Drowsy driver flips car into La Jolla Driveway
At 9:13 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 3, a driver fell asleep at the wheel, rolling their vehicle onto another vehicle at 6400 Cardena Rd. According to SDPD, officers responded, and the driver had minor injuries. The driver was transferred to Scripps La Jolla. Alcohol was not a factor.
Gas leak reported, abruptly diffused
A gas leak was reported at 7422 Olivetas Ave. at 1:59 p.m. on Monday, July 31. The initial report stated that a construction crew had equipment come into contact with a gas line, causing the leak. 
According to Joe Britton, communications manager with SDG&E, “Our crews responded promptly to the scene of the leak, disabling the gas line and stopping the leak. As of right now, there is no leak in the area. Two residences are currently without services though, and we are working to return their service as soon as possible.”
Boat abandoned off False Point
A boat was found abandoned near False Point—also known at PB Point –  Sunday in La Jolla. 
According to authorities, a call regarding a boat near the access stairs at Sea Ridge Drive came in around 1:30 a.m. early Sunday morning. The call originated from a call box phone in a nearby parking lot.  
Three people were reportedly witnessed at some point exiting the vessel and running up the stairs at Sea Ridge Drive. 
The vessel had several containers of gasoline on board.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection arrived on scene around 2:45 a.m. to take over the investigation and impound the 18-foot Bayliner as evidence. 
Nierenberg Prize for Science in the Public Interest to be awarded to former NASA administrator, astronaut
Retired U.S. Marine Corps Major Gen. and former NASA administrator Charles Frank Bolden Jr. has been named by Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego as the recipient of this year’s Nierenberg Prize. The public is invited to attend the award ceremony and a presentation from Bolden in a free event on Oct. 17 at the Robert Paine Scripps Forum for Science, Society and the Environment on the Scripps campus. More details about the event will be announced at a later date.
The Nierenberg Prize for Science in the Public Interest is awarded annually by Scripps Oceanography. It includes a bronze medal and $25,000 and is awarded for outstanding contributions to science in the public interest. Since the first awarding of the prize in 2001, recipients have included newscaster Walter Cronkite, primatologist Jane Goodall, and filmmaker James Cameron, among others.
Bolden served as NASA Administrator from July 2009 to January 2017. In this position, Bolden oversaw a new era of exploration focused on full utilization of the International Space Station, as well as new space and aeronautics technology development. He prepared the agency for manned space exploration beyond the moon through development of the Orion spacecraft that will carry astronauts to deep space destinations, including asteroids and Mars.
The agency’s ground-breaking science activities under Bolden include an unprecedented landing on Mars by the Curiosity rover, launch of a spacecraft to Jupiter, and continued progress toward the 2018 launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope.
“From a Marine aviator, to astronaut, to NASA Administrator, Mr. Bolden has spent a lifetime in service to science, to his country, and to the world,” said the Nierenberg family. “We especially recognize his extraordinary achievements in guiding NASA towards its new roles in planetary exploration and sophisticated technology development. Like William Nierenberg, for whom the prize is named, he faced social obstacles early on, and always remembered how important it is to excite and teach the next generation of citizens and scientists.”
5th annual “Be the Light” charity gala The 5th annual benefit, Be the Light: Shelter to Soldier Charity Gala sponsored by Griffin Funding and hosted by Shelter to Soldier will be held on Saturday, September 16 from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency La Jolla at Aventine.
Event festivities include entertainment by contemporary singer songwriter Kinnie Dye, silent and live auctions with auctioneer Clint Bell, and memorable moments with service dogs and their veteran handlers. A significant addition to the live auction lineup is a Fender electric guitar autographed by the legendary musician Jimmy Buffett. Single tickets are $125 per person, VIP single tickets are $200 per person and tables of 10 begin at $1,125. All tickets include valet parking, hosted beer provided by Lost Coast Brewery or wine, tray-passed hors d’oeuvres and plated dinner with dessert. Sponsorship opportunities are still available, and silent or live auction item donations are welcomed. Visit www.sheltertosoldier.org/events to participate.
All proceeds raised will benefit Shelter to Soldier, a San Diego-based non-profit organization that adopts dogs from local shelters and rescue organizations and trains them to be psychiatric service dogs for post-9/11 combat veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and other injuries associated with traumatic service experiences. Salk Institute scientist Reuben Shaw receives National Cancer Institute Outstanding Investigator Award
Salk Professor Reuben Shaw has received the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Outstanding Investigator Award (OIA), which encourages cancer research with breakthrough potential. Shaw, a member of Salk’s Molecular and Cell Biology Laboratory and holder of the William R. Brody Chair, will receive $4.2 million in direct funding over the next seven years to further his work. The award is granted, according to the NCI website, to innovative cancer researchers with outstanding records of productivity to allow them to take greater risks and be more adventurous in their research.
“It was extremely exciting to get this award as it will provide my lab both the resources and the stability for our ongoing efforts,” says Shaw, who is also the director of the Salk Cancer Center, which is one of just seven NCI-designated Basic Research Cancer Centers in the country. 
Shaw’s research focuses on cancer metabolism: how metabolic pathways are altered in cancer and play a role in the origins and progression of the disease. While investigating one of the most commonly mutated genes in lung cancer, Shaw discovered an energy-sensing pathway that shuts down cell growth and reprograms metabolism when nutrients are scarce. This energy-sensing “starvation” pathway suggests an unexpected and direct link between metabolic pathways and cancer.
His lab went on to molecularly decode a number of new components of this cellular starvation pathway, which connects nutrition and exercise to suppression of both cancer and diabetes. From this work, the lab’s studies have led to the discovery of new therapies for cancer and metabolic diseases. Recently, Shaw’s lab showed that using a small molecule to target one of the pathways that cells use to synthesize fat can starve cancer cells of the building blocks they need to grow. Previously, he published work showing how different cancers are sensitive to different sources of cellular energy and how a common, deadly lung cancer spreads.
“Reuben’s pioneering research points to potential new ways to unravel a variety of cancers and target the disease precisely and effectively,” says Salk President Elizabeth Blackburn. “We are delighted that his work is being recognized with this award.”