UCSF News

UCSF to Participate in World No Tobacco Day on May 31

25 May 2012

The UCSF community is invited to participate in World No Tobacco Day on May 31.

Neuroscientist Talks About Transformation of Biomedicine During Commencement Address

25 May 2012

An aspiration of UCSF faculty and campus leaders is that the students trained here continue to transform biomedicine through innovation and risk taking, a theme highlighted by Marc Tessier-Lavigne, PhD, president at Rockefeller University, who delivered the 2012 Graduate Division commencement speech on May 18.

Votes Sought to Support Tree Planting on Mount Sutro

24 May 2012

Members of the UCSF community are asked to show their support of the UCSF Sutro Seed Propagation Area and the Sutro Steward's volunteer program in a national contest to win a $10,000 grant from Odwalla for a tree-planting project.

Routine Care for Crohn’s Disease in Children Should Include Measurement of Bone Age

24 May 2012

Measuring bone age should be a standard practice of care for pediatric patients with Crohn’s disease, in order to properly interpret growth status and improve treatment, according to a new study from the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital.

UCSF Receives Transformative Gift for Neuroscience Research and Care from Sandler Foundation

24 May 2012

UCSF has received a challenge gift of $20 million from the Sandler Foundation that will provide major support for the university’s groundbreaking research and clinical care efforts regarding neurological diseases.

UCSF Implements Policy to Make Research Papers Freely Accessible to Public

23 May 2012

The UCSF Academic Senate has voted to make electronic versions of current and future scientific articles freely available to the public, helping to reverse decades of practice on the part of medical and scientific journal publishers to restrict access to research results.

A Glimpse Inside Construction of UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay

23 May 2012

Construction of UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay is well underway, with the building’s exterior panels and glass being installed, and the interior studs creating a maze inside.

Chronic Pain is Relieved by Cell Transplantation in Lab Study

23 May 2012

Chronic pain, by definition, is difficult to manage, but a new study by UCSF scientists shows how a cell therapy might one day be used not only to quell some common types of persistent and difficult-to-treat pain, but also to cure the conditions that give rise to them.

Event to Benefit Art Therapy at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital

22 May 2012

UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital is holding its second “Art with a Heart” benefit art sale and auction, featuring a collection of art created by young hospital patients, some of whom will be on hand to talk with media about their work.

Lab Tests Show Arthritis Drug Effective Against Global Parasite

21 May 2012

A team of researchers from UCSF and UC San Diego has identified an approved arthritis drug that is effective against amoebas in lab and animal studies, suggesting it could offer a low-dose, low cost treatment for the amoebic infections that cause human dysentery throughout the world.

Songbirds’ Learning Hub in Brain Offers Insight into Motor Control

20 May 2012

UCSF scientists have shown that a key brain structure in the Bengalese finch acts as a learning hub, receiving information that helps to improve its song, a finding which may lead to new ways to treat neurological disorders that impair movement such as Parkinson’s disease.

Media Advisory: UCSF Hosts Bone Marrow Transplant Reunion

18 May 2012

To celebrate nearly a quarter-century of advances in hematology and transplantation, UCSF is holding a reunion of patients from the UCSF Medical Center who have undergone bone marrow transplants.

New Ads for the UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Tell Patient Stories

18 May 2012

Translating pioneering research into exceptional care for young patients and their families is the heart of UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital. For that reason, UCSF has launched a new consumer advertising campaign highlighting some of the thousands of children treated every year.

Hepatitis Awareness Month: San Francisco at Ground Zero and UCSF at Forefront

17 May 2012

Viral hepatitis chronically infects between 3.5 and 5.2 million people in the U.S. – more than 30,000 in San Francisco, alone – but only about one in three people who are infected know it, according to a report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Global Oral Health Symposium 2012 Draws International Experts

17 May 2012

UCSF School of Dentistry's Global Oral Health Symposium 2012 repeated and expanded on the success of last year's inaugural event, bringing greater visibility to vital oral health issues worldwide, and the extraordinary international effort to address them.

UCSF School of Medicine Celebrates 2012 Commencement

16 May 2012

The UCSF School of Medicine congratulated students on May 11 for their success in graduating from one of the best medical schools in the country.

UCSF School of Dentistry Successfully Concludes 2012 Accreditation Process

15 May 2012

Preliminary conclusions of the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) tell a positive story about the UCSF School of Dentistry in its 131st year.

