A federal pediatric advisory committee has voted unanimously to include a screening test for Severe Combined Immune Deficiency, or SCID, in the core panel of newborn screening performed nationwide. The Federal Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders in Newborns and Children formally recommended the screen January 21.

Some of the leading scientists in bioengineering, nanotechnology and pharmaco-genomics will gather on Tuesday, January 26, 2010 to discuss how to harness the tools of these emerging fields to develop new diagnostics and treatments for complex diseases.

Scientists have identified a gene family that plays a key role in one of the earliest stages of development in which an embryo distinguishes its left side from the right and determines how organs should be positioned within the body. The finding in mice likely will lead to a better understanding of how certain birth defects occur in humans.

In a Jan. 19 letter to the UCSF community, Sue Desmond-Hellmann says she’s “inspired about our collective ability to innovate and contribute to delivering on our mission of advancing health worldwide.™

With numerous personnel waiting to board planes to the earthquake zone, concerned students, faculty and staff are busy raising money and collecting medical supplies to assist the victims.

UCSF is proceeding with the construction of the neurosciences building at Mission Bay, where some of the world’s best scientists and clinicians will collaborate to prevent and cure diseases of the brain.

UCSF has appointed John Plotts, a 30-year financial veteran, to oversee the fiscal and operational management of the life sciences university.

UCSF is set to construct a major neuroscience building on its Mission Bay campus. The building will bring under one roof several of the world’s leading clinical and basic research programs seeking cures for intractable neurological disorders.