Special Priorities
Nina Ireland Program for Lung Health
The Nina Ireland Program for Lung Health was established in 2010 with a bequest left by Nina Ireland to the UCSF Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Allergy and Sleep Medicine. Under the direction of Dr. Jeffrey Golden, the goals of the program are to support the overall advancement of lung health worldwide, with a particular focus on pulmonary fibrosis, lung transplant, interstitial lung disease, pulmonary rehabilitation, and care for the underserved.
John F. Murray Distinguished Professorship in Pulmonary Medicine
The Murray Distinguished Professorship, in honor of Dr. John F Murray, will support a top physician in perpetuity at San Francisco General Hospital and help to underwrite his or her teaching and research activities.
Division’s Opportunity Fund
The Division Opportunity Fund allows the division maximal flexibility to rapidly respond to new opportunities in any area of pulmonary biology and medicine. This fund is used to make targeted investments in people and programs critical to maintain our position as the world's leading center in pulmonary research, training and clinical care.
Interstitial Lung Disease
The UCSF Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) program is dedicated to improving the lives of patients with ILD, the scarring of lungs from mold, gas, dust, fumes, autoimmune disease, and (often) unknown causes. For years, UCSF has been a leader in accurately diagnosing and caring for patients with ILD. Because current drug treatments for ILD are inadequate, faculty in the Pulmonary, Critical Care, Allergy, and Sleep Medicine Division plan and participate in most major clinical trials for ILD patients. We are also at the forefront of basic research in ILD, and with a large federal grant, are developing novel treatments based upon our basic science discoveries. Our team includes pulmonologists, radiologists, pathologists, nurses, and other staff members with ILD expertise. The UCSF ILD program has grown dramatically in the last five years, with approximately 300 new-patient visits each year.
Chronic Airway Disease
At the UCSF Airway Clinical Research Center (ACRC), UCSF clinicians and investigators are greatly expanding our understanding of asthma and COPD. With an infrastructure that facilitates integration between laboratory and clinical endeavors, the ACRC is an excellent model for the division’s growing programs in translational medicine. The center’s innovative research initiatives have garnered an unprecedented success rate in NIH grant awards and continue to attract industry partners interested in new treatments for asthma and COPD.
Acute Lung Injury
Acute lung injury (ALI) is a syndrome that causes shortness of breath and often necessitates mechanical ventilation. Pneumonia, viral infections, sepsis, aspiration, and trauma are among the causes of ALI, which kills as many Americans annually as do breast, colon, and prostate cancer combined. UCSF has a rich history of research on ALI. UCSF investigations have led to gentler lung ventilation protocols and demonstrated beneficial effects of stem cell therapies in animal models and human lungs.
Global Lung Health
Lung disease — especially infectious illnesses like tuberculosis and pneumonia — is on the rise across the globe. UCSF’s pulmonary experts are part of a large, multidisciplinary initiative to address the world’s most daunting health challenges, including lung and breathing disorders that result from infection, environmental insults, and the global AIDS epidemic.
Lung Transplant
Since the establishment of the Lung Transplant program in 1991, we have performed more than 340 transplants. Today, these procedures number between 40 and 50 each year. Lung transplant remains a field with great opportunity for improved outcomes, and we are rapidly expanding our research programs in lung transplantation. Our survival rate is currently 6-7 years for 50 percent of our patients, who represent some of the most complicated cases; this is superior to the national average of 5.5 years, and we expect our numbers will continue to improve.+
Sleep Medicine
The UCSF Sleep Center includes practitioners and researchers who are leaders in identifying the causes of sleep disorders, including sleep apnea, a common disruption of breathing during sleep. Our clinicians and scientists are helping patients sleep more soundly, while they investigate new therapies for this condition.
Cystic Fibrosis
At the UCSF Adult Cystic Fibrosis Center, we provide comprehensive evaluation as well as inpatient and outpatient care for patients with cystic fibrosis. Our services include diagnosis, care coordination, nutritional assessment and counseling, symptom management, and evaluation for lung transplantation.
Allergy
The lungs are the first line of defense against external antigens. Tapping into UCSF’s preeminence in basic and applied immunology, UCSF researchers are helping us gain a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of allergies.
Lung Cancer
The division conducts basic research into the biochemical mechanisms responsible for lung tumor formation and metastasis. Discoveries in our labs have helped lead to earlier diagnosis and are pointing the way toward treatments that effectively intervene with cancer formation and progression.
Sarcoidosis
Sarcoidosis is thought to be a systemic inflammatory disease that affects the lungs in up to 80-90% of affected individuals. The Sarcoidosis Research Program at the University of California, San Francisco was founded in the fall of 2009. It’s mission is to improve the lives of patients with sarcoidosis through clinical and translational research. Specifically, the program is performing research to: (1) improve our understanding of the how the immune system is working in sarcoidosis; (2) use this information to identify new ways to treat the abnormal immune response in sarcoidosis; (3) identify ways to predict disease progression or remission; (4) understand how sarcoidosis affects different organ systems.