Top Storieshttps://www.jacobsschool.ucsd.eduen-usCopyright 2026 Regents of the University of California.soecomm@soe.ucsd.edu (Editor)soeweb@soe.ucsd.edu (Webmaster)Fri, 28 Aug 2026 11:40:38Fri, 28 Aug 2026 11:40:38Thu, 27 Aug 2026 00:00:00https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4187https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4187A multidisciplinary team of researchers including computer scientists at UC San Diego has been awarded a $37.5 million grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) for a center aimed at designing practical and self-correcting quantum computers from top to bottom. Wed, 26 Aug 2026 00:00:00https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4185https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4185Chemical and nano engineering professor Zeinab Jahed has received a $1.9M National Institutes of Health (NIH) Maximizing Investigators Research Award (MIRA) to develop new technologies  that can provide a detailed look at how cells respond when their membranes are physically damaged. Fri, 21 Aug 2026 08:00:00https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4190https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4190For Roxanne Ehrig, the classroom and the track may seem like two different worlds, but each has taught her something about the other. The discipline required to balance structural engineering coursework with cross country and track & field has helped Ehrig develop a routine that allows her to succeed in both. Now entering her senior year, the Structural Engineering major in Muir College is taking those lessons beyond UC San Diego through professional experience, service and a growing vision for her future. Thu, 20 Aug 2026 00:00:00https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4181https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4181Engineers developed a new type of supercapacitor that can do more than store electricity — it can also provide structural support and be quickly disassembled into reusable parts. It could offer a more sustainable approach to energy storage for lightweight electric vehicles. Thu, 20 Aug 2026 00:00:00https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4184https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4184Bioengineers at UC San Diego have developed an online tool that helps biomedical researchers solve a well-known and persistent laboratory challenge: successfully measuring gene expression within a cell by way of reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction, or RT-qPCR. Wed, 19 Aug 2026 08:00:00https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4188https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4188When first-year students at UC San Diego School of Medicine step into the Professional Development Center to do their first simulated patient interactions, they don’t meet a mannequin or a computer program. They meet a person — a simulated patient who is trained to portray everything from new?onset chest pain to a difficult conversation about recurrent cancer. The center is also a frequent collaborator for faculty at Jacobs School of Engineering, including engineers developing humanoid robots and other technologies to streamline surgery and various medical procedures. Wed, 19 Aug 2026 08:00:00https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4189https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4189 Lindsey Burnett, MD, PHD, assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences (OBGYN & RS) in the Division of Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery at UC San Diego School of Medicine and director of the Pelvic Health After Birth Program at UC San Diego Health, teamed up with Ken Loh, PHD, TaylorMade Golf Chancellor’s Endowed Faculty Fellowship in Structural Engineering at UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering, to investigate whether progressive weight?bearing exercise can protect the pelvic floor. The researchers received a 2025 Galvanizing Engineering in Medicine award from the Institute of Engineering in Medicine for their Biomechanical Monitoring for Birth Injury Prevention pilot study. Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:00:00https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4186https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4186Toward lab tests and medical delivery, on the same microneedle patch. Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4182https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4182Inexpensive custom tiles designed by electrical engineers at UC San Diego can be used to reflect millimeter wave signals in ways that address path obstruction and improve wireless network coverage. Mon, 17 Aug 2026 00:00:00https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4183https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4183A new generation of bioelectronic technologies that integrate biology with advanced semiconductor systems will be developed at UC San Diego through a research contract from the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Thu, 13 Aug 2026 08:00:00https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4179https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4179Physical access to an aircraft has not typically been considered a cybersecurity risk – but it should be, according to a team of computer scientists at the University of California San Diego. In a paper presented Aug. 13 at the USENIX Security Symposium in Baltimore, Md, former UC San Diego PhD student Sam Crow showed that physical access to an aircraft – even for a brief period of time – would allow an attacker equipped with a custom-made hardware device to take over the communications between two key onboard computers. The device needs to be plugged into a port inside the plane’s belly – an action that the researchers estimate would take under 60 seconds. Fri, 07 Aug 2026 00:00:00https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4178https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4178Engineers have developed a strain of a common bacterial species that can feed exclusively on the three major sugars present in corn stalks. While the new multiple-sugar-consuming strain of the bacteria Pseudomonas putida is interesting in its own right, a new paper published in Nature Communications on July 29, 2026 outlines the broader implications of this project for the future of biomanufacturing.  