News

2012 Archived News Releases

UC San Diego Superfund Research Program Receives $15 Million Grant Renewal
May 22, 2012
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), part of the National Institutes of Health, has renewed funding for the Superfund Research Program (SRP) at the University of California, San Diego. Over the next five years, the $15 mi... (More)

Drug Found for Parasite that is Major Cause of Death Worldwide
May 21, 2012
Research by a collaborative group of scientists from UC San Diego School of Medicine, UC San Francisco and Wake Forest School of Medicine has led to identification of an existing drug that is effective against Entamoeba histolytica. This parasite ca... (More)

Girl Child Marriages Decline In South Asia, But Only Among Youngest
May 16, 2012
Findings mixed in India, Nepal, Pakistan and Bangladesh Each year, more than 10 million girls under the age of 18 marry, usually under force of local tradition and social custom. Almost half of these compulsory marriages occur in South Asia. A new ... (More)

Why Omega-3 Oils Help at the Cellular Level
May 15, 2012
Findings suggest possibility of boosting their health benefit  For the first time, researchers at the University of California, San Diego have peered inside a living mouse cell and mapped the processes that power the celebrated health benefits of o... (More)

Early Biomarker for Pancreatic Cancer Identified
May 15, 2012
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Moores Cancer Center have identified a new biomarker and therapeutic target for pancreatic cancer, an often-fatal disease for which there is currently no reliable method f... (More)

Novel Approaches to Treating Alzheimer’s Disease Include Early Intervention
May 15, 2012
Researchers at the Comprehensive Alzheimer’s Program at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have announced two new clinical trials for patients with either mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and one trial for Mild Cogni... (More)

Smoked Cannabis Reduces Some Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis
May 14, 2012
Controlled trial shows improved spasticity, reduced pain after smoking medical marijuana A clinical study of 30 adult patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine has shown that smoked cannabis... (More)

“Take Charge” of Diabetes: Can Commercial Weight-Loss Program Help?
May 08, 2012
UC San Diego Nutrition experts launch year-long study of participants with Type 2 Diabetes affects nearly 24 million people in the United States, most with Type 2 diabetes, a disease which is often coupled with obesity.  Concerned by the increasing... (More)

Scarring Cells Revert To Inactive State As Liver Heals
May 07, 2012
Research with mice reveals possible strategy to reverse fibrosis in liver and other organs An international team of scientists, led by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, report that significant numbers of myo... (More)

Center for the Promotion of Maternal Health and Infant Development Opens
May 04, 2012
On May 3, 2012, Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego and the UC San Diego School of Medicine launched the Center for the Promotion of Maternal Health and Infant Development. The new center, located on the campus of Rady Children’s Hospital at 7910 Fro... (More)

Invasive Bladder Testing Before Incontinence Surgery May Be Unnecessary
May 02, 2012
NIH-Funded Study Finds Office Visit Alone Just as Effective Invasive and costly tests commonly performed on women before surgery for stress urinary incontinence (SUI) may not be necessary, according to researchers at the University of California S... (More)

Paul S. Viviano Named New CEO of UC San Diego Health System
May 01, 2012
Paul S. Viviano has accepted the position as the new CEO of UC San Diego Health System and associate vice chancellor for Health Sciences. His appointment was approved by the UC Board of Regents, and will commence June 1, 2012. ... (More)

Insulin Resistance, Inflammation and a Muscle-Saving Protein
May 01, 2012
In the online May 2 issue of the journal Cell Metabolism, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine publish three distinct articles exploring: the complex interactions of lipids and inflammation in insulin resi... (More)

National Awards to UC San Diego School of Medicine Faculty Members
April 30, 2012
William G. Bradley, Jr., MD, PhD, FACR, chairman of the Department of Radiology, was awarded the ACR Gold Medal, the highest honor of the American College of Radiology on April 22, during the ACR annual meeting and Chapter Leadership Conference held... (More)

Big Girls Don’t Cry
April 27, 2012
Study finds overweight teens who are satisfied with their bodies are less depressed, less prone to unhealthy behaviors A study to be published in the June 2012 issue of Journal of Adolescent Health looking at the relationships between body satisfac... (More)

