News

Prusiner appointed to Board of the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research

Dr. Prusiner has been appointed to the Board of Directors for the Foundation of Food and Agricultural Research (FFAR). Newly created, FFAR aims to boost the US agricultural economy through private and publicly funded scientific research. Such programs include plant and animal health; food safety, nutrition and health; renewable energy, natural resources, and environment; agricultural and food security; and agriculture systems and technology.

The 15-member board includes many prominent professors and industry leaders, highlighting the private-public partnerships emphasized by FFAR.

For more information about Dr. Prusiner's appointment, read the UCSF news announcement here.
For more information about the US 2014 Farm Bill that authorized the... Read more ...

Dr. Prusiner interviewed by Tavis Smiley on PBS

Dr. Prusiner is a featured guest on TAVIS SMILEY, the PBS talk-show television program. Among other accolades, host Tavis Smiley was named TIME magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World. Dr. Prusiner and Mr. Smiley's conversation debuts on Friday, July 25, 2014. The broadcast schedule for the San Francisco Bay Area is listed below. Check your local listings here.

• Friday, July 25, 2014 at 9:00 PM on KQED World (Comcast channel 190 or Digital 9.3)
  

• Saturday, July 26, 2014 at 12:00 AM on KQED Plus (Channel 54; Comcast channels... Read more ...

Dr. Bruce Miller, director of UCSF's Memory and Aging Center, authors "Frontotemporal Dementia," a textbook offering a comprehensive view of this disease.

Image courtesy of Oxford University Press.

This book details the history, neuropathology, genetics, and psychosocial aspects of FTD. Dr. Miller describes the different types of FTD, includes case studies and research findings, and offers clinical advice for patient care. Dr. Dilip Jeste, president of the American Psychiatric Association, says this "superbly written book is a comprehensive guide for the physicians, psychologists, neuroscientists, and others who work with FTD and is very highly recommended."

The textbook is a part of the Contemporary Neurology series by Oxford University Press. Published in 2013, It is available now from... Read more ...

IND establishes a drug-discovery collaboration

The IND announces a drug-discovery collaboration with Japanese company Daiichi Sankyo, with a focus on developing therapeutics and diagnostics for several neurodegenerative diseases.

Under the terms of the agreement, Daiichi Sankyo will provide its compound library to the IND. Together, scientists at Daiichi Sankyo and the IND will perform high-throughput compound screening and optimization. This project will leverage the drug development capabilities of Daiichi Sankyo and the expertise of world-renowned neuroscientists at UCSF.

For more details, read here.

UCSF features Dr. Prusiner and the IND–Daiichi Sankyo collaboration in a recent news story, "Private Partnerships for Public Benefit."

... Read more ...