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Synapse Newspaper The UCSF Student
synapse.ucsf.edu | Thursday, February 19, 2015 | Volume 59, Number 9
SCENE OF SOLIDARITY
News Briefs » Area Code Change
The California Public Utilities Commission approved a new “628” area code for San Francisco, Marin and a small portion of San Mateo counties taking effect on Feb. 21. Residents and businesses with a 415 area code will now be required to dial a 10-digit number that includes the area code, even when calling another 415 number. Beginning March 21, new telephone lines or services may be assigned to the new area code overlay using the 628 area code. The new area code overlay will not impact the internal 5-digit dialing currently in use at UCSF for numbers starting with 476, 514, 502, 885 and 353. For more information visit cpuc.ca.gov/ PUC/Telco/generalInfo.
Anthem Phishing Scams
Still reeling from the civil rights demonstrations that took place in December, the nation’s college campuses again rallied recently at vigils for three Muslim students murdered last week in Chapel Hill, N.C., allegedly over a parking dispute. Victims included Deah Barakat, whose sister Suzanne is a resident in UCSF’s Department of Family and Community Medicine.
Photos by David Hand/School of Dentistry UCSF community members organized the candlelight vigil above on Thursday, Feb. 12, in the memorial garden at the SFGH Family Health Center. See Synapse Editor-in-Chief Jenny Qi’s reflections about the shootings on page 4, and check the Calendar on page 2 for information on Monday’s “White Coats for Black Lives” dialogues on improving campus diversity.
UC schools to require immunizations
By Lauren Shields Staff Writer
In the wake of the recent measles outbreak around the country, UC has issued a statement that they will require incoming students to be vaccinated for measles, mumps, rubella, chicken pox, meningococcus, tetanus and whooping cough starting in 2017, in addition to the currently required hepatitis B vaccine. Measles, once declared eliminated, had a record number of cases in 2014, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This increase resulted from decreased vaccination rates, as low as 36 percent in some California pre-schools according to the Los Angeles Times. Measles vaccination rates decreased
largely due to a 1998 retracted publication linking vaccinations with autism. Vaccinations promote public health by creating herd immunity, where the majority vaccinated population shields the young, immuno-compromised, or old who are unable to receive the vaccine. As UCSF and Gladstone virologist J.J. Miranda said, “It’s one of those things where some people opting out will do damage even if everyone else opts in.” Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein asserted their support of vaccination policies, asking California’s Health and Human Secretary to reconsider the state’s current exemptions. These exemptions allow parents to circumvent required school vaccinations on personal or religious grounds. The senators stated, “There
should be no such thing as a philosophical or personal belief exemption, since everyone uses public spaces.” Their statement was released just a week before health officials issued a report that BART riders may have been exposed to the measles virus by an infected commuter. Officials have said that the risk of infection is low and vaccinated individuals should not be concerned, but anyone exhibiting the
Following a Feb. 4 cyber attack on insurance provider Anthem that breached the data of 80 million members, UCSF’s Student Health and Counseling Services advises enrollees in the UC SHIP health plan to be vigilant of phishing scams asking for personal information. These scams are made to appear as if they are from Anthem, and the emails include a “click here” link for credit monitoring. There is no indication that the scam e-mail campaigns are being conducted by those who committed the cyber attack, or that the information accessed in the attack is being used by the scammers. Anthem will contact current and former members via mail delivered by the U.S. Postal Service with specific information on how to enroll in credit monitoring. Affected members will receive free credit monitoring and ID protection services. Anthem has created a dedicated website (AnthemFacts.com) where current and former members can find information. Members may also call 1-877-263-7995.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
characteristic rash and possible flu-like symptoms should see a doctor. Lauren Shields is a fourth-year BMS student.
2 | February 19, 2015 | synapse.ucsf.edu
Calendar » Events
SACNAS MONTHLY MEETING
Thursday, February 19, 6-7 p.m., Byers Hall, 215 SACNAS at UCSF welcomes PhD student and inten at Sanofi, Crystal Nyitray, and Dr. Amanda Nottke, Blue Matter Consulting, to share their experiences working in and starting careers in industry and consulting. Food and drinks will be provided.
MUSLIM FRIDAY PRAYER SERVICES
Friday, February 20, 1:30-2 p.m., Helen Diller, 160, Mission Bay 1-1:30 p.m., Medical Sciences,157, Parnassus The Muslim Community at UCSF holds regular Friday prayer services (Jum’a) every week. Come join your fellow brothers and sisters for prayer and socializing.
CAMPUS EVANGELISTIC FELLOWSHIP Friday, February 20, 7-10:30 p.m., Nursing, 517, Parnassus Join the Campus Evangelistic Fellowship for their weekly meeting with Bible study, hymn singing, and fellowship.
LGBTQI HEALTH FORUM
Saturday, February 22, 8 a.m.-7 p.m., Health Sciences West, Parnassus The LGBTQ Student Association (LGBTQSA) is proud to be hosting its 6th Annual LGBTQI Healthcare Forum. The forum educates attendees about healthcare disparities faced by members of the LGBTQI community and aims to prepare current and future healthc are providers on how to better serve the needs of LGBTQI people in a clinical setting. Eric Sawyer, co-founder of ACT UP, Housing Works Inc., and Health GAP, Inc., will provide the keynote presentation. This health forum is offered as elective credit for current UCSF students.
CARRY THE ONE RADIO WORKSHOP
Tuesday, February 24, 5 -7 p.m., Mission Hall, 1107, Mission Bay Carry the One Radio is a UCSF-based science podcast. The show is run completely by a dedicated group of young scientists who want to share their enthusiasm for research with a wider audience. The group meets weekly to workshop various pieces. No radio experience needed.
FARMERS’ MARKET
Wednesday, February 25,
10 a.m.-2 p.m., Gene Friend Way Plaza, Mission Bay 10 a.m.-3 p.m., ACC, 400 Parnassus Ave., Parnassus Shop the Farmers’ Markets on Wednesdays to pick up locally grown produce and more. Sponsor: Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association.
Looking for a place to study or relax between classes? CLS Arts & Events has got just what you need. The Chancellor’s Concert Series on Thursdays is a great place to set up your laptop and study or just take a break from classes while listening to classical music. Seating begins at noon. Lunch will be served while supplies last.
SYNAPSE MEETING
DOG DAYS OF FEBRUARY
Wednesday, February 25, noon-1 p.m., Millberry Union, 111W Synapse is looking for Mission Bay and Parnassus writers, bloggers, photographers and designers. Come to the lunch meeting, and share your story ideas.
