What kind of research and news does UCLA highlight on its website?

Updated

UCLA's homepage highlights research through its News and Features section, drawing items from UCLA Newsroom. The featured stories span a wide range of disciplines — from paleontology and atmospheric science to medical economics and library history — reflecting the university's stated mission to "advance knowledge" and "address pressing societal needs." If you want a quick read on what UCLA is currently publicizing about its research, this section is the place to start.

Where the research news lives

The homepage organizes research coverage primarily under News and Features, with headlines sourced from UCLA Newsroom. A separate Top Stories area surfaces higher-profile items, such as major awards and student profiles, alongside the research reporting.

What the featured research looks like

The stories shown on the page illustrate the breadth of topics UCLA chooses to highlight:

Topic What the story covers Source
Paleontology Using fossilized teeth to estimate that T. rex had a body temperature close to humans, 66 million years after the fact UCLA Newsroom
Atmospheric science A UCLA study showing atmospheric dust — which has a slight cooling effect — dropped about 10% since 2003, and what that means for global warming UCLA Newsroom
Medical economics A UCLA study finding that "biosimilar" alternatives to cancer drugs cost insurers and patients less than brand-name biologics UCLA Newsroom
Library history A UCLA College podcast exploring the history, collections and lore of the Clark Library ahead of its centennial UCLA Newsroom

These examples show the site does not restrict itself to one field. Natural sciences, climate, health policy and cultural history all appear side by side.

How this reflects UCLA's stated aims

The site frames its research around two ideas: advancing knowledge and addressing pressing societal needs. The featured stories map onto that framing — a dinosaur temperature study is basic science, while the biosimilar cost study speaks directly to treatment affordability. The diversity of topics is presented as a deliberate feature of the university, which describes itself as "enriched by diverse perspectives."

What else appears alongside the research

Beyond News and Features, the homepage includes:

  • Top Stories — awards and community profiles, such as a UCLA faculty member winning a MacArthur Fellowship and an incoming first-generation student's journey.
  • A Chancellor quote block — Chancellor Frenk describing his commitment to public service across academia, social policy and public health.
  • What's on at UCLA — a calendar of events, including community gatherings, book talks and symposia.

So the research reporting sits within a broader mix of institutional news, events and community stories rather than in isolation.

How to use this

If you are looking for UCLA's latest research output, scan News and Features and follow the UCLA Newsroom attribution, which points to the original reporting. If you want the university's own framing of its research mission, the homepage language about advancing knowledge and addressing societal needs gives you that context directly. For time-sensitive items, note that the page shows dated entries, so checking back or going to UCLA Newsroom will give you the most current coverage.