School of Medicine

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NASA Awards UC San Diego Orthopedist Distinguished Public Service Medal for Research

NASA has selected Alan Hargens, a professor of orthopedic surgery at the UC San Diego School of Medicine, to receive a 2017 Distinguished Public Service Medal for his research on astronaut health and performance. This is NASA's highest form of recognition for any non-government employee whose distinguished service, ability or vision has personally contributed to NASA's advancement of U.S. interests.

Radiation Therapy Vital to Treating Brain Tumors, but It Exacts a Toll

Radiation therapy (RT) using high-energy particles is a common and critical component in successfully treating patients with brain tumors but it is also associated with significant adverse effects. In a new study, researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine report that irradiation can cause broader adverse effects, altering the structural network properties in impacted brains and perhaps contributing to delayed cognitive impairments observed in many patients following brain RT.

Review of Appendix Cancer Cases Finds Over Diagnosis

Lesions of the appendix are being over diagnosed as invasive cancer, report University of California San Diego School of Medicine researchers in a paper published June 7 in the journal PLOS ONE.

Cancer Cells Send Signals Boosting Survival and Drug Resistance in Other Cancer Cells

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine report that cancer cells appear to communicate to other cancer cells, activating an internal mechanism that boosts resistance to common chemotherapies and promotes tumor survival.

Do Obese Children Need to Attend Treatment to Lose Weight?

One-third of American children are overweight or obese. Family-based treatment (FBT) has been considered the best model for the treatment of obese children as it provides both parents and children with education and behavior therapy techniques but is provided mainly in a hospital setting. Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have found that parent-based therapy (PBT) has similar outcomes to FBT and could be more cost-effective.

Losing Sleep Over Climate Change

Unusually warm nights can harm human sleep, researchers show, and the poor and the elderly are most affected. Rising temperatures could make sleep loss more severe.