WINTER HUMP DAY SERIES
Wednesday, February 25, noon-1 p.m., Health Sciences West, 303, Parnassus Take a mid-week break and join Student Health and Counseling for the Winter Hump Day Student Wellness Series. Topics focus on staying well throughout the year.
UCSF RUN CLUB
Wednesday, February 25, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Millberry Union Central Desk, Parnassus Please drop by and join UCSF Fit & Rec for a run! Each Wednesday night the Run Club runs various distances (3-6 miles) at a 9-11 minute per mile.
IMN MIDWEEK MEDITATION HOUR
Wednesday, February 25, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Library, CL215, Parnassus The Integrative Medicine Network invites everyone in the UCSF community to experience a weekly guided meditation. All are welcome, whether you are looking to combat day-to-day stress using meditation or you›d like to uncover subtle layers of your self by diving deep! No experience in meditation is necessary.
ENGLISH CORNER
Wednesday, February 25, 6-8:30 p.m., Nursing, 527, Parnassus English Corner is an informal conversational English class given as a free community service and provided on a voluntary basis by both people born and raised in the United States as well as many people who have, at one time in their lives, experienced life as a new immigrant.
CHANCELLOR’S CONCERT SERIES
Thursday, February 26, noon-12:45 p.m., Cole Hall, Parnassus
Thursday, February 26, noon-2 p.m., MU 111W, Parnassus Take time to de-stress with this week’s visitor from Animal Assisted Therapy of SPCA. Enjoy some tea or hot chocolate, and leave your stress at the door!
LEADERSHIP DIALOGUE: WHITE COATS 4 BLACK LIVES
Monday, March 2, Cole Hall, Parnassus, noon-1 p.m. Mission Hall 1400, Mission Bay, 4-5 p.m.
GPSA MONTHLY MEETING
Monday, March 2, 5:30 p.m., Library, 220, Parnassus Meet your assembly members at the monthly GPSA meeting and be a part of the discussion on topics relating to student priorities. The agenda will include student representation on committees, the annual formal, the sweeten beverages tax, upcoming events and officer reports. Dinner provided with RSVP.
Upcoming
STUDENT VETERAN COMMUNITY RECEPTION
Wednesday, March 11, 5-7 p.m., City Lights, Millberry Union Conference Center The Student Veterans at UCSF invite all veterans and military services members to an evening reception to mingle and network. Open to UCSF students, staff, faculty, postdocs, and trainees. RSVP by Thursday, Feb. 26.
CHOOSING A THESIS LAB
Thursday, March 12, 6-8 p.m., Genentech Hall, N114 Come and hear from senior students about things to consider when choosing your thesis lab.
CHANCELLOR’S CONCERT SERIES Thursday, March 12, noon-12:45 p.m.,
Cole Hall, Parnassus Looking for a place to study or relax between classes? CLS Arts & Events has got just what you need. The Chancellor’s Concert Series on Thursdays is a great place to set up your laptop and study or just take a break from classes while listening to classical music. Seating begins at noon. Lunch will be served while supplies last.
Announcements
APPLY TO BE THE 2016-17 UC STUDENT REGENT!
The student Regent is a voting member of The Regents of the University of California, attends all meetings of the Board and its Committees and serves for two years (one year as a designate and one year as a voting member) commencing July 1. All mandatory University fees and tuition are waived for the student Regent during the academic years in which he or she serves as a Regent-designate and as a member of the Board. Submit applications by February 22 at 5 p.m.
2015 HUMAN RIGHTS FELLOWSHIP
The Human Rights Center at UC Berkeley amd UCSF Global Health Sciences will sponsor one fellow for the University of California-wide Human Rights Fellowship program for trainee fellowships in partnership with organizations working on human rights issues. Stipend is $4,500. Registered trainees/students at UCSF and UCSF graduates within the last academic year are eligible. Application deadline: February 20. For more information, visit globalhealthsciences.ucsf.edu.s116768. gridserver.com/education-training/ human-rights-fellowship.
VETERAN & MILITARY SERVICE MEMBER LISTSERV
All veteran and military service members are encouraged to join the UCSF Veteran & Military Service Member Listserv to receive information on upcoming events and programs as well connect with one another. Sign up today!
ARE YOU A FIRST GENERATION TO COLLEGE STUDENT (FG2C)?
Register with the First Generation Support Services Office to give you access to all of the support services and help the office advocate for you! bit.ly/firstgenregister
Dental School brings smiles to local kids on Saturday By Anna Nonaka Staff Writer
Oral health is crucial to systemic health—and prevention begins at a much earlier age than most of us realize. That is why the American Dental Association first established National Children’s Dental Health Month, in order to promote awareness and education about the importance of forming good oral health care habits from a very young age. The observance goes back to Feb. 8,
1949, when dental health was recognized on a single day. In 1955, the ADA extended this observance to one week. It eventually became the whole month of February in 1981. Every year, this outreach benefits about 350,000 children at more than 1,500 events put on by more than 40,000 volunteers ranging from specialists to pre-health students. UCSF’s School of Dentistry will contribute to NCDHM on Saturday, Feb. 21 at its annual “Give Kids A Smile Day!” This event features free oral health screenings, instruction, parent education, fluoride varnish and more. This year, the campaign slogan is “Defeat Monster Mouth.” The ADA provides free posters, worksheet activities and more featuring a group of hygiene heroes fighting the evil Plaqster the Monster. The campaign also caters to pre-teens and teenagers with more elaborate hygiene instruction and activities. In addition to attending UCSF’s “Give Kids A Smile Day,” children should see a dentist within six months after the first tooth eruption and no later than one year old. Even though these teeth will exfoliate, or fall out, these teeth are actually
just as important as a child’s permanent dentition. Primary teeth allow the child to chew, speak and create space for the permanent dentition. Dentists can ensure all development is proceeding normally and identify detrimental habits like thumb-sucking or poor diet. Most importantly, dentists will administer oral health instruction and education to both the child and parents for preventing tooth decay and creating a positive experience. Visit the ADA’s website, MouthHealthy.org, to find more information on oral health care for children. Anna Nokana is in the School of Dentistry class of 2018.
