Medicine of the Future

UCSF has a long history of pioneering biomedical research and a bold vision for advancing science and seeking new ways to improve health care delivery nationwide. But, what does that actually mean in the near future and beyond?

This new series, part of the popular Mini Medical School for the Public, takes you inside the work of UCSF scientists to learn what the next decade may bring to the world of medicine. Hailing from a wide spectrum of disciplines, each explores a different topic that has the potential to impact the future of healthcare.

UCSF was the only medical school to be ranked in the top five in the nation in both research and primary care by US News and World Report, ranking fifth in biomedical research and third in primary care education. UCSF was also the only medical school ranked in the top five in all eight of the specialty areas covered by the survey in 2019.

Browse more programs in Next: UCSF Scientists Outline What’s To Come .

Impact of Early Life Deprivation

Unlike most other animals, much of human brain development and maturation occurs after birth, a process that continues into early adulthood. This unusual pattern allows for greater influences of environment and culture on the emergence of the adult mind.

This series of programs from the recent CARTA symposium addresses the interactive contributions of nature and nurture in this process, ranging from experiments by ancient monarchs and lessons from “feral” children of various kinds, to the follow-up on Romanian orphans.

Distinguished speakers address comparative and neurobiological issues which likely played a key role in the origins of the human species and in the evolution of distinct features of our minds.

Browse more programs in Impact of Early Life Deprivation on Cognition: Implications for the Evolutionary Origins of the Human Mind.

Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s Disease, the most common cause of dementia among older adults, is currently ranked as the sixth leading cause of death in the United States.

This series presented by leading clinicians and researchers from the UCSF Memory and Aging Center provides in-depth review of the neurodegenerative diseases of the brain, focusing primarily on Alzheimer’s disease. You’ll learn about the diverse clinical manifestations of Alzheimer’s, stages of illness, and current state of science regarding diagnosis, treatment and management of Alzheimer’s and other related diseases.

Early diagnosis can help preserve daily functioning for some time, even though the underlying disease process cannot be stopped or reversed.

Browse more programs in Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Neurodegenerative Diseases of the Brain.

Diabetes and You

According to the National Diabetes Statistics Report of 2017, 9.4% of the U.S. population has diabetes – that’s over 30 million people. It’s likely someone close to you is living with diabetes. Do you have the most current information?

In this series expert UCSF faculty cover diabetes from basics to advanced concepts, providing an overview of the disease, including treatment and new medications, what to eat, emotional aspects, and how language and daily behaviors impact diabetes care.

There is no cure for diabetes, but it can be managed. Get information you need to help you live a long and healthy life.

Browse more programs in Diabetes

Foundations for Future Health Care Providers: Pharmacology

Have you always dreamed about being a doctor? Maybe you find the way the body works really fascinating or you feel compelled to help others.

Well, we’ve got a series for you! Take a look at the new series, Foundations for Future Health Care Providers.

Medical school can be tough, but you can get ahead of the curve with these programs designed to teach you the fundamental concepts of medicine.

UCSD-TV gives you a sneak peek of your first year at medical school with these videos from faculty at UCSF. Learn the basics of Anatomy, Physiology, and Pathology in the Foundations for Future Health Care Providers series.

Check out this program from the series all about pharmacology.

Antibiotics are a common type of prescription drug used to combat bacterial infections in the body. However, the effectiveness of these drugs is diminishing as more and more of these infectious bacteria are becoming resistant to antibiotics.

In “Pharmacology: Bugs and Drugs, Part 1,” Marieke Kruidering Hall, Associate Professor in the Department of Cellular & Molecular Pharmacology at UCSF, explains that this can be related to incidents when people are prescribed antibiotics, but don’t finish taking all of the prescribed drug.

People will feel better and think they don’t need to keep taking the antibiotic. Although the symptoms of the infection are gone, some bacteria remain and by not completing that antibiotic, people allow those remaining bacteria to survive the antibiotic. Those remaining bacteria multiply, therefore creating a strain of bacteria that is able to survive the treatment of antibiotics.

See what else Kruidering Hall has to say about the way antiviral, antimicrobial, and antifungal drugs work differently within the body, in “Pharmacology: Bugs and Drugs, Part 1.”

Explore other videos in the Foundations for Future Health Care Providers series!