By Scott LaFee

A major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and other health- and life-threatening conditions, obesity is epidemic in the United States and other developed nations where it’s fueled in large part by excessive consumption of a fat-rich “Western diet.”

But not all fats are equal. Animal-derived saturated fats like lard and butter are strongly linked to adverse health effects, but unsaturated and polyunsaturated fats from plants and…

LA JOLLA, CA—Ever wondered why you wake up in the morning—even when the alarm clock isn't making jarring noises? Wonder no more. Researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have identified a new component of the biological clock, a gene responsible for starting the clock from its restful state every morning.

The biological clock ramps up our metabolism early each day, initiating important physiological functions that tell our bodies that it's time to rise and shine.…

The newly revealed molecular structure of G protein-coupled receptors illustrate the September 29 cover of Nature. The findings were the result of a multi-institutional collaboration that included UC San Diego.

Three international teams of scientists, led by researchers at the University of California San…

Bruce Ovbiagele, MD

People with prehypertension have a 55 percent higher risk of experiencing a future stroke than people without prehypertension, report researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine in a new meta-analysis of scientific literature published in the September 28…

Only 17 T-R01 projects were selected throughout the country and will be supported with a total of…

Professor Shu Chien, recipient of the National Medal of Science.

President Barack Obama today named University of California, San Diego bioengineering professor Shu Chien one of the seven eminent researchers to receive the National Medal of Science, the highest honor bestowed by the United States…

By Debra Kain

A study by scientists at the University of California, San Diego and UC Irvine has identified an enzyme called a proteasome phosphatase that appears to regulate removal of damaged proteins from a cell.  The understanding of how this process works could have important implications for numerous diseases, including cancer and Parkinson’s disease.

The study – led by Jack E. Dixon, PhD, professor of Pharmacology, Cellular & Molecular Medicine, and…

LA JOLLA, CA—Researchers at the Salk Institute have discovered how a hormone turns on a series of molecular switches inside the pancreas that increases production of insulin.

The finding, published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, raises the possibility that new designer drugs might be able to turn on key molecules in this pathway to help the 80 million Americans who have type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetic insulin resistance.

The molecular…

UC San Diego Health System is led by CEO, Tom Jackiewicz

UC San Diego Health System is proud to receive the 2011 UHC Quality Leadership Award. This national award is given to academic medical centers that demonstrate excellence in delivering high-quality care as measured by the UHC Quality & Accountability Study, which has…

Scripps-led study finds overfishing of spawning areas, environmental conditions behind collapse of two bass species

The two most important recreational fisheries off Southern California have collapsed, according to a new study led by a researcher from Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego.

By Jan Zverina

The San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC) at the University of California, San…

Salk Institute researchers have built artificially enhanced bacteria capable of producing new kinds of synthetic chemicals

LA JOLLA—A strain of genetically enhanced bacteria developed by researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies may pave the way for new synthetic drugs and new ways of manufacturing medicines and biofuels, according to a paper published September 18 in Nature Chemical Biology.

For the first…

LA JOLLA, CA—Axel Nimmerjahn, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Waitt Advanced Biophotonics Center and holder of the Richard Allan Barry Developmental Chair in Biophotonics has been awarded a highly selective grant from the Whitehall Foundation. He will receive $223,000.00 over three years to study the contribution of astrocytes to…

By Paul K. Mueller

Paul K. Yu

Paul K. Yu, professor of electrical and computer engineering in the Jacobs School of Engineering and associate vice chancellor for Research Initiatives at the University of…

By Catherine Hockmuth and Ioana Patringenaru

Two graduate students look on as construction crews pour the roof slab on a…

By Kim McDonald

Biologists at the University of California, San Diego have identified more than 70 genes that play a role in regenerating nerves after injury, providing biomedical researchers with a valuable set of genetic leads for use in developing therapies to repair spinal cord injuries and other common kinds of nerve damage such as stroke.

In the September 22 issue of the journal Neuron, the…

By Daniel Kane

Five bioengineering Ph.D. students from the University of California, San Diego whose research is aimed at improving human health are among the 2012 recipients of the annual Siebel Scholars awards. Selected for their outstanding academic performance and leadership, each student receives a $35,000 fellowship…

By Debra Kain

A large international research consortium has identified several new genes associated with both bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.  Their study, co-authored by psychiatric researchers from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, reveals that common genetic variants contribute to a person’s risk of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

The findings, reported by the Psychiatric…

Board of Trustees votes unanimously to support $1 increase in state tobacco tax to fund biomedical research in California

LA JOLLA, Calif., September 19, 2011 – The Board of Trustees of Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute (Sanford-Burnham) voted unanimously at their September 14 board meeting to endorse the California Cancer Research Act (CCRA), making it the first non-profit research…