Newsweek cited a new study by UCLA anthropology professor Molly Fox showing that pregnancy and breastfeeding are linked with stronger cognitive function in postmenopausal women. “If we can figure out, as a next step, why those reproductive patterns lead to better cognitive outcomes in old age, then we can work toward figuring out how to craft therapies,” Fox said. Fox was also quoted in KABC-TV and KTLA-TV. Read more about UCLA in today’s NBC News, LAist and other outlets.
UCLA in the News: Feb. 4, 2026
More than half of trans youth live in states with restrictive laws | Edge Media Network
A report released by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law shows that 53% of transgender youth ages 13 to 17 in the United States — approximately 382,800 young people — live in 29 states that have enacted laws or policies restricting their access to gender-affirming care, participation in school sports, use of bathrooms and facilities aligned with their gender identity, or the use of gender-affirming pronouns in schools. (UCLA’s Joshua Arrayales and Elana Redfield were quoted.)
Why are some estrogen patches for menopause hard to find? | NBC News
Menopause clinics across the U.S. are hearing from women who are having trouble filling prescriptions for estrogen patches, a common hormone replacement therapy. “There’s just more demand for these medications, and I think it’s exponentially risen over the last three or four years,” said Dr. Rajita Patil, director of UCLA Health’s Comprehensive Menopause Program. “I don’t think that the supply chain was ready for that.”
California doctor sued for sending abortion pills to Texas woman | Los Angeles Times
“The lawsuit, and others like it, are really about trying to force this issue into federal court and getting federal courts to weigh in on this question of what happens with conflicting state laws related to abortion care,” said Diana Kasdan, legal and policy director for the Center on Reproductive Health, Law, and Policy at UCLA. “Those questions have been out there for a long time.”
Southern California is getting hotter. LA County now has a heat action plan | LAist
Despite the challenges of implementing the ideas, V. Kelly Turner, a heat researcher at UCLA who served on an advisory group for the plan, said “one thing the L.A. County heat action plan gets fundamentally right is that it centers people and the everyday ways that heat becomes a disruptor to daily life.” Another unique aspect of the plan, she said, is that it used shade data, not only temperature data, to inform its strategies. “Few cities around the world are using shade maps to systematically inform heat resilience planning,” she said. “So, in that respect, the county’s heat action plan is truly a leader.”
In San Diego, the racial divide in these charges has grown | KPBS 89.5-FM
For people convicted of murder, special circumstance charges can mean the difference between the eventual chance at parole and dying in prison. It wasn’t something Daniel Trautfield used to worry about. “I thought that our system would only, you know, give them life without parole if the things that they had done were truly egregious,” he said. Trautfield is now the director [and founder of the UCLA Special Circumstances Conviction Project].
Longevity tips from doctors: ‘Literally add years to your life’ | Women’s Health
“I’ve learned the hard way that too much stress has bad health effects because of the constant surge of stress hormones,” says Dana Ellis Hunnes, a senior clinical dietitian at UCLA Medical Center, who admits to experiencing burnout over the past several months. Taking a time-out is essential for her now, whether that’s five minutes of yoga, reading or stargazing.
