Interviews and Consents

If you would like to cover a story involving UCSF experts, patients, research or clinical programs, please see the team’s beats and contact information as well as guidelines. You can also contact us directly at [email protected].

Interviews at UCSF

If you are interested in arranging phone or on-site interviews (including photo or video shoots) with UCSF faculty or staff, please contact the Public Affairs representative who covers the topic you are interested in.

The Public Affairs team will work with you to obtain necessary clearance for on-site visits. Stories involving UCSF Health patients require advance HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) consent, as required by federal law, as well as clearance for entering patient care areas. We can provide you with background information and recommend additional sources for your stories.

A member of the Public Affairs team must accompany all reporters on campus.

Patient Consent/Condition

UCSF Public Affairs is committed to protecting the privacy of our patients. Under HIPAA (the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), we are required to obtain written authorization from a patient or a patient’s parent/guardian before media interviews are arranged. If written consent is not available, we will not disclose a patient’s medical status.

Entering Patient Care Areas

As a specialty hospital, we care for critically ill patients. In some situations, reporters may be required to present documentation of flu- or other inoculations prior to entering certain clinical areas, or to wear a medical mask. As with other visitors, members of the media with active flu symptoms or other infectious disease will not be allowed into patient areas. Reporters who will be on campus more than two weeks will need to comply with the long-term visitor policy, which requires the same proof of inoculations required of all UCSF staff and contractors, to protect both patients and visitors.

Public Affairs Staff

Each member of the UCSF Public Affairs team oversees a wide array of beats, serving as the first point of contact for reporters seeking experts and faculty and staff seeking public relations advice. For areas outside of these beats, please email or call the News Assistant at [email protected] or 415-502-6397.

UCSF Public Affairs

Kristen Bole  |  Executive Director, Public Affairs  |  Profile
[email protected], 415-476-2743

Brooke Thornton  |  Operations Coordinator
[email protected], 415-502-6397

Owned Media

Ed Carpenter  |  Managing Editor, Owned Media  |  Profile
[email protected], 415-475-8033

Lorna Fernandes  |  Senior Writer  |  Profile
[email protected]

Laura López González  |  Science Web Writer  |  Profile
[email protected]

UCSF Health Team

Jess Berthold  |  Assistant Director of Public Affairs |  Profile
[email protected], 628-399-0432

Chad Burns  |  Senior Public Information Specialist |  Profile
[email protected], 510-913-5457

Jared Marsh  |  Public Information Representative  |  Profile
[email protected], 415-592-4789

Research and Education Team

Laura Kurtzman  |  Assistant Director, Media Relations for Research and Education  |  Profile
[email protected], 415-476-3163

UCSF Fresno Team

Brandy Ramos Nikaido  |  Director, Public Affairs and Communications
[email protected], 559-313-6539

Barbara Anderson  |  Communications Specialist
[email protected]

Lucero Benitez  |  Communications Specialist (se habla español)
[email protected]

Beat Areas

Beats are listed alphabetically. For areas outside of these beats, please email or call the News Assistant at [email protected] or 415-502-6397.

Acute Rehab
Chad Burns  |  [email protected]  |  510-913-5457

Adolescent Psychiatry (St. Mary’s Hospital)
Chad Burns  |  [email protected]  |  510-913-5457

Aging
Suzanne Leigh  |  [email protected], 415-476-2993

AIDS and HIV
Victoria Colliver  |  [email protected], 628-283-4000

Alzheimer’s and Dementia
Suzanne Leigh  |  [email protected], 415-476-2993

Arthritis
Suzanne Leigh  |  [email protected], 415-476-2993

Asthma
Suzanne Leigh  |  [email protected], 415-476-2993

Audiology
Chad Burns  |  [email protected]  |  510-913-5457

Autism and Sensory Processing Disorder
Jess Berthold  |  [email protected], 628-399-0432

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Robin Marks  |  [email protected], 628-399-0370

Biomedical Engineering
Levi Gadye  |  [email protected]

Biomedical Imaging
Robin Marks  |  [email protected], 628-399-0370

Biotechnology
Levi Gadye  |  [email protected]

Burns
Chad Burns  |  [email protected]  |  510-913-5457

Campus Planning, Construction and Facilities
Victoria Colliver  |  [email protected], 628-283-4000

Cancer (Clinical)
Elizabeth Fernandez  |  [email protected], 415-514-1592

Cancer (Research)
Levi Gadye  |  [email protected]

Center for Sports Medicine at Saint Francis Hospital
Chad Burns  |  [email protected]  |  510-913-5457

Community Benefits
Victoria Colliver  |  [email protected], 628-283-4000

Dentistry and Oral Health
Chad Burns  |  [email protected]  |  510-913-5457

Dermatology
Elizabeth Fernandez  |  [email protected], 415-514-1592

Diabetes (Clinical)
Elizabeth Fernandez  |  [email protected], 415-514-1592

Diabetes (Research)
Levi Gadye  |  [email protected]

Digital Health
Robin Marks  |  [email protected], 628-399-0370

Diversity
Victoria Colliver  |  [email protected], 628-283-4000

Drugs and Alcohol
Victoria Colliver  |  [email protected], 628-283-4000

Emergency Medicine and Trauma Care
Elizabeth Fernandez  |  [email protected], 415-514-1592
Chad Burns (Saint Francis and St. Mary’s hospitals only)  |  [email protected]  |  510-913-5457

Environmental Sciences
Victoria Colliver  |  [email protected], 628-283-4000

Epidemiology
Victoria Colliver  |  [email protected], 628-283-4000

Family Medicine
Suzanne Leigh  |  [email protected], 415-476-2993

Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Chad Burns  |  [email protected]  |  510-913-5457

Gender Institute (Saint Francis Hospital)
Chad Burns  |  [email protected]  |  510-913-5457

