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Synapse ursday, December 5, 2013 synapse.ucsf.edu Volume 58, Number 12 The UCSF Student Newspaper IN THIS ISSUE News Briefs » PAGE 3 Journal Club » PAGE 5 Puzzles » PAGE 11 SPORTS Elite Runner Juggles Med School, Training Track star works out with the Impalas at Kezar » PAGE 7 ARTS&CULTURE Vocal Chords Prepares for Winter Concerts Chamber Music Society will also perform » PAGE 6 FAMILY HOUSE » PAGE 4 Photo by Nicole Croom/MS2 PUSO and VSA joined forces to raise more than $2,500 for the victims of Typhoon Haiyan. They are now collecting first aid supplies, pain relievers and multivitamins, toiletries, clothing and towels through December 13. QB3@953 » PAGE 4 NEWS Hatching Life Sciences Startups in UCSF’s Backyard Dogpatch incubator QB3@953 helps graduate students pursue new career paths By Alex Loucks Staff Writer I f you’ve got an idea for a startup and a spare $800, you might consider renting space in the new QB3 incubator building. QB3@953, which opened this fall at 953 Indiana St. in San Francisco, is designed to support biotech startup companies through the growing pains of launch and develop- ment. “Our fundamental belief is that the com- bination of entrepreneurship and great sci- ence is the most powerful force that can change the world for the better that we’ve ever discovered. So our goal is to give entre- preneurial scientists the tools they need to be able to create successful startup companies,” said Douglas Crawford, the associate direc- tor of QB3. at $800 rents you eight feet of lab bench space per month. That may seem tiny to some, but not to Crawford. As he showed off a single occupied lab bench, he announced, “this eight-foot bench is the world headquar- ters of BioA2Z.” So, what are those critical tools for suc- cess? A balanced mixture of mentorship, re- source allocation and peer-to-peer support. Located in the trendy Dogpatch neighbor- hood, QB3@953 blends in beautifully with the residential surroundings. e office space is sparsely but tastefully decorated, with just a splash of color to make the environment chic but cozy. The three lab areas are large and spa- cious, with room for startups to expand and shrink as necessary. Already, 24 companies have committed to space, with room for ap- proximately 10 more startups. A brand-new building in a trendy neighborhood isn’t suffi- cient to draw entrepreneurs, though, and that is where the innovative approach to this new incubator comes into play. Learning from seven years of launch- ing other QB3 incubators, Crawford and his team have once again improved upon their own model. Startups can now subscribe to a core facility with shared equipment — that means each startup is spending less money on equipment they don’t consistently use, and the facility reduces the overall redundancy of equipment among the labs. For example, instead of each lab having to throw down several grand for a PCR machine they are only going to use a couple of times a month, labs share the machine provided in the core facility. QB3@953 also reduces the logistical burden of ordering items in bulk, by providing a storeroom where startups can grab one box of gloves instead of ordering a whole carton. There’s even a deli fridge from which startups can grab one bottle of cell media. As an added bonus, QB3@953 has negotiated prices for all these items comparable to the prices for industry giants like Gilead, and they pass the savings on to the startups. In essence, “Because you only use what you absolutely need and the unit is so small, your costs are very small, so we allow people to create startups on a shoestring,” Crawford explains. NEWS PUSO/VSA Raise Relief Funds for Typhoon Victims By Linda Chen Staff Writer S ince Typhoon Haiyan struck the Phil- ippines, the world has scrambled to bring aid to victims in its devastating aſtermath. At UCSF, the Pilipinos of UCSF Student Organization (PUSO) and the Viet- namese Student Association (VSA) banded together in the hope of uniting the eintire UCSF community in supporting relief efforts. The highlight of the relief effort was a fund-raiser held on November 21. PUSO and VSA served a simple breakfast and a hearty lunch, asking individuals to donate whatever amounts they deemed appropriate. Breakfast was a casual affair. e groups served biscotti, bagels and various morning beverages to early morning class-goers. Lunch was the main attraction, and in- cluded delicious BBQ skewers and vegetables, and meat lumpia (similar to small eggrolls) for those who pre-ordered. As the last lumpia were distributed, all agreed that the fund- raiser had been a rousing success. More than $2,500 was raised, thanks to the gener- ous response from students, staff and faculty. PUSO and VSA are not finished yet. ey are collecting first aid supplies, pain reliev- ers and multivitamins, toiletries, new or used clothing and towels through December 13. Donations may be dropped off in the bin lo- cated by the elevator on the ninth floor of the Medical Science building at Parnassus. Another student organization, the Student National Pharmaceutical Association, is col- lecting nonperishable food items at the same location. If you prefer to make a monetary dona- tion, PUSO/VSA recommends donating to NAFCON at nafconusa.org/. Linda Chen is a second-year pharmacy student. Photo by Dr. Jennifer Cocohoba NEWS Family House Offers a Home Away From Home By Nicole Croom Staff Writer A s a referral hospital, UCSF offers care to many patients from distant cities. And if you are the parent of a sick child, you already have enough on your plate to think about without the added stress of how to take care of yourself and the rest of your family in an unfamiliar place. Family House, a nonprofit, privately fund- ed program, offers a sense of community and stability for those struggling families facing the unimaginable. Family House primarily serves the fami- lies of oncology patients under the age of 18. The families are referred to Family House by social workers at Benioff Children’s Hos- pital if they live 50 miles outside San Fran- cisco and have significant financial need. It was founded in 1981 and started off as a single building, located across the street from the parking garage on Irving Street, which still houses up to 10 families a night. It ex- panded in 2005 to include a four-floor resi- dence called the Koret Family House, located on 10th Avenue, that can house up to 24 fami- lies per night. Family House spares no expense in pro- viding its residents all the comforts of home. Family House primarily serves the families of on- cology patients under the age of 18.

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Volume 58, Number 12

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Page 1: Synapse (12.05.13)

SynapseThursday, December 5, 2013 synapse.ucsf.edu Volume 58, Number 12

The UCSF Student Newspaper

IN THIS ISSUENews Briefs » PAGE 3Journal Club » PAGE 5Puzzles » PAGE 11

SPORTSElite Runner Juggles Med School, TrainingTrack star works out with the Impalas at Kezar » PAGE 7

ARTS&CULTUREVocal Chords Prepares for Winter ConcertsChamber Music Society will also perform » PAGE 6

FAMILY HOUSE » PAGE 4

Photo by Nicole Croom/MS2

PUSO and VSA joined forces to raise more than $2,500 for the victims of Typhoon Haiyan. They are now collecting first aid supplies, pain relievers and multivitamins, toiletries, clothing and towels through December 13.

QB3@953 » PAGE 4

NEWS

Hatching Life Sciences Startups in UCSF’s BackyardDogpatch incubator QB3@953 helps graduate students pursue new career pathsBy Alex LoucksStaff Writer

If you’ve got an idea for a startup and a spare $800, you might consider renting space in the new QB3 incubator building.

QB3@953, which opened this fall at 953 Indiana St. in San Francisco, is designed to support biotech startup companies through the growing pains of launch and develop-ment.

“Our fundamental belief is that the com-bination of entrepreneurship and great sci-ence is the most powerful force that can change the world for the better that we’ve ever discovered. So our goal is to give entre-preneurial scientists the tools they need to be able to create successful startup companies,” said Douglas Crawford, the associate direc-tor of QB3.

That $800 rents you eight feet of lab bench space per month. That may seem tiny to some, but not to Crawford. As he showed off a single occupied lab bench, he announced, “this eight-foot bench is the world headquar-ters of BioA2Z.”

So, what are those critical tools for suc-cess? A balanced mixture of mentorship, re-source allocation and peer-to-peer support.

Located in the trendy Dogpatch neighbor-hood, QB3@953 blends in beautifully with the residential surroundings. The office space is sparsely but tastefully decorated, with just a splash of color to make the environment chic but cozy.

The three lab areas are large and spa-cious, with room for startups to expand and shrink as necessary. Already, 24 companies have committed to space, with room for ap-proximately 10 more startups. A brand-new building in a trendy neighborhood isn’t suffi-cient to draw entrepreneurs, though, and that is where the innovative approach to this new incubator comes into play.

Learning from seven years of launch-ing other QB3 incubators, Crawford and his team have once again improved upon their own model. Startups can now subscribe to a core facility with shared equipment — that means each startup is spending less money on equipment they don’t consistently use, and the facility reduces the overall redundancy of equipment among the labs.

For example, instead of each lab having to throw down several grand for a PCR machine they are only going to use a couple of times a month, labs share the machine provided in the core facility. QB3@953 also reduces the logistical burden of ordering items in bulk, by providing a storeroom where startups can grab one box of gloves instead of ordering a whole carton.

There’s even a deli fridge from which startups can grab one bottle of cell media. As an added bonus, QB3@953 has negotiated prices for all these items comparable to the prices for industry giants like Gilead, and they pass the savings on to the startups.

In essence, “Because you only use what you absolutely need and the unit is so small, your costs are very small, so we allow people to create startups on a shoestring,” Crawford explains.

NEWS

PUSO/VSA Raise Relief Funds for Typhoon VictimsBy Linda ChenStaff Writer

Since Typhoon Haiyan struck the Phil-ippines, the world has scrambled to bring aid to victims in its devastating

aftermath. At UCSF, the Pilipinos of UCSF Student Organization (PUSO) and the Viet-namese Student Association (VSA) banded together in the hope of uniting the eintire UCSF community in supporting relief efforts.

