Our Impact

Even modest grants can reap rich rewards when every funded project has the potential to transform global health. PBBR comprises just 0.5 percent of UCSF’s overall research budget, but its projects have had an outsized impact, generating more than $1.4 billion in follow-on funding. This work has also led to over 3,000 peer-reviewed scientific publications, almost 90 patents, $347 million in indirect cost recovery, and more than 300 National Institutes of Health (NIH) research grants.

The Real-World Benefits of UCSF's Basic Science Research

Investments in basic science have the potential to transform the world’s understanding and treatment of human disease.

Basic Science Breakthrough

Transformative Impact on Human Disease

Recombinant DNA technology 

Launched the biotechnology industry, leading to the invention of new drugs for heart disease, cancer, diabetes, asthma, arthritis, and more

The cellular origin of the oncogene 

Transformed cancer therapy by revealing the genetic basis of cancer and innumerable targets for lifesaving drugs

The prion 

Revealed a new, unsuspected mechanism for the cause and spread of brain diseases, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s

The role of pulmonary surfactant 

Confirmed that synthetic surfactants can rescue premature newborns from lethal respiratory distress

The telomerase enzyme 

Identified associations between telomere length and diseases of the heart, cancer, and diabetes