UCSF Health

Losing and regaining weight doesn't just affect the scale. Weight cycling is linked to nearly four times more muscle loss than maintaining a stable weight, researchers found. “Fat loss is just one piece of a much larger puzzle that includes how weight loss affects arthritis, muscle, bone, and other factors,” Dr. Thomas Link says: “As more people use effective weight-loss therapies, we need to be thinking about how those pieces fit together.” https://ucsfh.org/4woXfeE

Please congratulate Andrea — she's doing great and is seizure-free after brain surgery to remove a tumor! Andrea experienced some smaller seizures in her early teens but eventually had a more serious seizure called a tonic-clonic or grand mal, which caused her to lose consciousness and collapse in 2016. After further testing, doctors determined Andrea had epilepsy and a non-cancerous brain tumor called a ganglioglioma near her left temple. Andrea came to our Oakland children's hospital for monitoring and brain surgery. In the year following her surgery, Andrea experienced a couple of more seizures, but with the right medications and care she has remained seizure-free since 2017! Since her surgery, Andrea graduated from high school and earned her bachelor's degree. She also got married and gave birth to a healthy baby boy! She continues to receive care at our adult neurology and brain tumor clinics and is doing great!

UCSF's Executive Director of Musculoskeletal Service Line, Debbie Gee, threw the first pitch at Saturday’s San Francisco Giants game! The Giants went on to defeat the Los Angeles Angels 9–2! Debbie's leadership, vision, and dedication have helped our UCSF Orthopedics become a leader in musculoskeletal care. Congrats, Debbie! ⚾🧡

We’re proud to officially be designated a Clean California Community—the 2nd UC campus to receive this recognition!🏅The designation recognizes organizations that demonstrate leadership in sustainability, waste reduction, education, beautification, community partnerships, and long-term planning. https://ucsfh.org/4fw1Q7J

🎉 Congratulations to UCSF Radiation Oncology's Dr. Ke Sheng for being named a fellow for the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO)! 🎉 One of only 39 members selected for the 2026 class, Sheng will be honored at ASTRO’s 68th Annual Meeting in Boston on 9/29. https://ucsfh.org/4wQFNQ6 UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center

👏 Congratulations to our Heart Team on welcoming the first UCSF patient into the REFORM-HF study! The clinical trial, taking place at multiple centers around the world, is testing a new technology called AQUAPASS that may help remove excess fluids from heart-failure patients. Patients wear a lightweight suit that removes fluids through their sweat. So far, things are going well and our first patient has lost ~five pounds after two treatment sessions. More on the trial ➡️ https://ucsfh.org/4wka5Ld

Please congratulate Craig! He’s doing great and enjoying life with his family after life-saving liver and kidney transplants at our hospital last year. Craig’s health began to decline in early 2024. He was frequently sick, and his phosphorus levels dropped dangerously low. Despite treatment at his local hospital in Fresno, Craig continued to lose his appetite and grow weaker, and he developed severe swelling in his feet. In June 2024, Craig passed out multiple times and went to his local emergency room, where doctors diagnosed him with cirrhosis, a disease that causes permanent scarring of the liver and also can affect the kidneys. After spending a month in the hospital, Craig traveled to UCSF, where the transplant team recommended a six-month period of alcohol abstinence before he could become eligible for liver and kidney transplants. Craig followed the plan, and in February 2025, received the call that donor organs were available. Dr. Charles Rickert performed Craig’s liver transplant, and the following day, Dr. Andrew Posselt successfully transplanted a donor kidney. Craig was discharged in March and has been doing great ever since! Today Craig is back to work and busy playing the drums with his band! For Craig’s transplant anniversary, he and his wife, Donna, traveled with family to Disneyland!

🐸 Ribbit! Researchers may have found an antidote to one of the world’s deadliest natural toxins. A frog protein neutralized saxitoxin in mice, offering new hope for treating shellfish poisoning from harmful algal blooms. “Nature has had to solve this problem multiple times,” UCSF’s Daniel Minor says. “So, there is resilience to toxins all over the biological world." ➡️ https://ucsfh.org/4feR1Xm

🎉 We're teaming up with Foothill College to create Northern California’s first Neurodiagnostic Technologist degree program, launching in fall 2027! Neurodiagnostic technologists are specialized health care professionals whose work is vital for diagnosing and managing conditions such as epilepsy, sleep disorders and stroke, as well as neuromuscular disorders like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). “This partnership will provide valuable expertise that we hope will increase access to world-class neurodiagnostic care for patients around the Bay Area,” says Sheila Antrum, UCSF Health senior vice president and chief operating officer. ➡️ https://ucsfh.org/4ypNOwZ

Please congratulate Zachary! He’s recovering well after surgery to remove a cancerous bone tumor on his spine. For eight years, Zachary experienced head and neck pain but attributed it to muscle strain. This past February, a roller coaster ride with family caused excruciating pain, and an ER visit near his hometown of San Pedro, Calif., revealed a mass on his spinal cord. Zachary went to another local hospital, where tests found extensive damage to his vertebrae. Doctors stabilized his spine, and several weeks later, he traveled to UCSF to meet with Dr. Jang Won Yoon and team, who confirmed Zachary had a chordoma, a rare slow-growing cancerous bone tumor. The tumor pressed against the C1-C6 vertebrae in his spine and coiled around an artery going to his brain. “This is a very tough thing to treat,” Dr. Yoon says. “By the time it gets discovered, it's huge, and there are a lot of important structures wrapped around the tumor.” In March, Dr. Yoon performed a successful surgery, removing 99% of the mass! Next, Zachary will have proton therapy to slow regrowth and keep the tumor in remission. Zachary is currently recovering in Alameda, with help from his mom, and reports that his pain is improving. He loves reading, online gaming and spending time with family, many of whom visited in the hospital! He looks forward to resuming his routine at home in Southern California and no longer wearing a neck brace! ➡️ https://ucsfh.org/4fmA11t UCSF Department of Neurological Surgery