Below is an archive of media articles & podcasts featuring UC Davis EHSC scientists and stakeholders.  

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Recent Media Features

Studying Effects of Wildfires on Water Quality and Soil Biogeochemistry

June 29, 2023 | Dr. Jasquelin Peña's research on how wildfires impact soil chemistry and water quality was the focus on a UCD College of Engineering feature article. Dr. Peña is the recipient of the 2022 EHS Scholar Award and an EHSC 2021 Pilot Award.

Using Glowing Fish to Detect Harmful Pesticides

August 15, 2023 | Dr. Sean Burgess's and Dr. Bruce Draper's research on how zebrafish can help to identify chemicals which cause birth defects was the focus of a UCD College of Biological Sciences feature article. Dr. Burgess and Dr. Draper are the recipients of a 2023 Pilot Award.

Studying the Placenta

July 12, 2023 | Dr. Janine LaSalle, UC Davis EHSC Deputy Director, was interviewed on NPR's Insight with Vicky Gonzalez. Dr. LaSalle discussed the importance of studying the placenta for deepening our understanding of neurodevelopment and causes of autism.

New Study Measures Pollution from Coal Trains in Bay Area

May 3, 2023 | Dr. Nicholas Spada research on mobile sources of air pollution - and, specifically, pollution from trains transporting coal - was featured in The San Francisco Chronicle.  Dr. Spada is the recipient of an EHSC 2023 pilot award. 

2024

• Joanna Chiu in UCD prof wins mentoring award. The Davis Enterprise. March 2024.
• Pamela Lein in Thousands of Utah veterans now eligible for VA health care, benefits. DseretNews. March 2024.
• Anh Nguyen in UC Davis Asthma Network hosts first annual Asthma Bootcamp. UC Davis Health. March 2024.
• Michele La Merrill in Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals: What Can We Do About Them? Endocrinology Advisor. February 2024.
• Anthony Wexler in Innovations in Wildfire Detection: Advances in Early Warning Systems. AZO Cleantech. February 2024.
• Isaac Pessah in UC Davis celebrates emeritus professors. The Davis Enterprise. February 2024.
• Deborah Bennett in UC Davis research links chemicals to preterm birth. KCBS Radio. January 2024. 
• Deborah Bennett in Flame retardant chemicals shows link to preterm birth. U.S. News. January 2024. 
• Deborah Bennett in Chemicals in baby products linked to premature birth. Newsweek. January 2024. 
• Deborah Bennett in NIH study finds flame-retardant chemicals may increase risk of preterm birth, higher birth weight. EurekAlert! January 2024.
• Tina Palmieri in National Burn Awareness Week: Kitchen is the most common place in home to sustain burn injuries. ABC10. January 2024.
• Rebecca Calisi Rodriguez in Conference childcare for scientists is starting to show signs of improvement. University Affairs. January 2024.
• Amir Zeki in Study explores whether a statin inhaler could relieve asthma, COPD. UPI. January 2024.

