’s Amy Mainzer helped discover more than 200 previously unknown near-Earth objects and observe thousands more.
Now she leads the agency’s mission to discover asteroids and other objects that are close enough to Earth and large enough to cause major regional damage if they impact the planet. The goal is to deflect or destroy dangerous objects before they have a chance to do harm.
Breast cancer breakthroughs
For women with HER2-positive breast cancer — which accounts for some 25% of breast cancer cases worldwide — the drug Herceptin has been a godsend. For decades, UCLA cancer researcher Dr. Dennis Slamon, the son of a West Virginia coal miner, pursued the idea of using molecularly targeted cancer therapies that attack cancer at its genetic roots — efforts that gave rise not only to Herceptin but to a slew of lifesaving therapies that have followed.
To date, nearly 3 million women with HER2-positive breast cancer have been treated with Herceptin, which has increased survival rates by more than 50%.
Rebuilding after the fires
The wildfires that ripped through Los Angeles in January destroyed more than 18,000 structures and claimed the lives of at least 30 people. The UCLA community — many of whom were affected — rallied to respond, providing essential support for scores of struggling residents, including medical care, care packages and even UCLA-educated firefighters.
In the aftermath, faculty, students and staff from nearly every field have provided expert analysis, guidance and hands-on assistance in the recovery and rebuilding efforts.
How Bruins are aiding L.A's wildfire rebuilding efforts
A cure for baldness?
Hair loss is caused by a multitude of factors, including aging, stress, hormonal imbalances and genetics. Despite advances, few remedies have ever worked widely. Now, UCLA scientists have identified a small molecule that, when prompted, can waken long-slumbering but undamaged follicles.
The researchers have dubbed the transporting molecule “PP405,” and in the recent human clinical trials, they found that applying PP405 as a topical medicine — to the scalp, at bedtime, for a week — produced promising results.
A sticky problem
A person chewing 160 to 180 pieces of gum a year could potentially be ingesting 30,000 microplastics — tiny, micrometer-wide particles found in many everyday items but whose effect on human health remains unclear — UCLA engineers have found.
And microplastics were emitted by both synthetic gums, which rely on petroleum-based polymers for their chewiness, and natural gums, which use plant-based polymers like chicle or other tree sap.
Saving the Colorado River
Seven states rely on the overdrawn Colorado River for water, but a new UCLA study finds they only recycle 26% of their wastewater on average. The study outlines a path to solve a third of the Colorado River shortage by spurring five states to recycle 50% of their wastewater.
