Sylvie Sturm

What does it mean to practice medicine in a time of political upheaval, environmental crisis, and deepening inequality? This unsettled question anchored the 11th Biennial Conference of the Society for Humanities, Social Sciences, and Medicine, held this April 11 and 12 at UCSF Mission Bay.

[Originally published in Synapse on May 11, 1978.] Immortality, Mankind’s oldest dream, that of conquering death itself to secure a place in the eternity of time. In his widely publicized book, In His Image: The Cloning of a Man, author David Rorvik claims to have witnessed the dawn of the Age of Immortality.

“If you had but one lecture to give, what would you say?” Last month, Dr. Jennifer Cocohoba from the School of Pharmacy set out to answer this question as UCSF’s 2026 Last Lecture awardee, which was nominated by student vote. And judging by the attendance, they chose well.

I am a descendant of a survivor of the Armenian Genocide. I grew up surrounded by fragments of this history through my grandparents’ stories and documentaries about survival, loss, and resilience. My great-grandparents survived so that I could be here today, carrying forward the life, memory, and identity they nearly lost.

Health equity has become a key focus in healthcare and biomedical research. However, in clinical trials, equity is often only addressed during the recruitment phase, when clinicians discuss with patients whether to participate in studies that might provide a potential treatment or cure.

San Francisco residents shared the issues shaping daily life in their neighborhoods, from safety and homelessness to affordability and quality of life. In this street interview series taken during the “ No Kings ” protest in March, people across the city spoke candidly about what matters most where they live, and what they want local leaders to pay attention to.

The court might dismiss a case against Anastasia Rogers stemming from a social media image depicting a reproductive healthcare volunteer beneath the words “unalive them,” if she meets diversion agreement conditions.

Patients and clinicians urged the mayor and Board of Supervisors to restore funds, only to learn it was up to the Department of Public Health.

Delayed reappointments leave city’s transparency watchdog unable to act on directive to determine whether mayor’s office willfully withheld Trump call records.

San Francisco pioneered a system to care for vulnerable young people that spread across the nation. The city is dismantling a key piece of it.