Resources for Journalists

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 (415) 502-NEWS or [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, or call Public Affairs at (415) 502-NEWS (6397). To accommodate breaking news requests, this number is covered 24 hours per day, weekends and holidays. A member of the team is on-call and available to help.

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. UCSF guidelines for that process are available here.

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.

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.

Public Affairs Team

Clinical News

Research News

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

Aging
Clinical:  Scott Maier  |  [email protected], 415-476-3595
Research:  Nick Weiler  |  [email protected], 415-476-8255

AIDS and HIV
Research:  Laura Kurtzman  |  [email protected], 415-476-3163

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

Arthritis
Clinical:  Scott Maier  |  [email protected], 415-476-3595

Autism and Sensory Processing Disorder
Clinical:  Suzanne Leigh  |  [email protected], 415-476-2993

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Research:  Jason Alvarez  |  [email protected], 415-502-6397

Biomedical Engineering
Research:  Nick Weiler  |  [email protected], 415-476-8255

Breast Cancer
Clinical:  Elizabeth Fernandez  |  [email protected], 415-514-1592

Budget
Clinical:  Kristen Bole  |  [email protected], 415-476-2743

Campus Life
Research:  Laura Kurtzman  |  [email protected], 415-476-3163

Campus Planning, Construction and Facilities
Research:  Laura Kurtzman  |  [email protected], 415-476-3163

Cancer
Clinical:  Elizabeth Fernandez  |  [email protected], 415-514-1592
Research:  Jason Alvarez  |  [email protected], 415-502-6397

Chancellor
Jennifer O’Brien  |  [email protected], 415-476-8432

Colon and Rectal Cancer
Clinical:  Elizabeth Fernandez  |  [email protected], 415-514-1592

Community Involvement
Research:  Laura Kurtzman  |  [email protected], 415-476-3163

Dentistry and Oral Health
Clinical:  Scott Maier  |  [email protected], 415-476-3595

Dermatology
Clinical:  Elizabeth Fernandez  |  [email protected], 415-514-1592
Research:  Nick Weiler  |  [email protected], 415-476-8255

Diabetes
Clinical:  Scott Maier  |  scott.mai[email protected], 415-476-3595
Research:  Nick Weiler  |  [email protected], 415-476-8255

Digital Health
Research:  Laura Kurtzman  |  [email protected], 415-476-3163

Diversity
Research:  Laura Kurtzman  |  [email protected], 415-476-3163

Drugs and Alcohol
Clinical:  Suzanne Leigh  |  [email protected], 415-476-2993

Emergency Medicine and Trauma Care
Clinical:  Elizabeth Fernandez  |  [email protected], 415-514-1592

Environmental Sciences
Research:  Laura Kurtzman  |  [email protected], 415-476-3163

Epidemiology
Research:  Laura Kurtzman  |  [email protected], 415-476-3163

Family Medicine
Clinical:  Scott Maier  |  [email protected], 415-476-3595

Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Clinical:  Scott Maier  |  [email protected], 415-476-3595

Gene Editing and CRISPR
Research:  Jason Alvarez  |  [email protected], 415-502-6397

Genetics and Genomics
Research:  Jason Alvarez  |  [email protected], 415-502-6397

Global Health
Research:  Laura Kurtzman  |  [email protected], 415-476-3163

Head, Neck, and Spinal Care
Clinical:  Scott Maier  |  [email protected], 415-476-3595

Health Informatics
Research:  Laura Kurtzman  |  [email protected], 415-476-3163

Hearing
Clinical:  Scott Maier  |  [email protected], 415-476-3595

Heart and Vascular
Clinical:  Scott Maier  |  [email protected], 415-476-3595
Research:  Nick Weiler  |  [email protected], 415-476-8255

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

Immunology
Research:  Jason Alvarez  |  [email protected], 415-502-6397

Infectious Disease
Research:  Laura Kurtzman  |  [email protected], 415-476-3163

Integrative Medicine
Clinical:  Suzanne Leigh  |  [email protected], 415-476-2993