synapse.ucsf.edu
RCO of the Week »
Graduate Division Alumni Seminar Series: Learn about the careers of Ph.D. alumni Amy Chang Contributing Writer A 2011 study by Cyranoski et al. in Nature showed that only 15 percent of basic science Ph.D.s are tenured at an R1 institution six years post-graduation. This indicates that many Ph.D. alumni are choosing to work in other sectors outside academia. These include careers in science policy, consulting, law, government and the nonprofit sector. Faced with this array of choices, it can be challenging for current Ph.D. students to determine the best career for their interests and lifestyles. In response, two fourthyear graduate students have launched a seminar series to promote student engagement with alumni and provide students with an opportunity to learn more about their post-graduate career options. The Graduate Division Alumni Seminar Series was born out of a meeting in 2013 with the directors of the biophysics and biomedical informatics Ph.D. programs, Matt Jacobson and Patsy Babbitt. During this meeting, the directors asked students how UCSF could better serve graduate students. It became clear that students were eager to gain real-world exposure and interact with professionals pursuing a variety of career paths. This would, in turn, inform their own decisions regarding postgraduate plans and allow them to better position themselves for the job market. Beginning in the fall of 2013, the series has welcomed alumni speakers pursuing a wide range of careers. These include the founder of a biotech company developing synthetic biology technologies for alternative fuels production; the director of structural biology at Genentech; a biophysics Ph.D. turned patent lawyer, who is now patent counsel for eBay; and a founding member of the UCSF Entrepreneurs in Biotechnology Club, who has since founded his own asset-management firm. Through these diverse speakers, students have been able to learn about a wide range of careers paths and network with successful alumni. Additionally, it has served as a valuable opportunity for alumni to reconnect with the UCSF com
Synapse
The UCSF Student Newspaper synapse.ucsf.edu
Staff
munity and share their experiences with young scientists. While the seminar series began within the biophysics and BMI Ph.D. programs, its founders, Jed Piterea, a researcher at IBM, fourth-year will be the next Alumni Seminar students Amy speaker on Monday, March 2. Chang and Tara Friedrich, recently decided to expand the series to the Graduate Division at large so that more students could benefit from this valuable resource. With support from the biophysics and BMI Ph.D. programs, the Graduate Division Alumni Association and the Associated Students of the Graduate Division, they are launching Graduate Division-wide seminars in the spring of 2015. They have invited alumni speakers from across the Graduate Division and welcome all members of the UCSF community to attend. Seminars are held during the academic year on the first Monday of each month at 7 p.m. at Mission Bay. Food and drinks are served. The next seminar is on March 2 at 7p.m. in the Helen Diller Cancer Center Auditorium, featuring Jed Pitera. Pitera received his Ph.D. working with Peter Kollman and is now a research staff member in Science and Technology at the IBM Almaden Research Center, where he uses computational simulations to answer questions in protein folding, polymer self-assembly and materials design. He is also adjunct assistant professor at UCSF and actively collaborates with groups at UCSF and Stanford. To see a list of past and upcoming speakers, visit biophysics.ucsf.edu/seminars-events/ipqb-alumni-speaker-series. If you have questions or to receive seminar announcements, contact Amy Chang at achang@ucsf.edu. Amy Chang is a fourth-year biophysics Ph.D. student and one of the founders of the Graduate Division Seminar.
500 Parnassus Ave. Millberry Union 108W San Francisco, CA 94143 tel: (415) 476-2211 | fax: (415) 502-4537 synapse@ucsf.edu | synapse.ucsf.edu
Jenny Qi | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Hanna Starobinets | WEB EDITOR Taylor LaFlam | SCIENCE EDITOR Yi Lu | ASSOCIATE EDITOR Bryne Ulmschneider | STAFF WRITER Akshay Govind | STAFF WRITER Ilka Fensen | STAFF WRITER
Theresa Poulos | STAFF WRITER Yarrow Madrona | STAFF WRITER Sean Treacy-Abarca | STAFF WRITER Andrea Villaroman | STAFF WRITER Lauren Shields | STAFF WRITER Mayya Shveygert | STAFF WRITER Ben Sellers | MANAGING EDITOR
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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. Visit synapse.ucsf.edu to view the publication schedule and to submit an ad.
Synapse is UCSF's student-run biweekly newspaper and public forum for the campus community. It runs biweekly on Thursdays during the academic year and publishes online in between print issues. Articles and columns represent the views of the authors and not necessarily those of the Board of Publications or the University of California.
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| February 19, 2015 | 3
Student Life »
Forum promotes LGBTQI care By Hannan Braun and Heather Sheriff Contributing Writers The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer Student Association at UCSF is hosting its seventh Annual LGBTQI Health Forum on Friday, Feb. 20 and Saturday, Feb. 21. This program is the oldest and largest student-run LGBTQI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex) health forum in the country, and it is designed to educate attendees from a variety of health disciplines about how to better serve the needs of LGBTQI people. Health disparities continue to negatively impact the health of LGBTQI individuals. LGBTQI patients are less likely to have health insurance, and are less likely to seek and receive timely medical treatment.
Fifty percent of transgender respondents nationally reported having to teach their own medical providers about transgender care. Worse yet, up to 39 percent of all transgender people report facing outright hostility or harassment when seeking routine health care. Health care professionals have also reported limited preparation about caring for the specific needs of LGBTQI patients. UCSF’s LGBTQI Health Forum aims to provide practical and timely information to bridge this gap. Forum plenaries will focus on barriers to care and other disparities affecting LGBTQI patients, as well as clinical takeaways. A skills-building workshop will address the question “How do I ask that?,” and attendees will hear patient stories in
LGBTQI » PAGE 5
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4 | February 19, 2015 | synapse.ucsf.edu
Puzzles »
Editorial » All Lives Matter: A Reflection on tolerance and understanding this Black History Month By Jenny Qi Editor-in-Chief Last week in a quiet neighborhood near the University of North Carolina campus, three young Muslim students—one of whom was bound for dental school and all of whom were active in humanitarian efforts—were murdered over a parking space. The alleged perpetrator was a selfidentified atheist whose social media feeds appeared to be filled with hostility toward Islam and other religions. Police are investigating whether this was a hate crime. We can only offer our deepest condolences to the friends and family of the victims. To honor these lives cut far too short, residents at SFGH organized a vigil on Thursday, Feb. 12 (see the front page for photos of the event). In 2014, several young black men were killed by vigilante citizens and police officers accused of using excessive force. (As part of ongoing efforts to understand what is going wrong in these confrontations, the Feb. 8 episode of “This American Life” explored the point of view of police in these situations.) After a grand jury failed to indict the officer accused of killing Eric Garner, protests and demonstrations erupted throughout the nation, including the national #WhiteCoats4BlackLives Die-In organized by UCSF students. What do these have in common? Prejudice. Hate. Fear. At best, they lead to comments like, “Oh, he only got into UCSF because he’s black,” as shared with me by an anonymous student. At worst, beautiful lives are senselessly lost. These are not uncommon or particularly new themes, but we can do better. We have to do better. This Black History Month, I find myself
profoundly troubled by this violent bigotry that has long pervaded and continues to pervade our society, even in progressive cities and college towns like New York or Chapel Hill. At the heart of it is deeply rooted miscommunication—people don’t understand each other as human beings, and in dehumanizing someone, a life is devalued and viewed as expendable. On Tuesday, the Office of Diversity and Outreach and the Alumni Association of UCSF honored the late Daniel A. Collins during a Black History Month celebration. Collins was the first African–American faculty member in the School of Dentistry from 1942–60 and a prominent civil rights leader. During these trying times, his life is an inspiration, a reminder that individual efforts can make a difference. As a society, we have come a long way, but we have much more work to do. That effort has to start with each one of us. I am echoing the sentiments of many Synapse editors before me when I say that ours is a society in turmoil, and we as future health scientists and community leaders cannot isolate ourselves from events beyond our immediate professional goals. In light of that, I’m proud to receive my training among individuals who are taking a lead on wider community issues—the student leaders who volunteer impressive amounts of time to represent UCSF students, the residents who organized the vigil last Thursday for our fallen colleagues in North Carolina, and the students who organized the National Die-In in December and are working to keep the conversation going. If every one of us takes one small step, we can move more than just mountains. Jenny Qi is a fourth-year BMS student.