2023

• Pamela Lein in Toxic textiles: Potential health risks associated with toxic chemicals in clothing. Open Access Government. December 2023. 
• Irva Hertz-Picciotto in Maui residents wonder if their burned town can be made safe. The answer? No one knows. Courthouse News Service. November 2023. 
• Pamela Lein in Train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio: The toxic risks of transporting hazardous materials. Open Access Government. October 2023. 
• Shehnaz Hussain in New UC-backed research in helping California communities respond to the climate crisis. University of California. October 2023.
• Ian Faloona in California’s wildfire smoke and climate change: 4 things to know. CalMatters (and KQED, KPBS, etc.). September 2023. 
• Zhaodan Kong & Anthony Wexler in UCD: Drones can help spot wildifres earlier. The Davis Enterprise. September 2023.
• Anthony Wexler in Absence of smoke smell can still mean danger during wildfires. San Francisco Chronicle. September 2023.
• Shehnaz Hussain in Why do firefighters face higher risks for cancer? A California researcher plans to find out. Jefferson Public Radio. September 2023. 
• Mike Kleeman in Drought, heatwaves could worsen air quality for vulnerable populations. Los Angeles Times. September 2023. 
• Anthony Wexler in Scientists say pollution from California wildfires aggravating climate change. CalMatters. September 2023.
• Irva Hertz-Picciotto in People's tribunal on pesticide use and civil rights. KSQD Community Radio. September 2023. 
• Ian Faloona in Climate realities: Will orange skies become the new normal? KCBS Radio. September 2023.
• Cristina Davis in Parasitic Weeds Threaten Tomato Plants on California Farms. UC Davis. September 2023.
• Nicholas Spada and Bart Ostro in Using A.I. to Track Air Pollution From Open-Top Coal Trains. Smithsonian Magazine. September 2023. 
• Anthony Wexler in Wildfire smoke and climate change: 4 things to know. CalMatters. September 2023. 
• Deborah Bennett in New flame retardants found in breast milk years after similar chemicals were banned. NPR. August 2023. 
• Keith Bein in Exploring the link between wildfire smoke and cancer risk. UC Davis Health. August 2023.
• Ian Faloona in Wildfires and soil emissions increase air pollution in remote forests. KCBS Radio. August 2023. 
• Nicholas Spada and Bart Ostro in ‘How’s the Air?’ Using AI to Track Coal Train Dust. Undark. August 2023.
• Zhaodan Kong in Could drones help detect wildfires faster? UC Davis researchers think so. KCRA 3. August 2023.
• Zhaodan Kong in New Drone Research Advances Wildfire Monitoring. UC Davis News. August 2023. 
• Kent Pinkerton in Wildfire smoke may increase risk of brain disease, research suggests. Global News / The Canadian Press. August 2023. 
• Shehnaz Hussain, Irva Hertz-Picciotto, Janine LaSalle, Thomas Young, Cristina Davis in Cancer center researcher awarded grant to study lethal cancers in firefighters. UC Davis Health News. August 2023. 
• Shehnaz Hussain and Beth Rose Middleton in California Climate Action Grants Awarded to 4 UC Davis Projects. UC Davis News. August 2023.
• Kent Pinkerton in Wildfire smoke can damage the brain long after flames are extinguished, research says. The Canadian Press. August 2023. 
• Keith Bein in Where Does Wildfire Smoke Go When It Goes Away? Bloomberg News. August 2023. 
• Irva Hertz-Picciotto and Kent Pinkerton in After the blaze, coping with ‘fire brain.’ The Washington Post. August 2023.
• Anthony Wexler in New drone research advances wildfire monitoring. University of California News. August 2023. 
