Jennifer

O'Brien

Executive Director

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Jennifer O’Brien is Executive Director/Public Affairs. She previously covered UCSF’s research in neurology, the neurosciences, telomerase research and stem cell science. She continues to report on Chancellor Susan Desmond-Hellmann’s efforts to advance the goal of “precision medicine” – the effort to integrate the wealth of data emerging from the human genome and studies on the molecular basis of disease with information on environmental factors and patients’ electronic medical records. The accumulated data would inform laboratory research and patient care, ultimately leading to ways to precisely diagnose the individual patient, based on his or her own genetics and background, and to customized therapies that are more effective, with fewer side effects. The plan grew out of a National Academy of Sciences committee report in 2011 co-chaired/co-authored by Desmond-Hellmann. O’Brien holds degrees from Williams College (BA, English) and Johns Hopkins University (MA, Science Writing). 

Recent articles by Jennifer O'Brien

Researchers Discover How Fruit Flies Know to Mate with Their Own Species

June 27, 2013
A UCSF-led team has discovered a sensory system in the foreleg of the male fruit fly that answers a central problem in evolution that is poorly understood: how animals of one species know not to mate with animals of other species.

Simple Two-Drug Combination Proves Effective in Reducing Risk of Stroke

June 26, 2013
Results of a Phase III clinical trial showed that a simple drug regimen of two anti-clotting drugs lowered the risk of stroke by almost one-third, compared to aspirin alone, when given to patients who had minor or transient stroke symptoms to prevent subsequent attacks.

Absence of Gene Leads to Earlier, More Severe Case of Multiple Sclerosis

June 24, 2013
A UCSF-led research team has identified the likely genetic mechanism that causes some patients with multiple sclerosis to quickly progress to a debilitating stage of the disease while other patients progress much more slowly.

Genes Involved in Birth Defects May Also Lead to Mental Illness

June 24, 2013
Gene mutations that lead to major birth defects may also cause subtle disruptions in the brain that contribute to psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, autism and bipolar disorder, according to new research by UCSF scientists.

Alcohol Addiction Relapse Might Be Thwarted By Turning Off Brain Trigger

June 23, 2013
Researchers at the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center at UCSF have been able to identify and deactivate a brain pathway linked to memories that cause alcohol cravings in rats.

Genetic Mutation Linked with Typical Form of Migraine

May 01, 2013
A UCSF-led research team has identified a genetic mutation that is strongly associated with a typical form of migraine. The discovery could lead to more effective therapies for people with this condition.

Transplanted Neural Stem Cells Produced Myelin, UCSF Study Shows

October 10, 2012
For the first time, a clinical trial led by UCSF investigators and sponsored by Stem Cells Inc., has shown that transplanted neural stem cells appear to produce myelin in the brains of four young children with an early-onset, fatal disease.

UCSF Names New Vice Chancellor for University Development

August 15, 2012
John B. Ford, a longtime leader in fundraising for top universities, has been named Vice Chancellor, University Development and Alumni Relations at UCSF.

Depression Linked with Increased Risk of Peripheral Artery Disease

August 08, 2012
Depression was linked with an increased risk of peripheral artery disease (PAD) in a study of more than 1,000 men and women with heart disease conducted by researchers at the San Francisco VA Medical Center and the University of California, San Francisco.

Increasing Dopamine in Frontal Cortex Decreases Impulsive Tendency, UCSF-Gallo Scientists Find

July 25, 2012
Raising levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the frontal cortex of the brain significantly decreased impulsivity in healthy adults, in a study conducted by researchers at the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center at the University of California, San Francisco.