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UCSF CCMBM Core Services Newsletter - February 2025


CCMBM Cores:

Featured Services

The Core Center for Musculoskeletal Biology & Medicine (CCMBM) defines itself

by emphasizing musculoskeletal-specific education and services that are critical to its members but not available elsewhere in the university system.

“I appreciate that the CCMBM brings together musculoskeletal researchers and clinicians from across multiple departments and fosters collaboration. The quality of our research efforts is markedly enhanced by the existence of CCMBM.”


--Coleen Sabatini, MD, MPH, Professor and Vice Chair, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, UCSF

CORE SERVICE UPDATES

“BCAB-CT” is a new open-source image analysis tool to extract 3D metrics of bone, muscle, and adipose data from CT scans, courtesy of Dr. Thomas Lang.


This tool was developed to support thigh, hip, abdomen, and spine analyses of dedicated research scans or opportunistic clinical scans.


This program is freely available to the UCSF community, is easy to install and manage on a standard laptop or desktop.


We are currently scheduling an “installation party” with Dr. Lang to assist with installation and demos to kickoff the BCAB-CT user group. Please email Tom Sullivan if interested!

ATTEND THE CCMBM ANNUAL RETREAT

March 18-19, 2025, Mission Bay, Genentech Hall, Byers Auditorium

2025 UCSF CCMBM & Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Scientific Retreat

Join us for the 2025 UCSF CCMBM & Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Scientific Retreat, entitled “MSK Science Without Borders: Reducing Health Disparities.” This year’s retreat will feature the groundbreaking efforts of Tin Soldiers Global and the Institute for Global Orthopaedics and Traumatology (IGOT). Dive into a collaborative environment where your work can significantly impact UCSF’s community. Engage with musculoskeletal clinicians and researchers as we strive to design and conduct studies that address global health disparities. Learn how to turn your research into action from our toolkit session. Together, let’s push the boundaries of musculoskeletal science and pioneer new pathways toward a healthier world with fewer disparities.

Registration is required. Remote participation is available by request.

REGISTER TO ATTEND

Core Center for Musculoskeletal Biology and Medicine (CCMBM) Young Investigator Slam Competition

The NIH P30 Core Center for Musculoskeletal Biology and Medicine (CCMBM) and the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery invite graduate students, postdocs, and other trainees to participate in this year's Young Investigator Slam Competition and Poster Presentation.


Participation guidelines and FAQ are online. Prizes are available!


We will provide a training on slam talks with do's, don'ts, and other helpful tips. Register for our Slam Workshop scheduled for February 20th from 1:00-2:00 PM on Zoom.

Submit your abstract by Friday, February 28, 2025, at 5:00PM PT to be considered. Finalists will be notified by March 7, 2025.

SIGN UP

RAP SPRING 2025 CYCLE

RAP Spring 2025 Cycle RFA

Submission deadline: March 3, 2025, 2:00pm PST

The Resource Allocation Program (RAP), an umbrella consortium of UCSF funders that coordinates multiple intramural research funding opportunities, is now accepting applications for the Spring 2025 Cycle. Review the grant-specific descriptions/instructions for the grant mechanism you are applying, not the funding agency. Funding agencies will select the awardees by choosing the proposals that best fulfill their programmatic goals. Simultaneous consideration of each application by multiple funding agencies enhances funding likelihood.

Funding results will be available by May 2025. See MSK Center Funding Opportunities for the RFA.

REVIEW THE RFA

The Grant Development Award provides funding for a junior CCMBM member to host a meeting (e.g., lunch or dinner) with 1-3 UCSF faculty members who are outside of the trainee’s current lab to: 


1) brainstorm/solicit informal feedback on a study idea or research direction

2) learn about the latest methods and techniques used in related fields

3) identify potential collaborators

4) promote inter-disciplinary MSK research

5) expand the trainee’s professional network


If you are not a member, you may concurrently apply for membership while your Grant Development application is being reviewed.


Apply via the online application form today! Contact Noah Bonnheim for questions on this funding opportunity.