Thu, 06 Aug 2026 08:00:00https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4180https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4180A robot that dances on command. A robot that behaves like a puppy – sometimes happy, sometimes sad. A robot that guides visitors on one floor of an engineering building.  These are some of the projects developed by students in a human-robot interaction class taught this spring by computer science professor Laurel Riek at the University of California San Diego. The class, CSE 190/276B, which is open to both graduate students and undergraduates, gives students an overview of the field. It culminates in a hands-on project where students work in groups to program a robot to interact with people in a setting of their choice.    Thu, 06 Aug 2026 00:00:00https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4177https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4177A research team led by engineers at UC San Diego was awarded up to $22.9M from ARPA-H to develop a soft, flexible robot that can safely and autonomously navigate through the tiny blood vessels of the brain and remove blood clots, expanding access to a life-saving stroke procedure. Fri, 31 Jul 2026 00:00:00https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4175https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4175UC San Diego materials scientists and engineers have found a better way to understand and stabilize hydroxyapatite, the calcium phosphate mineral that makes up much of our teeth and bones. By adding tiny amounts of europium, a rare-earth element that mimics calcium, the team discovered a way to make the material potentially more useful for medical imaging. Thu, 30 Jul 2026 00:00:00https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4173https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4173The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded University of California San Diego researchers a six-year $18M grant to fund a Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) focused on making new kinds of quantum materials. Thu, 30 Jul 2026 00:00:00https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4174https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4174Approximately 130 guests gathered in San Diego to honor the pioneering bioengineer Shu Chien and pediatrician Dr. K.C. Chien, who have been married for nearly seven decades. Thu, 30 Jul 2026 00:00:00https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4176https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4176After nearly 30 years of designing and building a formula race car powered by an internal combustion engine for the annual Formula Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) collegiate competition, the Triton Racing student team at UC San Diego flipped a switch in 2023 and went electric. For the first time, the team was able to bring a functioning formula race car running on its own battery power that they designed and built, to the Formula SAE Electric competition this June, representing three years of intense learning and work.  Mon, 27 Jul 2026 00:00:00https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4169https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4169A wearable fingertip patch could improve personalized care for people living with Parkinson’s disease by continuously tracking levels of Parkinson's medication through their sweat. The device operates using chemicals in this sweat — no batteries required. Its measurements were comparable to those obtained by standard laboratory blood tests. Mon, 27 Jul 2026 00:00:00https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4172https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4172Bioengineers at UC San Diego integrated the olfactory receptor of an insect called a jumping bristletail into semiconductor chips made of graphene, creating an electronic nose capable of sniffing out a wide variety of small organic compounds.  Fri, 24 Jul 2026 00:00:00https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4170https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4170Engineers created a smart ring that simultaneously and continuously monitors up to four different chemical biomarkers — a combination of glucose, ketones, vitamin C, uric acid, lactate or alcohol — from finger sweat. The technology could aid in diabetes management, nutrition tracking and more. Fri, 24 Jul 2026 00:00:00https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4171https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4171Rahul Parhi, faculty in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of California San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering, has received the 2026 Vasil A. Popov Prize. This prize recognizes distinguished research accomplishments in approximation theory and related areas of mathematics. Tue, 21 Jul 2026 08:00:00https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4168https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4168At least 2.2 million cars on the road today are vulnerable to an attack that allows thieves to lock and unlock doors and immobilize vehicle engines remotely via a Bluetooth connection, computer scientists at the University of California San Diego have found.    