UCSF

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.

02/25/2026

What can generative AI do with complex pregnancy data? UCSF master’s student and a high school student used AI to generate working code in minutes and build models that predict preterm birth.

A team of UCSF researchers successfully tested several mainstream AI agents for the ability to analyze big data on women's reproductive health, with the goal of predicting pre-term births.

02/23/2026

Name another library with this view. We’ll wait. 🌁

02/18/2026

Multiple sclerosis may begin when certain immune cells react to a virus that almost all Americans have.

So-called “killer” immune T cells that target Epstein-Barr virus are much more abundant in the fluid around the brain and spinal cord of people with MS — where the nervous system is being attacked — than in the blood, where they are normally found. These cells haven’t been widely studied in MS before, and this finding gives scientists a new clue about how the virus may help drive the disease.

The results suggest that treatments that target Epstein-Barr virus could help treat MS and possibly other autoimmune diseases. https://ow.ly/uKco50YhPir

A study from UCSF shows a previously unknown connection between the Epstein-Barr virus, known to play a role in MS, and an understudied type of immune cell.

02/18/2026

Monique Atwal, MD, always knew she wanted to return to the San Joaquin Valley to care for her community.

After training in the San Joaquin Valley PRIME program, she now serves as a psychiatrist and faculty member at UCSF Fresno. She says helped prepare her to work in the region’s health care safety net and connect with patients through shared experience.

Her story is one example of how UC Programs in Medical Education (UC PRIME) is preparing physicians to serve communities across California where access to care is needed most.

Dr. Monique Atwal, a San Joaquin Valley PRIME alum who grew up in Selma and now serves as a psychiatrist and faculty member at UCSF Fresno, reflects on how h...

02/13/2026

Love isn’t just in the heart, it’s in the halls of UCSF! This Valentine’s Day, we’re celebrating couples who prove that the best partnerships thrive in and out of the hospital. Tag your UCSF Valentine!

02/13/2026

The blueprint. 🧠📚

02/11/2026

Estrogen affects far more than reproduction. UCSF scientists are reshaping how we understand it.

This , we’re spotlighting work that’s advancing women’s health and revealing estrogen’s many roles across the body. 🔬Photos: / Illustration:

02/10/2026

02/09/2026

Preparing California’s future physicians starts with understanding the communities they will serve.

UC PRIME programs are designed around local health needs across the state. Alongside medical education, students take part in an enhanced curriculum that focuses on caring for communities facing the greatest barriers to access.

See how UC PRIME is helping prepare the next generation of physicians for California.

02/05/2026

Trust in health care starts with understanding where patients come from. After training in programs, Monique Atwal, MD, now serves patients in the San Joaquin Valley as a psychiatrist and faculty member at .