UCSF

UCSF Health Ranks Among Nation's Best for 2025-26 U.S. News & World Report ranked UCSF No. 1 in CA & Top 20 in the nation.

👏 The rankings are in! We’re proud to be among the nation’s #BestHospitals — and the No. 1 hospital in California and San Francisco, according to @usnews.com! 🎉

Gift Launches $200M Initiative for the Weill Cancer Hub West A $100 million matching grant from the Weill Family Foundation is bringing together two leading cancer centers to launch the Weill Cancer Hub West — an innovative collaboration among some of the natio...

Backed by a $100M gift from Joan and Sandy Weill, UCSF and @stanfordmedicine.bsky.social @stanford-cancer.bsky.social are launching Weill Cancer Hub West, a $200M initiative in team science to accelerate cancer research and improve care over the next decade.

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How State Bans Increase Costs and Delay Abortion Care People in states that have banned abortion were more than twice as likely to receive them later in pregnancy, according to a new study.

Study finds abortion bans don’t prevent it, they delay it. A @ucsfmedicine.bsky.social study shows people in ban states are twice as likely to get abortions later in pregnancy, making care more complex, expensive, and time-consuming. tiny.ucsf.edu/QEsS7W

Science Clears the Way to Treating the Trickiest Bladder Cancers Scientists found a way to identify and possibly treat a mysterious type of bladder cancer that affects up to 1 in 4 cases.

Have the toughest bladder cancers finally met their match? UCSF researchers discovered a shared target on aggressive bladder tumors and used CAR-T cells to destroy these hard-to-treat cancers. tiny.ucsf.edu/mLVvkc

The Most Effective Diabetes Drugs Don’t Reach Enough Patients Yet A study found that the newer generation of much more effective diabetes medications are reaching only a fraction of the patients who are recommended to take them based on new guidelines.

Type 2 diabetes puts millions at risk for heart and kidney disease. UCSF research shows the newest recommended drugs for diabetes — including semaglutide (Ozempic) — aren’t reaching enough patients. tiny.ucsf.edu/6mEccJ

Could a busier social life be an early sign of Alzheimer’s? New research finds those at higher genetic risk are more socially active in the early stages of the disease, perhaps because it promotes more social connectedness. tiny.ucsf.edu/gXVimw

What gave human brains the edge over apes? UCSF researchers found that tiny DNA changes helped neurons form more connections, driving complex thinking. But this evolution may also impact neurodevelopment. tiny.ucsf.edu/6E7X3V

UCSF Bioinformatics Pioneer Atul Butte Dies at 55 Atul Butte, who championed the use of big data in science and health care and inspired a generation of trainees at UC San Francisco and beyond to pursue the fields he pioneered — translational and cli...

The UCSF community mourns the passing of Atul Butte, MD, PhD, a bold thinker, inspiring mentor and founding director of the Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute.

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What if your body could make its own painkillers? @ucsfmedicine.bsky.social research shows estrogen and progesterone can trigger immune cells near the spine to release natural opioids – blocking pain before it reaches the brain. tiny.ucsf.edu/8ljVDl

How High Is Your Dementia Risk? It Might Depend on Where You Live In one of the largest studies of its kind, researchers identified the U.S. regions where dementia occurs most often.

Your zip code may determine your risk for dementia. A UCSF-led study found that veterans faced up to a 25% higher rate of dementia, depending on their region of residence. Environmental exposures, education may be factors. @ucsfpsych.bsky.social tiny.ucsf.edu/DbVqAc

2025 Awards Honor Outstanding Achievements by UCSF Alumni The Alumni Association of UCSF(AAUCSF) announced the recipients of the 2025 UCSF Alumni Achievement Awards, recognizing outstanding alumni from UCSF’s Schools of Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, and Phar...

Meet the change makers. These 14 UCSF alumni are champions for children’s wellness, women’s health, and underserved communities; they are trailblazers in scientific discovery and health care transformation. tiny.ucsf.edu/siGEqr

Pancreatic Cancer Spreads to Liver or Lung Thanks to This Protein In pancreatic cancer, metastasis is often the first sign that a patient even has cancer, and by then, the cancer has spread out of control. Researchers discovered how pancreatic cancer cells migrate t...

Pancreatic cancer cells “choose” where to spread based on a single protein. UCSF research shows how PCSK9 helps tumors adapt by reprogramming cholesterol access. tiny.ucsf.edu/mvPrKf

Congrats to the UCSF faculty, staff, and learners whose work drives our mission forward. From patient care to policy, these 2025 Founders Day Award recipients are making a difference. tiny.ucsf.edu/R5FChD

In a first, UCSF researchers engineered a protein that can change its shape like natural proteins do. The engineered protein can bend, bind calcium, and then reset, opening up new ways to treat disease, grow crops, and protect the environment. tiny.ucsf.edu/f1EQZk

If you had one lecture left to give, what would you say? @ucsfcardiology.bsky.social's Binh An Phan, MD, shared his journey from refugee to cardiologist, reminding us "that no one is traveling in their journey alone." tiny.ucsf.edu/9kUfEX

Can Gut Microbes Save Patients from Chemotherapy Side Effects? Researchers have discovered that some gut bacteria can reduce the side effects of chemotherapy, and that one family of cancer drugs may actually boost protective bacteria in the gut.