White House: One size doesn’t fit all What precision medicine holds for our future Aaron Dolor Contributing Writer “Tonight, I’m launching a new Precision Medicine Initiative to bring us closer to curing diseases like cancer and diabetes—and to give all of us access to the personalized information we need to keep WhiteHouse.gov President Barack Obama delivers the State of the Union Address in January, ourselves and our families healthier,” where he focused on the importance of developing precision medicine. announced President patients who tested positive for the presBarack Obama during this year’s State of ence of the Philadelphia chromosome. the Union address. With government support, this trend of The president emphasized the need personalized medicine will become the to “get people the right drug at the standard of care. But we still have a long right time” and highlighted, Ivacaftor path ahead. “Clinical impact is currently (Kalydeco), a wonder drug that cures limited because the infrastructure isn’t select cystic fibrosis patients. Ivacaftor re- there yet,” cautioned Nina Gonzaludo, a stores function in about 5 percent of cystic fifth-year Pharmaceutical Sciences and fibrosis patients with a specific amino acid Pharmacogenomics graduate student mutation in the key cystic fibrosis transworking with Kaiser Permanente to inmembrane conductance regulator protein, corporate patient genetic information into allowing for the proper flow of fluids in electronic medical records. and out of cells. Databases are needed to store and Cystic fibrosis is not the first case secure patient data, health workers and where knowing a patient’s genetic profile patients need to be trained to understand significantly improved medical treatment. genetic information, and researchers need Blood typing enabled safe blood transfuto continue to find links between genetsions without the risk of fever, shock or ics and medicine. The White House has organ failure. Understanding the genetics allocated $215 million in the president’s of cancer patients with chronic myeloid 2016 budget to address these needs; the leukemia (CML) led to the development funds are split between the National Instiof the drug Gleevec (Imatinib), which has tutes of Health ($130 million), National extended the lives of thousands of CML Cancer Institute ($70 million), Federal
The Crossword
by Margie E. Burke
1 2 3 4 5 ACROSS 1 Brownish tint 14 6 Hearty drink 17 18 10 Magazine contents 20 14 Hood's weapon 25 23 24 15 Pretentious 16 Coaster feature 28 29 30 17 Living part of a 33 34 cell 19 Shopping bag 36 37 20 Begin, as a 41 hobby 21 White clay 44 45 46 23 In the past 51 50 25 Dig in 26 "Thar ___ 55 56 blows!" 59 60 27 Pub order 28 Carp's kin 64 65 30 Lab denizen 67 68 33 Eye medicine 35 Suez, for one 36 Mother or 68 Basin 11 brother, e.g. 41 Sing like Sinatra accessory 12 42 Provide funding 69 He met Sally in 44 1997 Ewan a film 13 McGregor flick 49 Out of sight 18 50 Pitcher's stat DOWN 22 51 Travel stop 1 Sticky stuff 23 52 UK fliers 2 Goof up 24 54 Crew members 3 Diplomat's 26 February 2015 55 Easter topper concern 57 Silken fabric 4 Little bit 29 59 Computer 5 Came to command 6 Military greeting 31 60 Did wrong by 7 Sandwich alternative 64 Prevaricated 32 65 Pouty 8 Part of TGIF 34 9 Equestrian 37 expression exhibition 66 Dirty look 67 Ranch unit 10 Stop, in Tijuana 38
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Drug Administration ($10 million) and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology ($5 million) to improve infrastructure, regulation and security of genetic information as well as increase genomic research and to to Sudoku identifySolution genetic drivers of cancer. What does this mean here at UCSF? The university is taking strides to remain at the of medicine through forefront precision two widely The Ge supported programs: nomic Medicine Initiative and the Institute for Computational Health Sciences. The goal is tocreate the infrastructure overall to make precision medicine possible. The GMI focuses on integration of genomic data into patient medical records doctors to access current genetic to enable research when treating patients as well as centralize data on clinical outcomes for use by researchers to bolster genetic predictions. UCSF is partnering with software company, Syapse, which specializes in seamless consolidation of medical and genetic patient
HOW TO SOLVE: (Answer appears elsewhere in this issue)
SOLUTIONS » PAGE 6
information for the initiative. On the other hand, the IHCS will serve as a warehouse for genomic data, making it easier for both researchers and physicians to access and store genetic information. UCSF proudly announced last month the recruitment of prominent medical informatics pundit, Atul Butte to head the institute (see interview, page 5). “If we just aggregate the [genetic] data, we’d have just a pile of data. The challenge is to devise ways to analyze it, mine it and make sense of it,” said Keith Yamamoto, UCSF vice chancellor of research of these new steps. There are still changes ahead to make precision medicine a reality, but we are slowly but surely shifting away from one-size-fits-all medicine both at UCSF and nationally. Aaron Dolor is a third-year doctoral student in the Pharmaceutical Sciences & Pharmacogenomics Graduate Program
synapse.ucsf.edu
| February 19, 2015 | 5
Student Life »
Butte seeks to strengthen precision medicine program Division of Systems Medicine at Stanford University. Synapse recently spoke with Butte about precision medicine and his goals for the new institute. The following is an edited transcript of the interview:
Synapse: Can you talk broadly about some of your long-term goals for the Institute of Computational Health Sciences? Atul Butte: Starting in April, the idea is for me to take over and start to recruit more faculty, including senior faculty, and grow our educational programs. We can add a curriculum [and] perhaps teach more courses that might be missing. Eventually we want to build up clinical training programs in informatics as well. It’s a board certifiable specialty now. The research will obviously grow as well, in genomics [and] clinical Stanford University data—clinical data not just New Computational Health Sciences head Atul Butte says he left from the electronic medical Stanford for UCSF due to the potential for population-level research. records at UCSF but perhaps Lauren Shields even statewide, looking at all the UC Staff Writer medical schools. [We want to] eventually pool these data so we can do population UCSF recently appointed Atul Butte level research across all the UC patients. director of the new Institute of ComputaIt’s very exciting for me. It’s why I made tional Health Sciences. Butte will move the move. from his current position as chief of the
Postdoc group holds organizational meeting Matt Cook Contributing Writer
P(ostdoc)-value* is a grassroots movement of postdocs at UCSF who believe the current training model is insufficient or incomplete. Our goal is to research and produce tangible action items for the university to act upon that would improve the postdoc experience. We are hosting an event to propose several ideas and seek feedback from the UCSF postdoc community as well as administration, faculty, and students. As follow up, we are seeking an audience
