Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences

CRISPR-based obesity treatment shows promise for other diseases

Thu Jan 17, 2019

Ahituv, right, works in his lab with postdoc Fumitaka Inoue

Susan Merrell

Nadav Ahituv, PhD, right, was able to curb obesity in mice by tweaking two genes involved in controlling appetite.

A recent study by Nadav Ahituv, PhD, showed that obesity caused by a gene mutation could be treated in animal models.

Fraser appointed to Bowes Biomedical Investigator Program

Wed Jan 9, 2019

Elisabeth Fall

James Fraser, PhD, developed new ways of doing crystallography over a wide range of temperatures.

Fraser developed several new tools for creating maps of macromolecules, a critical first step for finding new drugs.

Associate Professor

My lab develops molecular biotechnology to overcome technical hurdles that prevent us from effectively understanding and treating disease. We're particularly interested in neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disease.

Combination drug therapy overcomes drug-resistant lung cancer in the lab

Wed Dec 19, 2018

National Cancer Institute

A chest x-ray showing a possible lung cancer tumor (National Cancer Institute)

Many types of lung cancer thwart even the most targeted of therapies due to drug resistance, but a group of UCSF scientists led by Sourav Bandyopadhyay, PhD, have now shown that adding a second drug into treatment regimens can overcome this resistance in lab-grown, lung cancer cell lines.

Research points to individualized treatments for curing TB

Tue Nov 20, 2018

Rada Savic, PhD, senior author on the study, presented her team's work on tuberculosis treatments at the 49th Union World Conference on Lung Health in The Hague, The Netherlands, in late October 2018.

Tuberculosis is usually treated with a six month regimen of daily antibiotics, but millions of patients do not recover from the disease during treatment. Rada Savic’s team showed that adjusting the duration of this regimen based on disease severity could lead to better outcomes.

School of Pharmacy emeriti Kollman, Kuntz, and Langridge honored with UCSF Medal

Thu Nov 15, 2018

composite of Langridge, Kollman, Kuntz, and a wasabi receptor computer graphic

Drug discovery today begins with computation rather than test tube experimentation. Three School of Pharmacy faculty emeriti, Robert Langridge, Irwin “Tack” Kuntz, and the late Peter Kollman, were awarded the UCSF Medal for creating computational tools for drug discovery that are now used worldwide.

Update from the Dean – November 2018

Fri Nov 9, 2018

Elisabeth Fall

Dean B. Joseph Guglielmo, PharmD

Curriculum transformation, An expanded role, Gaining recognition, Graduate match rate; School of Pharmacy scientists receive UCSF Medal: Founding fathers of drug discovery honored; Beyond drugs, Two artificial pancreas projects, Bringing prosthetics to patients; Beyond drugs, Two artificial...

Checking in with Sourav Bandyopadhyay

Fri Oct 26, 2018

Sourav Bandyopadhyay, PhD

Prof. Sourav Bandyopadhyay has been assiduous both in the laboratory and at his desk.

QBI pioneers a collaborative and inclusive approach to scientific discovery

Tue Oct 16, 2018

Chris Goodfellow (Gladstone Institutes)

Nevan Krogan, PhD, founded QBI two years ago aiming to build a thriving scientific community at UCSF.

UCSF’s Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI), founded two years ago, is making waves with its unique approach to scientific collaboration, catalyzing discoveries from cancer to psychiatry while supporting female scientists and engaging with the public.