Daniel Ranch and Kana Kornsawad, who confront kidney disease daily at their jobs at UCSF, have a new perspective on things after having undergone kidney transplant surgery in April.

As state lawmakers continue to wrangle over the budget, UCSF is busy planning for all possible scenarios — from pay cuts to employee furloughs to a voluntary buyout program.

UCSF will conduct an informational meeting on June 25 to discuss formation of a Care and Shelter Team to help stranded members of the campus community following a large-scale disaster.

Chancellor Mike Bishop issued an update on the worsening state financial crisis, saying that UCSF must prepare for a total cut of about 25 percent of state funds in fiscal year 2010.

UCSF Children’s Hospital has been ranked among the nation’s best children’s hospitals in nine pediatric specialties, making it one of the top-ranked facilities in California, according to the new 2009 “America’s Best Children’s Hospitals” survey conducted by “U.S. News & World Report.”

With more than $8 billion in research grants up for grabs, UCSF has submitted hundreds of proposals and has already netted $8.7 million for projects focusing on autism, asthma and many other topics.

The NFL selected the UCSF Spine Center as one of five treatment programs across the country to offer spine care to retired players. Comprised of an orthopaedic spine surgeon, a neurosurgeon and a physiatrist, UCSF was selected for its expertise, high-quality service and stellar reputation.

A new JAMA study questions a link between a common gene variant and depression risk among people who have experienced stressful life events. Sorting out disease risk due to genes and environment remains challenging.

UCSF School of Dentistry Dean John D.B. Featherstone answers questions about the importance of Denti-Cal, a Medi-Cal program that faces elimination at the end of this month due to the state budget crisis.