• Ian Faloona in Wildfire, soil emissions increasing air pollution in remote forests. UC Davis News. August 2023. 
• Catherine Brinkley in How hungry is California? Millions struggle to eat well in an abundant state. Cal Matters. August 2023.
• Pamela Lein in Inaugural Research Awards Promote UC Davis Collaborations. UC Davis Veterinary Medicine News. July 2023. 
• Zhaodan Kong in How tiny sensors in the forest are shaping the future of firefighting. Global News. July 2023. 
• Beth Rose Middleton Removing dams from the Klamath River is a step toward justice for Native Americans in Northern California in The Conversation. July 2023. 
• Pam Lein in The toxicological implications of e-waste in Open Access Government. July 2023.
• Zhaodan Kong and Cristina Davis in How sensors could help catch wildfires before they spread. The Washington Post. June 2023.  
• Randy Carney in NIH Provides Over $3M for Novel Nanotechnology to Detect Cancer in Biofluids. UC Davis College of Engineering News. June 2023.
• Angela Haczku in Wildfire smoke increases inflammation, lung disease risk. UC Davis Health. June 2023.
• Anthony Wexler in What’s actually in all that smoke you’re breathing. The Washington Post. June 2023. 
• Keith Bein in How real is smoke brain? The Atlantic. June 2023. 
• Keith Bein and Irva Hertz-Picciotto in How wildfire smoke affects your body—and how you can protect yourself in The National Geographic. June 2023. 
• Pamela Lein in Investigating OTC drugs: Are over-the-counter drugs an under-appreciated toxic danger? in Open Access Government. June 2023. 
• Joanna Chiu in Congrats to Joanna Chiu! in Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program at UC Davis. June 2023. 
• Shehnaz Hussain & Jackie Pena in Calling all citizen scientists who use wells! in UC Davis Health. June 2023.
• Kent Pinkerton and Keith Bein in What are the health risks from wildfire smoke? Reuters. June 2023. 
• Ian Faloona in When will the Delta breeze reach Sacramento? The Sacramento Bee. May 2023. 
• Jonathan London in Joining Climate Justice and Affordable Housing. The Davis Vanguard. May 2023
• Nicholas Spada in Coal Trains Increase Air Pollution in San Francisco Bay Area. UC Davis News. April 2023. 
• Irva Hertz-Picciotto in Wildland Fire Policy Recommendations. Federation of American Scientists. April 2023. 
• Nayamin Martinez in Environmental Justice in the San Joquain Valley. Water talk podcast. March 2023. 
• Randy Carney in NIH Awards $2.3M to ‘Detangle’ Complexity of Extracellular Vesicles. UC Davis College of Engineering News. March 2023. 
• Nayamin Martinez in Lanare: Free of a Major Dump Site! Community Alliance. March 2023.
• Ian Faloona in An interview with Ian C Faloona. Environmental Science: Atmospheres Blog. March 2023.
• Rebecca Schmidt in How does wildfire smoke impact pregnancy and children? UC Davis Health News. Februrary 2023. 
• Pam Lein in 8 From UC Davis Elected as AAAS Fellows. UC Davis News. January 2023. 
• Irva Hertz-Picciotto in New UC Davis documentary set to air on PBS. UC Davis News. January 2023. 
• Pam Lein in Military Burn Pits: A Toxic Legacy of War in Open Government. January 2023.
• Neil Hunter in Aged Before Their Time: Atrazine and Diminished Egg Quality in Mice. UC Davis College of Biological Sciences News. January 2023. 
• Pamela Lein in Dr. Pamela Lein Honored with 2023 AAVMC Excellence in Research Award. UC Davis Veterinary Medicine News. January 2023. 
• Ian Faloona in Northern California repeatedly struck by intense storms and power outages. The California Aggie. January 2023. 

