Behind Every Breakthrough

The future is shaped by those who push beyond what is known. At UC San Diego, we don’t just navigate change—we create it. Every breakthrough, every discovery starts with the courage to explore, to challenge, to redefine what’s possible. But even the boldest ideas need a foundation. Research requires resources, collaboration, and investment to turn possibility into reality. Without it, the unknown stays unknown. With it, we change the world.

The Latest

Sending Microbes to Space Could Improve Astronaut Health

UC San Diego researchers have created a map of the microbes aboard the International Space Station; results could improve astronaut safety.

Expanse Supercomputer Used for Breakthrough Immunotherapy Study

A groundbreaking discovery published in Nature Immunology has shed light on why the immune system is less aggressive toward self-antigens, offering new opportunities to enhance cancer immunotherapy.

Rendering of cancer cells targeted in crosshairs.

How a Y Chromosome Gene May Shape the Course of Heart Valve Disease

UC San Diego bioengineers have shed new light on how a type of heart valve disease—aortic valve stenosis—progresses differently in males and females. The research paves the way for treatments that can be tailored to a patient's biological sex.

UC San Diego Team Develops New Dose Prediction Model for Breast Cancer Radiotherapy

Researchers at UC San Diego have developed advanced deep learning techniques that could revolutionize treatment planning for breast cancer radiotherapy – making it faster and improving its quality.

Top view of doctor analyzing breast scans.

Could Cutting NIH Funding Delay the Next Alzheimer’s Breakthrough?

After joining Rep. Scott Peters in Washington, D.C., Dr. Jim Brewer, chair of the Department of Neurosciences, is raising concerns about proposed NIH funding cuts. In this Q&A, he explains why sustained federal investment is essential to advancing Alzheimer’s research and more.