Malaria Conference Draws Experts Aimed at Eradicating the Disease

15 May 2012

Malaria might be eliminated from countries it has plagued for centuries, according to malaria experts who gathered for the Bay Area World Malaria Day Symposium on April 25 at the UCSF Mission Bay campus.

Are People with HIV/AIDS More Prone to Sudden Cardiac Death?

14 May 2012

What is the connection, if any, between sudden cardiac death and people with HIV/AIDS? And can that knowledge help prolong their lives?

Preventing Depression Requires Proactive Interventions by Health Care System

14 May 2012

Since major depressive episodes can be prevented, the health care system should provide routine access to depression-prevention interventions, just as patients receive standard vaccines, UCSF researcher Ricardo F. Muñoz says.

Social Security: Fixing the Glaring Gap for Women

11 May 2012

After a lifetime of lower wages and time out of the labor market for caregiving, women typically receive less from Social Security than men, with millions of widows and women of color falling into poverty in old age.

Targeted Gene Therapy Offers Relief from Pain and Inflammation

11 May 2012

Aditi Bhargava, PhD, associate professor in the UCSF School of Medicine, is using a technique known as RNA interference to develop a gene therapy system that sends specific commands to certain neurons, or nerve cells, telling them to turn off pain or stop inflammation.

UCSF School of Pharmacy Celebrates 2012 Commencement

11 May 2012

Dean Mary Anne Koda-Kimble, PharmD, congratulated the graduates of the nation's top-ranked pharmacy school while faculty, friends and family members looked on at the 2012 commencement ceremony at Davies Symphony Hall on May 4.

UCSF Faculty Climate Survey Shows Significant Improvement Over a Decade

10 May 2012

UCSF has seen a significant improvement in the career and work satisfaction of UCSF faculty over the last decade, according to the findings of a recent faculty climate survey.

Pharmacy School Remembers Harry W. Hind

10 May 2012

Harry W. Hind, a 1939 graduate of the UCSF School of Pharmacy who invented solutions that revolutionized contact lens use, as well as a topical patch to treat pain from shingles, died on April 12. He was 96.

Long-term Use of Osteoporosis Medication May Reduce Bone Fracture Risk for Some Patients

09 May 2012

Continuing a popular but controversial treatment for osteoporosis could reduce spine fracture risk for a particular group of patients, but others could see little to no change if they discontinue it, according to a researcher at UCSF.

UCSF Salutes Extraordinary Contributions During Founders Day Luncheon

09 May 2012

Eleven members of the UCSF community were honored recently for their extraordinary contributions to the University and beyond during the 30th annual Founders Day luncheon.

UCSF Repeats Impressive Energy Savings

08 May 2012

PG&E representatives congratulated UCSF recently for reaching another milestone — $2.7 million in incentives that the University earned for reducing annual energy consumption that is the equivalent of taking more than 1,000 cars off the road.

UCSF Students, Residents Take Center Stage at Research Festival

08 May 2012

Students and residents involved in a comprehensive training and mentoring program were given the opportunity to showcase their research as part of the 2012 Inter-School Research and Scholarly Activity Festival.

Hellman Visiting Artist Program Fosters Dialogue About Creativity and the Brain

07 May 2012

Old-time fiddler Heidi Clare Lambert, artist in residence at UCSF’s Memory and Aging Center, is part of the unique Hellman Visiting Artist Program, which was created to foster dialogue about creativity and the brain.

UCSF Clinicians Get New Ammunition in Fight Against Childhood Cancers

04 May 2012

Physicians at UCSF have access to a vastly expanded array of potential resources in their battle against childhood cancers now that they are part of an elite National Cancer Institute consortium of institutions selected to lead Phase 1 studies of potential cancer drugs.

FDA Official Says Drug Advances Could Get Boost from Academic Medical Centers

04 May 2012

Academic medical centers can play a larger role in drug development and testing, according to an FDA official, who says there is a need for better strategies to identify winners, minimize costs and reduce failures during drug development.

Cardiovascular Safety Concerns Over Smoking-Cessation Drug Misleading

03 May 2012

A popular smoking cessation medication has been under a cloud of suspicion ever since the Canadian Medical Association Journal published a study in July 2011 reporting “risk of serious adverse cardiovascular events associated with varenicline.” UCSF researchers, however, question the way the previous study was conducted, and their new analysis, scheduled to be published May 4 in BMJ, reaches a very different conclusion.

Rats Recall Past to Make Daily Decisions

03 May 2012

UCSF scientists have identified patterns of brain activity in the rat brain that play a role in the formation and recall of memories and decision-making. The discovery, which builds on the team’s previous findings, offers a path for studying learning, decision-making and post-traumatic stress syndrome.