2022

• Nicholas Kenyon in New study finds combination of telemedicine, in-person visits best fit for asthma care, in UC Davis Health news. January 2022.
• Jonathan London in Has California’a landmark law cleaned communities’ dirty air?, in Cal Matters. January 2022.
• Irva Hertz-Picciotto in NIH Program links smoking in pregnant moms to autism spectrum disorder in children, in PR Newswire. February 2022. 
• Pamela Lein in Forged in Fire: The Environmental Health Risks of Wildfires, in Open Access. February 2022. 
• Angela Haczku in Wildfire smoke increases inflammation, lung disease risk, in UC Davis Health. February 2022.
• Pamela Lein in Excersie can Build Up your Brain. Air Pollution may Negate those Effects, in the New York Times. February 2022.  
• Janine LaSalle in Placenta may hold clues for early autism diagnosis and intervention, in UC Davis Health News. February 2022.
• Irva Hertz-Picciotto in Placenta may hold clues for early autism diagnosis and intervention: Study identifies new gene linked to autism in toddlers, in Science Daily. February 2022.
• Hong Ji in Exposure to Wildfire Smoke altered DNA structure in Monkeys, in The Mercury News. March 2022.
• Pamela Lein in Are Animal CBD Products Safe?, in Open Access. March 2022. 
• Janine LaSalle in DNA tags in placenta point to possible autism-linked gene, in Spectrum News. March 2022.
• Janine LaSalle in UC Davis Mind Institute discovers potential marker for risk assessment, early diagnosis of autism, in The California Aggie. March 2022.
• Kent Pinkerton in How air quality impacts horse health, in The Horse: The guide to Equine Health. April 2022.
• Kent Pinkerton in Wildfire smoke exposure in early pregnancy affects infant monkey behavior, in Science Daily. April 2022. 
• Beth Rose Middleton in How the Indigenous practice of ‘good fire’ can help our forests thrive in University of California News. April 2022.
• Jonathan London in Environmental Justice Movement Gains Momentum in Sacramento, In UC Davis News. April 2022. 
• Cathrine Brinkley in Break the Cycle of Generational Poverty in The California Aggie. April 2022.
• Irva Hertz-Picciotto in NorCal doctors worry longer fire seasons could threaten everyone's long-term health, in KCRA 3. May 2022.
• Michael Kleeman in Adopting Low-Carbon Energy can Reduce Racial Disparities in Air Pollution, in UC Davis News. May 2022.
• Anthony Wexler in Why can’t smoggy SoCal improve air quality?, in Los Angeles Times. May 2022.
• Angela Haczku in 7 myths debunked: How to smartly treat Northern California seasonal allergies, in The Sacramento Bee. May 2022.
• Sanchita Bhatnagar in Alcyone Presents Preclinical Data on Gene Therapy, in PR Newswire. May 2022.
• Kent Pinkerton in Cal Fire on pace for a record year of arson arrests, in CBS Sacramento. June 2022.
• Hong Ji in Western Wildfires’ health risks extend across the country, in Science News Journal. June 2022.
• Judy Van de Water in A Mother’s Blood May Carry the Secret to One Type of Autism, in Neuroscience News. June 2022.
• Rebecca Schmidt in Study explores health effects of wildfire exposure on babies and pregnant people, in UC Davis Health. June 2022.
• Judy Van de Water in Autism linked to inflammatory bowel disease in parents, in Autism Spectrum News. June 2022. 
• Cathrine Brinkley in Global Food Supply-Chain Issues Call for Solutions in UC Davis News. June 2022.
• Anthony Wexler in The sun bakes wildfire smoke, changing its toxicity, in EOS.org. July 2022
• Kent Pinkerton in Smoke from raging wildfires can harm health, in Reuters. July 2022.
• Judy Van de Water in Using Blood to Uncover the Secrets of One Type of Autism, in SciTech Daily. July 2022.
