UCSF sponsored an evening dedicated to discussions about the brain last month at the Crowne Plaza Cabana in Palo Alto. Two hundred and twenty-eight alumni, friends and donors came to hear more about one of the University's areas of expertise: neuroscience.

In the last specialty ranking issued by US News & World Report, UCSF was 5th in the nation for the neurosciences and the only institution in Northern California to rank in the top 20.

Diseases of the brain are often thought of as difficult to understand and treat. However, with new imaging techniques and advances in genetics and molecular science, scientists are making great strides in this field. Unlocking more and more mysteries related to the brain is ushering in a time of tremendous potential for the development of new treatments.

Lead panelist Stephen Hauser, MD, chair of the Department of Neurology and world-renowned researcher in multiple sclerosis	Moderator Emerald Yeh
Panelist Robert Edwards, MD, professor in the departments of neurology and physiology, and co-director of the UCSF Cell Biology Graduate Program, addresses a group of attendees.
Attendees Ron Conway, vice chair of the UCSF Foundation Board, and April Buchheit
The audience at the Crowne Plaza Cabana in Palo Alto