Anti-Smoking Drug Decreases Alcohol Consumption in Heavy-Drinking Smokers

02 May 2012

The smoking cessation drug varenicline significantly reduced alcohol consumption in a group of heavy-drinking smokers, in a study carried out by researchers at the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center at the University of California, San Francisco.

‘Thin Red Line’ Around Breast Cancer

02 May 2012

A pioneering approach to imaging breast cancer in mice has revealed new clues about why the human immune system often fails to attack tumors and keep cancer in check. This observation, by scientists at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), may help to reveal new approaches to cancer immunotherapy.

Pain Control is Focus of Allan Basbaum’s Research Career

02 May 2012

UCSF's Allan Basbaum, PhD, a pioneer in the pain field, says one major lesson that has emerged in years of research is that not all types of pain are the same — nor should they be treated the same.

UCSF Professor Elected To National Academy of Sciences

01 May 2012

UCSF neurologist Louis Ptacek, MD, has been elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), for his research on the biology and genetics of several human diseases and disorders -- from epilepsy and migraine to sleep disorders and jet lag.

Health, Prognosis Not Taken Into Account When Treating Older Lung Cancer Patients, Study Finds

01 May 2012

In a study of patients 65 and older with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), younger patients were more likely to receive treatment than older patients, regardless of overall health and prognosis.

Gladstone Director Named President of Association of American Physicians

01 May 2012

Warner Greene, MD, PhD, a UCSF professor of medicine who directs virology and immunology research at the Gladstone Institutes, has been inducted as president of the Association of American Physicians.

UCSF Chancellor Recounts Path to Realizing Her Childhood Dream

30 Apr 2012

Chancellor Susan Desmond-Hellmann received a standing ovation on April 19 after sharing a heart-felt story about her life and lessons learned to students, faculty, staff and alumni gathered to hear what was billed as UCSF's inaugural “Last Lecture.”

UCSF Offers Employees Week of Free Access to Fitness Centers

30 Apr 2012

Employees who show an UCSF identification badge can work out for free at UCSF Fitness Centers at Parnassus and Mission Bay campuses from May 1 through May 7.

UCSF Ushers in 2012 Commencement Season

30 Apr 2012

UCSF Chancellor Susan Desmond-Hellmann celebrated the start of the 2012 commencement season at UCSF with a speech congratulating 806 graduates who she says are destined to be future leaders in health sciences.

Scientists Identify Brain Circuitry Associated with Addictive, Depressive Behaviors

29 Apr 2012

Scientists at the UCSF-affiliated Gladstone Institutes have determined how specific circuitry in the brain controls not only body movement, but also motivation and learning, providing new insight into neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s disease — and psychiatric disorders such as addiction and depression.

Teens Enjoy Prom Night at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital

27 Apr 2012

More than 100 teenagers filled UCSF’s Moffitt Café on April 20 for the second annual UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital prom – the only hospital prom for teens in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Pursuing Her Olympic Dream

27 Apr 2012

When Christina Allen, MD, was a small child growing up in Connecticut, the word taekwondo was as foreign to her as the country of its origin. Some 40 years later, Allen is the team physician for the U.S. Olympics Taekwondo Team and will accompany them to the 2012 London Olympics this summer.

UCSF and SFUSD Collaborate to Prepare Students for College

26 Apr 2012

Heading off to college is almost always daunting, even for the most accomplished high school students. That’s why about 500 San Francisco seniors flocked to UCSF Mission Bay recently for a community outreach program designed to curb the dropout rate.

Gladstone Scientists Identify Key Network Mechanism That Could Contribute to Cognitive Problems in Alzheimer’s Disease

26 Apr 2012

Scientists at the Gladstone Institutes have unraveled a process by which depletion of a specific protein in the brain contributes to the memory problems associated with Alzheimer’s disease. These findings provide insights into the disease’s development and may lead to new therapies that could benefit the millions of people worldwide.

Progress Against HIV Thwarted By Patients’ Unmet Needs

26 Apr 2012

In a groundbreaking study published last year, scientists reported that effective treatment with HIV medications not only restores health and prolongs life in many HIV-infected patients, but also curtails transmission to sexual partners up to ninety-seven percent.

Mission Bay Hospital Project Wins International Innovation Award

26 Apr 2012

UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay’s design and construction team has received an international award honoring the many innovative approaches being used to create the world-class hospital complex in San Francisco.