Thu, 16 Jul 2026 00:00:00https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4167https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4167Alumnus Garrett Smith is bringing his decades of experience across the innovation ecosystem back to San Diego, as founding managing partner of recently launched ReefHaven Ventures. The San Diego-focused venture capital fund is dedicated to early-stage medical technology startups, and, crucially, reinvesting back into the local innovation ecosystem. Wed, 15 Jul 2026 00:00:00https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4166https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4166For Parkinson's patients, the drug that restores movement can stop working reliably and cause involuntary movements of its own. A new candidate from UC San Diego-born biotech Sinopia Biosciences may fix both — boosting L-dopa's benefits while easing dyskinesia. Mon, 13 Jul 2026 00:00:00https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4163https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4163Bioengineers have developed a genome-scale reference map that details how individual genes control the functions and identities of human stem cells. This open-access resource could help researchers build virtual cell models for complex diseases, as well as design patient-specific treatments for these diseases. Mon, 13 Jul 2026 00:00:00https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4165https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4165A new XPS machine at the UC San Diego Qualcomm Institute is helping researchers advance work in battery technology, surface coatings and medical devices. Thu, 09 Jul 2026 00:00:00https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4160https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4160Nanoparticles made from the membranes of human immune cells could offer a promising new way to fight fungal infections that are becoming harder to treat. The antifungal nanoparticles target Candida albicans, a fungus responsible for oral and vaginal yeast infections as well as life-threatening bloodstream infections. In mice with severe Candida infections, the nanoparticles greatly reduced the amount of fungus in major organs and significantly improved survival. Because the nanoparticles physically damage the fungal cell, researchers believe it may be much harder for the fungus to evolve resistance. Wed, 08 Jul 2026 08:00:00https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4162https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4162For the first time, two teleoperated humanoid robots have been used to complete two surgeries during a preclinical trial, researchers report in the July 8 issue of the journal Nature. The work is the result of a collaboration between a team of engineers and a team of surgeons at the University of California San Diego.    Wed, 01 Jul 2026 00:00:00https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4158https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4158Engineers have developed an environmentally-friendly method to upcycle material from spent batteries into higher-performing parts. Their method transforms the cathode from LFP batteries — used in EVs and energy grids — into one that stores more energy. It worked on various types of LFP batteries from different manufacturers. Tue, 23 Jun 2026 00:00:00https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4157https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4157Researchers in obstetrics and engineering at UC San Diego were awarded up to $10.4 million from ARPA-H to enable more accurate identification of fetuses who are at risk of low oxygen during labor, as part of a larger effort to make birth safer in the U.S. Thu, 11 Jun 2026 00:00:00https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4156https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4156The Computer Science and Engineering Department at UC San Diego unveiled a new on-site data center that will accelerate computing and artificial intelligence research advances, while giving graduate students and other computer science researchers valuable, hands-on access to cutting-edge computing infrastructure.  Wed, 10 Jun 2026 00:00:00https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4150https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4150A new telescope technology — measuring just six millimeters in diameter — could improve how future space missions study and monitor the Sun while simplifying onboard hardware and reducing costs. The technology is built from a metasurface, which is a device engineered with nanoscale structures that manipulate light in unusual ways. In tests at the Dunn Solar Telescope in New Mexico, the metasurface captured scientifically meaningful data of the Sun's magnetic fields and sunspots. Wed, 10 Jun 2026 00:00:00https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4153https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4153UC San Diego computer science and mathematics professor Daniel M. Kane has been awarded the 2026 Gödel Prize, one of the highest honors in theoretical computer science. Tue, 09 Jun 2026 00:00:00https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4151https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4151A major security vulnerability that allows attackers to easily fake their identity in smartphone text conversations has been fixed in the United States thanks to a team of computer scientists at UC San Diego. Tue, 09 Jun 2026 00:00:00https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4152https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4152These six students were selected from the more than 1,300 graduating undergraduates in the Jacobs School of Engineering class of 2026 to receive Awards of Excellence from their academic department.  