A class of miniscule molecules called microRNAs has become a major focus of biomedical research. Now, UCSF scientists have identified multiple members of this class that enable embryonic stem cells to divide, and thus proliferate, much more rapidly than the mature, or specialized, cells of the adult body.

UCSF Children’s Hospital has opened an innovative new clinical unit focusing on the infant brain that is the first facility of its kind in the United States. The unit brings together specialized treatment for infants who show signs of brain damage at birth – and are at-risk for developing cerebral palsy, mental retardation and other cognitive disorders – with clinical research.

The UCSF School of Medicine continues to have one of the most diverse student bodies among California medical schools, according to a public policy institute study. Nearly one-third of students in last fall’s entering class -- 28 percent -- are from groups underrepresented in medicine.