Continued »
LGBTQI FROM PAGE 3
Topics cover mental health, HIV and more
an LGBTI patient panel. In smaller breakout workshops, forum participants will learn from experts on specific topics in LGBTQI health, such as new advances in pre-exposure prophylaxis to prevent HIV transmission, mental health care for LGBTQI youth and family planning options for LGBTQI patients. This year’s conference will conclude with a keynote speech from transgender rights activist, author, and perfor-
with the chancellor to present the results of our work: up to five plausible and concrete action items that could be enacted at UCSF. We are actively coordinating our efforts with other concerned groups like the UCSF Science Policy Group. The event will take place on Monday March 2, 3:30-5 p.m. at the Mission Bay campus, Genentech Hall Auditorium. If you’d like more information about P-Value* and this event, please visit our Facebook Event page or send us an email at pvalueUCSF@gmail.com. Matt Cook is a third-year postdoctoral fellow in the anatomy department
mance artist Kate Bornstein. Bornstein is the author of “Gender Outlaw: On Men, Women, and the Rest of Us, as well as A Queer and Pleasant Danger: A Memoir.” Laura Duncan—a second-year medical student who participated in last year’s forum which drew more than 200 people—said: “The forum was both fun and educational. It covered LGBTQI health content which is absent from our core curriculum and offered concrete tools to better understand and advocate for all my future patients.” All interested students and community members are warmly invited to attend this popular annual event! The course is offered for elective credit to UCSF students. Tickets, which include meals and a reception, should be purchased in advance on the registration page at tinyurl.com/ Izr4p7w. Hannan Braun and Heather Sheriff are student co-Interns with the LGBT Resource Center.
Are there plans to one day actually build a physical space for the institute? They’re more than just plans. The institute will eventually be housed in a new building in Mission Bay between [the] Illumina building and the new hospital. I wanted to ask you a little bit about your thoughts on the future directions of precision medicine. How quickly do you think precision medicine will be implemented in the field and reach back to basic biology research? Even today what we think of as precision medicine is very tied towards basic biology. For example, specific DNA mutations tell us when to use a particular drug for malignant melanoma and that comes out of basic [and translational] research. UCSF is strong in both translational and basic science. Being positioned in Mission Bay around QB3 [and] all those incubators is very exciting for me. I have a track record of spinning out companies out of my lab and I really hope that the others that I’m able to recruit have the same kind of attitude to make sure that what we discover does influence patient care and improve medicine. Do you have any immediate concrete plans for breaking down the barriers between clinicians and researchers? I don’t think there are barriers there. The data we can act on as basic scientists can actually start from the clinicians - not just starting with molecular data from animal models, but actually molecular data [and] clinical data from actual patients. Bench to beside says it’s one way. I think that data collected at the bedside could be actually used at the bench.
You’ve talked a lot about the great things that big data and precision medicine can do but what do you think are some of the shortcomings or some of the areas that we lack in technology currently? Technology is less of a worry to me because we’re in the valley that develops this kind of technology. When we think of our data as being big, there are companies in our neighborhood that have much bigger data, like Google and Facebook. We can certainly learn from the best and leverage that. My bigger worry is a cultural change. I think there are those in the public who are worried about what happens when databases get put together in terms of sales, marketing, [and] when data is inadvertently released. We have to reassure the public that we’re doing this in a responsible, ethically sound way. I also think it’s going to be a challenge for those in healthcare to change their own behaviors given the data. [If] the data says you shouldn’t do this particular procedure or type of intervention, are we ready to actually change our behaviors? It’s a tough call. I think it’s more sociological effects of big data than actually the technical. I think the technical can be overcome. I sure hope so. It’s a really exciting field and we’re really excited for the institute to get off the ground. I am too. I’m thrilled. I’m looking forward to starting there in April. I hope we start to get a bunch of grad students interested in this and take it to the next level. Lauren Shields is a fourth-year BMS student.
Copyright 2015 by The Puzzle Syndicate
6 | February 19, 2015 | synapse.ucsf.edu
This Date in UCSF History » Puzzle Solutions » By Taylor LaFlam Science Editor
From 45 Years Ago: Vol. 44, No. 16, Feb. 16, 1970: A single front-page headline, reading “the tuition battle—bleed for UC,” was starkly superimposed on a full-page photograph of a well-known politician, standing stern-faced at a lectern. The lower left corner of the page read simply, “In this corner … Ronald Reagan, governor of California.” The brief, unsigned article on the front page sketched out the conflict. “The fight against tuition apparently is nearing an end,” it began. “The Regents of the University are slated to vote on the issue at their February 19th, 20th meeting in San Francisco.” California public colleges had long been free for residents, though since the 1920s there had been some fees for students, money somewhat restricted in how it could be used. In 1956, there was an “incidental fee” of $84 per year, equivalent to a bit over $700 today when adjusted for inflation, but increased to $300 ($2,040 today) “registration fee” by 1968. After Ronald Reagan became governor in 1967, he began to push for the colleges to start charging residents’ tuition; he also called for decreased state funding of public colleges. In the face of this, a spirited resistance emerged from many students and faculty. As the article explained, “Activities on this campus will center around a Teach-In on Tuition,” at which various speakers, “will present a compendium of views on the
effect of tuition on the campus, and the pros and cons of the various tuition proposals.” At the same time, there were buttons for sale to help support efforts against tuition; there was also an attempt underway to raise money using a blood drive. In the end, the efforts of the anti-tuition movement were largely a victory in name only. Strictly speaking, tuition was not instituted. However, an additional $150 “educational fee” was added, marking a 50 percent increase in the cost for a resident to attend. In the 1980s, tuition by that name began to be charged. In recent years, significant increases in tuition have sparked heated protests on multiple occasions. Taylor LaFlam is a sixth-year MSTP/ fourth-year BMS student.