Fri, 05 Jun 2026 00:00:00https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4149https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4149A new pharmaceutical production method could allow astronauts on long space missions to "grow" fresh medicines on demand using plants. The work could also bring low-cost pharmaceutical production to resource-limited areas on Earth. Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4148https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4148Matthew Skotnicki, a lieutenant in the US Navy working towards a master’s in aerospace engineering at UC San Diego, got a close look at the NASA Artemis mission’s Orion capsule after it splashed down in San Diego upon its return from orbiting the far side of the moon.  Wed, 27 May 2026 00:00:00https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4147https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4147Engineers have developed an optical device that reveals hidden images and changes colors in response to different levels of humidity. The technology could lead to the development of new anti-counterfeiting labels, secure data storage, interactive displays and environmental sensors. Tue, 26 May 2026 00:00:00https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4146https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4146Engineers created a soft, wearable ultrasound patch that can continuously monitor a fetus for hours at a time, even during constant movement. The technology could help doctors detect complications earlier in high-risk pregnancies and expand access to prenatal care in low-resource areas. Thu, 14 May 2026 00:00:00https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4142https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4142The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering celebrated a significant milestone on April 10, 2026, marking six decades of educational excellence, transformative research and technological innovation. Thu, 14 May 2026 00:00:00https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4143https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4143UC San Diego researchers find that a simple technology that measures blood volume changes coupled with machine learning can be used to screen for peripheral artery disease with a high degree of accuracy. Wed, 13 May 2026 00:00:00https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4141https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4141Electrical engineers at UC San Diego developed an open-source digital twin of a wireless network: giving graduate students, startups and other innovators a free, easy-to-use way to test new technologies and get fast, realistic feedback.  Wed, 13 May 2026 00:00:00https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4144https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4144UC San Diego engineers have designed a new kind of satellite ground station that replaces bulky dishes with coordinated small antenna panels.  Thu, 07 May 2026 00:00:00https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4137https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4137UC San Diego electrical and computer engineering professor Yuanyuan Shi has been awarded the Michael R. Anastasio LANL-UC Early Career Faculty Fellowship from Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). Shi will work on developing an AI-driven framework to control and model complex physical systems. Thu, 30 Apr 2026 00:00:00https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4136https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4136More than 100 undergraduate students enrolled in UC San Diego’s new AI major took their first major-specific course, CSE 25: Intro to AI, over winter quarter. The class aims to introduce AI principles that the students will see repeatedly over the next four years, and level the playing field between students who may have taken AI coursework on their own, and students for whom this is all new material. Tue, 28 Apr 2026 00:00:00https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4135https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4135A stick-on gel for plants could offer a simple, safe and targeted way to treat diseases and pests. It can be loaded with substances, such as medicines, and applied directly onto a plant to deliver those materials into its tissues. In tests, the gel was used to clear a plant's bacterial infection. Thu, 23 Apr 2026 00:00:00https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4131https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4131A new chatbot could reliably help people decide what to do about their symptoms — and do so based on guidance that is both medically sound and easy to understand. Designed to improve self-triage, it could help reduce unnecessary hospital visits and ensure that those who need care seek it sooner. Thu, 23 Apr 2026 00:00:00https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4134https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4134Six teams from the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering have been awarded funding to accelerate interdisciplinary research collaborations that include an early-career faculty member. The big idea is to empower early-career faculty to build interdisciplinary research collaborations to the point that they are competitive for multi-year external funding. The effort is funded by Irwin Jacobs and his late wife, Joan. Tue, 21 Apr 2026 08:00:00https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4130https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release?id=4130Mechanical engineering Ph.D. student Songyuan Lu won the grand prize at this year’s Research Expo, where more than 150 students presented their research posters across the six departments at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering. Lu’s work focuses on computer-assisted surgery using MRI and augmented reality.