Most Popular Science Stories of 2017
Whether you are seeing them for the first time or coming back for another look, check out the most popular scientific stories from UC San Francisco from the past year.
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Researchers Launch Atlas of Developing Human Brain
UCSF have taken the first step toward a comprehensive atlas of gene expression in cells across the developing human brain.
New Genetic Models of Autism Point to Cellular Roots of Disease
Researchers at UCSF have developed a new genetic model of autism, using neurons created in the lab from patients’ own skin cells.
Stress in Pregnancy Linked to Changes in Infant’s Nervous System, Less Smiling, Less Resilience
Maternal stress during the second trimester of pregnancy may influence the nervous system of the developing child, both before and after birth.
UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences Announces Trailblazer Awards
The UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences has awarded funding to 11 UC San Francisco scientists seeking to support the Institute’s mission to improve the lives of people with brain diseases and disorders through innovative projects that unite the scientific disciplines of neurology, psychiatry and neurosurgery.
Cell Mapping Initiatives Aim to Uncover Hidden Pathways of Disease
UCSF researchers are leading several initiatives that aim to see how dozens of seemingly unrelated genes and proteins involved in a disease are in fact all part the same interconnected biological pathway.
Study Reveals How the Songbird Changes Its Tune
Researchers at UCSF have shown how the Bengalese finch can learn to tweak its song depending on context, which could shed light on how the human brain learns to apply different rules depending on the situation.
UCSF Specialties Among World’s Best in US News Global Universities Rankings for 2018
UCSF has ranked in the top 10 for seven specialties in 2017 Best Global Universities rankings released Tuesday by U.S. News & World Report.
Key Psychiatric Drug Target Comes Into Focus
Researchers at UC San Francisco, the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and Stanford University report a major step toward designing more powerful psychiatric drugs with fewer side effects.
Brain Imaging Results Skewed by Biased Study Samples
A new UC San Francisco–led study shows that failure to follow this basic principle of population science can profoundly skew the results of brain imaging studies.
Allergy Drug Improves Function in Patients with Chronic Injury from Multiple Sclerosis
UCSF scientists have successfully completed a Phase II clinical trial showing that an FDA-approved antihistamine restores nervous system function in patients with chronic MS.
Flashing Neurons in Worms Reveal How the Brain Generates Behavior
UCSF researcher Saul Kato is using a new high-resolution whole-brain imaging technique to see how the entire nervous system of a worm works together to generate behavior.
Protein Pair Keeps Brain Function Stable
UCSF researchers have discovered that two molecular partners interact at synapses to maintain stable neuronal function.
Multi-Gene Test Predicts Alzheimer’s Better than APOE E4 Alone
A new test that combines the effects of more than two dozen genetic variants, does a better job of predicting which cognitively normal older adults will go on to develop Alzheimer’s dementia than testing for APOE E4.
How Ketogenic Diets Curb Inflammation in the Brain
Ketogenic diets — that have long been known to benefit epilepsy and other neurological illnesses — may work by lowering inflammation in the brain, according to new research by UCSF scientists.