The highlight of the relief effort was a fund-raiser held on November 21. PUSO and VSA served a simple breakfast and a hearty lunch, asking individuals to donate whatever amounts they deemed appropriate.

Breakfast was a casual affair. The groups served biscotti, bagels and various morning beverages to early morning class-goers.

Lunch was the main attraction, and in-cluded delicious BBQ skewers and vegetables, and meat lumpia (similar to small eggrolls) for those who pre-ordered. As the last lumpia were distributed, all agreed that the fund-raiser had been a rousing success. More than $2,500 was raised, thanks to the gener-ous response from students, staff and faculty. PUSO and VSA are not finished yet. They

are collecting first aid supplies, pain reliev-ers and multivitamins, toiletries, new or used clothing and towels through December 13. Donations may be dropped off in the bin lo-cated by the elevator on the ninth floor of the Medical Science building at Parnassus.

Another student organization, the Student National Pharmaceutical Association, is col-

lecting nonperishable food items at the same location.

If you prefer to make a monetary dona-tion, PUSO/VSA recommends donating to NAFCON at nafconusa.org/.

Linda Chen is a second-year pharmacy student.

Photo by Dr. Jennifer Cocohoba

NEWS

Family House Offers a Home Away From HomeBy Nicole CroomStaff Writer

As a referral hospital, UCSF offers care to many patients from distant cities. And if you are the parent of a sick

child, you already have enough on your plate to think about without the added stress of how to take care of yourself and the rest of your family in an unfamiliar place.

Family House, a nonprofit, privately fund-ed program, offers a sense of community and stability for those struggling families facing the unimaginable.

Family House primarily serves the fami-lies of oncology patients under the age of 18. The families are referred to Family House by social workers at Benioff Children’s Hos-pital if they live 50 miles outside San Fran-cisco and have significant financial need. It was founded in 1981 and started off as a

single building, located across the street from the parking garage on Irving Street, which still houses up to 10 families a night. It ex-panded in 2005 to include a four-floor resi-dence called the Koret Family House, located on 10th Avenue, that can house up to 24 fami-lies per night.

Family House spares no expense in pro-viding its residents all the comforts of home.

Family House primarily serves the families of on-cology patients under the age of 18.

Page 2: Synapse (12.05.13)

2 | December 5, 2013 | synapse.ucsf.edu

EVENTS

Journal Club

MISSION BAY EVENTSHOW TO CHOOSE A THESIS LABThursday, Dec. 5, 5:30-7 p.m., Genentech Hall, N114, Mission BayCome and hear from senior students about things to consider when choosing your thesis lab.

POETRY AND THE END OF LIFE Thursday, Dec. 5, 2013, 6-8:30 p.m. (reception with refreshments begins at 5:30 p.m.), Byers Auditorium, Genentech Hall, Mission Bay The end of a life is not solitary: it is our shared fate, a through-passing universally experienced, witnessed and attended. This multifaceted evening will bring together the words and thoughts of poets, caregivers, physicians, medical educators and hospice chaplains. The conversation will illuminate and share some of the ways that art makes possible an enlarged awareness and more intimate embrace of what the novelist Henry James called “the distinguished thing,” and Zen calls “the Great Matter” — a transition and challenge met and faced from many directions throughout the course of every human existence.

SYNAPSE NEWSPAPER Friday, Dec. 6, noon-1 p.m., Graduate Division. CC-310, Mission BaySynapse is looking for Mission Bay and Parnassus writers, bloggers, photographers and designers. Come to the lunch meeting, share your story ideas and enjoy a free lunch. RSVP to [email protected].

MUSLIM FRIDAY PRAYER SERVICES Friday, Dec. 6, 1-2 p.m., Helen Diller, 160, Mission Bay The Muslim Community at UCSF holds regular Friday prayer services (Jum’a) for the UCSF Muslim community every week. Join your fellow brothers and sisters for prayer, lunch and socializing. All are welcome.

MISSION BAY RIPSFriday, Dec. 6, 4-5 p.m., Genentech Hall Auditorium, Mission BayRIPS is a seminar series where one student and one postdoc present their current research. Talks are 15 minutes in length and are preceded by a 20-minute social. Snacks and beverages are provided.

SATURDAY SNACKTIMESaturday, Dec. 6, 9 a.m.-noon, Student Resource Center, Mission BayDo you love breakfast? Come to the Student Resource Center for some bagels, cereal and coffee. You can learn about campus events and make some new friends.

MISSION BAY FARMERS’ MARKET Wednesday, Nov. 6, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Gene Friend Way Plaza, Mission Bay Shop healthy, shop fresh, shop California-grown at the UCSF Farmers’ Market every Wednesday (rain or shine). Sponsor: Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association.

PARNASSUS EVENTS

CHANCELLOR’S CONCERT SERIES FEATURING THE IVES QUARTETThursday, Dec. 5, noon-12:45 p.m. Cole Hall, Parnassus

The Ives Quartet performs a program celebrating the bicentennial of Verdi’s birth, featuring his String Quartet in E Minor. The Chancellor’s Concert Series on Thursdays is a great place to take a break from classes while listening to classical music. Seating begins at noon. If you are unable to come, you can now listen to the music through live stream. This concert is free.

UCSF LGBTQSA END-OF-YEAR GATHERINGThursday, Dec. 5, 5-7:30 p.m., Faculty Alumni House, ParnassusIt’s been another big year for LGBTQ people here at UCSF and beyond. Come help celebrate it at our annual end-of-year gathering. RSVP by Dec. 2. ucsf.co1.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_3arWfAg1mgVU24R

MUSLIM FRIDAY PRAYER SERVICES Friday, Dec. 6, 1-2 p.m. , Medical Sciences, 163, Parnassus The Muslim Community at UCSF holds regular Friday prayer services (Jum’a) for the UCSF Muslim community every week. Come join your fellow brothers and sisters for prayer, lunch and socializing. All are welcome.

CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY AT UCSF AND VOCAL CHORDS: 2013 WINTER CONCERTSaturday, Dec. 7, 3-5 p.m., Cole Hall, ParnassusFree chamber music concert featuring performances by talented UCSF students, residents and staff. Program includes works by Brahms, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Shostakovich and Ravel.

POP-UP ART SALETuesday, Dec. 10, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Millberry Union Meeting Center, Parnassus The Visual Arts Club at UCSF is holding a one-day only pop-up art sale featuring hand-made jewelry, photography, ceramics, paintings, 3-D and mixed media art, Haitian metal sculpture, and much more. There will be a wide variety of goods available, at prices ranging from $10 to over $100. Don’t miss this chance to find something unique for your holiday gift giving.

GSA MEETING: GRADUATE, NURSING & PT STUDENTS Tuesday, Dec. 10, 5:30 p.m., Library, 220, ParnassusMeet your executive board members at the monthly GSA meeting and be a part of the discussion on topics relating to student priorities. Visit the GSA website for more details and to RSVP: gsa.ucsf.edu.

IHI OPEN SCHOOL AT UCSF MONTHLY MEETINGTuesday, Dec. 10, 6-8 p.m., Library, 220, ParnassusThe UCSF IHI Open School Chapter will hold monthly meetings every second Tuesday of the month. Join us for case discussions, article reviews, quality improvement and patient safety classes, speakers, etc.

PARNASSUS FARMERS’ MARKET Wednesday, Dec. 11, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., ACC, 400 Parnassus Ave. Shop the Farmers’ Markets on Wednesdays to pick up locally grown produce and more. Sponsor: Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association.

SYNAPSE NEWSPAPER Wednesday, Dec.11, noon-1 p.m., Millbery Union 123W, ParnassusSynapse is looking for Mission Bay and Parnassus writers, bloggers, photographers and designers. Come to the lunch meeting, share your story ideas and enjoy a free lunch. Email for more information and to RSVP: [email protected].

HYANGPIRI KOREANWOODEN FLUTE CONCERTWednesday, Dec. 11, 6-7 p.m., Medical Sciences, Cole Hall, ParnassusThis performance is designed to introduce Korea’s traditional music and the sound of the Piri flute, side by side with the violin, in an East-West cultural exchange. Sponsored by the Korean American Health Professional Student Association.

VOCAL CHORDS A CAPPELLA, CALL FOR MALE VOICESWednesday, Dec. 11, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Health Sciences West, 300, ParnassusDo you enjoy singing? Vocal Chords A Cappella is seeking tenors, baritones and basses. Rehearsals every Wednesdays 6:30-8:30 p.m. Contact Jamie Wong at [email protected]. facebook.com/VocalChordsUCSF

OTHER CAMPUSESLAUREL HEIGHTS 2013 HOLIDAY CRAFT FAIRThursday, Dec. 5, noon-1:30 p.m. The Garden Room (next to the View), second floor, Laurel Heights Campus Don’t miss this opportunity to get your holiday shopping done early. This craft fair features hand-made gifts from the Laurel Heights Artisan Guild. Co-sponsored by the Artisan Guild and the Performing Arts Fund.