Let’s Get Physical … Therapy »
Change Your Breathing—Now! Ilka Felsen Columnist
Recently I attended the Anesthesia Grand Rounds’ “Updates in Pain Management.” (Yes—we physical therapy students are involved!) The event featured many well-known practitioners, and a psychologist in particular brought my attention back to the diaphragm. C3, C4, C5 keep the diaphragm alive, may be where some individuals’ knowledge of the diaphragm starts and ends—but not for UCSF students! Diaphragm 101 A quick refresher on diaphragm anatomy: the diaphragm is a dome-shaped muscle, located just below the ribcage, whose fibers from the xiphoid process, vertebrae and ribcage converge into a central tendon. The diaphragm is innervated by the phrenic nerve, and when it contracts, its fibers shorten, move inferiorly and allow air to be drawn into the chest cavity. Non-respiratory-related, the diaphragm works surprisingly well to eject less-thanglamorous bodily fluids. Often overlooked, the diaphragm also has an intimate relationship with the pelvic floor. As the diaphragm descends and contracts during inspiration, the pelvic floor also lowers but extends, and during exhalation the diaphragm lengthens upward while the pelvic floor elevates and contracts slightly. In other words, the diaphragm is deeply integrated into the core system, whose other components include the transversus abdominis anteriorly and multifidi posteriorly. Belly Breathing Diaphragmatic breathing, aka abdominal breathing, has been shown to reduce stress, likely due to slowing respiratory rate and heart rate, and activating the parasympathetic nervous system. It has
also been touted that abdominal breathing strengthens the diaphragm, decreases oxygen demand and decreases the effort required to breathe.
How to Do It The psychologist from Grand Rounds referenced Dr. Weil’s “Relaxing Breath” exercise, which Dr. Weil cites as a “natural tranquilizer” that can be done anywhere. To do the exercise, either lie on your back with your knees bent or sit up straight in a chair, then place one hand on your sternum and the other on your abdomen. After a complete exhalation, inhale quietly through your nose for four seconds, hold the breath for seven seconds and exhale completely through your mouth for eight seconds (“whoosh” sounds encouraged!). As you inhale, let your belly push against your bottom hand, and you should feel little movement at your top hand. The point is to maximize the diaphragm’s role in breathing, and minimize the use of accessory muscles. According to Dr. Weill, you cannot do this exercise too much, and he recommends starting with four breaths, twice a day. The Take Home Diaphragmatic breathing is easy to perform and teach, and can be recommended by any health care practitioner. It may significantly help your patients with chronic pain—so give it a try! Side note: Diaphragmatic breathing may not be recommended for all patient populations. There is some suggestion that diaphragmatic breathing may reduce efficiency of breathing in individuals with moderate to severe COPD. So use your clinical judgment! Ilka Felsen is a third-year physical therapy student who enjoys watching people walk, palpating joints and muscles, and talking about all things physical therapy.
» FROM PAGE 4
Solution to Crossword: S E P I A R R O P R O T T A A G O D A C E D R O P B L O C N I G H E R A B O N N U N D O L I E D A C R E
A S W A O P L K E U E A T R E S O D R R O O T W A I N N E T I L M O E W
W I G R T Y A S M P K A S H E S E A R C A N A E L A T N E T C H R A F F A I L L T R E U E S E R H
A L T O
M O O L A C H L I O N D G O M L E A T N E A R
M O T I L E
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N O W N E E N E D E R R Y
Journal Club »
By Taylor LaFlam Science Editor
MICROBIOLOGY: Use of 16S rRNA gene for identification of a broad range of clinically relevant bacterial pathogens. Srinivasan, R., et al. (Lynch, S.V.). PLoS One. 2015. 10(2):e0117617. Definitive diagnosis of infectious diseases frequently rests on growing a culture of the offending organism—this can be a time-consuming process and not all bacteria can be successfully cultured. In recent years, much research has looked to improve up on this situation by developing means for diagnosis by sequencing. In this paper, the authors evaluated the reliability of sequencing 16S rRNA as a means of identifying bacterial species. They examined hundred of isolates representing a few dozen pathogenic species and found a large amount of agreement between unbiased analysis of the sequencing and clinical identification, with 96 percent genus-level concordance and nearly 90 percent species concordance. In other words, the genetic classification system agrees well with an observation-derived system, suggesting this may be a useful way to identify bacteria in the clinical setting. MICROBIOLOGY & COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY: Experimentally guided models reveal replication principles that shape the mutation distribution of RNA viruses. Schulte, M.B., et al. (Andino, R.). Elife Viral genomes, especially those of RNA viruses, acquire mutations quite frequently. This is advantageous for the virus in that it provides the potential of rapid evolution. At the same time, since a mutation is more likely to be deleterious than helpful, it is important to not have too many mutations at once. Here, Schulte and colleagues studied the genetics of a poliovirus population arising within a single infected cell. They found that poliovirus as new copies of the genome are produced from the infecting virus, they are not released to infect new cells but serve as templates for new virus. The average viral particle that does emerge from the cell is about five generations removed from the infecting virus. This method of replication provides multiple opportunities for the introduction of mutations in the genome. The authors have also developed a
Solution to Sudoku
mathematical model, drawing on these experimental results. This model aligns better with experimentally observed results than previous models have. CELL BIOLOGY: A CaMKII/PDE4D negative feedback regulates cAMP signaling. Mika, D., Richter, W., and Conti, M. PNAS. 2015. Epub ahead of print. A pounding heart is due to the activity of the sympathetic nervous system on the cells of the heart, especially the pacemaker cells. The binding of norepinephrine to adrenergic receptors, which are G-protein coupled receptors, initiates signaling cascades that lead to the more frequent and forceful contractions. The best-known signaling route resulting from these receptors involves cAMP and PKA. Here, however, Mika and colleagues focus on another signaling route in these cells involving CaMKII, a calcium-dependent protein kinase. The researchers find that CaMKII acts to rein in cAMP at both baseline and in the presence of adrenergic stimulation. They also find that the phosphodiesterase PDE4D plays an important role in this negative feedback loop; phosphodiesterases break down cyclic nucleotides such as cAMP. CELL BIOLOGY: Compartmentalization of GABA synthesis by GAD67 differs between pancreatic beta cells and neurons. Kanaani, J., et al. (Baekkeskov, S.). PLoS One. 2015. 10(2):e0117130. Pancreatic beta cells and neurons both act to regulate cells throughout the body, but otherwise might not seem to have much in common. It has long been known, however, that another similarity is that both produce and use GABA, an inhibitory neurotransmitter. The key enzyme in this process is GAD, which exists in two isoforms: GAD65 and GAD67. The means by which GAD67 is targeted to vesicles has been determined for neurons but not beta cells. In this article, these researchers provide an answer. In neurons, there is both a GAD65dependent and a GAD65-independent mechanism of GAD67 targeting. By examining pancreatic islets and insulinoma cells in vitro, the authors determined that only the GAD65dependent pathway is active in beta cells. Taylor LaFlam is a fourth-year BMS / sixth-year MSTP student.