UC San Diego Orthopedic Surgeon Named New President of International Society
April 26, 2012
Steven Garfin, MD, Distinguished Professor and chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at UC San Diego Health System was named President of the International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery (ISASS) for 2012 to 2013. ISASS asses... (More)

UC San Diego Professor Named to the Prestigious Royal Society
April 25, 2012
Jack E. Dixon, PhD, Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and professor of pharmacology, cellular and molecular medicine, chemistry and biochemistry at the University of California, San Diego has been na... (More)

Experts Say Distracted Driving Among College Students in San Diego on Upswing
April 24, 2012
UC San Diego researchers join CHP this morning to educate students and public According to the California Department of Motor Vehicles (CADMV), distracted driving is on the rise due to an increase in the use of cell phones and other electronic dev... (More)

Clinical Decline in Alzheimer’s Requires Plaque and Proteins
April 23, 2012
Without p-tau protein present, impact of amyloid is “not significantly different from zero” According to a new study, the neuron-killing pathology of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), which begins before clinical symptoms appear, requires the presence of ... (More)

Modest Alcohol Consumption Lowers Risk and Severity of Liver Disease
April 19, 2012
People with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NALFD) who consume alcohol in modest amounts – no more than one or two servings per day – are half as likely to develop hepatitis as non-drinkers with the same condition, reports a national team of scien... (More)

UC San Diego Medical Center Named One of the Nation's 100 Top Hospitals by Thomson Reuters
April 17, 2012
UC San Diego Medical Center, located in Hillcrest, has been named one of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals® by Thomson Reuters. Ranked among the country’s major teaching hospitals, the Medical Center was also one of twelve hospitals to receive the Ever... (More)

Two UC San Diego Professors Elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences
April 17, 2012
Susan Ferro-Novick, PhD, professor in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, and Herbert Levine, PhD, professor in the UC San Diego Department of Physics, have been elected to... (More)

Karl Y. Hostetler, MD, Receives Prestigious 2012 Gertrude Elion Memorial Award
April 17, 2012
Karl Y. Hostetler, MD, has been selected as the recipient of the 2012 Gertrude Elion Memorial Lecture Award by the International Society of Antiviral Research.  Hostetler is a professor of medicine in the Divisions of Infectious Diseases and Endocri... (More)

UC San Diego Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center Recognized for Dedication to Sustainability
April 16, 2012
New Building is first LEED Gold certified acute care medical facility in San Diego Region   The UC San Diego Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center is the first hospital-based project in the region to receive LEED Gold certification from the United States... (More)

Scott M. Lippman, MD, Named New Director of UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center
April 13, 2012
Scott M. Lippman, MD, chair of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology at The University of Texas (UT) MD Anderson Cancer Center, has accepted the position of director of Moores Cancer Center at the University of California, San Diego, beginning May... (More)

First U.S. Case Since FDA-Approval, New Magnetic Device for Heartburn
April 10, 2012
On Monday, April 9, Santiago Horgan, MD, chief of minimally invasive surgery at UC San Diego Health System implanted the new FDA-approved LINX device in a 29-year old patient suffering from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a chronic digestive... (More)

Pulse Pressure Elevation Could Presage Cerebrovascular Disease in Alzheimer’s Patients
April 06, 2012
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego and Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System have shown that elevated pulse pressure may increase the risk of cerebrovascular disease (CVD) in older adults with Alzheimer’s disease (AD).  Th... (More)

How Genes Organize the Surface of the Brain
March 29, 2012
The first atlas of the surface of the human brain based upon genetic information has been produced by a national team of scientists, led by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and the VA San Diego Healthcare Sys... (More)

Regular Chocolate Eaters are Thinner
March 26, 2012
Katherine Hepburn famously said of her slim physique: “What you see before you is the result of a lifetime of chocolate.” New evidence suggests she may have been right. Beatrice Golomb, MD, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Medicine at ... (More)

Chronic Stress Spawns Protein Aggregates Linked to Alzheimer’s
March 26, 2012
Repeated stress triggers the production and accumulation of insoluble tau protein aggregates inside the brain cells of mice, say researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine in a new study published in the March 26 Onlin... (More)

