Overview: The University of California Riverside’s Division of Biomedical Sciences hosted its Spring Health & Wellness Lecture Series, inviting researchers, students, and community members to discuss health issues relevant to the Inland Empire region. The event emphasized the importance of making science accessible and engaging the community in health research. Panelists presented on topics including inflammatory bowel disease, autism spectrum disorders, air quality and health, cancer drug discovery, and HIV and drugs of abuse. The Division plans to host its next lecture in the fall, with a focus on engaging community groups and disease advocacy organizations ahead of time to help shape the program’s content.
Aryana Noroozi
University of California Riverside researchers, graduate students and community members recently came together for an interactive panel discussion on health issues relevant to the Inland Empire region.
The free, public event was the program’s soft opening in Riverside, serving as a new chapter for a series that previously ran in Palm Desert. It was designed as much to listen as to inform. Before the panel began, attendees were invited to contribute to a live word cloud, shaping the conversation around what they most wanted to learn about.
“The purpose is two way,” said Monica J. Carson, PhD, Professor and Chair of the Division of Biomedical Sciences, who moderated the event. “We would like to share things that we know about – how does research help health, what are the actual facts – but we also need to know what people want to know about, [whether] it’s really cool and interesting, or they’re concerned about it.”
Five researchers presented in short, accessible segments on topics spanning inflammatory bowel disease, autism spectrum disorders, air quality and health, cancer drug discovery, HIV and drugs of abuse. Panelists were featured specifically for their research relevance to the region’s population, demographics and health challenges.
A recurring theme throughout the evening was the importance of making science accessible. Graduate student Charly Acevedo, who spoke on inflammatory bowel disease, reflected on the challenge of communicating research to their own community.
“All my family members just speak Spanish, so I try to explain things to them in the simplest terms I can,” Acevedo said. “When I really sit down with them and explain what’s going on and how this research projects to future findings and medications – that’s what makes it click.”
Fellow graduate student Sakina Tayabally echoed the sentiment, noting that learning to speak to a general audience was itself key to engagement around health outcomes.
“It’s very easy for me to talk to my family because they can catch a lot of what I’m saying, but when I talk to some other people in the community, they don’t understand,” she said. “I have to remind myself to tone it down.”
Faculty panelists also addressed the region’s broader challenges in building a life sciences ecosystem. Maurizio Pellecchia, PhD, who researches cancer drug discovery, spoke candidly about the financial and structural barriers facing biotech development in Riverside County, including the difficulty of attracting venture capital investment to the region compared to established surrounding hubs like San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego.
“We are so close to LA and San Diego that we tend to farm out the talent we have trained,” he said, adding that growing local biotech companies was key to keeping that talent and attracting outside investment in the region.
Despite those challenges, panelists closed the evening on an optimistic note. “Science is exciting,” said Iryna Ethell, PhD, who studies autism spectrum disorders. “Don’t be afraid to try new things. If you have a good idea and you think it’s worth pursuing, go for it.”
For Dr. Carson, the event represented a meaningful first step toward something larger – a sustained, community-driven dialogue between UCR researchers and the people they serve.
“This is not solving everything, but you can’t even get to conversation until you start having some moments of interaction,” she said. “We need to know who we each are, and we need to know what are those questions.”
Looking ahead, the Division plans to host its next lecture in the fall, with a focus on engaging community groups and disease advocacy organizations ahead of time to help shape the program’s content. Organizers are also encouraging community members to reach out directly with topics they’d like to see addressed in future sessions.
Another installment of the Health & Wellness Lecture Series is planned for Fall 2026.
If you have a health topic you’d like discussed at upcoming Lecture Health Series send an email to biomedsci@medsch.ucr.eduwith Subject linet: Health & Wellness Series.