The CCMBM would like to help investigators strengthen their grant proposals in advance of any upcoming NIH deadlines. We invite CCMBM members to participate in the Grants Review program to receive 1:1 feedback and/or live panel review with peers as well as coaching from experienced investigators. If you are not a member, you may concurrently join during your grants review period.


Upcoming NIH Cycle I deadlines include:


R03, R21, R33, R21/R33, R34, R36, U34, UH2, UH3, and UH2/UH3 Grants: February 16, 2025


R15 Grants: February 25, 2025


Fill out the sign up form to attend an upcoming session.

Core discounts
The Imaging Core is offering service discounts to Early Stage Investigator and Trainee members. The Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Study Design Core is also offering up to 6 hours of free UCSF Clinical and Translational Institute (CTSI) consultation time for all CCMBM members. Please contact each Core to utilize these member discounts.

Please contact Tom Sullivan for eligibility questions. 
UPCOMING EVENTS

February 14, 7:00am PT; Virtual Event

Avioli Musculoskeletal Research Seminar Series

Roberto Civitelli, MD, Sydney M. & Stella H. Shoenberg Chair in Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis

Register to receive Zoom details.

Hosted by the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis Musculoskeletal Research Center

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February 14, 10:00am-12:00pm; Mission Bay, Genentech Hall, 2nd Floor Atrium

ASGD Coffee Hour

ASGD hosts monthly coffee hour events where students can socialize while enjoying free coffeeand breakfast.

Register to attend.

Hosted by the Associated Students of the Graduate Division

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February 14, 12:00pm; Parnassus, HSW-1057

Diabetes Seminar Series

Zewen (Owen) Jiang, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, Bapat Lab, UCSF Diabetes Center

Hosted by the UCSF Diabetes Center

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February 14, 12:00-1:15pm; Virtual Event

How to Work with Recruiters

Are you curious about how working with a recruiter can help your job search? Have you wondered when and how to approach a recruiter? Unsure what a recruiter actually does? Get your questions answered and learn the industry’s best practices from the panelists.

Register to attend.

Hosted by the Office of Career and Professional Development

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February 14, 4:00-5:00pm; Mission Bay, HD-160

Cancer Center Friday Seminar Series

Jawahar Sudhamsu, PhD, Director & Senior Principal Scientist, Structural Biology and Discovery Oncology, Genentech

"Molecular mechanisms of signaling in the Ras-RAF pathway - Structural and Biochemical insights"

Hosted by the Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center

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February 18, 10:00-11:00am; Parnassus, N-225

iMicro Seminar Series

Harmit Malik, PhD, Professor and Associate Director, Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutch

"Rules of engagement: molecular arms races between host and viral genomes"

Hosted by iMicro

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February 18, 10:45am-12:00pm; Virtual Event

QBC Journal Club

Zoe Chen, Bioinformatics Graduate Student, UCSF

Yulia Gutierrez, Biophysics Graduate Student, UCSF

McKenna Crawford, CCB Graduate Student, UCSF

Elizabeth Hardy, PSPG Graduate Student, UCSF

RSVP to receive Zoom details.

Hosted by the PhD Degree Program in Biophysics

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February 18 & 25, 12:00-1:00pm; Virtual Event

Education Scholarship Conference (ESCape)

Education Scholarship Conference (ESCape) is a weekly group consultation for scholarly work in health professions education with CFE faculty and other members of the UCSF education community.

RSVP for Zoom details.

Hosted by the UCSF Center for Faculty Educators

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February 19, 7:00am; Mission Bay, GenHall - Byers Auditorium

UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Grand Rounds Series

Syed Ali, MD, Resident, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, UCSF

Join via Zoom.

Hosted by the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery

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February 19, 8:30-9:30am; Virtual Event

Endocrine Grand Rounds

Alexander Lam, MD, Assistant Professor of Clinical Radiology, UCSF

"Thyroid RFA"

Join via Zoom.

Hosted by the Division of Endocrinology & Metabolism

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February 19, 10:00-11:00am; Virtual Event

OCPD Office Hours (for Graduate Students and Postdocs)

Join the OCPD team for drop-in office hours. Bring an application you are working on, questions on any subject, or just pop in to say hi! Depending on attendance, you can meet with our staff in small groups or individually. Our office hours are casually structured get you immediate support- feel free to arrive late and/or leave early.

