Brandon Brown, PhD, a professor in the Department of Social Medicine, Population, and Public Health at the UC Riverside School of Medicine, has been conducting numerous community partnered research projects focused on HIV and the ethics of participant payment. Noting multiple barriers to community involvement as part of the research...

On Saturday, October 4, the UCR School of Medicine held its 2025 Celebration of Medical Education Gala. The annual event, which was attended by 352 people, raised nearly $193,000 for the school’s Mission Award Scholarship to support medical students who commit to practicing in the underserved local region. See a...

A community open house at the new School-Linked Trauma-Informed Program (STAR Program) in Riverside celebrated the grand opening of a new community hub for child and adolescent behavioral health sciences. The STAR Program will provide trauma-informed, school-linked therapy for children, youth, and families, while also housing a program that is...

While studying for the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1, UCR School of Medicine student Daniel Vasquez found himself plateauing on practice tests with a score just below the passing range. So, he made an appointment with Christina M. Granillo, PhD, director of the Office of Academic Success...

A UCR School of Medicine delegation traveled to Washington, D.C., to participate in the Rally for Medical Research on September 18, 2025. The UCR delegation was part of more than 400 researchers and experts who visited congressional offices to advocate for sustained investment in medical research. The UCR SOM delegation...

Recent student research projects at the UCR School of Medicine have investigated nationwide trends in contraceptive use, the link between blood pressure medications and pre-cancerous skin conditions, the development of Alzheimer's disease among patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in minority communities, and more. The common element? The projects rely...

Congressman Raul Ruiz, MD, MPH, MPP (Calif.-25), a founding faculty member of the UCR School of Medicine who created the Future Physician Leaders Pathway Program, has been named one of five recipients of the 2025 AAMC ACE Award for Advocacy, Collaboration, and Education. The award recognizes individuals who partner with...

The UCR School of Medicine on Wednesday hosted the 2025 Celebration of Women in Medicine and Science, an annual event that recognizes women's advancements in those fields. This year's event featured Deborah Prothrow-Stith, MD, dean of the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science College of Medicine and founding...

For Lisa R. Fortuna, MD, MPH, MDiv, a love of working with children and helping them transition successfully to adulthood initially drew her to specialize in pediatrics. Yet she soon noticed that young people were at a particularly critical stage of their lives regarding their mental health. “Even though it's...

When CJ Lee, chief strategy officer for UC Riverside Health, decided to attend UCR for his bachelor’s degree decades ago, he didn’t realize the decision would shape his entire career in healthcare. With his choice at that time between UC Berkeley and UCR for business school, the Northern California native...

The UC Riverside School of Medicine welcomed 91 medical students and five biomedical sciences students at the annual White Coat Ceremony at the Student Recreation Center on Friday, August 8, 2025. This was the 13th White Coat Ceremony in the school's history and the culmination of five days of orientation...

While returning to UC Riverside to serve as the keynote speaker for the 2024 graduation ceremony, UCR alumnus Peter Igarashi, MD, paused to reflect on his experiences as a student in the Division of Biomedical Sciences at UCR, which celebrated its 50th anniversary this year. Igarashi, who grew up in...

A few years ago, the UCR Health - La Quinta pediatrics clinic was just an idea on a piece of paper. For Steve Reyes, PhD, the strategic planning and project manager in the UCR School of Medicine Department of Strategic Initiatives, helping such ideas become reality is a favorite part...

When a friend asked James Elkins, UCR School of Medicine class of 2025, to help at an immigration shelter as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), Elkins imagined migrants as people escaping persecution to find safety in their new home. “I had this thought in my head that I'm going to...

A few months ago, a patient at the Coachella Valley Free Clinic had an uncommon reaction to a routine blood pressure test. Seeing the high blood pressure reading, the patient began hyperventilating until UC Riverside biomedical sciences master’s student Valeria Barrientos spoke to her in Spanish, helping to calm her...

The University of California, Riverside School of Medicine celebrated the graduation of 74 students in the class of 2025 at its annual Commencement and Hippocratic Oath Ceremony on Friday, June 6, 2025 at the UCR Student Recreation Center. See a photo gallery of the event Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences...

Marina Joseph: Overcoming Self-Doubt to Thrive in Medical School A few days before Marina Joseph’s very first final exam as a medical student, her bag containing her laptop, iPad, and all her notes was stolen. At the time, Joseph, a member of the UCR School of Medicine Class of 2025...

Isaac Owusu-Frimpong, financial administrative officer in the Division of Biomedical Sciences, was named the recipient of the UCR School of Medicine Values in Action Award (VIAA) at the quarterly Town Hall meeting on Tuesday, June 3, 2025. Owusu-Frimpong was honored for his "unwavering commitment to the SOM values," and for...

UCR Health announced on Tuesday, June 3, a major expansion of its clinical footprint, with a signed letter of intent targeting an initial 21 acres in Riverside at the intersection of Valley Springs Parkway and Gateway Drive. The vision for the site will include an outpatient diagnostic center and possible...

Cutting meat at his grocery store job one day, then 19-year-old Paul Patlan had a realization. “I was like, if I don't do something, this is going to be my life and I'm never going to be able to give my children the childhood that I always wanted,” recalled Patlan...