OFF-CAMPUS84TH ANNUAL HOLIDAY TREE LIGHTINGThursday, Dec. 5, 4-8 p.m., McLaren Lodge, Golden Gate Park, SFJoin San Francisco’s Rec & Park for the 84th Annual Holiday Tree Lighting. Located at the historic McLaren Lodge in Golden Gate Park, this is an event you don’t want to miss. Festivities will include a train ride, live entertainment and a special visit from Santa.

CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES: ‘TIS THE SEASON NIGHTLIFE Thursday, Dec. 5, 6-10 p.m., Cal Academy, Golden Gate ParkGrab your tackiest holiday sweater and chill out under a flurry of snowflakes, while grooving to a DJ set by Nathan Blaz of Geographer and the syrupy-sweet sounds of up-and-coming Portland R+B act Shy Girls. In the East Garden, meet a pair of live reindeer and learn how these “nomads of the North” stay warm during the coldest season of the year. Enjoy chocolate tastings with Ghirardelli Chocolate and a hot beverage bar featuring ciders, teas, hot toddies and more. http://bit.ly/NightLifeTickets, http://bit.ly/CLSDiscounts.

OFF THE GRID: UPPER HAIGHT Thursday, Dec. 5, 5-9 p.m., Stanyan and Waller Streets, SFOff the Grid is a roaming mobile food extravaganza that travels to different locations daily to serve delicious food, with a free side of amazing music, craft and soul.

EXPLORATORIUM AFTER DARK: GLOWThursday, Dec. 5, 6-10 p.m., Pier 15, SFKeep the season’s early darkness at bay

ANNOUNCEMENTSGLOBAL HEALTH SCIENCES INFORMATION SESSIONUCSF Global Health Sciences will hold an Information Session about the Master’s Degree Program on Monday, Jan. 13, from noon-1 p.m. in Room S 261, Genentech Hall on the Mission Bay campus. The session will be led by Madhavi Dandu, MD, MPH, and Kim Baltzell, RN, PhD, MS, Program Directors, and MS alumni. There will be ample time for Q&A. Light refreshments will be served.

ONESTART LIFE SCIENCES ENTREPRENEURSHIP COMPETITIONThe competition is for young life science entrepreneurs, and offers $150,000, lab space and mentoring, with the winners maintaining 100% equity. It was wildly successful last year in Europe, and this year, there will be simultaneous European and American competitions. OneStart is co-sponsored by the Oxbridge Biotech Roundtable. The group is run by international postdocs and graduate students and focuses on bringing the academic and industry communities together, with a particular investment in entrepreneurship and the startup community. More information is available at www.oxbridgebiotech.com/onestart/

BREAKTHROUGH PRIZE IN LIFE SCIENCES AWARD: REGISTRATION DEADLINE DECEMBER 11Friday, Dec. 13, 8 a.m.-6:30 p.m., Genentech Hall Auditorium, Mission BayUCSF will honor the recipients of the 2013 Breakthrough Life Science Awards by hosting a one-of-a-kind science symposium. Speakers include 2013 award winners Cornelia Bargmann, David Botstein, Lewis C. Cantley, Hans Clevers, Titia de Lange, Eric Lander, Napoleone Ferrara, Charles L. Sawyers, Bert Vogelstein, Robert A. Weinberg and Shinya Yamanaka. Stay tuned for simulcast and streaming information. Register: http://tinyurl.com/lzeb8j9

RETAIL STORES FOR RENTSunset SF retail stores for rent: $2,800/month each, 2132 and 2134 Taraval St., easy transportation, 1 bedroom, kitchen, full bath in the back of store. (415) 665-4567.

SEEKING VOLUNTEER RESEARCH ASSISTANT UCSF’s Department of Social and Behavioral Science, Institute for Health and Aging, is looking for a volunteer research assistant to work with its research team, focusing on lifestyle behaviors to improve health and prevent disease among diverse ethnic communities (Filipino, Asian Americans, Hispanics). Bachelor’s degree required. Please send a cover letter stating your academic goals, strengths and interests, along with your curriculum vitae, to: [email protected]

CLASSIFIEDS

with light, color, and warmth. Explore bioluminescence, fluorescent and phosphorescent artwork and activities, and more. http://bit.ly/ExploratoriumAfterDark.

CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES: FREE ADMISSION DAYSunday, Dec. 8, 10 a.m.- 5 p.m., Cal Academy of Sciences, SFThe California Academy of Sciences is a world-class scientific and cultural institution in Golden Gate Park, a 400,000 square foot structure that houses an aquarium, a planetarium, a natural history museum and a four-story rainforest, all under a living roof.

Page 3: Synapse (12.05.13)

synapse.ucsf.edu | December 5, 2013 | 3

STAFFYi Lu | EDITOR

Jenny Qi | EXECUTIVE EDITOR Alexandra Greer | SCIENCE EDITOR

Angela Castanieto | ASSOCIATE EDITORAkshay Govind | ASSOCIATE EDITORSteven Chin | MANAGING EDITOR

Victoria Elliott | COPY EDITORAbout Synapse is the UCSF student-run weekly newspaper, which runs on Thursdays during the academic year and monthly during the summer. Synapse seeks to serve as a forum for the campus community. Articles and columns represent the views of the authors and not necessarily those of the Board of Publications or the University of California.

Submissions Announcements and letters should be submitted six days before publication. All submissions can be either emailed or mailed. All material is subject to editing. Letters to the Editor must be signed by the author.Subscriptions Subscriptions cost $20/year ($40/outside US).

Advertising Paid advertisements do not necessarily reflect the views of Synapse. Synapse and its editorial board reserve the right to decline advertisements promoting false or misleading claims, known health risks, or content deemed by the editors to be antithetical to the interests of UCSF students or the UCSF community. Synapse does not accept advertisements from tobacco or alcohol manufacturers, or sexually oriented personal ads. Synapse reserves the right to run any ad with a disclaimer.

500 Parnassus Ave. Millberry Union 108W

San Francisco, CA 94143tel: (415) 476-2211 | fax: (415) 502-4537

[email protected]

SynapseThe UCSF Student Newspapersynapse.ucsf.edu

NEWS BRIEFSE-Cigarettes Described as Teens’ New Path to Addiction

E-cigarettes have been widely promot-ed as a way for people to quit smoking con-ventional cigarettes. Now, in the first study of its kind, UCSF researchers report that, at the point when the study was conducted, young people using e-cigarettes were more likely to be trying to quit, but were also less likely to have stopped smoking and were smoking more, not less.

“We are witnessing the beginning of a new phase of the nicotine epidemic, and a new route to nicotine addiction for kids,” said senior author Stanton A. Glantz, PhD, UCSF Professor of Medicine and Director of the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education at UCSF. The study appears online in the current issue of the Journal of Adoles-cent Health.

E-cigarettes are battery-powered devices that look like cigarettes and deliver an aero-sol of nicotine and other chemicals. Promot-ed as safer alternatives to cigarettes, they are gaining popularity among adults and youth around the world.

UCSF Scientist Wins $89M Grant to Study Anal Cancer in HIV-Infected People

A UCSF investigator has won an eight-year grant from the National Cancer Institute for a major investigation into anal cancer, a debilitating and sometimes fatal disease large-ly concentrated among people with HIV.

The total amount of the award over the life of the grant is projected to be $89 million. Anal cancer disproportionately affects HIV-infected men and women, but the rate of in-fection is rising among people who do not have HIV. The number of cases is expected to continue to grow in the general population.

Like cervical cancer and some oral can-cers, most cases of anal cancer are associated with human papillomavirus (HPV).

“Given these strong biological similari-ties, it is very possible that biomarkers and treatments identified in the study will be applicable to cervical and HPV-associated oral cancer as well,” said Joel Palefsky, MD, a UCSF professor of medicine and principal investigator of the anal cancer project.

Specific Heart Contractions Could Predict Atrial Fibrillation

A commonly used heart monitor may be a simple tool for predicting the risk of atri-al fibrillation, the most frequently diagnosed type of irregular heart rhythm, according to researchers at UC San Francisco.

In a study published in the Annals of In-ternal Medicine (December 3), researchers discovered that patients who have more pre-mature atrial contractions (PACs) detected by a routine 24-hour Holter monitor have a substantially higher risk for atrial fibrillation. PACs are premature heartbeats which origi-nate in the atria, or the two upper chambers of the heart. A Holter monitor is a portable electronic device used to continuously moni-tor the electrical activity of a person’s heart.

“We sought to determine how well PACs predict atrial fibrillation compared to an es-tablished but substantially more complex prediction model derived from the Framing-ham Heart Study,” said senior author Grego-ry Marcus, MD, MAS, an associate professor of medicine who specializes in electrophys-iology in the UCSF Division of Cardiology. “Because PACs may themselves have a causal relationship with atrial fibrillation, it is theo-retically possible that their eradication, such as through drugs or a catheter ablation pro-cedure, could actually modify atrial fibrilla-tion risk.”SCIENCE MOM » PAGE 6

NEWS

Life of a Grad Student: Entering Class of 2012

By Jenny QiExecutive Editor

Student 1Male, Mission Bay

Synapse: Tell us about your experience at UCSF so far.

If someone had told me how much I would have enjoyed it when I started, I don’t think I would have believed it. I’m glad, be-cause I was reluctant to go to grad school in the first place. People say, “Don’t go unless you’re sure.” It’s scary to hear that, because how do you know you’re ready to commit your life to one thing? I’m still not sure, but I’m really happy here.