Vansh Muttreja Columnist Ilka Felson deonstrates diaphragmatic breathing techniques, which can be done anywhere!
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[Exit, Pursued by Science] »
Tumor immunology takes off By Hanna Starobinets Staff Writer
BANFF, CANADA—This edition of [Exit, Pursued by Science] is being brought to you live from the Tumor Immunology Keystone Symposium. Tumors are not just solid masses of cancer cells. As those cancer cells grow and divide, they hijack all the normal cells around them for their own purposes. They coerce blood vessels to grow along with them, ensuring a continued supply of oxygen and nutrients from the blood stream as the tumor gets bigger. They stimulate the immune cells that are active in wound healing, mimicking a damaged tissue that needs growth stimulation. They also avoid and suppress the immune cells that would normally recognize and kill them. Basically, cancer cells have to use every trick in the genome—and a few new skills they’ve picked up from a mutated genome—in order to even begin to form a sizeable tumor, let alone invade other tissues and form distant secondary tumors known as metastases. Tumor immunology is the study of the interactions between tumors and the immune system. This is arguably the hottest field of cancer research today because of the recent groundbreaking successes of cancer immunotherapy in the clinic—the therapeutic harnessing of the immune system to fight and cure cancer. Immunotherapy took off in 2011, when the biologic drug ipilimumab (Yervoy) was approved by the FDA for treating patients with late-stage melanoma. The drug inhibits the protein CTLA4 and was developed on the basis of Matthew (Max) Krummel’s Ph.D. work in James Allison’s lab demonstrating that CTLA4 on the T cell surface acted as an immune checkpoint by inhibiting T cell activation (Krummel is now a professor at UCSF). Because T cells are the immune system’s snipers, blocking this checkpoint takes off their brakes and allows them to go nuts
Hanna Starobinets This hotel in the Canadian Rockies, served as the setting of an exciting conference on tumor immunology.
and kill the cancer cells. The concept of immune checkpoint blockade has been expanded to another inhibitory system on T cells, PD1 and PDL1. Blocking CTLA4 and PD1 separately is effective, but blocking them in combination has been astounding when it comes to clinical responses. Ira Mellman and other speakers at the Keystone Symposium noted that targeting various proteins and signaling pathways within cancer cells can be transiently effective, but ultimately any number of resistance mechanisms can circumvent these targeted therapies and result in relapse. Unleashing the immune system’s might and wrath, on the other hand, can lead to durable responses that, many years later, appear to be permanent. For a patient with a late-stage metastatic cancer, such as melanoma—which a few short years ago had no treatment options—a sustained 10-year response (and counting) is nothing short of a miracle. A key requirement for cancer immunotherapy to work is that the patient’s T cells already have an existing, albeit suppressed, response to the cancer cells via recognition of bits and pieces of the cancer cells (antigens) loaded
onto a specialized protein called MHC–I and presented on the surface of the cancer cells. A major question tumor immunologists are working to answer is: What antigens do T cells recognize on cancer cells? Robert Schreiber and others employ sophisticated high-throughput techniques to sequence a patient’s cancer cell DNA, identify mutations, predict which ones might be presented on MHC–I, and then screen that same patient’s tumor-infiltrating T cells to determine how many recognize those predicted antigens. Early studies have suggested that T cells mostly recognize mutated proteins, because they are different from normal proteins and their novelty is recognized as a foreign entity, and in fact a cancer’s mutational load correlates to how much of an immune response can be unleashed by immunotherapy. Ton Schumacher called this the “neo-antigen lottery model”—each mutation has an equal chance of becoming a neo-antigen, an antigen not normally found in the body, and a large number of mutations increases the likelihood that neo-antigens will be presented to the immune system. Several labs are attempting to predict neo-
antigens, identify neo-antigen-recognizing T cells, and study the dynamics of these interactions during immunotherapy. Some clever techniques are being developed to expand the scope of immunotherapeutic approaches. Jay Berzofsky is developing a virus that carries a portion of the biologic drug trastuzumab (Herceptin), which is used to treat HER2-positive breast cancers. Both the drug and virus harness the immune system to target cancer cells. Steven Larson is using tumor-specific antibodies to deliver radioisotopes in a targeted way, an approach that aims to avoid toxic side effects and bring radiation therapy into the 21st century. Jonathan Powell reported that certain metabolic inhibitors that have been used to target cancer metabolism can differentially affect T cell subsets, allowing one to tweak which T cells are active within a tumor. Several groups are studying the combination of standard chemotherapies or targeted therapies with immunotherapy, identifying situations in which the two can synergize. To this end, the FDA has at long last issued guidelines for the codevelopment of combinations of drugs that would only need to first demonstrate safety, but not efficacy, as monotherapies. Of note, the microbiome—slowly but surely identified to interact with any and every aspect of human health and disease—is necessary for immunotherapies to work. Laurence Zitvogel demonstrated that while CTLA4 blockade failed to work in germ-free mouse models, its efficacy is rescued when a particular strain of bacteria is reintroduced. Such observations open doors for studying all aspects of the immune system’s dynamics in cancer patients. These are just a few highlights from an exciting meeting in an exciting field of cancer research. We’re sure to have many exciting breakthroughs in the near future!
Is there life outside of academia? Hanna Starobinets is a fourth-year BMS student.