Gene Expression Abnormalities in Autism Identified
March 22, 2012
Genetic studies find dysregulation in pathways that govern development of the prefrontal cortex in young patients with autism A study led by Eric Courchesne, PhD, director of the Autism Center of Excellence at the University of California, San Dieg... (More)

UC San Diego Student-Run Free Clinic Project Hosts Annual Gala, March 31
March 22, 2012
15 Years of Healing San Diego’s Underserved   On Saturday, March 31, the UC San Diego Student-Run Free Clinic Project will host its annual fundraiser and awards ceremony. The event will be held at the UC San Diego Price Center Ballroom on the La ... (More)

UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center Recognized by Industry Leaders for Highest Quality, Consistent Care
March 19, 2012
Only academic facility on West Coast to receive certification UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center has one of the first oncology practices in the nation to be recognized by the Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI®) Certification Program, an af... (More)

UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center Among Nation’s Best
March 16, 2012
Becker’s Hospital Review issues annual list of 70 “great” hospitals and health systems UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center is the only San Diego hospital to be featured in Becker’s Hospital Review list of “70 Hospitals and Health Systems with Great ... (More)

Combined Health Agencies Honors Four UC San Diego Health Heroes
March 15, 2012
Brain stimulation surgery for patients with Parkinson’s disease; promoting liver health on a national level; leading one of the nation’s top ALS clinics; and designing a law that protects the rights of students with epilepsy: these are significant r... (More)

How to Best Help Your Child Lose Weight: Lose Weight Yourself
March 14, 2012
A study by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and The University of Minnesota indicates that a parent’s weight change is a key contributor to the success of a child’s weight loss in family-based treatment of ch... (More)

A New Approach to Faster Anticancer Drug Discovery
March 13, 2012
Tracking the genetic pathway of a disease offers a powerful, new approach to drug discovery, according to scientists at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine who used the approach to uncover a potential treatment for prostate ca... (More)

Botox Injections Now Used for Severe Urinary Incontinence
March 13, 2012
When you think of Botox injections, you probably think of getting rid of unwanted wrinkles around the eyes or forehead, but recently the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved using the injections to help patients with neurological condition... (More)

More Trans Fat Consumption Linked to Greater Aggression
March 13, 2012
Might the “Twinkie defense” have a scientific foundation after all? Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have shown – by each of a range of measures, in men and women of all ages, in Caucasians and minorities – t... (More)

New Weight Loss Surgery Folds Stomach into Smaller Size
March 09, 2012
Patients seeking a weight-loss surgery that does not require an implanted device or permanent change to their anatomy, have a new clinical trial option at UC San Diego Health System. Santiago Horgan, MD, chief of minimally invasive surgery, and his ... (More)

Pregnant Women on Antidepressants Less Likely to Breastfeed
March 08, 2012
Researchers Say Results Show Need for Additional Breastfeeding Support and Education Researchers at the California Teratogen Information Service (CTIS) Pregnancy Health Information Line, a statewide non-profit organization based at the University o... (More)

New Drug Target Improves Memory in Mouse Model of Alzheimer’s Disease
March 07, 2012
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego, the Medical University of South Carolina, the University of Cincinnati, and American Life Science Pharmaceuticals of San Diego have validated the protease cathepsin B (CatB) as a target for imp... (More)

Embryonic Development Protein Active in Cancer Growth
March 05, 2012
Silencing it impairs tumor growth, making ROR1 a potential therapeutic target A team of scientists at the University of California, San Diego Moores Cancer Center has identified a novel protein expressed by breast cancer cells – but not normal adul... (More)

Premature Babies Receive High-Tech Medical Help
March 02, 2012
UC San Diego Telemedicine partners with Tri-City Medical Center NICU An innovative telemedicine program connecting neonatal specialists from UC San Diego Medical Center and Tri-City Medical Center’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) will allow ex... (More)