Synapse: What about your lab experience? How did you choose your lab?

It was my last rotation. I got the same feel-ing that I did about UCSF — as soon as I got here, something clicked, and I haven’t regret-ted that. The PI was respectful, there was an

array of projects, and the lab environment is collaborative. It’s really useful to have other grad students in the lab to serve as a model of how a successful PhD should go. There are bad days, but getting to do something I really like is the greatest thing I can imagine.

Synapse: Is anything different from what you expected?

I thought it would be a lot more solitary. My undergrad PI said that it was intellectu-ally isolating — if you go to a cocktail par-ty, you tell people what you do, and no one knows what you’re talking about. But within the context of a university, it’s almost the op-posite.

Synapse: Are there any challenges you’ve en-countered? How did you deal with them?

If I have angst over anything in grad school, it’s choosing the project. It has to have a payoff but get you out in a reasonable num-ber of years. It has to be creative, but not so creative that there’s no way to do it. It has to be interesting and able to respond to new ideas.

I eventually just had to choose and hope it works out. It’s not that I’m worried that I won’t graduate or won’t do good science. But is what I’ve chosen the best use of my time? I’m just telling myself to not worry too much.

Synapse: Is there anything else you’re still working on?

With grad school, the most stressful thing is uncertainty — both day-to-day (whether I can do an experiment) and on the meta-level (whether the PhD will work out). You have to trust that it will. There’s probably some im-postor syndrome that everyone has; I just try to have a little faith in myself and in my lab.

Synapse: What advice would you give other students?

SCIENCE MOM

Gaining That Competitive Edge

By Debbie RuelasStaff Writer

There’s an National Public Radio pod-cast called Freakonomics Radio that I really enjoy listening to while doing

cell culture. In the episode titled, “The Econ-omist’s Guide to Parenting,” a panel of econ-omists considered some provocative aspects of parenting.

One of the things that caught my atten-tion was the research presented by Valerie Ramey, a professor of economics at UC San Diego. Together with her husband, Garey Ra-mey, they co-authored an article titled “The Rug Rat Race” (Brookings Papers on Econom-ic Activity), in which they analyzed data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ “America Time Use Survey.”

They found that in the 1980s, college-ed-ucated mothers spent an average of 13 hours per week caring for their children. Howev-er, today that number is 22 hours per week. That’s a 70 percent increase.

What’s puzzling about this increase is that women are also making much more money than they did in the 1980s. For these higher-earning mothers, the opportunity cost of not working can be substantial.

So why would highly educated moth-ers who are receiving greater returns from paid employment be increasing the time they spend on caring for their children?

Several explanations have been proposed, including safety concerns, greater enjoyment of child care and more flexible work sched-ules. The Rameys evaluated these hypotheses and found that they were not consistent with the data.

Instead they offer a different explanation — preparing to send kids to college. Parents (particularly college-educated mothers) are spending more time on child care because of the perceived return on children attending good colleges. And it’s hard to argue with the fact that a good college education comes with many benefits.

Economists have estimated that every ex-tra year of education is worth an 8 percent increase to your annual earnings for the rest of your life. (I’m not sure whether this still applies to PhD students who take 10 years to graduate.)

At any rate, the dilemma is that college admittance is much more competitive than it used to be. Nowadays, in order to get into a good college, you have to come across as well-rounded. This means participating in lots of extra-curricular activities.

That’s where “The Rug Rat Race” comes in.

The Rameys found that parents were spending added time shuttling their children to activities that would look good on a college application. Valerie Ramey admits she herself was also guilty of doing this.

LIFE OF A GRAD STUDENT » PAGE 7

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Photo by Nicole Croom/MS2

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Family House has a communal kitchen along with shared cooking appliances.

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In Koret Family House, each floor has a com-munal living room stocked with toys; a com-munal kitchen along with shared cooking appliances; a communal dining room; an in-dustrial-sized laundry room with a supply closet full of laundry and cleaning supplies, a community dry goods shelving unit, a shared freezer with bins for each room and a com-munity fridge that includes any foods left by previous tenants that are still within their ex-piration date.

There is also a communal library room stocked with donated books for all ages, along with a computer station (the house offers free Wi-Fi to its residents). The top floor of the house contains three suites for bigger families requiring extended stays. The accommoda-tions are definitely on par with any affordable hotel.

Unlike a hotel though, Family House is completely free for those families who qual-ify to stay under its roof, and it offers fami-lies the chance to bond with others facing a similar situation — a benefit that should not be overlooked, according to Anna Lark, the weekend manager of Koret House.

Families staying at the Family House aren’t just sitting around worrying. The House offers many established programs to get fami-lies out and enjoying The City.

“You’re going through a hard time and we’re here to make it happier,” said Lark.

There are events planned for every holi-day; specialized programs designed by vol-unteers with specific skills (such as baking classes, therapy dog visits and music lessons); passes to museums and the Millberry Union gym; and a new program started by Sea-mus Berkeley, an artist from, you guessed it, Berkeley, who paints portraits of families stay-ing in the House.

Family House, which does not receive funding from UCSF, is hugely dependent on people who generously donate time, money and supplies to the program.

One well-known contributor to the cause is the band Train, which got its start in San

Francisco. After the release of their newest al-bum, the band created a “Save Me, San Fran-cisco” winery and paired with Ghirardelli to make a chocolate of the same name. Ten per-cent of the proceeds from both goods goes to Family House.

Extraordinary citizens like 86-year-old Violet Banta, who has been volunteering at Family House for six months, are also essen-tial to keeping Family House going. Banta has been enthusiastically promoting the Family House program.

“Wasn’t going to give up these [remain-ing] years for a cause that isn’t proper,” said Banta. “Nobody knows about Family House, such a shame! I’m not a rich person, but I can help with my mouth by spreading the word.”

If you want to learn about upcoming vol-unteer opportunities or see what types of donations Family House needs, go to www.familyhouseinc.org and offer to help out to-day.

Nicole Croom is a second-year student in the School of Medicine.

» FROM HOME PAGE

QB3@953 has other advantages, too, such as flexible lease terms, three types of office space (workspace, cubicle, personal office) and the lowest rent in town ($800/month for bench space). My personal favorite is the technical science support staff, who can han-dle the essentials of your lab work (such as passaging cell lines) while you are away, free-ing you to present your work at a conference or meet with investors. Crawford also points out the value of working alongside other startup companies and the collaborative na-ture of the incubators.

“When [entrepreneurs] come to look at the incubator, they ask only about two things, the price of the space and what equip-ment they get access to,” he said. “After they are here, they find the most dominant reason to be here is culture. But if I tell them that in advance, they’ll never believe me.”

With all this support, it is hard to imagine companies failing — and they don’t. When I asked what the failure rate of the companies was, Crawford surprised me by saying they average only one or two companies failing a year, out of a total of 60 to 70. The QB3 incu-bators are always recruiting fresh faces with innovative ideas and the entrepreneurial spir-it, and where better to recruit these talented individuals than from their next-door neigh-bor, UCSF?

“The job market for graduate students and postdocs in the life sciences is tough, to say the least. One of the most effective ways that grad students and postdocs can correct that problem is to create their own job,” said Crawford.

UCSF and QB3 have partnered up to pre-pare graduate students and postdocs for that future. Offering seminars and mentorship programs like “Idea to IPO” and the “Start-up in a Box” Small Business Innovation Re-search (SBIR) workshop, UCSF and QB3 are committed to helping graduate students and postdocs transition into the entrepreneur-ial world. The idea is to utilize the academ-ic environment to help nurture networking amongst scientists and entrepreneurs and get students and postdocs excited about startups as a career possibility.

So if you have an idea and $800 in your pocket, check out QB3@953. It just may be the perfect place for you to launch your new career. Check out the QB3 website at qb3.org/ or the Startup in a Box SBIR workshop at qb3.org/startups/box.

Alex Loucks is a seventh-year Neuroscience student.

QB3@953 » FROM HOME PAGE

Photo by Christine Fu/Photographer

QB3 Associate Director Douglas Crawford gives Mayor Ed Lee a tour of QB3@953 at the launch party on October 30.

A Winter Concert

Sponsored by e Performing Arts FundProduced by Vocal Chords at UCSF, Chamber Music Society at UCSF

and Campus Life Services Arts & EventsFor more information call 415-476-2675

V C

C M S

D UCSF C H

P A:-: F

R P

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UCSF JOURNAL CLUBRecent research by UCSF scientistsBy Taylor LaFlamStaff Writer

NEUROSCIENCE: Coexpression networks implicate human midfetal deep cortical pro-jection neurons in the pathogenesis of autism. Willsey, A.J. et al. (State). Cell. 155(5):997-1007.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been the subject of burgeoning public and scientific interest. ASDs are a varied set of syndromes generally characterized by impaired social inter-action, language difficulties and repetitive behaviors.

Initial efforts to characterize genetic causes of ASD were hampered by its heterogeneity. Through next-generation sequencing, however, several groups have identified rare mutations with relatively large effects. Although rare mutations contribute to only a minority of ASD cases, it has been hypothesized that analysis of these genes can clarify the pathogenesis of the disorder.

