Congratulations to four UCSF faculty named 2026 NIH New Innovators.
Josiah Gerdts, Mark Pownall, Sakeen Kashem, and Balyn Zaro will each receive $2M+ over five years to pursue high-risk, high-reward research. https://ow.ly/9UGi50ZVFoy

For decades, KRAS was considered “undruggable.” Scientists were even warned that pursuing it was career suicide. UCSF researchers kept going. Their discovery of a hidden pocket helped launch a new class of cancer drugs. https://ow.ly/jb4x50ZU3zB

How do you win a Nobel Prize? Start with a chicken. At least, that worked for the late J. Michael Bishop, MD. With Nobel week around the corner, we’re looking back at the UCSF Nobel laureate and the discovery that changed how we understand cancer. https://tiny.ucsf.edu/Ltbz55

The dark cloud hiding in your pantry? Ultra-processed food. A new UCSF pilot study found that cutting ultra-processed food by more than 85% was linked to improvements in depression symptoms. One possible explanation may start in your gut. https://ow.ly/fUrm50ZTc1Q

UCSF’s Kevan Shokat, PhD, just won the $1M Stephenson Global Prize for research in pancreatic cancer. He cracked KRAS, a cancer driver long considered “undruggable.” Drugs built on his work now treat lung and pancreatic cancer. https://ow.ly/UYuY50ZRSXg

How do you run a clinical trial on patients when it’s hard to hide the real drug from placebo? It’s one of the biggest challenges in psychedelic research. A UCSF team proposed a new approach that could help researchers better understand whether these drugs actually work. https://ow.ly/lGWe50ZRbBa

What if a video game could reveal how your brain weighs risk? UCSF & UC Berkeley scientists built one, revealing a tug-of-war that plays out in milliseconds and can predict your decision a half second before you make it. See what it could mean for psychiatric care. https://ow.ly/fw7p50ZPOuH

Congratulations to UCSF’s Kevan Shokat, PhD, Joseph DeRisi, PhD, Susan Lynch, PhD, and Stephen Hauser, MD, on winning the first-ever UC Regents Innovation Awards! See how their research is advancing cancer treatment, diagnostics, disease prevention, and MS care. https://ow.ly/nTQ350ZPguY

For people experiencing homelessness, getting to a physician isn't easy. A UCSF student clinic brings eye care to this San Francisco shelter. It delivers exams, glasses, and referrals for follow-up care. For many, an eye exam is the first step to an ID, housing, and a job. https://ow.ly/4N9J50ZO4Uf

Unlimited Bay Area transit is coming to more of the UCSF community. Starting January 2027, Clipper BayPass will expand to all students and employees eligible for core benefits, with unlimited travel on 24 bus, rail, and ferry services across the Bay Area. https://ow.ly/VMTM50ZMOmv

Their work has advanced health and improved lives around the world. Congratulations to the 2026 UCSF Medal recipients on receiving UCSF’s highest honor for their lasting contributions to health and society. www.ucsf.edu/news/2026-ucsf-medal

The first personalized cancer vaccine to succeed in a late-stage trial was tested at UCSF. Earlier results showed it cut the risk of melanoma returning by nearly half. UCSF’s Adil Daud, MD, says it could work for other cancers too. https://ow.ly/tnti50ZHZQa

Meta just settled for $17.1 billion over concerns about children’s social media addiction. UCSF pediatrician and youth screen-time expert Jason Nagata, MD, MSc, explains what the changes could mean for kids’ health and what parents should watch for. https://ow.ly/74Nt50ZGPb3

Nearly 700 internal firearms industry documents are now public after a lawsuit revealed how a retailer ignored warning signs before a straw buyer’s gun was used in a 2021 mass shooting. UCSF’s new archive could help researchers study industry practices. https://ow.ly/Lb7C50ZGgWF

Forever chemicals have been linked to miscarriages, preterm births, and preeclampsia. Now a first-of-its-kind UCSF study may offer clues as to why. https://ow.ly/v1gn50ZGgU2