UC San Diego Sponsors Annual Women’s Conference on HIV/AIDS
March 02, 2012
March 10 Conference Honors National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day In observance of National Women & Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, the UC San Diego AIDS Research Institute (ARI) and Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) are sponsors of “A Wom... (More)

Cocoa May Enhance Skeletal Muscle Function
March 02, 2012
Improvements seen in patients with heart failure and type 2 diabetes in initial study A small clinical trial led by researchers at UC San Diego School of Medicine and VA San Diego Healthcare System (VASDHS) found that patients with advanced heart ... (More)

UC San Diego among First in Nation to Treat Brain Cancer with Novel Viral Vector
March 01, 2012
Directly injected viral vector, Toca 511, is designed to spread through brain cancer cells and kill them while leaving healthy cells unharmed UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center researchers and surgeons are among the first in the nation to treat pat... (More)

UC San Diego Health System Now Offers Latest Catheter Ablation Therapy Using Heat Energy for Patients with Abnormal Heart Rhythms
February 16, 2012
FDA-approved non-surgical technology alters heart tissue that triggers atrial fibrillation UC San Diego Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center is now offering patients with atrial fibrillation the breakthrough benefits of heat energy, or radio frequency w... (More)

The Splice of Life: Proteins Cooperate to Regulate Gene Splicing
February 16, 2012
Understanding how RNA binding proteins control the genetic splicing code is fundamental to human biology and disease – much like editing film can change a movie scene. Abnormal variations in splicing are often implicated in cancer and genetic neurod... (More)

Express Yourself: How Zygotes Sort Out Imprinted Genes
February 16, 2012
Writing in the February 17, 2012 issue of the journal Cell, researchers at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and the Toronto Western Research Institute peel away some of the enduring... (More)

Will Anti-Arrhythmic Drug Beat Sudden Cardiac Arrest?
February 14, 2012
Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is the leading cause of death in the United States.  This form of heart attack kills 325,000 people every year, representing one death every two minutes. Almost all SCA victims die before they even reach a hospital. To id... (More)

Could “Love Hormone” Help Treat Depression?
February 13, 2012
Gazing into your lover’s eyes isn’t only romantic; it also releases a brain chemical called oxytocin that strengthens social bonds in a variety of species.  For some people who suffer from depression, the so-called “hormone of love” might hold out h... (More)

Clinical Trial Teaches Binge Eaters to Toss Away Cravings
February 09, 2012
Of 190 million obese Americans, approximately 10-15 percent engage in harmful binge eating. During single sittings, these over-eaters consume large servings of high-caloric foods. Sufferers contend with weight gain and depression including heart dis... (More)

New Method Makes Culture of Complex Tissue Possible in any Lab
February 09, 2012
Scientists at the University of California, San Diego have developed a new method for making scaffolds for culturing tissue in three-dimensional arrangements that mimic those in the body. This advance, published online in the journal Advanced Materi... (More)

UC San Diego Professor Kim Barrett Selected President-Elect of the American Physiological Society
February 07, 2012
Kim E. Barrett, PhD, professor of medicine and dean of graduate studies at the University of California, San Diego, will become president-elect of the American Physiological Society (APS).  APS is the nation’s premier nonprofit organization devoted ... (More)

UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center Offers New Hope for Deadly Brain Tumor
February 03, 2012
One of few clinical trial sites, worldwide Jim Black is fighting the meanest, most aggressive, most common kind of brain tumor in the United States: recurrent glioblastoma multiforme (GBM).  In the United States, each year, approximately 10,000 pat... (More)

Grant to UC San Diego Shiley Eye Center Supports Research in Blinding Eye Diseases
January 26, 2012
Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) has awarded a grant of $100,000 to the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine to support research into the causes, treatment, and prevention of blinding eye disea... (More)

Scientists Link Evolved, Mutated Gene Module to Syndromic Autism
January 26, 2012
A team led by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine reports that newly discovered mutations in an evolved assembly of genes cause Joubert syndrome, a form of syndromic autism. The findings are published in the J... (More)

Four Breast Cancer-Related Studies Seeking Participants
January 25, 2012
UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center researchers examine role of diet and exercise An active lifestyle and a healthy diet can help you feel more energetic, control your weight, help you sleep better, and reduce your risk of many diseases.  Researchers... (More)