In this paper, the researchers used diverse human brain expression data to construct co-expression networks built around nine high-confidence ASD genes, and looked for enrichment of a separate set of probable ASD genes. They found the most significant convergence in ex-pression in a population of cortical projection neurons in the second trimester of development.

CHEMICAL BIOLOGY: K-Ras(G12C) inhibitors allosterically control GTP affinity and effector interactions. Ostrem, J.M.; Peters, U.; Sos, M.L.; Wells, J.A.; Shokat, K.M. Nature. doi:10.1038/nature12796

The small GTPase K-Ras is mutated in approximately 30 percent of all cancers and is fre-quently implicated in lung, colon, and pancreatic cancer. Years of attempts to design an effec-tive therapy targeting this protein, however, have thus far proved fruitless.

The K-Ras mutation G12C occurs in seven percent of lung cancers. Following in the foot-steps of mutant-selective therapies such as the B-Raf (V600E) inhibitor vemurafenib, the Sho-kat group sought to specifically target this mutant with a compound that would covalently bind to this ectopic cysteine.

In this paper, the researchers report development of a small molecule inhibitor that selec-tively binds K-Ras (G12C). They use in vitro assays to show that this inhibitor substantially decreases K-Ras activity by decreasing its affinity for GTP relative to GDP and by impairing binding to the enzyme target Raf. They are currently optimizing this inhibitor and investigat-ing its therapeutic potential.

HUMAN EVOLUTION: Many human accelerated regions are developmental enhanc-ers. Capra, J.A.; Erwin, G.D.; McKinsey, G.; Rubenstein, J.L.; Pollard, K.S. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 368:20130025.

Great apes may be our closest evolutionary relatives, but there are nevertheless obvious physical and cognitive differences between humans and chimpanzees. The genetic basis for human-specific traits remains largely unknown, though much of the difference is thought to be due to alterations in non-coding gene regulatory sequences.

Researchers analyzed conserved regions that show many changes since humans diverged from chimpanzees to develop a set of approximately 2,600 so-called human accelerated regions. Based on sequence and histone modification data, they estimated that a third of them would function as developmental enhancers.

The researchers then tested both the human and chimpanzee sequence of 29 of these re-gions by making transgenic mice. In five cases, there was a difference in expression pattern driven by human compared to chimpanzee sequence at embryonic day 11.5, suggesting that they merit further study as candidates for human-specific characteristics.

DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY: Species-specific regulation of the cell cycle and the timing of events during craniofacial osteogenesis. Yu, J. et al. (Schneider). Dev Biol. doi:10.1016/j.ydbio.2013.11.011.

A bird’s beak tells much about its way of life and is subject to rapid evolutionary change. Previous experiments with quail-duck chimeras have shown that the neural crest mesenchyme is the critical determinant of species-specific beak and skull development.

Earlier work has clarified the mechanism by which these cells shape the development of the skin, musculature, and connective tissue, but how it shapes the bony skeleton remained unclear.

In this paper, the researchers confirmed that transplanted quail-to-duck neural crest mes-enchyme drives the faster quail-like timetable for bone development. The researchers showed these cells regulate the cell cycle. These species-specific differences in cell cycle result in differ-ences in the timing of osteogenesis and, consequently, differences in craniofacial skeleton size.

Taylor LaFlam is a fifth-year MSTP student. For comments or paper suggestions, email [email protected].

NEWS

OneStart Life Science Entrepreneurship Competition Comes to the Americas

Applications are currently being accepted from young, enthusiastic Life Science Entrepre-neurs for the chance to translate their cutting edge research into a successful startup. The win-ner will receive $150K, lab space, and business and intellectual property legal support.

By Benjamin CohnStaff Writer

The OneStart Americas competition, a partnership between Oxbridge Bio-tech Roundtable and SR One, the ven-

ture capital arm of GlaxoSmithKline, officially launched on November 4 at the UCSF. The kick-off event was followed by similar events held this month in Los Angeles, San Diego and Boston.

OneStart Americas invites individuals or teams of burgeoning life science entrepre-neurs under 36 years of age to apply in one of four tracks: drug discovery, medical devices, diagnostics, or health information technology. Thirty-five selected semi-finalists will under-go two-months of extensive mentorship from venture capitalists, pharmaceutical executives, and other entrepreneurs in order to turn their idea into a comprehensive business plan.

Entrants will compete for $150K, free lab space at QB3 in San Francisco for up to one year, and business and legal support. Win-ners will be selected from a pool of ten final-ists based on criteria including innovation, potential impact on patient health, and qual-ity of the business plan.

The only stipulation is that the prize mon-ey be used to develop the idea. Unlike other entrepreneurial competitions, all intellectual property is retained by the winning team and neither OBR nor SR One claim any equity in the winning idea.

John Daley, OneStart Director and a Stan-ford Law student, ran the inaugural OneStart competition in Europe last year and wel-comed attendees of the UCSF launch event.

“OneStart’s expansion into the Americas al-lows us to bring the incredible mentorship, networking and fund-raising possibilities that we developed in Europe last year to the young bio-entrepreneurs here,” he said.

Jill Carroll, a Senior Associate at the San Francisco SR One office, also spoke at the UCSF launch. She stressed how OneStart fits into SR One’s strategic mandate of investing in innovation.

It has been increasingly difficult for fledg-ling projects to raise early stage capital, and SR One aims to spur innovation by giving such projects a needed push. Carrol cited the partnership between academia and industry as a unique characteristic of OneStart, since many competitions of this sort are solely aca-demic in nature.

OneStart’s focus on early-stage startups is a response to the difficulty these companies face getting support from more traditional sources of funding, like seed funds or ven-ture capital.

The competition welcomes ideas at all stages of development, with the emphasis on the potential of a team’s ideas, not necessarily how far the team has gotten in implementing their idea. Of course, applications still need to demonstrate sound scientific rationale for their business idea.

More information on entry requirements, is available at oxbridgebiotech.com/onestart/. Individuals who are passionate about entre-preneurship but do not have a clear idea of their own and would like to join a team are encouraged to create a profile with the Co-Founders Hub at oxbridgebiotech.com/on-estart/find-co-founders-americas/.

Alicia Shiu contributed to this report.

Alicia Shiu is a PhD student in Neuroscience at Stanford University. Benjamin Cohn is a PhD student in Biomedical Sciences at UCSF.

StudentInside Guide

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events & programshealth & wellnessfinances`news, reviews & dealscommunity outreach& more!

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6 | December 5, 2013 | synapse.ucsf.edu

Photo courtesy of Chamber Music Society

ARTS&CULTURE

New Chamber Music Society Teams Up with Vocal Chords for Winter Concerts

Musicians from the Chamber Music Society perform at the Family House Thanksgiving Dinner. (Left to right) Hanna Retallack (MS1), Sherman Jia (R2), Catherine Chiu (MS2), Arnold Kim and Russell Coh.

By Sherman Jia and Jamie WongContributing Writers

Music has an extraordinary ability to heal — it enriches the lives of both physicians and their patients.

There is a large community of musicians at UCSF, but the opportunity to share their tal-ents and love for music has been limited.

To remedy this, students and residents have established the Chamber Music Soci-ety at UCSF, an organization that provides opportunities for UCSF musicians to deliver chamber music performances, and to provide outreach concerts at local health care-related facilities.

The Society holds several sight-reading sessions each semester for musicians to meet one another and to form longitudinal cham-ber music groups. In just three months, the Society has created a network of over 50 mu-sicians, composed of UCSF students, resi-dents and staff.

“The fact that so many groups are jump-ing at the opportunity to perform speaks to how much talent exists at UCSF, and how much potential the Society has in the years to come,” said Catherine Chiu, a second-year medical student.

On December 7 and 14, the Chamber Mu-sic Society at UCSF will join Vocal Chords A Cappella in concert for two performances in Cole Hall at the Medical Sciences Building on Parnassus. These concerts will feature nine different chamber music ensembles, ranging from duets to quintets.

The Vocal Chords, UCSF’s co-ed a cap-pella group, comprised of students, research-ers, postdocs, staff, faculty and affiliates, will share new renditions of classic, contemporary and pop hits. Eight new members have joined Vocal Chords’ 14-member group this season, adding such talents as musical direction, un-dergraduate a cappella experience, musical theater, choreography and beat-boxing.

“I’ve never done this [a cappella] before. I am so happy to be part of it this year, because it is a new musical challenge, and I’ve gotten to know new friends, the wonderful and tal-

ented members of VC,” said Jennifer Rakoto-mamonjy, a postdoctoral fellow of Physiology and former soul/R’nB songstress from France. “Joining the Vocal Chords was one of the best decisions I’ve made at UCSF,” add-ed seasoned member Nicole Wong, a junior research specialist in the Department of Bio-engineering/Therapeutic Sciences. “They’re

an outstanding group of people who have come together to share their passion for sing-ing.”

Vocal Chords has entertained and in-spired audiences ranging from their Spring Concerts to singing the national anthem at the Bank of the West Classic at Stanford Uni-versity last summer.

Chamber Music Society information can be found at facebook.com/UCSFChamber-MusicSociety. Vocal Chords can be found at facebook.com/VocalChordsUCSF.

Sherman Jia is a resident physician of Neurol-ogy and Jamie Wong is a third-year Physical Therapy student.