Some gut bacteria can survive chemo and actually help patients feel better. UCSF researchers discovered that some bacteria can clear chemo drugs while others produce vitamin K2, reducing side effects. tiny.ucsf.edu/5BUS1i

Yes, Social Media Might Be Making Kids Depressed Researchers found that as preteens used more social media, their depressive symptoms increased. Yet the reverse wasn’t true — a rise in depressive symptoms didn’t predict a later increase in social me...

Social media might be making kids depressed. A UCSF study of 12,000 kids found that more screen time was associated with more depressive symptoms, while cyberbullying was associated with both suicide and substance use.
@jasonmnagata.bsky.social tiny.ucsf.edu/La1Raj

Here’s How to Prime Tumors to be Defeated by Cancer Immunotherapy Scientists discover how to rouse the immune system around "cold" tumors, making them vulnerable to cancer-killing immune therapies with checkpoint inhibitors.

"Cold" tumors? Now treatable. Researchers found a way to make immune-resistant tumors respond to immunotherapy, expanding access for more patients. tiny.ucsf.edu/SH5822

UCSF Scientist Receives High Honor for Exceptional Career Researcher and campus leader Atul Butte, MD, PhD, has been recognized for his outstanding career in the computational and health sciences with induction into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences,...

We’re proud to celebrate @atulbutte.bsky.social on his election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the nation’s oldest honor societies. A leader in biomedical data science, his work is reshaping how we diagnose and treat disease. tiny.ucsf.edu/CUz7gN

Berkeley Voices: A stroke left her ‘locked in.’ With the help of AI, she heard her voice again. - Berkeley News UC Berkeley researchers explain how a brain-computer interface restored Ann Johnson’s ability to speak after 18 years.

On the Berkeley Voices podcast, @berkeleyengineer.bsky.social's Gopala Anumanchipalli, PhD & Kaylo Littlejohn discuss their latest milestone with a neuroprosthesis developed by @ucberkeleyofficial.bsky.social & @ucsanfrancisco.bsky.social scientists to restore speech for people with paralysis. 🧠📈 🧪

UCSF is launching a new partnership with Uber to provide another commute option to Mission Bay! With 10 routes across the Bay Area, these Wi-Fi-equipped, climate-controlled shuttles make commuting easier and more comfortable. Learn how to ride: tiny.ucsf.edu/gBTGbm

How Students and Researchers Learn Together Through a UCSF Mental Health Program Science and mental health meet in a UC San Francisco program where clinicians and researchers learn just as much from high school students as they learn from them.

Through Teen Wellness Connection, SF high schoolers explore mental health alongside UCSF clinicians, breaking stigma and building tomorrow’s public health leaders. tiny.ucsf.edu/K1xS1l

Here’s How to Prime Tumors to be Defeated by Cancer Immunotherapy Scientists discover how to rouse the immune system around "cold" tumors, making them vulnerable to cancer-killing immune therapies with checkpoint inhibitors.

Here’s How to Prime Tumors to be Defeated by Cancer Immunotherapy - publication by Mary Helen Barcellos-Hoff et al in Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer: www.ucsf.edu/news/2025/04... @ucsanfrancisco.bsky.social
@ucsfcancer.bsky.social
@immunox.bsky.social

Could this Molecule be ‘Checkmate’ for Coronaviruses like SARS-CoV-2? A team at UCSF and Gladstone Institutes developed new drug candidates that show great promise against the virus that causes COVID-19 and potentially other coronaviruses that could cause future pandemi...

Could these molecules be the key to stopping future coronavirus pandemics? UCSF’s Antiviral Drug Discovery Center, in partnership with Gladstone Institutes, has developed new compounds that block the virus behind COVID-19 and could work against future threats like MERS. tiny.ucsf.edu/JBm9vy

A group of 13 people standing in 2 rows in front of a slide that reads "Introduction to The Turnaway Study"

We're so proud of the amazing cast and crew of our production of The Turnaway Play. They brought the study to life, giving the audience a new way to understand the impact of denying people abortion care.

Estrogen and Progesterone Stimulate the Body to Make Opioids A new study found that female hormones can suppress pain signals before they reach the brain by making immune cells near the spinal cord produce opioids.

New study from @ucsfmedicine.bsky.social shows estrogen and progesterone signal T-regs in the meninges to produce opioids, stopping pain before it reaches the brain. tiny.ucsf.edu/pG5MU9

Why do women outlive men and stay mentally sharper longer? UCSF researchers found a clue in mice: the second X chromosome, once thought silent, reawakens in old female mice, activating genes that help protect the brain. tiny.ucsf.edu/5hvBwN

Researchers Learn How a Drug Called Zotatifin Kills Cancer Cells A cancer drug developed ten years ago at UCSF can also put the brakes on one of prostate cancer's deadliest molecular tricks.

Tumors overproduce the proteins that drive metabolism, cell division and more. A UCSF team has found that a breast cancer drug, zotatifin, jams the protein assembly line in prostate tumors – offering new hope for prostate cancer patients. tiny.ucsf.edu/665V7N

I’m a Long COVID Researcher. And I Have Long COVID A Q&A w/Alison Cohen, PhD, MPH, who is among the estimated 5% of the population with Long COVID. She talks through the implications of Long COVID, and how she applies her scientific and personal exper...

What happens when a researcher becomes a patient? UCSF epidemiologist Alison Cohen, PhD, MPH, has been studying long COVID while living with it, offering unique insights into the condition and the search for treatments. tiny.ucsf.edu/m54K22

Your lungs make blood too. UCSF scientists just discovered lung stem cells that produce blood, just like bone marrow. This could change how we treat blood and immune disorders. tiny.ucsf.edu/Pwa7qn