A pediatrician smiles at a young boy in a clinical setting.

Health care

Healthy communities, powered by UC science 

There’s a good chance that you or someone you care about has benefited from a health care innovation that got its start at the University of California. 

Across UC’s 10 campuses, 6 academic health centers and 21 hospitals, scientists and researchers are working relentlessly to develop new treatments and cures — and training the next generation of medical professionals to help everyday people access revolutionary care.

From saving stroke patients to combating cancer, UC medical breakthroughs reach far beyond our state, enabling lifesaving treatments for millions of people across the country and around the world. 

Leading the world in Alzheimer’s treatment

The outlook for dementia is rapidly improving. UC researchers are at the forefront of the change, contributing some of the most important discoveries and innovations in Alzheimer’s science and care.  

Explore the latest discoveries

A man with outstretched arms is examined by a smiling healthcare professional.

Discover UC medical breakthroughs

From curing rare diseases to developing new treatments for conditions that affect large swaths of Americans, UC medical innovations have a life-changing impact for millions of people. 

A researcher in a lab coat stands in a laboratory, smiling confidently. Lab equipment are arranged on the counter.

3 ways UC science is healing broken hearts

More than 800,000 Americans will have a heart attack this year. UC scientists are developing new treatments that not only prevent damage after a heart attack, but actually help the heart heal. 

Illustration of three cells with textured surfaces and nodules against a blue gradient background.

New hope for pancreatic cancer

It’s not every day a clinical trial earns a standing ovation, but scientists are heralding a new era in the treatment of one of the deadliest cancers thanks to foundational science from the University of California.

Three people smiling in a lab with a robotic arm in the foreground.

Thrilling advances in brain-computer interfaces

UC researchers are helping restore speech and movement functions for patients with paralysis and neurological disorders using technology that connects computers with the human mind. 

Campuses & Locations
Two young children in winter clothes hold hands as they approach a park stairway, photographed from behind
UCLA |

New research reveals alarming decline in U.S. children’s health

Finding rising mortality, chronic illness and other challenges, a comprehensive new study shows U.S. children and teens nearly twice as likely to die as their peers in 18 other high-income countries.
A map of the US from 1970 showing a dozen nodes of ARPANET
UC Newsroom |

7 world-changing UC innovations that emerged from federal research funding

From the internet to the ozone layer, AI to the human genome, UC scientists have turned federal research funding into history-making, economy-boosting solutions.
In an illustration, a silhouetted figure pushes a red ball with concentric red circles emanating from it up a hill
UC San Francisco Magazine |

Can we train our brain to unlearn chronic pain?

Scientists are working to rewire the brain’s pain pathways and unlock lasting relief.
Closeup of the hands of a group of Taylor Swift fans wearing stacks of colorful friendship bracelets
UC Berkeley |

This class traces the evolution of American friendship

From heartfelt 19th-century letters to Swiftie bracelets, a UC Berkeley American studies course looks at the ways we’ve found connection with each other throughout history and examines the role of social media in modern friendships.