The Vocal Chords enjoying a last rehearsal at UCSF Mission Bay before A Winter Concert.

Photo by Alyssa Nip/Pathology

A Winter ConcertSaturday, December 7 and 14UCSF Cole Hall, Parnassus3–5 p.m.Free admissionFree food and drinks

Her children were constantly busy with horseback riding, Brownies and softball; un-til one day when she realized that her obses-sive parenting was making her unhappy.

I can relate to feeling the need to give my child a competitive edge. Even though my child is only 2 years old, he has already been enrolled in a number of classes, including music and dance, gymnastics and swimming. I wouldn’t consider myself an obsessive par-ent. My kid only takes one class at a time, and we only do classes because they are a fun way for our family to spend time together.

However, if I wanted to be an obsessive parent, San Francisco would be a perfect place to be. There are plenty of activities available that are geared towards toddlers, including art, dance, yoga, pre-school prep, bilingual classes, story time, soccer, basketball, baseball and more. These are classes for 2-year-olds!

In talking to parents who have their kids enrolled in multiple classes, it really seems like a special kind of torture for both the par-ent and child.

Neither appears to be particularly happy about constantly having to bounce from one class to another.

Obviously, a happier and less stressed par-ent is going to a better parent. So, is all this extra time spent on obsessive parenting mak-ing parents unhappy in general?

There have been countless studies on the happiness of parents, and they often seem to have contradictory findings.

Recently, results of a study by the Pew Research Center indicated that parents find “much more meaning in the time spent with children than in the time spent at work.”

However, they also show that parents con-sider “caring for their children to be much more exhausting than the work they do for pay.”

Personally, I have to agree with this study. When I’m at home with my kid I feel more fulfilled, but I’m also dead tired. When I’m in lab, I’m happy (and less exhausted), but I’m also aware that my life is more meaningful than the results of my luciferase assay. In that regard, I think being a parent has given me a broader perspective in life.

Are parents less happy? It’s possible. Do I really care? No, not so much.

Debbie Ruelas is a sixth-year BMS student.

Science Mom » FROM PAGE 3

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SPORTS

Elite Runner Juggles Medical School and Cross-Country Training

By Angela BroadStaff Writer

Waking up at 4 a.m. to squeeze in a 10-mile run before a long day on her surgery rotation at Oakland’s

Highland Hospital, Michelle Meyer, MS3, is nothing if not dedicated.

By logging hundreds of training miles each month, she has found success running races around the Bay Area and beyond. Meyer represented her all-women’s running club, the Impala Racing Team, at the U.S. Olympic Tri-als in 2012, where she finished 84th. She has also won multiple local marathons.

So, how does Meyer stay so motivated? “I have awesome teammates,” she said. “I

have a love for exploration and adventure, ab-solutely stunning views and intense races.”

Meyer is an exceptional example of some-one who combines a passion for a career in the health sciences with a passion for running at a high level. However, she is not alone.

The UCSF connection

Though not officially affiliated with UCSF, the team includes staff, faculty, students, post-docs and residents. At least 12 women on the 100-person Impala Racing Team combine

running competitively with careers or train-ing at UCSF. Perhaps it is no coincidence.

“Running has instilled lifelong values of dedication and commitment, which are ab-solutely cornerstones for a medical career,” said Meyer, who ran track in high school, and competed in road races as an undergraduate at Stanford University.

Indeed, many women on the team have been running for decades. Dr. Sarah Tabbutt, a pediatric cardiologist at UCSF, regularly races cross-country.

This year, she and the team’s 50-plus age contingent have their eye on the prize — de-fending their national title at the U.S. Club

Cross Country Championships in Bend, Or-egon. on December 13.

"The women on the team range in age from 17 to over 70, and those who are older than me have been wonderful role models,” said Alexa Glencer, an Impala member and second-year medical student. “While running is clearly very important to each and every one of my teammates, it is only one compo-nent of their very successful lives."

Erin Bank, a Research Development Spe-cialist in the Research Development Office at UCSF, joined the Impalas in 2012. She quali-fied for and raced in the 2013 Boston Mara-thon, which was so tragically interrupted by a terrorist bombing.

“I went from being devastated about hav-ing to walk the last five miles of the race due to a stress fracture, to being grateful to have legs at all, and that the many friends I had running and spectating the race were safe from the bombings,” Bank recalled.

Bay Area's largest female-only running club

Established in 1979, the Impalas are a women’s elite development running club based in San Francisco. Fourteen runners on the team qualified for the 2012 Olympic Mar-athon Trials, the most of any club in the na-tion.

The Impalas are the largest competitive, female-only running club in the Bay Area. Members in all age groups run in road, cross-country, track and trail races in the Pacific Association league of USA Track and Field.

The Impalas practice together on Tuesday evenings at the Kezar Stadium track, in the shadow of the Parnassus campus. While their colleagues head home for dinner, they click off laps on the weather-worn track in the fog and drizzle.

Most Impalas have no aspirations to win prize money at major national races such as the Boston Marathon (though Meyer did win her weight in wine at the Napa-to-Sonoma Half Marathon). Still, the camaraderie, thrill of the chase and the chance to test themselves is reward enough.

More information about the Impalas can be found at www.impalaracingteam.org/ or at facebook.com/ImpalaRacingTeam.

Angela Broad is a first-year medical student and a member of the Impala Racing Team.

(Left to right) Meghan Morris (postdoc), Erin Bank (RDO Specialist), Angela Broad (MS1) and Michelle Meyer (MS3) at the Pacific Association Cross Coun-try Championships in Golden Gate Park last month.

Photo by Emily Ferenczi /Impalas

The most important thing in deciding what lab to join and what research to do is soul-searching and self-knowledge. It’s not bad spending a little time early in grad school stressing about this stuff, as long as it’s not overwhelming.

You should do some soul-searching if you’re making big life decisions. It’s unpleas-ant, but a lot of what it takes to succeed is mo-mentarily unpleasant. It doesn’t mean that it won’t lead to something good.

I had no interest in this research ques-tion when I first started. I do now, but that’s grown out of a great personal fit — between myself and my PI and lab and also the kind of work I like to do. That’s probably more im-portant to being happy in a lab than anything else.

Student 2Female, Mission BaySynapse: Tell us about your experience at UCSF so far.

So far, it’s great. The classes are a little bit college-y, but I enjoyed the rotations —they exposed me to new things and helped me make an informed decision.

Synapse: What about your lab experience? How did you choose your lab?

I started working on the project that I hope is going to be my main project — get-ting a project off the ground is always an ex-citing phase.

I chose this lab based on whether the grad students there were still happy, because that was an indicator of what my experience would be.

I wanted a lab with a lot of diversity in what people were working on, so I could be exposed to different things.

There are also a lot of grad students spaced out throughout the years, so there’s a lot of perspective on what you’re doing. Ultimately, it’s really personal, because ev-erybody’s looking for something different. Rotations are helpful for figuring out what you want in a lab.

Synapse: Is anything different from what you expected?

The most surprising thing was how so-cial it is. Especially in the beginning, you spend so much time with your classmates, and there’s so much chatter about who’s do-ing what and what different labs are like.

Synapse: Are there any challenges you’ve en-countered? How did you deal with them?

Getting here, there’s definitely a period where you feel like you’re in over your head and everyone else knows stuff that you don’t know. I think everybody goes through this.

The other thing I found challenging was the decision of what lab to join. I spent a lot of time weighing pros and cons. And when it comes down to it, you know that you can’t re-ally predict how it’s going to go.

Also, my significant other is not a scien-tist at all, and in the beginning it was hard for him to empathize with what I was going through.

Graduate school isn’t depicted in popular culture much, so I think what made it easier for him to understand what I was doing was when he met my classmates and could get an idea of what it’s actually like.

Synapse: Is there anything else you’re still working on?

I’m starting to think about quals. Other people are telling me to ask the hardest ques-tions about my project — what’s the worst that could happen — and I think I’ll need to lean on other people in my lab. I know I’ll get through it, but it’s just one of those uncer-tainties where you don’t know what’s going to happen until it happens.

Synapse: What advice would you give other students?

The one thing that I’ve done well so far is that I picked the right lab, in terms of the questions I’m asking and the people around me. I was able to do that by really asking what is important to me, what’s going to make me happy and knowing that this didn’t have to be the same as for my classmates. [For example,] I didn’t want to publish a lot of papers but be completely miserable. I just had to make that decision for myself.

Jenny Qi is a third-year BMS student.

Life of a Grad Student » FROM PAGE 3 My significant other is not a scientist

at all, and in the beginning it was hard for him to empathize with what I was going through. ”

“

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8 | December 5, 2013 | synapse.ucsf.edu

...to update your software!Regular software updates help prevent viruses and malware from infecting

your computer, which in turn help prevent data security breaches. There are always new emerging threats, so remember to update often.

Be smart – go to security.ucsf.edu and use our free tools to protect the UCSF community.Together, we can advance health worldwide - securely.

‘Tis the season...

UCSF IT SECURITY AWARENESS

Take the IT Security Challenge! Go to http://awareness.ucsf.edu

EVERYONE WINS A PRIZE!

