UCSF Tops Public Institutions in NIH Biomedical Research Funds The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) received more research funds from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) than any other public institution in 2011 and ranked second among all institutions nationwide, according to new figures released by the NIH. The funding helps UCSF continue to […]

All UC Campuses to Become Smoke Free UC President Yudof Asks for Implementation by 2014 UC President Mark Yudof has requested that chancellors at all 10 campuses form committees to implement a smoke-free policy that also bans the use, sale and promotion of tobacco products on University property. “As a national leader in health care […]

UCSF Taps 17-Year Interprofessional Expert to Lead New Center Scott Reeves turned 44 in early December, but if you looked at his resume you’d think he was at least 80. Reeves, PhD, a world-renowned British social scientist, is the new director of UCSF’s Center for Innovation in Interprofessional Healthcare Education, which has started taking shape […]

Taste test. Study of Facebook patterns suggests interests in music, movies unlikely to spread among friends. Kevin Lewis (above) and colleagues found that while people who share similar interests in music and movies are more likely to befriend one another, few interests are likely to spread among friends. These findings challenge earlier research./Stephanie Mitchell/Harvard Staff […]

Child refugees from Libyan crisis in Norway for UN resettlement process Displaced children from Ajdabiya play in the grounds of a converted construction camp in Benghazi, Libya. Photo: OCHA A group of 33 unaccompanied children who spent months in a refugee camp in Tunisia after fleeing last year’s turmoil in Libya have arrived in Norway […]

UN agency seeks $300 million to assist Palestinians in West Bank and Gaza The United Nations today launched an emergency appeal for just over $300 million to assist Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank who are still dealing with the effects of the conflict that ended three years ago as well […]

How a Glass of Vino Helps the Heart: What We Know, What We Don’t No doubt, most Americans have tilted back a couple of glasses of red wine, priding themselves on the idea that heart-healthy ingredients, like resveratrol, flood each sip. The compound is revered for its believed ability to protect blood vessels, reduce bad-cholesterol levels […]

Some Breast Cancer Spread May Be Triggered By Targetable Protein, Study Shows Discovery Points to Possible New Target for Therapy Scientists have identified a protein that cancer cells use to cut scaffolding that normally holds cells in place in the breast. Released from the scaffolding the cancer cells can spread to other tissues. In this electron microscope image […]

Tumor cells can prevent tumor spread. Paradoxical discovery finds cells known as pericytes help prevent metastasis. Cultured pericytes (red) and myofibroblasts (green) are two prominent noncancer cells within a tumor./Credit: Vesselina Cooke/BIDMC A new study finds that a group of little-explored cells in the tumor microenvironment likely serves as an important gatekeeper against cancer progression […]

UN envoy arrives to help Afghanistan through new period of development The new United Nations envoy to Afghanistan arrived in the capital, Kabul, today to take the helm of the world body’s presence there and assist the country amid a period of transition. Ján Kubiš, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, will lead the UN […]