Researchers Induce Alzheimer’s Neurons From Pluripotent Stem Cells
January 25, 2012
First-ever feat provides new method to understand cause of disease, develop drugs Led by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, scientists have, for the first time, created stem cell-derived, in vitro models of ... (More)

New Fluorescent Dyes Highlight Neuronal Activity
January 25, 2012
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have created a new generation of fast-acting fluorescent dyes that optically highlight electrical activity in neuronal membranes. The work is published in this week’s online E... (More)

UC San Diego Health System Expands, Acquires Nevada Cancer Institute
January 23, 2012
UC San Diego Health System has received approval to acquire the Nevada Cancer Institute (NVCI), the official cancer institute of the state of Nevada, as an affiliate health care provider. The expansion represents a partnership between California and... (More)

Author of Buddha’s Brain to Give Lecture at UC San Diego Medical Center
January 20, 2012
Rick Hanson, PhD, author of the book Buddha’s Brain and founder of the Wellspring Institute for Neuroscience and Contemplative Wisdom, will present his lecture "Taking in the Good: Helping Children Build Inner Strength and Happiness”  at the UC San ... (More)

National Academy of Sciences Honors UC San Diego Professor
January 20, 2012
17 individuals in U.S. recognized for major contributions to science The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) will honor 17 individuals with awards in recognition of their extraordinary scientific achievements in a wide range of fields spanning the p... (More)

UC San Diego Researchers Review Cessation Studies and Call for Change in Policy
January 17, 2012
Smoking is a major public health issue and quitting is the single most important thing smokers can do to improve their health.  In the 2012 edition of the prestigious Annual Review of Public Health, researchers at the University of California, San D... (More)

New Study Links Timing of Alcohol Exposure In Pregnancy and FAS Physical Features
January 17, 2012
Results Show No ‘Safe’ Period For Drinking Alcohol In Pregnancy Researchers at the California Teratogen Information Service (CTIS) Pregnancy Health Information Line, a state-wide non-profit organization based at the University of California, San Di... (More)

Pick Up the Cell Phone, Drop the Pounds
January 09, 2012
Cell phones aren’t just for talking any more.  Surfing the web, storing music and posting to Facebook have all contributed to the near-mandatory use of a cell phone.  How about using that cell phone to lose weight?  Researchers with Calit2’s Center ... (More)

Roche Funds Drug Discovery Projects at UC San Diego
January 09, 2012
The new UC San Diego-Roche Extending Innovation Network (EIN) program has been launched with selection of its first three research projects at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. The UC San Diego-Roche EIN program, which was ... (More)

New Test Spots Early Signs of Inherited Metabolic Disorders
January 09, 2012
A team of scientists, led by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Zacharon Pharmaceuticals, have developed a simple, reliable test for identifying biomarkers for mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS), a group of inheri... (More)

Radical Surgery Saves Life of Young Mom, California First
January 05, 2012
Liver Removed, Reconstructed, Re-Implanted A team led by Alan Hemming, MD, transplant surgeon at UC San Diego Health System, has successfully performed the west coast’s first ex-vivo liver resection, a radical procedure to completely remove and rec... (More)

New Chair Named for UC San Diego Department of Medicine
January 05, 2012
Wolfgang H. Dillmann, MD, has been selected as chair of the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine.  He has also been named the Helen M. Ranney Endowed Chair, the school's first faculty-funded endow... (More)

UC San Diego Training Program on Driving Safety Expands Statewide
January 04, 2012
Program showed success in training health care, law enforcement The University of California, San Diego School of Medicine TREDS (Training, Research and Education for Driving Safety) program has been awarded a grant from the California Office of Tr... (More)

UC San Diego’s William C. Mobley Recognized for Contributions to Down Syndrome
January 04, 2012
Jérôme Lejeune Foundation U.S. Scientific Committee Chair acknowledged by U.S. Congress, honored with international prize in Paris William C. Mobley, MD, PhD, chair of the Department of Neurosciences at the University of California, San Diego Schoo... (More)