• Kent Pinkerton in Wildfire Smoke is terrible for you. But what does it do to cows?, in WIRED Magazine. July 2022.
• Kent Pinkerton in Study finds link between congenital syphilis and socioeconomic factors in small/medium California counties, in News Medical Life Sciences. July 2022.
• Anthony Wexler in Here’s how climate change impacts air quality and what it means for you, in USA Today. July 2022.
• Irva Hertz-Picciotto in Preterm birth more likely with exposure to phthalates, in Science Daily. July 2022.
• Irva Hertz-Picciotto in Smoke from raging wildfires can harm health, in Reuters. July 2022.
• Mark Schenker in The DIY push to rid indoor air of COVID-19 in the Los Angles Times. July 2022.
• Judy Van de Water in Beyond the Bench: A conversation, in Spectrum News. August 2022.
• Keith Bein in Chasing Wildfires in UC Davis News. August 2022
• Beth Rose Middleton in Native groups seek to restore lands altered by European Colonization, in the Los Angles Times. August 2022.
• Naomi Hauser in Climate Change can worsen more than half of infectious diseases, in Medscape Medical News. August 2022. 
• Irva Hertz-Picciotto in Plastics Linked to Rising Rates of Autism, in Living on Earth. August 2022.  
• Kent Pinkerton in City of Folsom closes outdoor facilities due to ‘hazardous’ air quality, heat, and fire smoke raise the index, in KCRA 3, September 2022.
• Pamela Lein in Preventing Serious Brain Damage from Nerve Agents, in UC Davis News. September 2022. 
• Carolyn Slupsky in Why is Corn Syrup in So Many American Infant Formulas? In Undark Blog. September 2022.
• Angela Haczku in Health Effects of Wildfire, in Pulmonology Advisor. September 2022.
• Nicholas Kenyon in Climate change magnifies health impacts of wildfire smoke in care deserts, in USA Today, October 2022.
• Irva Hertz-Picciotto in Concerns about long-term health effects grow since 2017 North Bay wildfires, in The Press Democrat. October 2022.
• Jonathan London in In Sacramento, Home Buying Is A Near-Impossible Dream, in The Observer. October 2022.
• Pamela Lein in A “Halloween-esque” Twist of Global Climate Change, in Open Access. October 2022.
• Angela Haczku in Wildfire Smoke Alters immune cells, promoting inflammation, in Wildfire Today. October 2022.
• Naomi Hauser in Wildfre Smoke May Carry Deadly Fungi Long Distances in Wired. October 2022. 
• Tanya Khemet Taiwo in Midwives Are an Overlooked Climate Solution, in Wired.com. October 2022.
• Keith Bein in What is the environmental cost of Blue Angels flying over San Francisco?, in The San Francisco Chronicle. October 2022. 
• Crystal Rogers in Talking ‘Chonk’ with Crystal Rogers, in UC Davis Face to Face with the Chancellor News. October 2022. 
• Pamela Lein in Shellfish poisoning: A Neurotoxic consequence of global warming, in Open Access. October 2022. 
• Angela Haczku in Wildfire Smoke Can Activate Immune Cells Leading to a Long List of Diseases, in Scheer Post. November 2022.
• Irva Hertz-Picciotto in What the Air Quality Index doesn’t tell us about smoke dangers, in Crosscut Newsletter. November 2022.
• Angela Haczku in Finding safe haven in the climate change future: The Southwest, in Yahoo News. November 2022.​​​​​​
• Beth Rose Middleton in Faculty experts tackle the world’s grand challenges, in UC Davis Giving News. November 2022. 
• Pamela Lein in Too Hot to Handle: The human consequences of extreme heat, in Open Access. November 2022.
• Pamela Lein in The Fentanyl Crisis: The death at the end of the rainbow, in Open Access. December 2022. 
• Irva Hertz-Picciotto in Five faculty members make list of world’s top female scientists, in UC Davis News. December 2022. 
• Anthony Wexler in These Air-Purifying Headphones Are a Great Gift for Someone You Hate, in The Daily Beast. December 2022

