UCLA scientists find H1N1 flu virus prevalent in animals in Africa

Thomas B. Smith, Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and colleagues, recently discovered the first evidence of the H1N1 virus in animals in Africa. In one village in northern Cameroon, a staggering 89 percent of the pigs studied had been exposed to the H1N1 virus, commonly known as the swine flu.

UCLA psychologists discover a gene’s link to optimism, self-esteem

Shelley E. Taylor, distinguished professor in the department of Psychology, is senior author of new research that has identified for the first time, a particular gene’s link to optimism, self-esteem, and “mastery,” the belief that one has control over one’s own life— three critical psychological resources for coping well with stress and depression.