On University of California, Irvine Week: Trauma from war is a painful truth. Amal Alachkar, associate professor of teaching and pharmaceutical sciences, examines ways to help mitigate the fallout. When the peaceful uprising began in Syria during the Arab Spring, Dr. Amal Alachkar was among the academics who supported the student movement demanding dignity, freedom of speech, and justice for all Syrians. But speaking out put her research and her life in danger. Support from the international rescue agencies enabled Dr. Alachkar to join UC Irvine as a professor and after her fellowship ended, she was able to secure a full-time academic position at UC Irvine, where she has already helped to establish UC Irvine’s first online master’s program in Pharmacology. Listen to Trauma-Induced Depression