MCDB professor Chuck Samuel has been selected as this year’s Faculty Research Lecturer, which is the highest honor the UCSB faculty can bestow on one of its members. Dr. Samuel was selected by his peers in recognition of his extraordinary achievements in research and scholarly work, as well as his outstanding professional competence and international impact in his field. One component of this award is the honor of presenting a lecture of interest to a broad community of scholars and a cultivated public during an event in fall quarter of 2017 with an associated reception.

The Art of Science competition is an annual event where undergraduates, graduate students, and postdocs are invited to submit images that "capture the imagination and share the beauty of science." The event is hosted and sponsored by The Schuller Lab and the Center for Science and Engineering Partnerships (CSEP) at the California Nanosystems Institute (CNSI) together with the College of Creative Studies and UCSB Library. This year was the 4th annual competition. Over 60 submissions were received this year and the award ceremony was held on March 15.

In the ancient Japanese art of origami, paper must be folded precisely and following a specific order to create the desired result — say, a crane or lotus flower. It’s a complex pursuit that requires keen attention to detail and utmost accuracy. An equally precise biological process in living cells gives rise to proteins, the large biomolecules essential for life. Seeking to illuminate a piece of this biological puzzle, an international team of scientists, including UC Santa Barbara cell biologist Diego Acosta-Alvear, examined the role of a central UPR component, a stress sensor protein called IRE1 (inositol-requiring enzyme 1), in atherosclerosis. The researchers found that blocking IRE1 with a small molecule prevented the progression of atherosclerosis in mice. The findings appear in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

MCDB neuroscientist Kenneth Kosik has been studying the brain for decades. His UC Santa Barbara neurobiology lab focuses on the evolution of synapses that connect neurons and the genetics of Alzheimer’s disease. In particular, Kosik’s team is interested in the underlying molecular basis of plasticity and how protein translation at synapses affect learning. In a new paper published in the journal Neuron, Kosik explores the nature of brain plasticity and proposes a theory about how neurons learn.