UCSF

03/13/2026

Nationwide, there are over four times fewer pediatricians than adult physicians, according to national workforce data. The result? Kids have delayed diagnoses and delayed care.

UCSF’s Peds-START was created to help address the shortage, connecting medical students to pediatrics early and building a pathway into residency. For Kathleen Wallace, MD, that pathway helped her become the kind of pediatrician she once saw in her own physician. https://tiny.ucsf.edu/y5woLM

03/12/2026

Want more durable roads and buildings? Study cells. Scientists discovered that the fibers pulling DNA apart can repair themselves during cell division, replacing weaker parts with stronger ones as they work. Even under extreme force, the fibers rebuild themselves. That natural self-repair could help inspire materials designed to last.

03/10/2026

Are expensive sunscreens actually better?

A new UCSF study found that higher-priced sunscreen lotions don’t provide better UV protection when they have the same SPF and similar active ingredients.

Researchers also found a huge price range. Depending on the product, the cost per application upto 17-fold.

What you buy, how much you apply, and even what clothes you wear in the sun can change what you spend over time.

A study finds that while sunscreen costs hugely vary, lower-cost lotions can be just as effective in protecting against the sun.

03/08/2026

Women live longer than men. Scientists have wondered why for decades.

At UCSF, physician-scientist Dena Dubal is studying whether that resilience may also protect the aging brain. Her team’s research is uncovering how a second X chromosome in women may support memory, learning, and brain health.

On International Women’s Day, we’re celebrating the women advancing science and mentoring the next generation of researchers who will shape the future of medicine.

03/06/2026

AirDropping some UCSF favorites. 📲✨

03/06/2026

The sickest kids don’t always arrive by ambulance, sometimes they fly. Charlie Hood is a helicopter transport nurse at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals, delivering NICU and PICU care inside Bear Force One.

When he realized there was no standardized training for ICU-level care in the air, he applied for a grant that paired him with UCSF nurse scientists and physicians to build simulation-based training that is now required for pediatric transport teams.

03/03/2026

Su Guo, PhD, professor in our Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, has a broad background in molecular biology, genetics, developmental bio...

03/03/2026

For decades, scientists thought that we learn through repetition, and the more repetitions, the better.

But new research from UCSF suggests the brain may actually learn more when experiences are spaced out over time rather than repeated constantly.

The findings challenge a 100-year-old idea that dates back to Pavlov’s famous dog experiments.

It could change how we think about studying, addiction, and even how we train AI.
https://tiny.ucsf.edu/Kl2mkw

How we learn to predict an outcome isn’t determined by how many times a cue and reward happen together. Instead, how much time passes between rewards is also important. Understanding this process has implications for how we think about addiction, and could also point to faster AI algorithms.summar...

03/02/2026

Periods may be an overlooked trigger of sickle cell pain.

In a nationwide UCSF-led study, nearly two-thirds of women and girls with sickle cell disease reported disease-related pain during menstruation. Many required emergency department visits and hospitalizations.

While medical schools teach that there's a sickle cell and male reproductive health connection (erectile dysfunction), researchers recommend making menstrual history screening and connecting patients with reproductive health specialists standard care.

UCSF researchers found that 64.4% of female patients report sickle cell disease (SCD) pain during menstruation. However, these patients also report low rates of hormonal contraceptive awareness or use, which could potentially help treat SCD pain for female patients.

03/02/2026

More of health care now happens online, from booking appointments to checking test results and messaging your doctor.

But a new UCSF study found that most health systems are not asking whether patients actually have reliable internet access or know how to use digital tools. Just 44% said they screen for digital readiness.

For older adults, low-income families, and people without stable internet, that can mean missed messages, delayed care, and added stress.

As care continues to move online, many patients risk being left behind.
https://tiny.ucsf.edu/AD9JDt

An NIH-funded survey by UCSF researchers found that despite the fact that digital health will continue to be core in health delivery, less than half of surveyed health systems are checking for barriers to using patient portals, telemedicine, and other digital health tools.

02/26/2026

Sometimes gene variations can result in babies with facial differences such as a cleft lip or cleft palate. UCSF scientists are working to understand why some facial tissues don’t fuse properly during development, with the goal of one day preventing painful surgeries for newborns.

Slide 1 image shows three facial tissues in a mouse embryo fusing to form the nose and upper lip.

Slide 2 image shows a properly fused upper lip (left) compared with a cleft lip caused by failed tissue fusion (right).

02/25/2026

Black students, staff, and faculty have shaped UCSF for decades, from organizing through the Black Caucus to showing up in the community. Looking back at the people and moments that helped build us.