Page 9: Synapse (12.05.13)

synapse.ucsf.edu | December 5, 2013 | 9

FOODSophie’s Got VerveBy Yi LuEditor

Cafe Sophie just opened this sum-mer, but the shop, nestled on a quiet stretch of 16th Street between San-

chez and Church, serves up delicious cups of coffee like old pros — with a big assist from Verve Coffee Roasters.

For those unfamiliar with it, Verve Cof-fee Roasters is an award-winning Santa Cruz-based company that places a premium on quality sourcing and roasting of their beans,

but more to the point, makes a fantastically bright and clean cup of coffee.

According to the Cafe Sophie staff, the beans they use are roasted in Santa Cruz on Wednesday, shipped on Thursday, and are ready to be brewed by Friday. If you’re look-

ing for a place to buy fresh Verve beans, Fri-days at Cafe Sophie is the place to be.

Cafe Sophie does not offer pour-over cof-fee, only drip, but they do a good job mon-itoring the freshness of their brew. Over several visits, I’ve never had a stale-tasting cup.

Nevertheless, the coffee, while fantastic, just doesn’t taste quite like what you can get from Verve’s Santa Cruz locations. Maybe it’s the distance from the surf, or the vibe of the clientele: Think work-from-home tech/hip-ster culture versus attractive surfer/beach bum culture.

If you happen to visit on one of the few warm days in San Francisco every year, or if you want a drink that you can nurse over the span of a couple of hours to optimize your study-to-dollar index, order the iced coffee, which comes with coffee ice cubes.

I haven’t tried the other drinks on the menu, but my friend had good things to say about the “Honey Monkey,” a sweetened tea steamer. I wouldn’t know, because “tea” and “steam” are two words that I don’t understand in juxtaposition.

Cafe Sophie is a great study spot. I’ve nev-er had a problem finding seating, although I’ve only visited on weekdays. There is a nice

Photo by Yi Lu/MS2

Cafe Sophie serves Verve coffee, which is shipped in from Santa Cruz every Thursday.Cafe Sophie3463 16th St., San Francisco(415) 529-2972cafesophiesf.comvervecoffeeroasters.com

Monday-Friday 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.Saturday, Sunday 8 a.m. – 7 p.m.

International Dental Student Team Wins Cook-off

By Mason TranStaff Photographer

The Asian Health Caucus hosted its annual Iron Chef Competition November 18 at the Faculty Alumni House. This year’s winners were chefs Amit Mongia, Mikhail Pliosnine and Purnima Sheoran, all first-year students in the International Dentist Program. Here

the team proudly presents its “Asian Califusion,” which consisted of two dishes, “Chicken Curry on Green Parnassus Hill” and “Bamboo Sweet Delights.”

The Iron Chef competition is open to three-student teams from all the UCSF schools. Teams are given $30 and a secret ingredient and must prepare a dish in 50 minutes for a panel of six judges, composed of faculty members and students.

Asian Health Caucus is one of the oldest student-run organizations at UCSF. It was founded in 1975 “to promote mutual understanding and friendship among all members in the UCSF community, as well as increase awareness of Asian and Asian-American health issues.” The work of Asian Health Caucus includes participation in health fairs, mentoring round table meetings, minority bone-marrow drives and fun activities to get professional schools together.

Mason Tran is a fourth-year dental student.

Photo by Mason Tran/D4

(Left to right) Amit Mongia, Mikhail Pliosnine and Purnima Sheoran, all first-year International Dentist Program students, captured first place in this year's Iron Chef Competition.

assortment of big wooden tables you can share with your new tech-hipster friends, as well as individual tables to hunker down with your coffee and laptop.

There is also some seating outside, but 16th Street in the Castro just can’t match the 16th Street experience in the Mission — bad for people-watching, probably better for quiet work. To further help your productivity, the noise registers at a pleasantly ambient level, and the music is what I would be playing any-way. (Lykke Li → Bon Iver → The Strokes? Yes, please.)

My favorite time to arrive at Café Sophie is after lunch, when the occasional afternoon sun can fill the cafe with so much natural light that you’ll be forced off your glaring laptop to enjoy a contemplative moment with your cup of joe. Come find me at Cafe Sophie some-time and say “Hi,” unless you’re drinking a tea steamer. It would be a shame to miss out on the opportunity to drink a good cup of Verve this side of Highway 17.

Yi Lu is a second-year medical student.

MAMA M.

Work is Crimping My LifeDear Mama M,

Being in grad school here is put-ting a horrible crimp in my family

life. I have a wife and two young kids, and all my time spent in the lab doing research is just killing me. I can't find the energy to be fully present with my wife or with my kids. I get home tired and frustrated, and even though I tell myself on the ride home my new man-tra: "Tonight, I will be fully present," I can't seem to do it.

I feel I am failing at being a meaningfully present partner and parent. My wife has been so supportive, but tells me lately that she feels I am “selling out,” and that I am losing touch with this very important part of my life. She is right, but what can I do? Please help.

Sincerely,Not Fully Here______________________________

Dear Not Fully Here,Have you ever heard of the book,

“Thoughts without a Thinker?”

I am not suggesting you read it, because Lord knows you have enough on your plate. I had to take a nap just reading about your life. It sounds very full and very overwhelm-ing to be you right now. So, you don’t need to read the book, but it might be helpful to think about the title. It came to mind when I read your question.

Our conscious thoughts get turned on about the time our eyes begin to open in the morning. (And this does not even begin to address the unconscious processes at work). It is hard to remain present when our thoughts zoom off like an over-achieving athlete tak-ing performance-enhancing drugs on race day. The Self is often left behind. But, there is good news!

You can do some things to bring yourself into your body and be present in the moment. Being present is an art. It sounds like you are ready to cultivate the practice of mindful liv-

ing, which is more of a philosophy than a sin-gle activity. You have a lot to be present for, sweetie, so try to be kind with yourself as you figure it out.

First, a simple inquiry into your psyche: Ask your Self if you are just overwhelmed and being pulled in too many directions at once, or is there a more fundamental need to “check out”?

If it is the latter, you may need more sup-port to work through underlying fears that keep you rippin’ and runnin’ through life, never here and never not here. It is not an un-common American problem.

As a culture, we tend to run from our fears rather than sit with them. Busy-ness is some-times a coping strategy and sometimes a fact of life. You have to decide which is true for you. On the other hand, if you just can’t get your work out of your mind when you come home, and there is no underlying uncon-scious process to work through, then some simple practices will help you on your way to being present.

Second, drilling it in to your tired head, that you “will be present, godammit!” on your way home from work may not be the best way to be ... well, present. I think, for the time be-ing, you are going to have to refine what pres-ence means, and kindness to Self is your first practice.

I don’t want to load you up with a bunch of meditative practices that you will feel bad about not having enough time to accomplish. I’d rather help you shift your mindset. There are ways to integrate a practice into the fast-moving, packed-to-the-gills lives we choose to live.

Some basic breathing practices will drop you into your center, open your heart, and al-low you to bring your full Self into any giv-en moment. In short, sweetie, you need to breathe longer and deeper than ever before.

I used to work in a maximum-security men’s prison in the middle of the desert. It

MAMA M. » PAGE 10

Page 10: Synapse (12.05.13)

10 | December 5, 2013 | synapse.ucsf.edu

By Shieva Khayam-BashiContributing Writer

By the age of 70, most physicians, surgeons and psy-chologists would be well into their retirement. Not Mike Denney.

At the age of 71, Dr. Denney — a physician and surgeon — received his doctorate in depth psychology, with a passion for integrating the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of healing in his continuing work.

For many years since then, he has been inspiring others by teaching, writing and practicing mind-body-spirit coun-seling, and steadfastly advocating for the integration of spirit and science in medicine. Now, Dr. Denney has written a mes-merizing account of his personal and professional journey, a medical memoir: Nobody’s Boy — An Old Doctor and a New Science.

This enchanting memoir recounts the story of a young Mike Denney, who faced many challenges growing up in pov-erty on the near east side of Detroit in the 1930s. War, pov-erty, family strains and fear of death were among the many things with which he had to contend. Though he was clearly a thoughtful and intelligent boy, Denney’s stresses caused him to fail in grammar school and high school. At the tender age of 15, his future was doubtful. Then, one momentous night, the troubled boy stayed up to read what would become a life-altering book.

By the end of the night, he had a most extraordinary expe-rience of inspiration, which gave him new clarity and purpose. That transformative moment brought him to a feeling of con-nection to the deeper self, the spirit, and to that same part of others, and it was what led Mike to decide to become a doctor.

It was this newfound connection to a deep sense of em-pathy, compassion and love for the sacred in humans that be-came his guide, as he began the course of a medical career.

Just as many trainees have experienced in medical educa-tion, however, Mike found that his demanding training as a

physician and surgeon opposed his instinct for connection. He found that it actually required that he become more dis-passionate and less empathetic.

He had “learned to treat patients without the emotional involvement that might cloud his clinical judgment,” in order to practice as a young surgeon.

But one critical night in the Emergency Room, Mike hit a wall when he could not help but feel overwhelmingly deep emotions of connection and grief, after he was unable to save the life of a mangled, bleeding woman suffering injuries after an automobile collision.

This unexpected, intense emotional response turned Mike’s life around. It launched his journey into trying to re-claim the sacred inspiration and meaning that originally led him to choose the practice of medicine.

