At approximately 9:20 PM on November 19, a visitor to the UCSF Parnassus Heights campus was the victim of a robbery as she walked on Parnassus Avenue near Cole Street. The victim was approached by two individuals who pushed her to the ground, forcibly took her purse, and then fled on foot.

Scientists have discovered that autoimmunity can be triggered in the thymus, where the immune system's T cells develop, if T cells fail to recognize just one of the body's thousands of proteins as "self."

Patients and cancer survivors came together recently in an emotional and awe-inspiring reception at UCSF.

"Treating illness means treating the whole patient," says Steven Pantilat, the physician who directs the UCSF Adult Palliative Care Service at the UCSF Medical Center at Parnassus. About half of the patients who consult with members of the service are cancer patients.

To complement the strong basic science and clinical research in brain tumors at UCSF, the Division of Neuro-Oncology has a priority to enhance the quality of survivorship for patients. To this end, the UCSF Department of Neurological Surgery opened the "Brain Tumor Patient Education Center" on the 8th floor of the Ambulatory Care Center at the Parnassus campus, to improve access to resources and provide educational information for patients.

The School of Pharmacy has named Howard Lee as director of the Washington, DC-based Center for Drug Development Science (CDDS).

Michael Cabana, MD, MPH, chief of the Department of General Pediatrics at UCSF Children's Hospital, is heading a study to see if asthma and allergies can be prevented by purposely giving germs to newborns to strengthen their immune systems. KGO-TV's Dr. Dean Edell reports on the UCSF research.

For KGO-TV, Dr. Dean Edell explores a number of wrinkle fillers, some temporary, that are growing in popularity. Richard Glogau, MD, UCSF clinical professor of dermatology, talks about injectable fillers, in particular Restylane, and issues around effectiveness and safety. Dr. Glogau says Restylane is a good all-purpose filler that lasts four to six months.

Macy's will illuminate thousands of holiday lights on its 85-foot-tall Union Square fir tree on Friday, November 24, with each twinkling light representing a donation to programs for children facing life-threatening illness at UCSF Children's Hospital.

Increasingly, women are the inspiration for and supporters of the women's health initiative at UCSF.