1,000+
Faculty spinoffs since the university was founded in 1960
We Begin Where the Known Ends
At UC San Diego we never stop searching for answers. Whether we’re diving deep to understand the impact of the oceans on human health, studying stem cells in the unique microgravity of space, or decoding the mysteries of the trillions of microorganisms within us, our medical innovators translate discoveries from bench to bedside and chart new treatments, technologies and tools to eradicate disease – redefining their disciplines in the process.
Innovative Minds, High-Impact Solutions
How UC San Diego leads in accelerating medtech
Tools and Tech
AI Surveillance Tool Successfully Helps to Predict Sepsis, Saves Lives
“It is because of this AI model that our teams can provide life-saving therapy for patients quicker.” - physician Gabriel Wardi
A new AI deep-learning model, entitled COMPOSER, was deployed in emergency departments at UC San Diego Health to quickly predict sepsis infection in high-risk patients. The result: A 17% reduction in mortality. Read the story»
Innovators Spotlight
Our health innovators push the boundaries of science and technology to advance medicine and eradicate disease.
Molecular biologist Rommie Amaro develops state-of-the-art computational techniques to investigate complex biological systems like viruses. She built the first-ever atomic-level model and simulation of aerosolized SARS-CoV-2 during the pandemic.
Biomedical engineer Trey Ideker studies the DNA mutations that cause cancer. Recently, his lab developed a new AI platform that accelerates drug discovery and could unlock never-before-seen cancer treatments.
Physiologist Farah Sheikh is developing treatments for ARVC, a leading cause of sudden death among young athletes. She launched a start-up company, ARVC Therapeutics, Inc., to evolve her pioneering research and increase access to potential therapies.
Engineering professor James Friend leads the Medically Advanced Devices Laboratory at UC San Diego. In a 2024 study, he found that AI algorithms can determine how well newborns nurse and whether surgical intervention is necessary.
Latest Health Innovation News
Celebrating Medical Innovation
Vektor Medical, an AI-based cardiac localization and analysis technology spinoff from the labs of biomedical engineer Andrew McCulloch and cardiac electrophysiologist David Krummen, was named Startup of the Year in the Inaugural Chancellor’s Innovation Awards.
How to get rid of acne – a new vaccine could help
85% of young people deal with acne. For some, a daily regimen of scrubs, lotions, and antibiotics can clear up breakouts. But UC San Diego research uncovered a new way to stop acne. Could their acne vaccine be on the horizon?
In the Media
Fortune
1 in 3 Americans who die in hospital had sepsis–and that’s just one of the many areas where AI can improve early diagnosis
CNN
There’s still no standard test to detect pancreatic cancer early. Scientists are working to change that
The New York Times
A Doctor’s Lifelong Quest to Solve One of Pediatric Medicine’s Greatest Mysteries
Partnerships in Health Innovation
Agilent Center of Excellence for Cellular Intelligence
This new center integrates research, industry and cutting-edge Agilent technology to uncover the fundamental organizing principles of living systems through quantitative biology and further our understanding of “cellular intelligence,” or how a cell learns to adapt to its environment.
Thermo Fisher Scientific Strategic Partnership
This ten-year partnership advances scientific knowledge and the development of tomorrow’s innovative technologies through collaborative research, workforce development, sustainability and the 2024 launch of the state-of-the-art Goeddel Family Technology Sandbox.
Illumina Laboratory in The Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine
Illumina-provided technology powers an automation hub at the UC San Diego Scripps Institution of Oceanography that enables advanced synthetic biology, marine drug compound library curation, microbiome science, marine model organism cell biology.