2023 – UC Irvine Wen Public Health

The Orange Country Register, December 29, 2023

Health officials say Tustin hangar fire didn’t pose big health risk

"The data [is] reassuring because they show no ongoing contamination risk to people in the surrounding neighborhoods...while initial concerns were warranted, the exposure is not something to continue worrying about." (Oladele Ogunseitan)

Medical News Today, December 22, 2023

Why are cases of HIV infections on the rise among girls?

"Sexual violence, and particularly intimate partner violence often puts young women at risk. Young women are at higher risk for HIV than other groups in Southern African countries...[with] partners who are decades older in age, and thus have longer lifetime exposure to HIV." (Tetyana Vasylyeva)

Medpage Today, December 22, 2023

MedPod Today: Long COVID and Stem Cells; An Unusual Pregnancy; New Cannabinoids

"These treatments are experimental, so there's no evidence that they actually work in long COVID. Patients may not be helped at all. On top of that, there's an obvious possibility for financial scams." (Leigh Turner)

LAist: The LA Report, December 21, 2023

Heavy Rain, Snow, Flooding from SoCal Storm, New COVID Subvariant, & Holiday Travel Tips

"JN.1 is the fastest growing variant in the U.S. according to the CDC... it’s sub-variant of omicron but a change to it’s spike protein seems to help the virus escape our immunity. When there’s a mutation in the protein, it’s able to evade previous immune responses that we may have developed and therefore become a better infector." (Andrew Noymer)

LAist, December 21, 2023

Coronavirus Subvariant JN.1 Spreading Fast In LA County

"When there’s a mutation in the protein, it’s able to evade previous immune responses that we may have developed and become a better infector. I expect JN.1 to become the dominant variant, both worldwide and here in California by the end of the winter." (Andrew Noymer)

Healio, December 14, 2023

Use ‘more precise’ CVD risk scores to target therapy intensity for people with diabetes

"Diabetes remains a global epidemic and the burden of disease is expected to reach more than 12% by 2045. Data show peripheral artery disease and heart failure are the most common first manifestations of CVD for people with diabetes, followed by angina and nonfatal myocardial infarction." (Nathan D. Wong)

Youtube, December 14, 2023

Explore the Impact of Toxic Wastes with Dele Ogunseitan and Elif Kongar

"Overconsumption is both a pull and a push; the pull is the demand that consumers have to use products that hopefully improves the quality of life and health; the push is the platform that we have now that has exceeded all expectations in terms of producing consumer products and the capacity is such that they have to keep producing to make profit." (Oladele Ogunseitan )

Orange County Business Journal, December 14, 2023

Technology: Bernadette Boden-Albala

"UCI’s Program in Public Health is currently transitioning to become the School of Population and Public Health, which will be housed in the Susan & Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences, located on Michael Drake Drive." (Bernadette Boden-Albala)

LAist, December 14, 2023

Tustin Residents, We Asked Your Questions About The Hangar Fire. Here’s What We Found Out

"So far, the data which has been shared shows very low levels of these toxicants, but it is hard to tell the amount released into the air during the early hours of the fire igniting. That's because air quality testing for asbestos and other potential toxins didn't take place until the afternoon of Nov. 7 — about 12 hours after the fire began, according to public documents." (Oladele Ogunseitan)

Huffpost, December 12, 2023

5 Things Doctors Always Do To Avoid Getting Sick At The Holidays

"Sleep deprivation, even after just one poor night’s sleep, can take a pretty significant toll on your well-being. During stints where you don’t get enough sleep, your body produces less infection-fighting antibodies and cells." (Bernadette Boden-Albala)