2021

• Anthony Wexler in Air quality post-pandemic didn’t improve as previously suspected, in ABC10. March 2021. 
• Irva Hertz-Picciotto in Congress briefed on NIEHS disaster work preperation and resonse work, in Environmental Factor. March 2021. 
• Tanya Khemet Taiwo in Gestational diabetes rates during pregnancy on the rise, in The San Jose Mercury News. April 2021. 
• Jonathan London in California’s relentless droughts strain farming towns, in Inside Climate News. May 2021. 
• Jonathan London in Disadvantaged communities hit hardest by drought, in KRON. May 2021.
• Nayamin Martinez in Ag burning to stay here for another four years, in Community Alliance. May 2021.
• Cristina Davis in A COVID test as easy as breathing, in The New York Times.  July 2021. 
• Nayamin Martinez in Tulare County Ag Commissioner backtracks on pesticide study, in The Visalia Times Delta. July 2021. 
• Deborah Bennett in Pesticide study renews conflict between growers, environmental justice groups in Bakersfield.com. July 2021. 
• Jonathan London in Can California reduce dairy methane emissions equitably?, in Inside Climate News. August 2021. 
• Kent Pinkerton in Strike team fighting Caldor Fire pulled because of COVID outbreak, prompting warning, in The Sacramento Bee. September 2021. 
• Christian Sandrock in What does long COVID feel like? Read these stories and tips on how to get help, in The Sacramento Bee. November 2021.
• Rebecca Schmidt in Antibody Treatment Prevents Inflammation in Lungs, Nervous System in Macaques With SARS-CoV-2, in UC Davis News. November 2021.
• Phoebe Seaton in As UN tackles twin climate threats, California struggles with them, too, in ABC 10. November 2021.
• Phoebe Seaton in As UN tackles twin climate threats, California struggles with them, too, in Cal Matters. November 2021.
• Phoebe Seaton in Mientras la ONU aborda sus amenazas climáticas, California también lucha contra ellas, in Cal Matters. November 2021.
• Kevin Hamilton in Will Fresno County taxpayers continue to pay for suburban sprawl? Some say yes, in The Fresno Bee. November 2021.
• Cristina Davis and Heather Bischel in New Ways to detect COVID-19 in UCD College of Engineering. November 2021. 
• Phoebe Seaton in Luskin Center for Innovation investigates California’s response to extreme heat, in Daily Bruin. November 2021.
• Phoebe Seaton in Methane and Deforestation: The Twin Climate Threats That the UN, and California, Are Struggling to Tackle, in KQED. November 2021.
• Michael Kleeman in Hazy skies, poor air quality: Is port congestion worsening L.A. pollution?, in the Los Angeles Times. November 2021.
• Christian Sandrock in What does long COVID feel like?, in Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. November 2021.
• Ryan Jenson in Consolidating Small Water Systems Is a Springboard to Water Justice, in Public Policy Institute of California. November 2021.
• Michael Kleeman in As temperatures rise, air quality experts keep an eye on ‘ozone climate penalty’, in KVPR. November 2021.
• Irva Hertz-Picciotto in Burnout Firefighter trauma rises in the American West, in Reuters. November 2021. 
• Marc Schenker in For poor farmworkers, there is no escape from heat, high prices of California, in the Los Angeles Times. November 2021.
• Christian Sandrock in California COVID-19 Surge, the flu and vaccine equity: What to know this winter, in The Sacramento Bee. November 2021.
• Rebecca Schmidt in How toxic wildfire smoke affects pregnant people, in Environmental Health News. November 2021.
• Miguel Alatorre, Maricela Mares-Alatorre, & Jonathan London in Community-engaged research showcased in NIEHS-funded film, in Environmental Health Factor by NIEHS. December 2021. 
• Nayamin Martinez in California Failed to Protect Outdoor Workers from Wildfire Smoke Under Biden's New OSHA Chief, in KQED. December 2021.
• Marc Schenker in For poor farmworkers, there is no escape from heat, high prices of California, in Lincoln Journal Star. December 2021.
• Nayamin Martinez in California failed to protect outdoor workers from wildfire smoke under Biden's new OSHA chief, in Jefferson Public Radio. December 2021.
• Esperanza Vielma in Over 120,000 Supporters Urge Governor to Save Rooftop Solar, in Solar Industry. December 2021.
• Kevin Hamilton in Colchones y remoción de moho: Medi-Cal ofrecerá tratamientos no tradicionales a personas con asma, in Kaiser Health News. December 2021.
• Kevin Hamilton in Mattresses and mold removal: Medi-Cal to offer unconventional treatments to asthma patients, in Modern Healthcare. December 2021. 
• Irva Hertz-Picccioto in Plastics Linked to Rising Rates of Autism, in Living on Earth. December 2021.
• Irva Hertz-Picciotto in UC Davis leads grassroots effort to screen migrant workers and their families for COVID-19, in UC Davis Health Newsroom. December 2021.