UCSF News

When a mouthful of water goes down the wrong pipe – heading toward a healthy person’s lungs instead of their gut – they start coughing uncontrollably. That’s because their upper airway senses the water and quickly signals the brain. The same coughing reflex is set off in people with acid reflux, when acid from the stomach reaches the throat.

Mild brain inflammation destroys arm-like projections of neurons rather than the neurons themselves, but can still cause significant brain damage.

A study reveals the life-altering impact of COVID-19 on individuals who developed severe illness, the majority of whom had to be placed on mechanical ventilators. Two-thirds still had physical, psychiatric, and cognitive problems for up to a year later.

UCSF hand surgeon Scott Hansen, MD, offers insight on the importance of plastic surgery in treating hand injuries, especially for those of athletes.

Intentional flu vaccine messaging, such as a brief video, flyer, or a scripted provider question, is enough to persuade many who visit emergency departments to receive the vaccination.

An upcoming Supreme Court ruling could put a stop to telehealth abortion services nationally, and limit access to mifepristone, one of two drugs commonly used in abortion care.

People with dementia and those who care for them should be screened for loneliness, so providers can find ways to keep them socially connected.

Professor emeritus Cindy Chang, MD, has had an impressive career, from being the first female chief medical officer for the U.S Olympic team, to establishing a sports medicine fellowship at UCSF.

A first of its kind study finds that the COVID vaccine is safe to administer during pregnancy, causing no abnormal delays when the infants were tested at 12 months and again at 18 months.

UCSF Health is expanding its collaboration with two hospitals in Hawaii, Hawai’i Pacific Health and Hilo Medical Center, to support a $150 million gift from Lynne and Marc Benioff that aims to increase access to high-quality medical care for Hawaii residents.

Tracey Woodruff, PhD, MPH, offers insights on what her research on microplastics has led her to change how she and her family eats and what cleaning products she uses.

UCSF scientists found a way to predict Alzheimer’s Disease up to seven years before symptoms appear by analyzing patient records with machine learning. Conditions that most influenced prediction of Alzheimer’s were high cholesterol and, for women, osteoporosis.

Medication abortion can be delivered safely and effectively through telemedicine, according to new research that comes as the U.S. Supreme Court is about to hear a case that could severely restrict access to one of the two pills that are used to induce abortions.

UCSF has been honored as a Top Producing Institution for Fulbright U.S. Students by the U.S. State Department for the 2023-2024 academic year.

California’s trailblazing surgeon general is using her platform to pave the way for improving the health of women, children and communities of color while inspiring a new generation of Latinx physicians.

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra visited UCSF Pride Hall at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital to laud UCSF researchers, educators and clinical leaders for their leadership in reproductive health, as the Biden Administration seeks to preserve access to abortion care in post-Roe America.

A newly-discovered gene may explain how humans go deaf both as they age, and in response to loud noise.

Quality of sleep, not quantity, may play a part in the development of dementia decades before symptoms start.