Research funded by the National Institutes of Health transforms patient care and buoys the Bay Area’s innovation economy. UCSF received $815 million in awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) last year for research that will improve the lives of patients in the U.S. and around the world.
This year’s recipients of the Bowes Biomedical Investigator Award forge unconventional paths where neurodegenerative disease and neuropsychiatry disease overlap. Martin Kampmann, PhD, and Anna Victoria Molofsky, MD, PhD, are the 2025 recipients of the Bowes Biomedical Investigator award, which supports scientists who take novel approaches and have the potential to make significant contributions to biomedicine. Recipients receive $1.25 million over five years.
A study of artificial human and chimpanzee nerve cells revealed how faster-evolving DNA gives neurons the ability to build increasingly complex brain power. How did humans evolve brains capable of complex language, civilization, and more? Scientists at UC San Francisco recently found that parts of our chromosomes have evolved at breakneck speeds to give us an edge in brain development compared to apes.
UCSF scientists find a trove of new targets for cancer immunotherapy in cancer’s unique version of RNA splicing. UCSF scientists have found that some cancers, like brain cancer, make unique, jumbled proteins that make them stand out. These newly recognized cancer-specific proteins, or antigens, could speed the development of potent immunotherapies that recognize and attack hard-to-treat tumors.
UCSF-led study calls for new recommendations and supplements for older adults that may offer better brain protection. A study found that B12 requirements may be too low for some people, putting them at risk for cognitive decline.
This research is among the first to show neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s Disease aren’t all about your genes. Your environment matters. A new EPA ban on TCE, a common industrial cleaning agent and contaminant, begins this year. UCSF’s Samuel Goldman, who led groundbreaking research to link TCE to Parkinson’s Disease, talks about the health risks.
Taking longer to enter the dream phase can disrupt the ability to consolidate memories and interfere with emotion regulation. Delayed REM sleep was found to be linked to higher Alzheimer’s risk. Healthy sleep habits and treatments may help mitigate risks.
UCSF researchers discovered that when brain cells rely only on the X chromosome a female has inherited from her mom – instead of from her dad – they age more quickly. Researchers found that female mice using only maternal X chromosomes showed faster cognitive decline, which could help explain the variation in brain aging between the sexes.
Poverty, stress, limited access to healthy foods and certain medical conditions up the ante – especially in women. For this neurologist, it’s personal. In a Q&A, neurologist Lauren Patrick describes stroke risks and mitigation, along with personal exercise and diet changes she’s made to help prevent lower her own risk of stroke.
UCSF study calls attention to the potential for estrogen therapy in slowing the course of the disease. A new study found that menopause can speed up the progression of multiple sclerosis (MS), affecting mobility and cognitive ability.