Kara J. Manke

Berkeley News • 1st June 2021

Analysis reveals global ‘hot spots’ where new coronaviruses may emerge

Global land-use changes — including forest fragmentation, agricultural expansion and concentrated livestock production — are creating “hot spots” favorable for bats that carry coronaviruses and where conditions are ripe for the diseases to jump from...

Berkeley News • 10th May 2021

As global climate shifts, forests’ futures may be caught in the wind

Forests’ ability to survive and adapt to the disruptions wrought by climate change may depend, in part, on the eddies and swirls of global wind currents, suggests a new study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley.

Berkeley News • 16th December 2020

Camera traps document wildlife’s return to Gorongosa National Park

Animal populations in Mozambique’s Gorongosa National Park have recovered in the decades since civil war wiped out most of the region’s large mammals. But, new research shows that the distribution of species remains different than it was before the war.

Berkeley News • 27th August 2020

Prior Zika virus infection increases risk of severe dengue disease

Getting sick with the mosquito-borne Zika virus makes people more vulnerable to developing dengue disease later on, and to suffering from more severe symptoms when they do get sick from dengue, finds a new study published online today (Thursday, Aug....

Berkeley News • 14th August 2020

Historical redlining linked to premature births, smaller babies

Past discriminatory housing practices may play a role in perpetuating the significant disparities in infant and maternal health faced by people of color in the U.S., suggests a new study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley.

Berkeley News • 13th August 2020

Systemic racism hurts not just humans, but urban biodiversity

Racial and socioeconomic inequality is not only harmful to humans, but is also impacting the biodiversity and ecological health of plants and animals in our cities, according to a new review paper published online today (Thursday, August 13) in the...

Berkeley News • 11th August 2020

Should we sequence newborns’ DNA? The answer is complicated, study finds

A new study led by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley; the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF); and Tata Consultancy Services is the first to comprehensively assess the potential of genomic sequencing to reveal health...

Berkeley News • 5th August 2020

Warming climate may bring more West Nile outbreaks to Southern California

As climate change heats up the weather in Southern California, coastal populations from San Diego to Santa Barbara may face an increased risk of contracting West Nile virus and other mosquito-borne diseases, suggests a new study led by researchers at...

Berkeley News • 17th July 2020

Pesticides speed the spread of deadly waterborne pathogens

Widespread use of pesticides and other agrochemicals can speed the transmission of the debilitating disease schistosomiasis, while also upsetting the ecological balances in aquatic environments that prevent infections, finds a new study led by...

Berkeley News • 8th July 2020

From lung scarring to heart damage, COVID-19 may leave lingering marks

For some individuals with COVID-19, recovering from the acute phase of the infection is only the beginning. Worrying reports now indicate that the virus may be capable of inflicting long-lasting damage to the lungs, heart and nervous system, and...

Berkeley News • 25th June 2020

COVID-19 has already cost California insurers $2.4 billion, new study estimates

The COVID-19 pandemic has cost California’s public and private insurers an estimated $2.4 billion dollars in testing and treatment — about six times the annual cost to treat seasonal influenza in the state, according to a new study by researchers at...

Berkeley News • 15th June 2020

Diluting blood plasma rejuvenates tissue, reverses aging in mice

A new study by University of California, Berkeley, researchers reveals that replacing half of the blood plasma with a mixture of saline and albumin reverses signs of aging and rejuvenates muscle, brain and liver tissue in old mice. The research team...

Berkeley News • 3rd June 2020

Living near oil and gas wells tied to low birth weights in infants

Living near active oil and gas wells may put pregnant people at higher risk of having low birth weight babies, especially in rural areas, finds a new study of birth outcomes in California. The study, funded by the California Air Resources Board, is...

Berkeley News • 26th May 2020

Long hospital stays, high rates of ICU admission for U.S. COVID-19 patients

Hospitalized COVID-19 patients in the U.S. are enduring longer hospital stays and facing higher rates of intensive care unit (ICU) admission than patients in China, finds a new study led by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, and...

Berkeley News • 22nd May 2020

Drought ‘refuges’ protect young coho salmon from summer heat

For young coho salmon, summer is not all fun in the sun: Extended heat and drought can sometimes dry up the small freshwater streams where the endangered fish spend the first year of their lives, leaving them trapped in small pools with limited food...

Berkeley News • 21st May 2020

Google search data reveals American’s concerns about abortion

Residents of states with limited access to contraceptives and high rates of unplanned pregnancies are more likely to turn to the internet for information about abortion. These are the findings of a new study of Google search data across all 50 states...

Berkeley News • 14th May 2020

Saving livestock by thinking like a predator

Effectively reducing encounters between domestic prey and wild predators requires knowing the principles governing the ecological interactions among these players and their surrounding landscape. Simply put, getting in the mind of predators —...

Berkeley News • 4th May 2020

Forget carbon tariffs: Existing trade policies give dirty industries a boost

In the United States and around the globe, products produced by “dirty” or high-carbon-emitting industries are facing significantly lower import taxes than their cleaner counterparts, finds a new paper from the University of California, Berkeley....

Berkeley News • 29th April 2020

To prevent antimicrobial resistance, vaccinate the world’s kids

Childhood vaccination may be a powerful tool in the fight against antimicrobial resistance in low- and middle-income countries, finds a new analysis led by researchers University of California, Berkeley.

Berkeley News • 27th April 2020

Urban slums are uniquely vulnerable to COVID-19. Here’s how to help

Government-enforced social isolation may help relatively affluent populations limit the spread of COVID-19, but these measures can be devasting for the nearly 1 billion people around the globe currently dwelling in urban slums, where physical space is...