News

Diabetes Center is thrilled to announce the appointment of Zoe Quant MD, who shares this with the Department of Endocrinology, where she cares for patients who develop hormonal side effects from their cancer treatment, especially from immunotherapy, working with them to continue critical cancer treatments while optimizing their quality of life. She is the clinical lead for adults eligible for teplizumab, an immunotherapy approved to delay the onset of type 1 diabetes.

Diabetes Center proudly sponsored ImmunoExplore, an immersive 3-day free summer camp in which underrepresented minority (URM) Bay Area high-school students from under resourced communities learn about the field of immunology at UCSF Parnassus campus. Through interactive games, lectures, Q&A sessions, patient panels, and live anatomy dissections, UCSF students and faculty engage with high schoolers to expose them to exciting careers in science and medicine involving the immune system.

James Gardner MD PhD, a transplant surgeon and Assistant Professor in Surgery and Diabetes Center, is the first surgeon to be named a Pew Biomedical Scholar in the program’s nearly 40-year history for his work on how the body teaches itself to distinguish between its own tissues and foreign pathogens.

Audrey Parent, PhD has joined the core faculty of Diabetes Center as an Assistant Professor, as was announced by center director Mark Anderson today. "I am thrilled for Audrey’s new appointment in the Diabetes Center," Mark said, "Dr. Parent’s research program is right at the cutting edge between immunology and stem cell biology. This is a critical area where new approaches to overcome the problems in type 1 diabetes will be developed." 

Jeff Bluestone PhD, has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), one of the highest honors bestowed on American scientists. "I am humbled by this honor," he said. "I have always believed that we are only as good as the people we train and collaborate with and I've had the privilege of partnering with so many great people."

Dr. Gerold Morton Grodsky (Professor of Biochemistry & Biophysics and Medicine, UCSF, Emeritus, Active), science professor and bon vivant, who found humor in life, and provided warmth and support to friends and professional associates. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, January 18, 1927, the son of Louis G. Grodsky and Goldie (née) Feldacker. Died Thursday, December 29, 2022 surrounded by his loved ones, in San Francisco. He was 95 years old but lived until the end like a much younger man.

US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of Teplizumab under the brand name Tzield, an immunotherapy drug, which has been shown to significantly delay the onset of type 1 diabetes. This is the first potential disease modifying therapy for patients with type 1 diabetes in the United States, for whom there is currently no approved treatment other than a lifetime of subcutaneous insulin injections.

Join us to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the UCSF Diabetes Center. Hear from our distinguished researchers who will share updates on their groundbreaking efforts to prevent and treat diabetes. Visit our special events page to RSVP.

Parnassus Campus, school of Nursing n-225

9:00am Registration

Last year the World Health Organization (WHO) launched the NCD LAB, an initiative leveraging community-driven grassroots innovations with the potential to be game changers in beating non-communicable diseases including diabetes. Since its launch, nearly 100 innovative projects have been submitted to the NCD Lab.

A personal investigation into the lifelong implications of his type 1 diabetes culminated in a $7 million gift from Mike Gordon, co-founder of Meritech Capital Partners, and his wife, Loren, to help UCSF surmount a key impediment to treating the disease. The funds will support world-class stem cell biologists, immunologists, and bioengineers who are working to overcome significant barriers to beta-cell replacement therapy.