Health | UC Davis College of Letters and Science

Infographic showing heightened COVID-19 risks for U.S. detained immigrants: 59.6% previously had health insurance; 95.6% had access to stable housing before detention; 42.5% had a least one medical condition; 15.5% had two more more chronic conditions; 27.8% had high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes; and 16.7 percent had a neuropsychiatric condition. Of those with medical conditions, 20.9% reported interruption to medical care while detained.

Immigrants in ICE Detention Face High Risks in COVID-19 Pandemic

March 16, 2021

Society and Culture

Those imprisoned in immigration detention facilities across the country face underlying health conditions and often have chronic illnesses that would expose them to greater risk with COVID-19, a new UC Davis study suggests.

Vials of COVID vaccines lined up on a countertop

A Third of Americans Say They Are Unlikely or Hesitant to Get COVID-19 Vaccine

February 02, 2021

Society and Culture

News reports indicate COVID-19 vaccines are not getting out soon enough nor in adequate supplies to most regions, but there may be a larger underlying problem than shortages. A UC Davis study found that more than a third of people nationwide are either unlikely or at least hesitant to get a COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available to them.

Photo of UC Davis historian Andres Resendez set over an historic map of Magellan's voyage

Historian Awarded Prestigious Carnegie Fellowship

by Kathleen Holder
May 11, 2020

College News

Andrés Reséndez, a professor of history at UC Davis whose groundbreaking research revealed the breadth of Native American enslavement, will study the lasting global impacts of Magellan's voyage with the support of a 2020 Carnegie Fellowship.

Illustration with graph with dropping red line, covered with a face mask and U.S. and European currency

Coronavirus Economic Effects Might Last Decades, UC Davis Research Suggests

April 02, 2020

Society and Culture

Economists studied 12 pandemics occurring since the 14th century

The economy could be suffering the effects of the coronavirus for decades, suggest UC Davis economists who researched the financial effects of pandemics dating back to the 14th century.

Photo of UC Davis graduate student in front of her desk, computer behind her.

How Flu Vaccine Misinformation Spreads Online

December 10, 2019

Society and Culture

Social media are a powerful tool to spread information — and misinformation — about health issues such as vaccines and cancer prevention. How does bad information spread online, and what is the best way to stop it? That is a topic being studied by Assistant Professor Jingwen Zhang and her students in the UC Davis Department of Communication.

When Viral Messages Pose Health Threats

Like a disease detective, Jade (Jieyu) Ding Featherstone is on the hunt for a rising global threat to public health. But her territory is Twitter and her target is vaccine misinformation.

For her doctoral research in the Department of Communication, Featherstone is tracking anti-vaccination tweets. Among questions she is exploring: Are there central players behind them? If so, are they bots or humans? Who retweets anti-vaxx messages? What works best in countering their false claims?

David Olson, assistant professor of chemistry, in his lab, speaking with Alaysia Madison, a chemistry student visiting from Xavier University.

Two New Startups from the Department of Chemistry

by Becky Oskin
July 23, 2019

Science

Technologies developed at UC Davis enabled the foundation of 14 startup companies during the fiscal year ending June 30, 2019. Two of the startups were founded by faculty in the College of Letters and Science.

Woman standing in kitchen and looking at a tablet.

Facts Go Farther Than Personal Stories in Promoting Cancer Prevention on Social Media

July 02, 2019

Society and Culture

When it comes to cancer prevention messaging, clear information from trusted organizations has greater reach on social media than personal accounts of patients, new UC Davis research suggests.

Access to Food Stamps Improves Children’s Health and Reduces Medical Spending

December 05, 2018

Society and Culture

In a new policy brief, Chloe N. East (Ph.D., economics, ’16), an assistant professor of economics at the University of Colorado Denver, examines how parental eligibility for the Food Stamp Program affects children's well-being and healthcare expenses, with a particular focus on U.S.-born children of immigrants.

Side by side photos: one with 11 rocks painted with chicken, bird, Snoopy, Dalmation, cat, castle and other designs. Second image shows back of a rock with message: Post on Facebook UC Davis Rocks

Rock Stars: Group Leaves Painted Messages of Hope

August 13, 2018

College News

Two UC Davis staff members, backed by a growing corps of volunteers, are spreading color, creativity and kindhearted messages around campus with vibrantly painted rocks. Kim Pearson and Martha Garrison, who work in the arts administrative group in the College of Letters and Science, launched UC Davis Rocks this spring. The group paints flat rocks with bright designs and words like “Imagine,” “Dream” and “Smile,” then hides them—often in plain sight—for others to find.