Leukemia
Clinical:  Suzanne Leigh  |  [email protected], 415-476-2993

LGBT
Research:  Laura Kurtzman  |  [email protected], 415-476-3163

Lung and Pulmonary
Clinical:  Suzanne Leigh  |  [email protected], 415-476-2993
Research:  Nick Weiler  |  [email protected], 415-476-8255

Lung Cancer
Clinical:  Elizabeth Fernandez  |  [email protected], 415-514-1592

Marijuana and Cannabis
Clinical:  Suzanne Leigh  |  [email protected], 415-476-2993

Mental Health
Clinical:  Suzanne Leigh  |  [email protected], 415-476-2993

Microbiome
Research:  Nick Weiler  |  [email protected], 415-476-8255

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

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

Neurosciences
Research:  Nick Weiler  |  [email protected], 415-476-8255

Nursing
Clinical:  Scott Maier  |  [email protected], 415-476-3595

Nutrition
Clinical:  Suzanne Leigh  |  [email protected], 415-476-2993
Research:  Nick Weiler  |  [email protected], 415-476-8255

Obesity
Clinical:  Suzanne Leigh  |  [email protected], 415-476-2993
Research:  Nick Weiler  |  [email protected], 415-476-8255

Orthopedics, Sports Medicine and Physical Therapy
Clinical:  Scott Maier  |  [email protected], 415-476-3595

Osteoporosis and Bone Health
Clinical:  Scott Maier  |  [email protected]ucsf.edu, 415-476-3595

Pain
Clinical:  Scott Maier  |  [email protected], 415-476-3595

Palliative Care
Clinical:  Scott Maier  |  [email protected], 415-476-3595

Partnerships and Alliances
Research:  Laura Kurtzman  |  [email protected], 415-476-3163

Pathology
Clinical:  Scott Maier  |  [email protected], 415-476-3595

Pediatrics and Children's Health
Clinical:  Suzanne Leigh  |  [email protected], 415-476-2993
UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland: Lorna Fernandes  |  [email protected], 415-502-6397

Pharmacy and Pharmacology
Research:  Nick Weiler  |  [email protected], 415-476-8255

Prostate Cancer
Clinical:  Elizabeth Fernandez  |  [email protected], 415-514-1592

Psychiatry
Clinical:  Suzanne Leigh  |  [email protected], 415-476-2993

Public Health
Research:  Laura Kurtzman  |  [email protected], 415-476-3163

Public Policy and Government
Research:  Laura Kurtzman  |  [email protected], 415-476-3163

Radiology
Clinical:  Elizabeth Fernandez  |  [email protected], 415-514-1592

Reproductive Health
Research:  Laura Kurtzman  |  [email protected], 415-476-3163

Skin Cancer
Clinical:  Elizabeth Fernandez  |  [email protected], 415-514-1592

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

Smoking and Tobacco
Clinical:  Elizabeth Fernandez  |  [email protected], 415-514-1592

Stem Cells
Research:  Nick Weiler  |  [email protected], 415-476-8255

Stress-Related Conditions
Clinical:  Suzanne Leigh  |  [email protected], 415-476-2993

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

Student Life
Research:  Laura Kurtzman  |  [email protected], 415-476-3163

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

Sustainability at UCSF
Research:  Laura Kurtzman  |  [email protected], 415-476-3163

Toxicology
Research:  Laura Kurtzman  |  [email protected], 415-476-3163

Transplants
Clinical:  Scott Maier  |  [email protected], 415-476-3595

UCSF Health
Clinical:  Kristen Bole  |  [email protected], 415-476-2743

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

Vision
Clinical:  Scott Maier  |  [email protected], 415-476-3595

Women's Health
Clinical:  Elizabeth Fernandez  |  [email protected], 415-514-1592

Fact Sheets

• UCSF Fact Sheet
• UCSF Health Fact Sheet

Press Kits

• Press Kit: Chancellor Sam Hawgood
• Press Kit: UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals
• Press Kit: 2015 Opening of UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay
• Press Kit: 2016 Launch of UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences