The UCSF National Center of Excellence in Women's Health

11.01.08
Dr. Linda C. Giudice will receive two important honors in November 2008. On Saturday November 8th, the American Fertility Association will present its annual Illuminations Award to Dr. Linda C. Giudice, Chair of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at UCSF. The event will take place at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Getty. Dr. Giudice, a leading researcher in Women's Health, is being honored for her work on the environment and its impact on reproductive health and quality of life. Dr. Giudice's passion to advance research in Women's Health is well known and she has been honored nationally for her tireless efforts to promote awareness of environmental impacts on Women's Health and other aspects of the causes of infertility in women.
American Society for Reproductive Medicine Distinguished Researcher Award in San Francisco, Sunday, November 9, 2008
This award recognizes a member of the Society who has made outstanding contributions to clinical or basic research in reproductive medicine published during the previous 10 years. Dr. Giudice was selected to honor her sustained commitment to advancing the frontiers of research in reproductive sciences and educating future scholars in the field. Dr. Giudice will receive her award during the opening ceremony of the 2008 ASRM Annual Meeting in San Francisco, CA on Sunday, November 9, 2008.

10.01.08
Dr. Tracy Weitz has received the Felicia Stewart Award from the American Public Health Association, for advocacy in the reproductive health arena by the Population, Family Planning and Reproductive Health section of the American Public Health Association. Dr. Weitz is the Director of Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH), Associate Director of the UCSF National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health, and a member of the faculty of the UCSF Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences. The award will be presented at the APHA’s annual meeting in San Diego on October 28th. Dr. Weitz is a lifetime advocate of women’s health and reproductive rights. She has a master’s degree in public administration with an emphasis in health care from Southwest Missouri State University and a doctoral degree in medical sociology from UCSF. Dr. Weitz’s passion is for those aspects of women’s health that are marginalized either for ideological reasons, or because the populations affected lack the means or mechanisms to have their concerns raised.

08.01.08
The UCSF National Center of Excellence invites proposals for innovative Women’s Health Research Fund. In 2007, the Mount Zion Health Fund awarded the UCSF National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health one million dollars to establish a Women’s Health Research Fund in honor of its 10th anniversary. The object of this fund is to support innovative pilot projects, designed and directed by young investigators, which will lead to improvements in prevention strategies, screening and diagnostic testing, treatments, quality of life and cost-effectiveness. Specifics about the application process are available at http://rap.ucsf.edu/. There are two application deadlines per year: March and September. Please contact Judy Young at the CoE for additional information: youngj@obgyn.ucsf.edu or 415-885-3736.

07.15.08
Dr. Patricia Robertson, the first Academy of Medical Educators Academy Chair in Obstetrics and Gynecology Education, recently issued a call for proposals entitled the Ob Gyn Innovations Proposal Series. This funding program was created to promote innovation in medical education through the development of new or improved teaching programs, learning opportunities, and mentoring relationships. The Ob Gyn Academy Chair was made possible due to the generosity of Robert Domush MD, Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
We congratulate the teams who were selected in this cycle. Dr. Robertson will be announcing another round in 2009. For more information about this program, please contact Ms. Tracey Jones at 502-7129 or jonest@obgyn.ucsf.edu
Proposals Funded in This Round:

Integrating Educational Core Competencies into a Quality Assurance Review in Gynecologic Oncology: Lee-may Chen, Joanne Seitz, C. Bethan Powell, John Chan, and Patricia O’Sullivan

Videotaping of Emergency Cesarean Sections as a Means for Quality Improvement and Resident Education: Sarah Wilson, Rebecca Jackson, Meg Autry, Mark Rollins

Teaching Professionalism Through Abortion Values Clarification During the Obstetrics and Gynecology Clerkship: Jody Steinauer, MD, MAS, Sarah Dixon, MPH, MS

Research Productivity and Mentorship: Joshua G. Cohen, MD; Callie Roth, BS; John K. Chan, MD

07.01.08
The Obstetrics Program of the UCSF Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, already a leader in the field, received very welcome news from the University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC) yesterday when they announced that our program qualified for Better Performance Candidacy in UHC’s Obstetric Clinical Benchmarking project. UCSF was one of two institutions so designated out of 30 hospitals.
As a Better Performer, our program has been invited to share its successes and knowledge at the Obstetrics Knowledge Transfer Meeting (KTM) with the other participants in this study who are looking for ways to improve their current processes. The KTM will take place in Chicago in October 2008. In advance, UHC has requested that UCSF host a site visit with UHC benchmarking staff members to validate the Better Performer designation. This would take place later this month or in early September.
As one of the first hospitals in the western United States to give women the option of delivering in an alternative birth center, UCSF has a long established commitment to safe, comfortable, family-centered births. UCSF prenatal providers include obstetricians, family practice physicians, certified nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners. For women with high-risk pregnancies, UCSF obstetricians and perinatologists provide the most advanced management techniques and consultations.
Our Center for Newborns and Mothers offers women and their families the ability to experience labor, delivery, and recovery in the same comfortable room, many offering spectacular views of the San Francisco Bay. Our post-partum rooms are private and comfortable. We are proud to report a cesarean section rate of 22.8% and a successful VBAC rate (vaginal birth after C-section) of 72%. While the San Francisco birthrate continues to drop, the UCSF Center for Newborns and Mothers has seen an increase in the number of births over the last three years.

06.15.08
The Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences is very pleased to announce that the following faculty members have been selected by 3rd and 4th year medical students for the 2007–2008 Academic Teaching Awards and for Volunteer Clinical Faculty Teaching Awards.
Academic Teaching Award

Allison Bryant, MD: Assistant Professor
Deborah Cohan, MD, MPH: Associate Professor and Medical Director, Bay Area Perinatal AIDS Center (BAPAC); Assistant Director, National Perinatal HIV Consultation and Referral Service
Philip Darney, MD, MSc: Professor and Division Chief, SFGH
Victor Fujimoto, MD: Associate Professor and Director, UCSF In Vitro Fertilization
Mindy Goldman, MD: Associate Professor and Director, Follow Up Program, Carol Franc Buck Breast Care Center
Alison Jacoby, MD: Associate Professor and Director, Comprehensive Fibroid Center
George Sawaya, MD: Associate Professor and Director, Cervical Dysplasia Clinic, San Francisco General Hospital
Jody Steinauer, MD, MAS: Assistant Professor and Assistant Director, Fellowship in Family Planning

Volunteer Clinical Faculty Teaching Awards

Malini Nijagal, MD: Attending Physician, Marin General Hospital and UCSF Medical Student Site Director at Marin Maternity Services, San Rafael, CA and Assistant Clinical Professor at UCSF·
M. Ming Quan, MD: Attending Physician, CPMC and Assistant Clinical Professor at UCSF

06.01.08
The Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences is pleased to announce that Dr. Lee-may Chen has been selected for membership in The Haile T. Debas Academy of Medical Educators at UCSF.
The Haile T. Debas Academy of Medical Educators is dedicated to creating an environment that enhances the status of teachers of medical students at UCSF, promotes and rewards teaching excellence, fosters curricular innovation, and encourages scholarship in medical education.
Read more here

05.30.08
We are very pleased to announce the recipients of the UCSF National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health 10 Year Anniversary Research Awards:

Deborah Cohan, MD
Associate Professor, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences and Medical Director, Bay Area Perinatal AIDS Center (BAPAC)
Comparison of Quantiferon to Conventional Tuberculin Skin Testing for the Diagnosis of Latent Tuberculosis Infection Among Pregnant Women

Vanessa Jacoby, MD, MAS
Assistant Professor, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences
Bilateral Oophorectomy versus Ovarian Conservation at the time of Hysterectomy: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Galen Joseph, PhD
Research Scientist, Institute for Health Policy Studies/Comprehensive Cancer Center, UCSF
Breast Cancer Genetic Testing: Interpreting and Managing Uncertainty of Uninformative BRCA Results

Miriam Kuppermann, PhD, MPH
Professor, the Departments of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences and Epidemiology and Biostatistics, UCSF
Mode of Delivery Preferences Among Diverse Populations of Women

The UCSF National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health 10 Year Anniversary Research Awards Recipients are funded by the Mount Zion Health Fund.

05.07.08
Linda Giudice, MD, PhD, a nationally renowned physician-scientist focused on women's health, has been appointed to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Advisory Committee on Research on Women's Health (ACRWH). Widely recognized for her scientific and clinical expertise, Giudice is the Robert B. Jaffe, M.D., Endowed Chair in Reproductive Sciences in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at UCSF. She joined the UCSF faculty in October 2005.
Recently, Giudice was the recipient of the 2008 Woman in Science Award from the American Medical Women's Association. Giudice is a biochemist, gynecologist and reproductive endocrinologist whose research focuses on endometrial biology and placental-uterine interactions, as well as environmental impacts on reproductive health. She is recognized for her extensive knowledge on the topics of endometriosis, implantation and ovulatory disorders, infertility, and assisted reproduction.
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05.01.08
The Gynecologic Cancer Foundation has developed a Women's Cancer Network. The mission of the Women's Cancer Network is to keep women informed and to enable them to be their own health advocates. The WCN was developed as an interactive web site dedicated to informing women around the world about gynecologic cancer. The goal is to assist women who have developed cancer, as well as their families, to understand more about the disease, learn about treatment options, and gain access to new or experimental therapies. Women's Cancer Network is an invaluable on-line educational tool for your patients, family and friends.
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04.30.08
The Safeway Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Safeway Inc., has given the UCSF Carol Franc Buck Breast Care Center $2 million to fund a combination of research initiatives and the debut of a unique, national website designed to match breast cancer patients with clinical trials nationwide.
The clinical trials website represents a major advance in the ability of individuals to conveniently find appropriate breast cancer trials. The research initiatives will directly benefit individuals who have, or are at risk of developing, breast cancer through their support of prevention, early detection, decision support tools and survivorship. UCSF also will be providing Safeway employees with a suite of educational products and services related to breast cancer.
According to Nancy Milliken, MD, vice dean for the UCSF School of Medicine and director of the UCSF National Center of Excellence in Women's Health, "Partnerships like this one with Safeway are essential to our efforts to improve women's health in our communities and worldwide. UCSF's culture of collaboration helps us combine the best of academic medicine with the private sector, so that together we have a greater impact."
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04.22.08
The Class of 2010 have chosen Dr. Rebecca Jackson to receive the 2008 Essential Core Teaching Award for “Excellence in Small Group Instruction.” The members of the class of 2010 know that good teaching can be very time-consuming and often goes unrewarded in the academic world. This award reflects the high esteem and deep appreciation felt by her students for her exemplary efforts as an instructor, and their gratitude for the time and efforts she has devoted to helping them become competent physicians and scientists.
A special reception and ceremony honoring nominees and recipients will commence Tuesday, April 22, 2008 at 5:30 P.M. in the Millberry Conference Center.

04.07.08
UCSF Nurse Mary M. Rubin is the first nurse practitioner to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology. Rubin works at the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center as a nurse practitioner in the Dysplasia Clinic and coordinates gynecological oncology/dysplasia research in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She has 35 years of experience as a nurse practitioner, colposcopist, educator and researcher and was selected for her contributions to colposcopy and the educational tools she developed to improve patient care. She also has been credited with opening the door for hundreds of advanced practice clinicians to provide comprehensive care to patients with lower genital tract disease.
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04.01.08
When UC Associate President Linda Williams and Presidential Staff Fellow Amy Levine hit the road last year, they had one goal: Find out what UC women need to develop professionally and advance their careers. "I think it is important for the institution to acknowledge that career development and advancement for women is important," said Williams. In the last half of 2007, she and Levine, along with Sheila O'Rourke, JD, assistant vice provost for equity and diversity at the UC Office of the President (UCOP), visited with women at all 10 campuses, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) and UCOP.

03.31.08
UCSF women are recognized as role models. Looking back at Women's History Month, we are highlighting some of the faculty, staff and students at the School of Medicine who have won special recognition during March for their achievements as leaders and role models in research, patient care, and university and public service.
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03.24.08
Education seminars can improve the community’s understanding of health information.Community education events at the Asian Heart and Vascular Center (AHVC) are helping members of the Asian community take control of their doctor visits. “I appreciate AHVC’s classes because they’re directed to the lay person, which makes the content useful to me,” said Joyce Chan, an attendee and supporter of AHVC’s community educational events. “Health information classes should be helpful to the audience. When there is too much medical information all at once, it’s very hard to digest.”
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03.20.08
Three members of the campus community have been awarded the Chancellor’s Award for the Advancement of Women. This annual award recognizes exceptional efforts toward the advancement of women at UCSF beyond the scope of an individual’s job, area of research or student training. This year’s awardees are:
Jane Koehler, MD, professor in the Department of Medicine Division of Infectious Diseases
Rosalie Gearhart, the program director at the UCSF Memory and Aging Center
Aruna Venkatesan, a fourth-year student in the School of Medicine
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03.12.08
Neuropsychiatrist Louann Brizendine, MD, director of the UCSF Women’s and Teen Girls’ Mood and Hormone Clinic and author of The Female Brain, was interviewed by ABC about "momnesia" or post-partum forgetfulness that scientists are saying is a medical condition. The interview aired on ABC World News Now and on Good Morning America.
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03.10.08
Linda C. Giudice, MD, PhD, Robert B. Jaffe M.D. Endowed Chair in Reproductive Sciences, is the recipient of the 2008 Woman in Science Award from the American Medical Women’s Association. “AMWA is delighted to be honoring Dr. Giudice,” said Claudia Morrissey, MD, MPH, president-elect of the AMWA. “She embodies the attributes we are seeking for this award: scholarly excellence and dedication to advancing women’s health.”
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03.01.08
San Francisco ranked 3rd best city in the nation to have a baby by Fit Pregnancy. If it takes a village to raise a child, what kind of place does it take to have a baby? When Fit Pregnancy set out to find the best cities in America to have a baby, we looked at everything from doctors and hospitals to doulas, midwives, breastfeeding success rates, birth and health risk, stroller-friendly trails and parks, affordability, and a whole lot more. San Francisco was rated the 3rd best place in the entire country to have a baby.
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02.25.08
HepB Free Project joins with UCSF staff to offer prevention strategies to community. The HepB Free Project is housed in the San Francisco Department of Public Health. The program is a citywide effort to eradicate hepatitis B from the City of San Francisco by providing free screening efforts and affordable vaccination. Janet Zola, coordinator of the Project, approached UCSF’s top leadership to join hands in the HepB eradication effort.
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02.05.08
The first cohort of mid-career faculty members completed an innovative, six-month course in mentoring as part of the Mentor Development Program (MDP) sponsored by the Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) and the Faculty Mentoring Program at UCSF.Eighteen participants, representing all four UCSF professional schools, recently graduated from the new MDP during National Mentoring Month. Applications are now being accepted for the next cohort session beginning in February 2008. Mid-level and early senior faculty who are dedicated to clinical and translational research are invited to apply for participation in the MDP.
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01.31.08
Cultural competency is an important component of medical provider training. This program will focus on ways to reduce African American infant mortality and improve patient encounters through the discussion of race, racism and culture. Presenters include longtime UCSF School of Medicine faculty member Carol Miller, MD, clinical professor of pediatrics. Recognized as an excellent teacher and mentor, Miller is a member of the Haile T. Debas Academy of Medical Educators. Her clinical interests include the care of term and near-term newborns and their families and primary care of graduates from the neonatal intensive care unit. Miller’s community health interests include at-risk youth, breastfeeding promotion, child abuse prevention, health promotion, home health care, parenting education, physician education and youth violence prevention.
To register or to get more information, email or call 415/575-5684.
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01.29.08
The UCSF Center of Excellence in Women’s Health (CoE) will sponsor various events throughout the month of February – heart month. The CoE and the Asian Heart and Vascular Center will offer a free health screening for cardiovascular health and hepatitis B to women and families on Saturday, Feb. 2, from 9 a.m. to noon at the UCSF Hepatitis B Screening and Vaccination Clinic, 2330 Post St.
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01.10.08
Sleep apnea is linked to cognitive impairment in older women. Older women with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) –– the restriction or interruption of breathing during sleep –– are more likely to show cognitive impairment than women without SDB, according to a study led by researchers at the San Francisco VA Medical Center and University of California, San Francisco.
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2007

12.31.07
Through its missions targeting clinical care, research, education, community outreach, and leadership development, the IU CoE has significantly changed the delivery of care to and by women at this institution. The IU CoE has been responsible for major changes in the concepts of women's health from a clinical, research, education, and leadership perspective at the IU School of Medicine. Similar cases can be made for most of the other CoEs around the country. The challenges being faced continue to be sustained and sufficient funding for these valuable Centers.
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12.31.07
The Women's Health Program at the University of Michigan was established in 1993 and has developed into a successful, federally supported program that links clinical research and education activities across the University. It has focused on human resource capacity building, sustainable financial support and infrastructure, and adaptability to change and opportunities. Widely accepted standards, demonstrated value, committed leaders/champions, and participatory culture have contributed to its success and are important to its future.
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12.31.07
The development of the CWH at the Columbia University Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital was prompted by concerns that the health status for women is worse than for men in terms of disability, morbidity, and chronic illness. Moreover, women move through cycles of health and illness differently from men, and gender inequalities in research design and implementation and underrepresentation of women in clinical studies contributed to knowledge gaps concerning women's health. The goal in developing a program was (1) to provide outstanding medical care to women based on prevention and treatment of unique aspects of women's health, (2) to develop professional training and multidisciplinary educational programs promoting knowledge, understanding, and credible scientific efforts, and (3) to foster collaborative research and communication among researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and organizations. In this paper, the clinical and educational programmatic activities and lessons learned are described.
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12.31.07
The Clinical Research Center is recruiting women for a study The UCSF Women's Health Clinical Research Center is recruiting women, age 18 to 55 years old, with dry overactive bladder (urinary frequency but without leaking) and asymptomatic women with normal bladder function. Study participation involves two visits to Mount Zion Women's Health Center for screening and pelvic floor muscle testing using a self-placed vaginal sensor. Participants will be compensated $50 upon completion of the study.
Please contact study coordinator Anne Miller @ 415-885-7547 for further information.

12.16.07
Can you speak up when a doctor dismisses your concerns? Are you able to disagree with treatments your physicians propose? Could you lobby for an innovative procedure if your doctor says that you have run out of options? Before your doctor examines you, do you say, "May I ask if you have washed your hands to prevent infection?" Being assertive in the doctor's office or hospital may make the difference between life and death.
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12.11.07
CBS 5 reports: "Radiologists who specialize in mammograms often do the best job of identifying when a biopsy is required." -- UCSF Researcher Dr. Rebecca Smith-Bindman and Dr. Laura Esserman, Director of the Breast Care Center at UCSF, are interviewed. View more

11.28.07
Ten public health researchers have asked Congress to reduce or eliminate funding for abstinence education because it has "multiple scientific and ethical problems."
"The thing that unites us is we think you have got to pay attention to the science" in sex education, said Dr. John Santelli, one of the 10 signatories of a letter sent last week to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, California Democrat.
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11.13.07
A specific biological response to cellular stress may predict the likelihood of future tumor formation of the most common, non-invasive form of pre-malignant breast cancer-- ductal carcinoma in situ, or DCIS.
This information could potentially be used in a clinical setting to determine which women should receive more or less aggressive therapy when initially diagnosed with DCIS, according to a study led by researchers from the University of California, San Francisco.
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11.01.07
A group of Vietnamese doctors, professors and medical school administrators listened attentively as two American obstetrician-gynecologists explained how evidence-based medicine is being used in the United States as a teaching tool. UCSF Assistant Clinical Professor Jody Steinauer, MD, and Associate Professor George Sawaya, MD, asked them to discuss a medical journal article showing the relative safety of intrauterine devices (IUDs) compared with other contraceptives when used by nulliparous women — women who have not already given birth.
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10.30.07
For fifth-grader Diamond Mims, learning about the wonders of science is extra special when textbook lessons come to life with help from visiting scientists.
“Today, we’re learning about molecules and atoms from real scientists, and I can’t wait to go home and tell my mom and dad about what I learned,” said the 10-year-old.
The scientists are in fact students from the UCSF School of Pharmacy who launched the voluntary program that engages the fifth-graders in hands-on experiments to reflect the new science curriculum.
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10.28.07
Californians of all political persuasions were alarmed by the recent news of lead paint on millions of children's toys sold by Mattel, Inc. Even very low exposure to lead can damage the developing brain and nervous system of children. At the same time, people were comforted by the thought that the system worked: the tainted products were identified, the company acted and items were recalled from store shelves. Wrong... Most consumers would be surprised to learn that U.S. manufacturers are not required to test thousands of chemical substances used in most products and industrial processes for their potential to harm human health and ecosystems.
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10.26.07
A group of 28 women global health scholars recently completed a yearlong pilot program designed to address worldwide gender inequities in science and academia. The scholars, all identified as potential scientific leaders in their respective countries, met with UCSF women faculty and staff twice over the course of a year as part of the Women’s Global Health Scholars (WGHS) program. Launched in 2006, WGHS is a pilot program designed to equip women health scientists from developing countries with the knowledge and skills needed to enter into and sustain leadership positions. The scholars represent a wide range of disciplines and are at varying stages of their careers.
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10.24.07
Established one year ago through a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) to accelerate the pace at which scientific discovery is translated into patient care, the Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) is already transforming the research community at UCSF.
“The message of CTSI is that we need to work in new ways if our patients are to benefit from our science,” says Mary Anne Koda-Kimble, dean of the UCSF School of Pharmacy.
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10.24.07
The World's Technology Correspondent Clark Boyd reports on the MacArthur Foundation's multi-million dollar initiative to drastically cut the mortality rate of women worldwide who die from complications during pregnancy and childbirth.
Suellen Miller, CNM, PhD, was interviewed to talk about maternal mortality in developing countries and her studies that show how the low-tech non-pneumatic anti-shock garment (NASG) can save mothers’ lives.
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10.20.07
The UCSF LGBT Visibility Project aims to increase visibility of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender communities at UCSF by profiling faculty, staff, and students who work to support UCSF’s mission of patient care, education and research. Read about our LGBT faculty, staff, students, residents, postdocs, and fellows who are available for informal mentoring and support.
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10.19.07
Kate Kendell, executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, visited UCSF on National Coming Out Day on Oct. 11. Kendell spoke about how far society has come in advancing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) rights and the critical role each person, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, plays in the struggle for social justice. The event was sponsored by UCSF Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) Resources, which is part of the Center for Gender Equity.
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10.10.07
Researchers at UCSF examine the public savings from the prevention of unintended pregnancy. These findings are of particular relevance to policy makers, program managers, and other stakeholders concerned with making appropriate, cost-effective investments in health and human services, particularly at a time of limited federal and state resources.
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10.08.07
UCSF will begin offering its world-class fertility services in Marin County this month to enable North Bay and East Bay patients to receive consultations and screenings, as well as the daily tests required for some fertility care, closer to home. The agreement for the satellite office, which was formalized October 1, involved Marin Reproductive Medical Associates, in Greenbrae, whose practice will now be incorporated into UCSF services. The practice will be open to new UCSF patients on October 22 and will include in vitro fertilization (IVF) and other fertility services, as well as counseling about reproductive options for patients who have been diagnosed with cancer.
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10.03.07
Columbia University will award the 2007 Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize to Joseph G. Gall, PhD, a cell biologist at the Carnegie Institution's Department of Embryology, Elizabeth H. Blackburn, PhD, a biologist and physiologist at the University of California, San Francisco and Carol W. Greider, PhD, a molecular biologist and geneticist at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. The awardees, who represent three generations of teacher-student scientists, will be honored for work that has contributed to the fundamental understanding of the aging process.
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09.26.07
A UCSF research team has developed a simple tool that can improve the effectiveness of communication between doctors and patients about prescribed medications and result in dramatic improvements in health and safety. The new communication tool involves a computer-generated weekly calendar with color images of the medication to be taken each day, combined with instructions written in English and in a patient's native language if the patient does not speak English. The researchers call it a VMS, for visual medication schedule.
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08.09.07
San Francisco writer Doreen DeSalvo tested positively for the mutation of the MLH1 gene, the gene that causes Lynch syndrome, "a hereditary cancer that carries a very high risk of colon cancer and an above-normal risk of endometrial, ovarian and other cancers," reports UCSF Today. DeSalvo is grateful she found out. "For 10 years, the UCSF Cancer Risk Program, part of the UCSF Comprehensive Cancer Center, has been the largest and most comprehensive genetic testing center for cancer susceptibility in Northern California."
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08.09.07
CBS 5 reports: "Scientists have raised concerns about a chemical [BispenolA] found in plastics. A government panel dismissed those concerns, but the debate is far from over." UCSF Pediatric Urologist Dr. Laurence Baskin is researching the link between synthetic estrogens found in the environment and the rise in a male birth defect called hypospadias, a condition in which the opening of the urethra develops abnormally.
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08.03.07
J. Renee Navarro, PharmD, MD, has been appointed to lead UCSF’s efforts to implement initiatives to nurture and enhance diversity among faculty and trainees, who include students, residents and postdoctoral scholars. She is the first person to hold the new position of director of academic diversity, a post created as part of 10 key outcomes outlined in UCSF’s diversity initiative, which was unveiled in February.
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07.23.07
Federal funding for abstinence education is on the rise: a proposed $191 million dollars for 2008, up $28 million from 2007. But recent studies are raising questions, finding no difference in sexual activity between kids with abstinence education and those without. Proponents of abstinence say the studies are not reflective of the nearly 700 abstinence programs out there. And muddying the waters further is the fact that before the big push for abstinence and since 1991, teenage pregnancy and birth rates have been falling. Join Claire Brindis, Professor at Department of Pediatrics and Department of Obstetrics at University of California, San Francisco, and others as they discuss this issue.
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07.20.07
It has been announced that a mobile mammography center, run by Seattle Cancer Care Alliance and funded in part by the Safeway Foundation, will be cruising Seattle neighborhoods, bringing the number of mobile units in our Seattle fleet of Mam Vans to two. These units are amazing, and thanks to the University of California-San Francisco I was able to experience their mammovan -- apparently the first in the world to be equipped with high diagnostic-quality digital mammography.
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07.12.07
A clinical trial involving 5,045 women in South Africa and Zimbabwe found no statistical difference in the rate of new HIV infections in the two study arms: those who received a diaphragm plus lubricant along with male condoms for their partners and those who only received male condoms. “In the context of a comprehensive HIV prevention package provided to all participants, the trial found no additional protective benefit against HIV infection from adding the diaphragm plus lubricant in the intervention arm,” said the trial’s lead investigator, Nancy Padian, PhD, director of UCSF’s Women’s Global Health Imperative.
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07.12.07
In October 2006, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded UCSF more than $100 million to establish a Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) in the next five years. The CTSI will catalyze and integrate clinical and translational efforts across campus, as well as at affiliated institutions and in participating communities. In doing so, the CTSI thrusts clinical and translational work into an unfamiliar position at UCSF: sharing the center spotlight with the bench research upon which the campus has built so much of its reputation.
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07.02.07
Presented in partnership by The UCSF National Center of Excellence in Women's Health and UCSF Center for Gender Equity: Advanced Birds and Bees: What Your Mother Never Told You, a lecture by Isadora Alman, MFT, Syndicated Columnist & Certified Sexologist. Topics include: Am I normal? Cheating, Staying Power, Fantasies, Finding a Partner and more.
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06.25.07
2007 marks UCSF’s tenth year of being designated a National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health (CoE). The last decade has seen major advances in women’s health, and the UCSF CoE has played a key role in this process, leading innovations in clinical practice, discovery of new knowledge, and professional and community education and leadership development. In partnership with community, the UCSF National Center of Excellence is spear-heading initiatives to transform women's health and improve women's lives.
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06.07.07
When UCSF urogynecologist Sharon Knight, MD, agreed to take part in a humanitarian mission to what the United Nations has called the poorest country on Earth, she expected that the medical treatment she delivered to the women of Niger would change their lives for the better. What she didn’t expect were the things she would learn from treating the medical condition known as fistula, which had caused the women to become alienated from society and from themselves. “These women have nothing and nowhere to go, not even home,” recalled Knight, who treats patients at UCSF’s Women’s Continence Center (WCC). “Just to see them laugh and smile was an amazing thing,” she said. “I really learned something about the capacity of the human spirit.”
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05.10.07
Unknowns about the effectiveness and safety of the new human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine demand thoughtful deliberation by clinicians on its role in cervical cancer prevention, according to two UCSF women's health specialists, Dr. George F. Sawaya, and Dr. Karen Smith-McCune. The lack of long-term follow-up to assess vaccine efficacy and safety, as well as the lack of testing in the age group targeted for the vaccine (11 to 12 year-old girls), are among the main reasons for such caution, they say.
“The rush toward mandatory vaccination is puzzling, but it is important to realize that the major studies are on-going," Sawaya says. "As with any preventive measure, we need to be quite certain that the benefits of vaccination outweigh the harms before we embark on widespread vaccination programs." Both doctors urged women to continue to receive regular cervical cancer screening, regardless of whether they have received the vaccine.
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05.02.07
We are proud to announce that Dr. Alison Jacoby has been selected for one of the UCSF Medical Center's Exceptional Physician Award for 2007. Dr. Alison Jacoby is the Director of the UCSF Fibroid Center at the National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health. This award is given each year to physicians who stand out as role models in demonstrating the medical center's values -- Professionalism, Respect, Integrity, Diversity and Excellence. Dr. Jacoby, along with the other three recipients, will receive a plaque and a $500 gift certificate to the UCSF Bookstore. Please join us in congratulating these outstanding physicians as they receive their awards.

04.06.07
Dr. Renee Navarro, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at UCSF School of Medicine, and a professor of anesthesiology, explains how Prop 209, an amendment to Affirmative Action, has decreased minority enrollment. Chris Jones a UCSF student works to recruit other black students. "By training more African American physicians we'll be able to help our communities to have healthier lifestyles, and healthier habits, because we'll be more likely to go back to our communities and share our knowledge with them," said Jones.
Read More or watch the interview on KGO TV

04.17.07
Fibroids are non-cancerous (benign) growths that develop within the uterus. As many as 30 percent of women have fibroids.Dr. Alison Jacoby is an obstetrician and gynecologist at UCSF Women's Health at Mount Zion. An expert in treating fibroids, Jacoby founded the UCSF Comprehensive Fibroid Center, which provides personalized care and treatment alternatives for women with fibroids. Jacoby's research focuses on new treatments for fibroids and understanding the factors that contribute to decisions by women about their fibroid therapy. This program and other streaming video programs are available online on UCTV's web site at www.uctv.tv
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03.30.07
UCSF’s School of Medicine and School of Nursing rank among the best graduate schools in the country in the new survey conducted and published by “U.S News & World Report.” UCSF also ranks among the top 10 in seven of eight medical school specialty programs assessed this year, including first in AIDS medicine, second nationally in women’s health, and third in both the internal medicine and drug and alcohol abuse specialties.
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03.19.07
Dixie Horning has been awarded the Helen Rodriguez-Trias Social Justice Award, which recognizes a person who has distinguished herself/himself professionally by working toward social justice for underserved and disadvantaged populations. Recipients are commended for improving the health and well-being of these populations through activities such as leading and mentoring. Horning received the award at the California Public Health Association’s annual meeting on March 7.
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03.04.07
Health, fitness and beauty are important for women of all ages. Wendy Katzman, a physical therapist at UCSF Women’s Health, is reveling in her new role as a model and spokesperson for Dove's pro-age campaign. A full-time working mother of two, Katzman endorses the campaign’s quest to show that beauty has no age limit, and to encourage and inspire women of all ages. In December 2005, Katzman went to New York, where she worked with legendary portrait photographer Annie Leibovitz for Dove's pro-age ad, which is pictured here.
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02.26.07
Dixie Horning, Executive Director of the Center of Excellence, has been recognized for her exceptional efforts to advance the careers of women and improve women’s health. She has been selected as a recipient of the 2007 Chancellor’s Award for the Advancement of Women, and received her award from Chancellor Mike Bishop, MD, at the campus community celebration on March 26 at Toland Hall on the Parnassus campus.
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01.31.07
The Academic Senate recently announced the recipients for the two categories of the “Distinction in Teaching” award. UCSF School of Medicine faculty George Sawaya, MD is one of the recipients of this year’s Award. Students’ comments for Dr. Sawaya are uniformly laudatory, offering high praise for his precision, professionalism, dedication, sense of humor, availability and ability not only to relate and engage important information, but to inspire.
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2006

12.04.06
As part of its tenth anniversary, the UCSF National Center of Excellence in Women's Health is offering a new seminar series titled "Aging Gracefully." “Our commitment to providing provocative and powerful information on women's health to our community remains unchanged as we enter our second decade,” says Nancy Milliken, MD, director of the UCSF National Center of Excellence in Women's Health and vice dean of the UCSF School of Medicine.
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12.01.06
Elizabeth H. Blackburn, PhD, 57, Morris Herzstein Professor of Biology and Physiology in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics at University of California, San Francisco , has been named to receive the 2006 Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research.

11.16.06
The innovative work of researchers and clinicians to uncover causes and develop treatments — or even to conduct training programs — would not be possible without the funding options available through philanthropic outreach.
“Philanthropy is based on belief in the mission or cause,” said Nancy Milliken, MD, vice dean of the School of Medicine and director of the UCSF National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health, who led the presentation in late October.
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11.15.06
Senator Jackie Speier was joined by Nancy Milliken, MD, vice dean of the UCSF School of Medicine and Director of the CoE, along with representatives from the California Birth Defects Monitoring Program and Cord Blood Donor Foundation, to talk about Senate Bill 1555, a bill she introduced and that was signed into law by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in September. The law will take effect on January 1, 2007.
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11.13.06
Since coming to UCSF in October, 2005, Dr. Linda Giudice, chair of the Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences Department at UCSF. has established the innovative Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment (PRHE), housed in the UCSF National Center of Excellence in Women's Health. PRHE focuses on the relationships of contaminants ( in low "background" or concentrated exposures) and reproductive health. This includes pregnant women, fetuses, the prenatal origins of adult diseases, and reproductive tract disorders.
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10.27.06
Laura Esserman, breast cancer surgeon and clinical leader of the UCSF Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Breast Oncology Program at the UCSF Mount Zion campus, says there are many factors that influence the risk of breast cancer. With exceptionally high rates in the Bay Area — Marin County’s is among the highest in the country — UCSF scientists have joined the fight with full force, and are continually making advancements in risk assessment, diagnosis and clinical care.
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09.16.06
The September 25 issue of Newsweek features as its cover story “Twenty Top Women on Leadership.” One of the women profiled is Renee Reijo Pera, PhD
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08.02.06
UCSF Recognizes World Breastfeeding Week: UCSF is one of 16 community-based demonstration projects throughout the nation to promote World Breastfeeding Week 2006.
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06.09.06
National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health: Empowering Women, Girls as Partners in Health By partnering with the community, UCSF has been able to address the health needs and concerns of all women.
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06.05.06
Center of Excellence Intern Learns Through Experience: While many college students use their senior year as a time to wrap up coursework and study for finals, Tori Sutherland chose this time to experience women’s health hands on. “I’ve always known that I wanted to be a physician,” said Sutherland. “My focus was refined during a year I spent with a host family in France. I was inspired by their commitment to research and humanitarian organizations such as Doctors Without Borders. It was at this point that I became interested in international medicine.” Because she was seeking experience and exposure to working opportunities in women’s health, Sutherland submitted an application to the UCSF National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health Internship Program. “Her timing was great,” said Nancy Milliken, MD, UCSF associate clinical professor of medicine and director of the Center of Excellence . “We had a unique opportunity that fit her unique interests. We received her application in January, and by February she was on her way to Egypt as part of our program.”
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05.24.06
Hunters Point Family Agency Honors Milliken Nancy Milliken, MD, was praised recently for her contributions to the community-based agency that serves San Francisco’s Bayview-Hunters Point.
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05.08.06
It's one of the darkest secrets in medicine: the numbers of men, women and children who are victims of domestic violence. They come into doctors' offices with various complaints, such as headaches, depression, and anxiety. Some women suffer chronic pelvic pain and vaginal bleeding. Among children and teens, symptoms can manifest as sleep disturbances, clinginess, hyper-vigilance, aggression, school troubles, or drug use. Alarmed by the scope of domestic violence and child trauma that they encountered, UCSF physicians and medical social workers in the Department of Pediatrics, and clinical psychologists in the Department of Psychiatry at SFGH founded Living in a Nonviolent Community (LINC) in 1999. The program is part of the UCSF National Center of Excellence in Women's Health.
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03.24.06
The UCSF Fetal Treatment Center held a ribbon-cutting ceremony today (March 24) to mark the official opening of its new facility on the first floor in the Ambulatory Care Center, 400 Parnassus Ave. The center, formerly located in Health Sciences West, celebrated its new facility, made possible in large part by a $500,000 federal appropriation initiated by U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi and a grant from the Lucile Packard Foundation. The UCSF Fetal Treatment Center is world renowned for its expertise in treating babies with complex congenital defects while still in the womb. This is the 25th anniversary of the world's first open fetal surgery, performed under the leadership of UCSF's Dr. Michael Harrison, who pioneered the fetal treatment field.
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03.15.06
Sixth Annual Young Women’s Health Conference Inspires Teens: High school students enjoy a day of enlightenment, empowerment and possibilities courtesy of UCSF’s National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health.
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02.27.06
Community Unites to End Domestic Violence, Human Trafficking "It takes a community to fight violence against women” and that's why 450 people attended a recent summit at UCSF Mission Bay.
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02.17.06
Meet on domestic violence and trafficking held in San Francisco: Meet on domestic violence and trafficking held in San Francisco. Nancy Milliken, Director of the UCSF National Center of Excellence in Women's Health, was a keynote speaker.

2005

10.07.05
An experimental vaccine to prevent cervical cancer protected virtually all the women who took it during a large international trial, boosting chances that future generations of girls throughout the world might live their lives free of risk of the disease.
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09.12.05
UCSF Exhibit Focuses on Mother-Daughter Relationships: A thought-provoking exhibit, titled “Generations: A Tribute to Mothers and Daughters around the World,” opens Thursday, Sept. 15 at UCSF.
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05.20.05
Women’s Health Advocates Issue Call to Reclaim Values Participants at a women’s health summit at UCSF on Monday say it’s time to reclaim the values debate to gain political and public support for community health services.
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05.13.05
UCSF Hosts Women’s Health Summit Today National leader Martha Burk, a political psychologist and women's equity expert, will be part of a groundbreaking women’s health summit at UCSF Mission Bay today.
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04.11.05
Workshops across San Francisco May 17 - 24 will mark California Women's Health Month: In honor of Women's Health Month in California, the UCSF National Center of Excellence in Women's Health will host community workshops in May on topics including aging, heart health and reproductive health. Workshops are free of charge and open to the public.
For the past 11 years, the Ob/Gyn Foundation, associated with UCSF, and the UCSF National Center of Excellence in Women's Health, have hosted a one-day conference called "Women's Health 2020." This year, in an effort to reach a wider audience, the conference has expanded to locations throughout San Francisco, and encompasses almost two weeks of activities.
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03.01.05
Young Women to Learn About Health: More than 1,400 teen-aged girls from San Francisco and San Mateo counties will attend the Fifth Annual Young Women’s Health Conference on Wednesday, March 9th. Focusing on the theme " A Day to Inspire a Lifetime: Strong, Proud, United” this year’s event is set for 9am to 4pm. at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco. The UCSF National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health and State Senator Jackie Speier (D-San Francisco/San Mateo) co-sponsor the one-day event to empower young women and connect them to resources in their community.
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2004

09.09.04
UCSF leaders are recommending a bold plan to build state-of-the-art technologically advanced patient care facilities at Mission Bay, including a UCSF Women’s Hospital, together with outpatient facilities and a new translational research center to speed the transfer of new medical knowledge to clinical practice.
This plan recognizes UCSF’s leadership in promoting women’s health through innovative clinical care, research and education, says Nancy Milliken, director of the UCSF National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health and vice dean of the School of Medicine. “The UCSF National CoE is advancing our research knowledge of women’s health and disease, developing comprehensive clinical services, which address a woman’s lifetime needs, and engaging individual women and communities in partnerships to improve their health.
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03.01.04
Young Women’s Health Conference Set for March 10: More than 1,000 teens from San Francisco and San Mateo counties are expected to attend the 4th Annual Young Women's Health Conference on Wednesday, March 10, in San Francisco.

02.04.04
Baylee DeCastro was a Lowell High School sophomore here in San Francisco when she first became involved with UCSF's National Center of Excellence in Women's Health. As Baylee tells it, the experience "saved my life." She became a teen organizer in the Center's Young Women's Health Conference starting in 2000, and has continued to advocate for women's health ever since.
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2003

12.02.03
Vice Dean for School of Medicine Appointed Nancy Milliken, director of the UCSF National Center of Excellence in Women's Health, has been named Vice Dean of the School of Medicine.

10.06.03
Experts to Raise Awareness about Domestic Violence The campus community is invited to the UCSF Women’s Health Center Healing Garden to recognize "Health Cares about Domestic Violence Day” on Wednesday, Oct. 8, from 12 to 1 p.m.

05.01.03
UCSF has a thriving community of women researchers in both clinical and research fields. Yet encouraging as those numbers are, UCSF cell biologist Elizabeth Blackburn -- known for her discovery of the enzyme telomerase and the subsequent proving of how telomeres, the protective tips of chromosomes, erode as cells divide -- is not satisfied.
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03.12.03
Conference Offers Information for Women of All Ages The 10th annual Women’s Health 2020 Conference on Saturday, March 22, will mark a decade of empowerment through education and offer workshops on 30 health care topics.

02.19.03
Empowering Young Women Goal of Annual Conference:“Be Strong, Be Heard, Be You" is the message of the day for more than 1,000 teenage girls expected to attend the Third Annual Young Women's Health Conference on February 26.

2002

10.02.02
Community Celebrates Women’s Health: UCSF Medical Center welcomed women of all ages recently to its new eight-story Women's Health Center during a grand opening ceremony and health fair at Mount Zion. During the Sept. 21, 2002, opening ceremony, Nancy Milliken, director of the UCSF National Center of Excellence in Women's Health, accepted a city proclamation commemorating the occasion.

09.16.02
UCSF Women's Health Center grand opening September 21: The new eight-story Women’s Health Center will celebrate its grand opening on Saturday, September 21 at the UCSF Medical Center at Mount Zion, 2356 Sutter Street.
The festivities will include the “Passport to Health” fair which features health information and screenings free of charge to the community from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Haile T. Debas, MD, dean of the School of Medicine and Nancy Milliken, MD, director of the UCSF National Center of Excellence in Women's Health will lead a formal dedication ceremony beginning at 9:30 a.m.

9.10.02
Women’s Health Center Grand Opening The grand opening of the new eight-story Women’s Health Center will be celebrated on Saturday, September 21, at the UCSF Medical Center at Mount Zion.

05.22.02
New Women's Community Health Leadership Program From training for grassroots women leaders to a Spanish language referral hotline, new grants will aid five health programs for women and teen girls.

03.28.02
Three Honored for Advancing Women: This year's Chancellor's Award for the Advancement of Women was presented at a ceremony last week.

03.08.02
Women's Health Practices Move to Mount Zion UCSF is moving its primary care and obstetrics-gynecology practices into the revamped Women's Health Center on the Mount Zion campus.

02.14.02
Chancellor's Award Recognizes Women Leaders Three campus members have been selected to receive this year's Chancellor's Award for the Advancement of Women.

2001

11.05.01
Women's Health Forum to Empower Teens: Senator Jackie Speier and the UCSF National Center of Excellence in Women's Health are co-sponsoring the second annual Young Women's Health Conference on Nov. 14.

02.14.01
Women's health activist Judy Norsigian, co-author of the groundbreaking women's health book "Our Bodies, Ourselves," urges women to be wise consumers of information in an age of media monopoly and manipulation of the facts. Norsigian was invited to talk at UCSF earlier this month for an event co-sponsored by the UCSF Center for Excellence in Women's Health, the UCSF Center for Gender Equity, and the Women, Health and Healing Program in the department of social and behavioral sciences.

02.09.01
Popular Women's Health Symposium Next Month Complementary medicine, the politics of women's health, hormone replacement therapy, midlife career changes and preventing dementia are among the many topics to be explored at the 8th annual UCSF Women's Health 2020.

2000

11.07.00
A Women's Health Wall of Honor: Four UCSF members are praised for their contributions to women's health in a special hall of honor display at the Exploratorium in San Francisco. Among the 26 Bay Area individuals honored are Carroll Estes, Patricia Robertson, Dorothy Rice, and Nancy Milliken. As director of UCSF’s National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health, Milliken has implemented widespread improvements in leadership development for women, research and academic programs, community education, and comprehensive clinical care.

02.24.00
Facing challenges and taking control: popular UCSF Women's Health Conference covers more than just medicine. The seventh annual Women's Health 2000 conference at UC San Francisco looks beyond health to include a range of topics important to women. UCSF experts and guest speakers at the event will discuss how to develop negotiation skills, overcome gender expectations, assess unhealthy risk behaviors and get the most out of sex. "Women's Health 2000 has evolved into an informative, fun, inspiring day for women of all ages and interests," says program chair Nancy Milliken, MD, director of the UCSF National Center of Excellence in Women's Health.

1999

03.19.99
Striving for Equity in Women's Health: While tomorrow's annual Women's Health 2000 and Teen Health 2000 symposia is a highly visible sign of UCSF's commitment to improving the health of women, many of the activities and accomplishments in this area occur behind the scenes. Whether it's publishing a handbook for researchers designed to foster interdisciplinary collaboration or mentoring young female faculty members through their academic careers, the UCSF Center of Excellence (COE) in Women's Health has had a hand in it.

03.05.99
UCSF: Championing Female-focused Health Care: [Editor's note: This is the first of a two-part series to update the efforts of the UCSF Center of Excellence in Women's Health.] San Francisco is one of the healthiest cities in America for women, due, in no small part, to the exceptional women's health program at UCSF. A major turning point in women's health at UCSF came in 1996, when the University earned distinction as one of six vanguard programs designated by the US Department of Health and Human Services as a National Center of Excellence in Women's Health (COE). Along with the title came funding with which to plan and implement a novel model of health care.

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