Gene Editing and CRISPR
Levi Gadye  |  [email protected]

General Surgery
Chad Burns  |  [email protected]  |  510-913-5457

Genetics and Genomics (Clinical)
Suzanne Leigh  |  [email protected], 415-476-2993

Genetics and Genomics (Research)
Levi Gadye  |  [email protected]

Global Health
Victoria Colliver  |  [email protected], 628-283-4000

Head, Neck, and Spinal Care
News Assistant  |  [email protected], 415-502-6397

Health Informatics
Robin Marks  |  [email protected], 628-399-0370

Hearing
Chad Burns  |  [email protected]  |  510-913-5457

Heart and Vascular
Elizabeth Fernandez  |  [email protected], 415-514-1592
Chad Burns (Saint Francis and St. Mary’s hospitals and affiliated clinics only)  |  [email protected]  |  510-913-5457

Hematology
Elizabeth Fernandez  |  [email protected], 415-514-1592

Hospital Medicine
Elizabeth Fernandez  |  [email protected], 415-514-1592

Immunology (Clinical)
Suzanne Leigh  |  [email protected], 415-476-2993

Immunology (Research)
Levi Gadye  |  [email protected]

Infectious Disease
Levi Gadye  |  [email protected]

Integrative Medicine
News Assistant  |  [email protected], 415-502-6397

Labor Relations
Elizabeth Fernandez  |  [email protected], 415-514-1592

Leukemia
Elizabeth Fernandez  |  [email protected], 415-514-1592

LGBTQIA+
Jess Berthold  |  [email protected], 628-399-0432

Lung and Pulmonary
Suzanne Leigh  |  [email protected], 415-476-2993

Marijuana and Cannabis
Victoria Colliver  |  [email protected], 628-283-4000

Mental Health (Adult)
Suzanne Leigh  |  [email protected], 415-476-2993

Mental Health (Pediatric)
Jess Berthold  |  [email protected], 628-399-0432

Microbiome
Robin Marks  |  [email protected], 628-399-0370

Multiple Sclerosis (Clinical)
Suzanne Leigh  |  [email protected], 415-476-2993

Multiple Sclerosis (Research)
Levi Gadye  |  [email protected]

Neurology
Suzanne Leigh  |  [email protected], 415-476-2993

Neurosciences
Robin Marks  |  [email protected], 628-399-0370

Nursing
Elizabeth Fernandez  |  [email protected], 415-514-1592

Nutrition
News Assistant  |  [email protected], 415-502-6397

Obesity
Suzanne Leigh  |  [email protected], 415-476-2993

Opthamology
Chad Burns  |  [email protected]  |  510-913-5457

Orthopedics, Sports Medicine and Physical Therapy
Chad Burns  |  [email protected]  |  510-913-5457

Osteoporosis and Bone Health
Elizabeth Fernandez  |  [email protected], 415-514-1592

Pain
Robin Marks  |  [email protected], 628-399-0370

Palliative Care
Suzanne Leigh  |  [email protected], 415-476-2993

Partnerships and Alliances
Victoria Colliver  |  [email protected], 628-283-4000

Pathology
Robin Marks  |  [email protected], 628-399-0370

Pediatric Cancer
Jared Marsh  |  [email protected], 415-592-4789

Pediatric Cardiology
Jared Marsh  |  [email protected], 415-592-4789

Pediatric Orthopedics
Jared Marsh  |  [email protected], 415-592-4789

Pediatrics & Children’s Health
Jess Berthold  |  [email protected], 628-399-0432

Pharmacy and Pharmacology
Levi Gadye  |  [email protected]

Precision Medicine and Personalized Medicine
Robin Marks  |  [email protected], 628-399-0370

Primary Care
Elizabeth Fernandez  |  [email protected], 415-514-1592

Psychiatry (Clinical)
Adult Psychiatry: Suzanne Leigh  |  [email protected], 415-476-2993
Pediatric Psychiatry: Jess Berthold  |  [email protected], 628-399-0432

Psychiatry (Research)
Robin Marks  |  [email protected], 628-399-0370

Public Health
Victoria Colliver  |  [email protected], 628-283-4000

Public Policy and Government
Victoria Colliver  |  [email protected], 628-283-4000

Radiology (clinical)
Chad Burns  |  [email protected]  |  510-913-5457

Radiology (research)
Robin Marks  |  [email protected], 628-399-0370

Reproductive Health
Victoria Colliver  |  [email protected], 628-283-4000

Sleep
Suzanne Leigh  |  [email protected], 415-476-2993

Smoking and Tobacco
Victoria Colliver  |  [email protected], 628-283-4000

Stem Cells
Levi Gadye  |  [email protected]

Stress-Related Conditions
News Assistant  |  [email protected], 415-502-6397

Stroke and Cerebrovascular Disease
Suzanne Leigh  |  [email protected], 415-476-2993

Surgery
Suzanne Leigh  |  [email protected], 415-476-2993

Technology and AI
Robin Marks  |  [email protected], 628-399-0370

Toxicology
Levi Gadye  |  [email protected]

Transplants
Suzanne Leigh  |  [email protected], 415-476-2993

UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals
Jared Marsh  |  [email protected], 415-592-4789

UCSF Health
Elizabeth Fernandez  |  [email protected], 415-514-1592

Urgent Care
Chad Burns  |  [email protected]  |  510-913-5457

Urology
Elizabeth Fernandez  |  [email protected], 415-514-1592

Vision (clinical)
Chad Burns  |  [email protected]  |  510-913-5457

Wellness
News Assistant  |  [email protected], 415-502-6397

Women’s Health
Elizabeth Fernandez  |  [email protected], 415-514-1592

Fact Sheets & Press Kits

Press Releases