Rare research on the effects of a pandemic undertaken during an ongoing disaster shows that COVID-19 has severely affected people’s daily emotional lives and mental health, increasing their stresses the longer lockdowns, fear of getting sick and financial strains continue.

The UC Davis Public Scholarship and Engagement Program has awarded funding to 14 new research projects, including five to faculty in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, that will address diverse issues such as climate change, the welfare of families, and cultivating a new grain crop. 

The sticky business of sugar-sweetened beverages will be the topic of an online panel discussion with California Assemblymember Richard Bloom, D-Santa Monica, and an expert from the University of California, Davis, at 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 27.

Bloom, who authored a bill to tax soda in California, and UC Davis Assistant Professor Jennifer Falbe will discuss health risks and the addictive nature of sugary drinks, how soda taxes fund critical public health programs, and the story of California’s fight against Big Soda.

The COVID-19 shelter-in-place orders and other limitations could offer researchers the chance to use technology to decrease the digital divide and disparities in academic research, suggests a University of California, Davis, professor in a new commentary.

A faculty member’s 2019 book about electric utility co-ops is receiving renewed attention amid Gov. Gavin Newsom’s threat of a state takeover of Pacific Gas and Electric Co. and a state senator’s legislative proposal to do the same.

The book’s author, Keith Taylor, community economic development specialist in the Department of Human Ecology, said: “What I am hearing a lot about is, a) Can we swap out PG&E for a co-op, and b) Do they work?

Even when he was a boy growing up in Marin County, Daniel Choe wondered why some kids were more prone to behavioral problems.

“Some of my peers got involved with drugs, fighting and crime,” said Choe, who is now an assistant professor in the CA&ES Department of Human Ecology. “I felt bad seeing them damage their minds and bodies and futures. In retrospect, I see it gave me empathy for why people make certain choices. It made me wonder, ‘How can we prevent and treat behavioral problems so people can lead more fulfilling lives?’.”

The University of California, Davis, is investing $4 million over three years to launch four new research centers that align campus strengths with unique opportunities for global impact. The UC Davis Office of Research initiative is designed to promote new, sustainable, inter- and multidisciplinary research activity that responds to society’s greatest challenges and needs. 

Depression is a debilitating condition that affects millions of people around the world. It usually starts early in life and can limit educational, economic and social opportunities.

Early intervention can help doctors prevent and treat depression, but there isn’t a good screening tool, and most of what we know about depression is based on clinical trials in high-income countries where only a small percentage of young people live.

Just as we might have guessed, those tasty, sugar-sweetened beverages that increase risk of diabetes and other chronic diseases may actually be addictive. Youth between 13 and 18 years of age who were deprived of sugary drinks for just three days reported headaches, cravings and other withdrawal symptoms, according to a University of California study with researchers from both the Davis and Berkeley campuses.

A new breed of ranchers is bringing diverse demographics and unique needs to rangeland management in California. These first-generation “ranchers” are often young, female and less likely to, in fact, own a ranch. But like more traditional rangeland managers, this new generation holds a deep love for the lifestyle and landscapes that provide a wealth of public benefit to California and the world.