A Smarter Way for AI to Understand Text and Images

February 10, 2026

A new method trains artificial intelligence systems to more reliably solve complex problems that require interpreting both text and images. In tests, AI models trained with this method outperformed others in solving math word problems containing images such as charts and diagrams. Full Story

UC San Diego Bioengineer Joins NSF Center for Pandemic Insights

February 10, 2026

UC San Diego bioengineering professor Kiana Aran has been selected to join the NSF Center for Pandemic Insights. Full Story

How Much Does Chatbot Bias Influence Users? A Lot, It Turns Out

February 9, 2026

Customers are 32% more likely to buy a product after reading a review summary generated by a chatbot than after reading the original review written by a human. That’s because large language models introduce bias, in this case a positive framing, in summaries. That, in turn, affects users’ behavior. These are the findings of the first study to show evidence that cognitive biases introduced by large language models, or LLMs, have real consequences on users’ decision making.   Full Story

After a Heart Attack, the Heart Talks to the Brain - and the Brain Responds

February 6, 2026

Researchers at the University of California San Diego have discovered an unexpected communication circuit between the heart, brain and immune system that shapes how the heart responds after a heart attack. The findings, published in Cell, reveal that signals triggered by cardiac injury travel to the brain and then feed back to the heart through neural and immune pathways, amplifying inflammation and tissue damage.   Full Story

In LA Times, UC San Diego Fusion Researchers Present Need for Stronger Fusion R&D Strategy

February 3, 2026

Without a coordinated national strategy, the United States could lose its lead in fusion, a field that will be required for any country’s energy dominance in the future. This is according to an opinion piece published in the Los Angeles Times by Mike Campbell, a professor of practice at UC San Diego and president of Fusion Power Associates; Farhat Beg, a mechanical engineering professor at UC San Diego and vice president of Fusion Power Associates; and Mihir Worah, the chief executive of MIFTI Fusion.   Full Story

Hydrogen Power Gets a Spark — Thanks to Supercomputing

January 28, 2026

Thanks to U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) ACCESS allocations, UC San Diego mechanical engineers are leading efforts to tame hydrogen flames with highly precise simulations that could reshape how we design tomorrow’s zero-carbon gas turbines. Full Story