He describes his process of examining whether it was pos-sible to practice medicine scientifically, but also to integrate his own emotions and those of his patients, “to make a surgi-cal incision with full awareness of and compassion for the hu-man being under the drapery.”

His new sense of self-realization, and his revived reverence for the spirit of each of his patients, led him to resolve that it must be possible “to find a union of science and spirituality in his work” — despite what most of the medical establish-ment taught.

In the current medical era, there are countless stories of physicians who have become terribly dissatisfied with their work, for various reasons. Many physicians are seeking renew-al and a way to return to the joy of being a healer.

Dr. Denney’s story demonstrates how one physician was able to reclaim his own joy in medicine: “One way or another, I am going to find a way to stay connected with the deepest part of myself … and to include the spiritual aspect of heal-ing as an integral and essential part of my work as a doctor.”

For Dr. Denney and many others, it turns out that caring for the patient as a whole being — mind, spirit and body — is an integral key to the joy of practicing medicine. This, says Dr. Denney, is the New Science of medicine, the integration of science and spirituality, which will lead to more complete healing of patients, physicians and the field of medicine itself.

Nobody’s Boy — An Old Doctor and a New Science is a rich-ly personal, in-depth exploration of one physician’s journey of struggle, inspiration, dedication and reverence for the whole-ness of human life and spirit. Mike Denney’s medical mem-oir offers an intriguing oasis of renewal, in which his story inspires us to reconnect to our spirits, and to remember the deepest meaning in the practice of medicine and healing.

Shieva Khayam-Bashi, MD, is a clinical professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine and medical director in the Skilled Nursing Facility at San Francisco General Hospital.

BOOK REVIEW

A Physician Reclaims His Own Joy in MedicineNobody’s Boy: An Old Doctor and a New Science by Mike Denney

THE STRENGTH TO HEAL

To learn more, call (650)347-3967 or visitSan Mateo Medical Recruiting Center400 S. El Camino Real, STE 450San Mateo, CA 94402Email: [email protected]

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starts with our scholarship.

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was hard to get those images out of my head when I came home. The stories … the trau-ma … my own responses to the work, kept me far from my Self, long after I left the job for the day.

I had to cultivate some simple, daily tech-niques to leave work behind, or I would have stayed in prison all day and night. If you can’t get out of the lab or away from your research at the end of the day, you will miss out on the joys of partnership and parenting, and every-thing else that brings joy and balance.

Disclaimer: Breathing and imagery tech-niques are not lofty practices, sugar. They are subtle. They sneak up on you. They don’t give you instant presence either. There are no quick fixes here, my dear. But, over time you will find, with these practices, that you are closer to your Self and more available to the people who love you.

One more thing, I don’t know what your wife means by “selling out.” Let’s give her a pass, and forget she said it. She is tired and she misses you and probably misses the life you both used to have. Ask her what she wants and give her as much as you can.

Kiss your babies. Love yourself. Make a plan that works for you both and develop a daily (and it does have to be daily, sweetie) practice that aligns your Selves at the end of the day. Remember, you are enough as you are.

Practice 1: Breathing Through Doorways

Doors are magic. We pass through them all day long. In and out of offices, buildings, cars. If you can use these doors as a mindful-ness exercise, you will be meditating all day long without ever sitting on a pillow or cross-ing your legs like a yogi.

As often as you can remember, whenever you cross a threshold, take a deep breath. A really deep breath — one that begins from the center of the earth and travels up through dirt and bones and concrete and into the soles of your feet and up your legs, belly, rib cage and into your heart …

Then exhale... Exhale as s-l-o-w-l-y as your day will allow. Exhale all the way down your body. This will take less than a min-ute. When you are ready, add images to your breath … As you open a door, imagine you are showered with love and hope and ener-gy… As you close a door behind you, imagine you are leaving behind all that is unlike love.

Practice 2: Coming Home

Take a minute before you enter your home … set an intention to be present. Not a yell-ing, bullying command, but a simple, calm, heart-felt intention.

Take one full minute to drop into your belly and leave your work thoughts behind you. As you enter your home, imagine light and love and peace … and it will be there on the other side of the door, in one form or an-other. Even if it looks like chaos. Even if your wife is so very ready to hand you her day. Peace is always there. It is always there. It is always there.

Mama M.

Mama M. and her editor are health pro-viders at UCSF who understand the challenges facing health professionals. This column offers students honest, compassionate advice, wis-dom and love. All communication is confiden-tial. Names and identifying information will be withheld to maintain anonymity. Send letters to [email protected].

Mama M. » FROM PAGE 9

Page 11: Synapse (12.05.13)

synapse.ucsf.edu | December 5, 2013 | 11

PUZZLES

HUMOR/FAKE NEWSLeptin Knockout Mouse Wonders if There’s Something Wrong with Other Mice

Week of 12/2/13 - 12/8/13

ACROSS1 Pirate's plunder5 Barbershop item9 Fancy flapjack

14 Angelic topper15 State with

conviction16 Fit to be tied17 "White Wedding"

rocker18 Like good

citizens20 Stephen King's

"_____ Things"22 "Life of Pi"

director23 Fall bloomer24 Haggling point26 Incisor neighbor30 Recipe measure33 Crazy-sounding

bird34 Sushi staple35 Backspace over37 Pistol-packing 65 Keyboard key 11 Apt anagram of 36 Celeb's39 Purge 66 Like grass at vile entrance40 Happen again dawn 12 Evergreen tree at the Oscars41 Fixed gaze 67 Contact, 13 Barely beat 38 Military no-show42 Catch in the act nowadays 19 Night crawlers, 43 Millionaire maker44 Chocolate e.g. 47 Ocean motion

variety DOWN 21 Lots of laughs 48 Red or Dead45 Owned once 1 Runner's sore 24 Slim dagger 49 Give up, as 46 3D imaging spot 25 Band hand rights49 Eccentric 2 Roe v. ____ 26 Conflict, as 51 Icy coating50 Afternoon social 3 Sunburn colors 52 Ardor51 Consider soother 27 Blood line 53 Eat too much54 New business 4 Klondike hopeful 28 Wandering one 54 Crockpot 58 Unable to read 5 Peace pipe 29 Media mogul Ted creation61 Glazier's sheet 6 Cameo shape 30 Chocolate bean 55 Like most pets62 Pale purple 7 Kitten's cry 31 Take by force 56 Multi-user OS63 At any time 8 Bikini top 32 Bright and 57 Chipper64 Arab prince 9 Deciding factor bouncy 59 Roulette bet

10 Mountain spine 60 Street sign abbr.

by Margie E. BurkeThe Weekly Crossword

Copyright 2013 by The Puzzle Syndicate

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16

17 18 19

20 21 22

23 24 25

26 27 28 29 30 31 32

33 34 35 36

37 38 39 40

41 42 43 44

45 46 47 48

49 50

51 52 53 54 55 56 57

58 59 60 61

62 63 64

65 66 67

Week of 12/2/13 - 12/8/13

Edited by Margie E. Burke

HOW TO SOLVE:

(Answer appears elsewhere

in this issue)

Solution to Sudoku

Copyright 2013 by The Puzzle Syndicate

Difficulty : Easy

Grad School Illustrated by Jillian Varonin

Jillian Varonin is a fourth-year BMS student.

By Staff Humorist

Lep-/- mouse 73 thinks there’s some-thing wrong with the other mice in the mouse house.

“I’ve always thought the other mice were different somehow,” she mentioned, while noisily gnawing on her food. “But it dawned on me yesterday that all the other mice are horribly emaciated. It breaks my heart to look at them. Don’t they know there’s more food in their cage?”

When pressed for a cause or rationale be-hind the observation, Lep-/- 73 said, “May-be the food they receive is different and tastes bad? Or perhaps they’re so starved they’re not thinking straight and don’t realize the food is right in front of them? Or maybe they’ve been brainwashed by the media to the point where they’re so image-conscious that they willfully starve themselves? It’s just so sad.”

When asked about her eating habits, Lep-/- 73, who is several times bigger than an av-erage mouse, said that she often wakes up and starts eating as soon as possible to ensure that her metabolism makes full use of the calories available.

Time not actively spent eating is spent either thinking about eating or how she can make eating more efficient. She even sheep-ishly admitted to thinking about eating her “pathetically scrawny, wildtype mating part-ner” once, but he was too fast for her.

Piled Higher and Deeper by Jorge Cham www.phdcomics.com

title: "Peak Panic" -­ originally published 11/1/2013Between swallowing bite after bite

of mouse chow, the Leptin KO mouse said she tries to waddle out of the cage to talk to the other mice once a week. “The other mice and I get along great. But

there was one incident a month ago, when I bumped into a pair of wildtype mice on the other side of the mouse house. They passed by me and asked if I was ever stopped eat-ing,” said the Leptin KO mouse. “When I

responded with, ‘Wait. You mean when I’m sleeping?’ they just laughed and scampered along. It really woke me up to their problem. I just don’t know what’s wrong with them.”

Page 12: Synapse (12.05.13)

12 | December 5, 2013 | synapse.ucsf.edu

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Week of 12/2/13 - 12/8/13

Edited by Margie E. Burke

HOW TO SOLVE:

(Answer appears elsewhere

in this issue)

Solution to Sudoku

Copyright 2013 by The Puzzle Syndicate

Difficulty : Easy


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