UCSF MIND program helps graduate students and postdocs break into ‘alternative’ career fields Mayya Shveygert Staff Writer Academics sometimes joke that their training resembles a Ponzi pyramid scheme. This joke may ring too close to truth for many postdoctoral fellows and graduate students. Even at UCSF only about 25 percent of postdoctoral fellows land tenure-track positions. The rest move to industry or take on careers in other science-related fields. Despite these stark numbers, academic institutions still train graduate students and postdocs as if a tenure-track faculty position was their one and only career choice. To address this problem, UCSF was one of only 10 universities that received a portion of a National Institutes of Health grant aimed at revamping graduate and postdoctoral training. This grant money led to the creation of Motivating INformed Decisions (MIND) program, which is currently in its pilot year. The pilot round of the program enrolled 40 graduate students and postdocs and is guiding their career exploration for a full academic year. The program begins with a three-day course that covers all the theory behind the process of landing your dream job:
networking, informational interviews and even job shadowing. Although this course provides relevant information, the true benefit of the MIND program lies in the programming that follows—monthly peer group meetings led by the career advisors. These small peer groups have several benefits for making solid progress towards career changes. Firstly, participants are accountable for taking tangible actions toward career goals. During each meeting, every participant has to report career goals for the past month (the “contract”), what was actually done (the “report”) and the contract for the next month. All of it is written down and posted on the online forum. They are accountable to each other for their progress, which leaves no more room for lame excuses why certain objectives were not achieved. If they feel stuck, the team will help them troubleshoot the ways around the obstacles. Secondly, MIND participants can leverage the power of collective knowledge. Research training does not allow trainees to meet a lot of people outside of academia. The bench often becomes scientists’ second home and their pipettes, their best friends. As a result, a typical postdoc knows very
Courtesy of the MIND program Vice Chancellor Keith Yamamoto instructs MIND participants on the future of biological workforce.
little about careers outside of academia. In MIND, the cumulative knowledge of the group is very powerful. Once participants start discussing their dream job, say, consulting, it turns out that someone in the group has a consultant friend with whom they can chat. Or someone may have heard of this amazing course or book that would really help someone else get a foot in the door of the regulatory affairs world. Essentially, MIND dramatically expands each participant’s network of contacts. Best of all, they are surrounded by supportive peers
who share their eagerness to secure an exciting job. Enthusiasm breeds enthusiasm. Finally, MIND helps participants with the nuts and bolts of navigating a career change. Building a career is a dynamic process that requires flexibility, endurance and a great deal of creativity. One of the things I’ve learned in the MIND program is that you cannot just follow someone’s steps; you have to be resourceful and pro-active. This is actually
MIND » PAGE 8
8 | February 19, 2015 | synapse.ucsf.edu
Continued »
MIND
Comics »
Piled Higher and Deeper
By Jorge Cham
FROM PAGE 7
Job-searching can also be fun not that different than leading a research project and can be a lot of fun. You just need to get to the fun part. In order for it to be fun you need to start your career exploration months before you find yourself in a dire need of a job. You need time to talk to people who would answer your questions about the anticipated future career. Will the job be challenging enough? Does it develop into exciting future perspectives? What about the pay and the work–life balance? Moreover, if you are serious about making the leap, you need to turn yourself into an attractive candidate. For example, if I want to get into consulting, how should I get the necessary business experience on my resume? Should I try an internship with one of the UCSF offices? Should I join the UCSF Consulting Club? Should I take the Ideato-IPO class? Finally, the MIND program allows you to develop your job-seeking skills. Are you aware of all the hidden places where your dream job can be posted? Do all of your numerous talents shine on your resume? Did you master all these tricky behavioral questions that will come up on your interview? To answer these questions and more, I would highly recommend the MIND program to all graduate students or postdocs who have ever considered leaving the Ivory Tower or simply care about their future paychecks. To learn more about the MIND program, please visit the MIND webpage at http://mind.ucsf.edu/about.
xkcd
By Randall Monroe
Caption Contest »
If you have a funny or clever caption to describe the scene below, submit it online to Facebook (facebook.com/UCSFSynapse) or Twitter Stewart exits ‘The Daily Show’ at exactly the right moment (@UCSF_Synapse) using the hashtag #SynapseCaption. Stewart wasn’t just going to start cracking jokes like By Akshay Govind nothing had happened. Staff Writer The winning captions will be printed in the next I was a senior in high school in 1999 when Jon Stew- Clearly the turning point in his career and the direcissue, and the best overall UCSF student caption tion of the show, his heartfelt monologue on the World art took over “The Daily Show” from Craig Kilborn, winner will receive a $5 BearHug redeemable at Trade Center attacks and the role of comedy in helping and I am a little embarrassed to admit I was initially many campus vendors (to be picked up in-person society cope with things that are truly horrible was skeptical of the transition. at the Synapse office in Millberry Student Union, such a testament of hope, wisdom, and humanity that I had grown used to Kilborn’s “Five Questions” all of a sudden, Jon Stewart the clown became Jon shtick (which would leave with him as intellectual Parnassus). Stewart, the voice of reason. property) and perhaps I bought into the poster-boy Also, if you have a funny original photo of life smile and the light hair on the brawny frame we had all For the next 13 and a half years, Stewart has continaround UCSF that you’d like to share, or any other come to expect from someone who would play the role ued to have a mix of cheerful and serious discussion content or ideas to contribute, feel free to e-mail us on his own show, as well as making appearances to of half nighttime talk-show host and half newscaster. engage other journalists on their own shows, often with at synapse@ucsf.edu. Enter Stewart, born Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz, the Mayya Shveygert is a third-year postdoctoral fellow and a participant in the MIND program.
shorter-statured, Jewish kid turned young man from New Jersey whom we were used to seeing on MTV in jeans and a one-size-too-big leather jacket. He had grown up enough to put on a tie, sharpened his wit and rode his first couple years as host largely on the Dubya-isms provided by George Bush the Younger’s first presidential campaign. Notably, MSNBC and Fox News, whose polarizing political discourse we now take for granted, had only been around a few years by that time. As their content on this “real news” became more ridiculous, Stewart’s response was to shift the focus of his “fake news” from telling jokes about specific events to satirical commentary on the institution of television news media in the early 21st century. Fear-mongering on cable news had become so routine by Sept. 11, 2001 that almost no one on television news had anything left to say when something truly awful happened. The staff of “The Daily Show” decided it was in good taste to take a bit of time off from making fun of the news, and when they returned
unpredictable results (Google “Jon Stewart Crossfire 2004”). All the while, his dedication to promoting a kind and just society has remained clear, as has his commitment to keeping his humor fresh. He has jump-started the careers of various talents with whom he has worked, and it is simply the right time to end his tenure at “The Daily Show.” News television isn’t a new joke anymore. He delivered the punchline, and the drummer hit him with a “Budump Chik!” We couldn’t possibly want him to just do it again. Because of this, I am happy he has decided to move on. How lucky we were to watch a “simple comedian” completely uproot a cohort of dogmatic, self-important, rating-hungry wolves to become a role model for our generation. As for what’s next for Stewart, who cares? We know it will be something fresh that probably doesn’t even exist yet in form. It will make us smile, it will make us think—and in that we all need to take our own “Moments of Zen” and say to Jon Stewart: Bravo. Akshay Govind is a fourth-year resident in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.
Feb. 5 contest still open!
Got a brilliant idea for the caption below? Visit the Synapse Facebook page to chime in to see if you can beat our editors’ ideas and win a BearHug.