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The Regents of the University of California
 

bureau briefs

CALIFORNIA NANOSYSTEMS INSTITUTE

Chancellor Albert Carnesale recently appointed Fraser Stoddart, an internationally renowned chemist who will occupy UCLA’s Fred Kavli Chair in nanosystems sciences, director of the California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI). Stoddart’s areas of expertise encompass a wide range of nano-related topics and include carbon nanotubes, chemical sensors, dynamic combinatorial libraries, nanoelectronics and nanoelectromechanical systems. He is a pioneer in the development of the mechanical bond in chemistry. “Fraser Stoddart is widely recognized as one of the most innovative organic chemists in the world,” Carnesale said. “Under Fraser’s leadership, the CNSI will conduct world-class research at the frontier of science and technology.” CNSI is a joint enterprise between UCLA and UC Santa Barbara.

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA

The University of California Board of Regents is slated to decide on principles for determining priorities for the 2004-05 budget when it meets Nov. 19-20 at Covel Commons. The board’s Committee on Finance will discuss the budget on Nov. 19 before approving principles that will guide the regents’ decision in formulating a plan to absorb a possible 20% budget reduction next year, as requested by the California Department of Finance. On Nov. 20, the regents’ Committee on Educational Policy will discuss a status report on UC student eligibility and admissions issues. To see a full agenda, go to www.universityofcalifornia.edu/regents/regmeet/nov03.html. Live audio broadcasts of open sessions will be available via the Internet. For a link to the broadcasts, go to: www.universityofcalifornia.edu/regents/meetings.html.

NEUROPSYCHIATRIC INSTITUTE

Researchers at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute found significant improvement in verbal recall among a group of people with age-associated memory impairment who took the herbal supplement ginkgo biloba for six months, compared with a group who took a placebo. The study found that for subjects taking ginkgo, improved recall correlated with better brain function in key brain memory centers. However, actual changes in brain metabolism, measured by positron emission tomography (PET), did not differ significantly between the two volunteer groups. A larger sample size using PET may be needed to better measure and understand the impact of ginkgo biloba on brain metabolism, said Linda Ercoli, lead study author and assistant clinical professor at NPI.