Register to receive Zoom details.

Hosted by the Office of Career and Professional Development

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February 19, 10:10-11:30am; Parnassus, CS-1109

Get to Know MALDI-TOF

Did you know UCSF has a MALDI-TOF MS through the Quantitative Metabolite Center? Join us to learn applications and how to get access.

Register to attend.

Hosted by the UCSF Benioff Center for Microbiome Medicine

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February 19, 12:00-1:30pm PT; Virtual Event

CSR Wednesday Research Seminar

Yu Jin, PhD, Research Fellow, Department of Developmental Biology, Harvard School of Dental Medicine

“Identification of nucleus pulposus stem cells and their regulation by mechanotransduction”

Eva Liu, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School

“Vitamin D and phosphate regulate osteocyte lacuno-canalicular remodeling”

RSVP to receive Zoom details.

Hosted by the MGH Center for Musculoskeletal Research

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February 19, 4:00pm; Parnassus, HSW-302

BMS Seminar Series

Robert Lustig, MD, Recall Professor of Pediatrics, UCSF

"Growing Up With Obesity"

Hosted by the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program

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February 19, 4:00pm; Mission Bay, MH-1401/02

Seminar Series for Junior Scientists

The Junior Scientist Seminar is a monthly seminar series and networking event exclusively for early-career researchers (pre-doctoral school). Our mission is to provide a career development and training opportunity for Junior Scientists to gain experience presenting scientific research in a supportive environment.

Hosted by the Research Development Office

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February 19, 5:00-7:00pm; Mission Bay, MH-1401

QBI Pre-Hackathon Mixer

Join us for an exciting pre-hackathon mixer at University of California, San Francisco! Get ready to mingle, form teams, and start brainstorming ideas for your projects before the QBI Hackathon kicks off in March of 2025.

Register to attend.

Hosted by the UCSF Quantitative Biosciences Institute

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February 20, 9:00-10:00am; Parnassus, HSW-302

ImmunoX Journal Club

Rachel Jones, BMS Graduate Student, UCSF

Hosted by ImmunoX

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February 20, 9:00am-12:00pm; Virtual Event

Intermediate RNA-Seq Analysis Using R

RNA-seq is a powerful tool to interrogate cellular functions. In this intermediate workshop, you’ll learn the skills you need to get the most out of your RNA-seq data through analysis in R.

Register to receive Zoom details.

Hosted by the Gladstone Institutes

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February 20, 11:00am-12:00pm; Mission Bay, Sandler Auditorium

Neuroscience Formal Seminar Series

Oscar Marin, PhD, Professor of Neuroscience, King's College London

"Maturation and plasticity of cortical interneurons"

Hosted by the UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences

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February 20, 12:00-1:00pm; Mission Bay, HD-160

BBC Seminar Series

David Savage, PhD, Associate Professor of Molecular & Cell Biology, UC Berkeley

"Mechanisms and Engineering of CO2 Assimilation"

Watch via livestream.

Hosted by the PhD Degree Program in Biophysics

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February 20, 12:00-1:00pm; Parnassus, HSW-302

BMS Journal Club

Tasha Tsao, BMS Graduate Student, UCSF

Karla DeLucas, BMS Graduate Student, UCSF

Hosted by the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program

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February 20, 2:00-4:00pm; Virtual Event

HDFCCC K12 Career Development and Leadership Seminar Series 

Rahul Aggarwal, MD, Associate Director for Clinical Sciences, UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center & Associate Professor of Hematology/Oncology, UCSF

Li Zhang, PhD, Professor of Medicine, UCSF

"Clinical Trial Design and Data Analysis"

Register to receive Zoom details.

Hosted by the Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center

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February 21, 7:00am PT; Virtual Event

Avioli Musculoskeletal Research Seminar Series

Cheryl L. Ackert-Bicknell, PhD, Associate Professor of Orthopedics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Register to receive Zoom details.

Hosted by the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis Musculoskeletal Research Center

February 21, 12:00pm; Parnassus, HSW-1057

Diabetes Seminar Series

Maya Arce, Graduate Student, Biomedical Sciences, Marson Lab, Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology

"MED12 as a central regulator of CD4+ T cell activation state"

Hosted by the UCSF Diabetes Center

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February 21, 12:10-1:00pm; Parnassus, HSW-300

Microbiome Ignite Talk

Hosted by the Benioff Center for Microbiome Medicine

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February 24, 9:00-10:00am; Parnassus, HSW-302

ImmunoX Seminar Series

Luis Garza, MD, PhD, Professor of Dermatology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine

RSVP to receive Zoom details.

Hosted by ImmunoX

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February 24-25, 1:00-3:00pm; Virtual Event

Introduction to Statistics, Experimental Design and Hypothesis Testing

Why do we perform experiments? What conclusions would we like to be able to draw from these experiments? Who are we trying to convince? How does the “magic” of statistics help us reach conclusions? This workshop, held in two sessions, will in part attempt to answer some of these questions. It’s open to anyone interested in learning more about the basics of statistics, experimental design, and the fundamentals of hypothesis testing.

Register to receive Zoom details.

Hosted by the Gladstone Institutes

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February 24, 3:00-4:00pm; Mission Bay, Gladstone Institutes, Mahley Auditorium

GICD/CVRI Seminar Series

Sean Palecek, PhD, Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison

"Building Blood-Brain Barrier Models from iPSCs to Model Neurovascular Development and Disease"

Hosted by the Gladstone Institutes and the UCSF Cardiovascular Research Institute

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February 25, 10:00-11:00am; Parnassus, N-225

iMicro Seminar Series

Hosted by iMicro

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February 25, 10:45am-12:00pm; Virtual Event

QBC Journal Club

Sabine Cismoski, CCB Graduate Student, UCSF

Caroline Huang, PSPG Graduate Student, UCSF

Sanjay Rangavajjhala, Bioinformatics Graduate Student, UCSF

Gyuna Kim, Biophysics Graduate Student, UCSF

RSVP to receive Zoom details.

Hosted by the PhD Degree Program in Biophysics

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February 25, 1:00-2:00pm; Virtual Event

QB3 Webinar Series

Stephen Nayfach, PhD, Bioinformatics, Profluent Bio

“Reprogramming CRISPR Systems for Customized Genome Editing”

Register to receive Zoom details.

Hosted by QB3

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February 25, 2:00-3:00pm Virtual Event

Bay Area Open Science Group - A checklist to guide sensitivity analyses and replications of impact evaluations

The Bay Area Open Science Group is intended to bring together students, faculty, and staff from the Stanford, UCSF, and Berkeley community to learn about open science, discuss the application of open science practices in a research context, and meet other members of the community who are interested in (or already are) incorporating open science practices into their work.

Register to receive Zoom details.

Hosted by the UCSF Library

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February 26, 7:00am; Mission Bay, GenHall - Byers Auditorium

UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Grand Rounds Series

Nirav Pandya, MD, Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, UCSF

Join via Zoom.

Hosted by the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery

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February 26, 8:30-9:30am; Parnassus, HSW-302

Endocrine Grand Rounds

Tom Gardella, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Endocrine Division, Mass General Research Institute & Harvard Medical School

"PTH Peptide Development for Bone and Calcium Diseases"

Join via Zoom.

Hosted by the Division of Endocrinology & Metabolism

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February 26, 12:00-1:00pmVirtual Event

UCSF Pain and Addiction Research Center (PARC) Seminar Series

Chris Abrecht, MD, Associate Professor of Anesthesia, UCSF

"Outpatient ketamine infusions for refractory chronic pain, a patient interview"

Register to receive Zoom details.

Hosted by the UCSF Pain and Addiction Research Center

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February 26, March 12 & 26, April 9, 23, 30, 1:00-3:00pm; Mission Bay, Gladstone Institutes 107C/D

The Nuts and Bolts of Manuscript Writing

Are you writing or preparing to write a manuscript? Would you like help organizing your ideas, some writing tips, help with figures, moral support?

If so, this course is for you! This six-session course combines short lectures on writing or design principles, in-class editing exercises, weekly assignments, and regular feedback.

Register to attend.

Hosted by the Gladstone Institutes

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February 26, 4:00pm; Parnassus, HSW-302

BMS Seminar Series

Kathrin Plath, PhD, Vice Chair and Professor, Department of Biological Chemistry, UCLA

Hosted by the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program

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February 26, 5:00-6:30pm; Virtual Event

Choosing a Thesis Lab

In this workshop you will lay the groundwork for your thesis lab choice by self-assessing your PhD goals and characteristics of environments in which you have felt engaged. You will receive multiple tools for evaluating your rotation labs and you’ll get started using them in the workshop. You’ll have time for individual reflection as well-structured opportunities to work with your fellow first-years to identify important but hard-to-spot scenarios that may have occurred in your rotations. You’ll also hear from a student leader about their experience with some common challenges of choosing athesis lab.

Register to attend.

Hosted by the Office of Career and Professional Development

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February 27, 9:00-10:00am; Parnassus, HSW-302

ImmunoX Journal Club

McKenzine Daanene, BMS Graduate Student, UCSF

Zachary Stensland, BMS Graduate Student, UCSF

Hosted by ImmunoX

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February 27, 11:00am-12:00pm; Mission Bay, Sandler Auditorium

Neuroscience Formal Seminar Series

Nancy Padilla-Coreano, PhD, Assistant Professor of Neuroscience, University of Florida

Hosted by the UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences

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February 27, 12:00-1:00pm; Parnassus, HSW-300

Craniofacial Seminar Series

Jamie Nichols, PhD, Associate Professor of Craniofacial Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

RSVP to receive Zoom details.

Hosted by the Program in Craniofacial Biology

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February 27, 12:00-1:00pm; Parnassus, HSW-302

BMS Journal Club

Christina Ekstrand, BMS Graduate Student, UCSF

Alvin Ha, BMS Graduate Student, UCSF

Hosted by the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program

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February 27, 3:00-4:30pm; Virtual Event

New Postdoc Orientation

Gain important knowledge about the following topics: Human Resources information and resources, Research grants – resources for finding your own funding, Careers – how to get the best job after UCSF, Ideas for maximizing your productivity and minimizing conflicts with your PI, and UAW Union Presentation.

Register to receive Zoom details.

Hosted by the Office for Postdoctoral Scholars

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February 28, 7:00am PT; Virtual Event

Avioli Musculoskeletal Research Seminar Series

Elizabeth Yanik Rowlands, MS, PhD, Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis

Register to receive Zoom details.

Hosted by the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis Musculoskeletal Research Center

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February 28, 12:00-1:30pm; Parnassus, S-214

DSCB Journal Club

Nitya Kopparapu, DSCB Graduate Student, UCSF

Feeling Chen, DSCB Graduate Student, UCSF

RSVP to receive Zoom details.

Hosted by the Developmental & Stem Cell Biology Graduate Program

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February 28, 4:00-5:00pm; Mission Bay, HD-160

Cancer Center Friday Seminar Series

Jean-Philippe Coppé, PhD, Research Scientist, Department of Laboratory Medicine, UCSF

"Melanoma Initiation and the Cancer Niche"

Hosted by the Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
Recognizing the need for collaboration of MSK scientists with experts outside of the MSK field, we are providing support to MSK Center members to host a meal for a creative and enjoyable in-person networking meeting to stimulate these interactions and to further develop new research ideas and plans to fund them. Faculty, staff, and trainees who are MSKC/CCMBM members are encouraged to apply to host an event. 

If you are not a member, you may concurrently apply for membership while your Open MIKE application is being reviewed.

Apply via the online application form today! Contact Cristal Yee for questions on this funding opportunity.
UCSF Talks is a new resource for anyone interested in learning about the latest seminars happening at UCSF. It lists all seminars open to the entire UCSF community including regular seminar series, special seminars, supergroups, and thesis talks. If you would like to receive weekly event listing emails, you can sign up for the USCF Talks Google Group. To add an event to the website, please contact Jon Zhang.
ACKNOWLEDGING THE CCMBM

If you have received a CCMBM grant, used one of our cores, or formed a collaboration at one of our events that led to a publication, please acknowledge our Center in related publications and presentations. We suggest stating:

Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number P30AR075055. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.