QBI

QBI Quantitative Bioscience Institute (QBI) - QBI is the institute which transforms our understanding of biology and disease through quantitative research.

lnk.bio/qbi_ucsf The Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI) fosters collaborations across the biomedical and the physical sciences, seeking quantitative methods to address pressing problems in biology and biomedicine. Motivated by problems of human disease, QBI is committed to investigating fundamental biological mechanisms, because ultimately solutions to many diseases will be revealed by new discoveries in the basic sciences.

🧬 New research published in iScience reveals a potential mechanism linking HIV infection to increased cervical cancer ri...
06/12/2026

🧬 New research published in iScience reveals a potential mechanism linking HIV infection to increased cervical cancer risk, even in individuals receiving antiretroviral therapy.

The study, “Paracrine Signals from HIV-1-Infected Immune Cells Reprogram Cervical Cancer Pathways,” was led by Charles Olwal (University of Ghana), with senior authors Nevan Krogan (QBI UCSF), Peter Kojo Quashie (University of Ghana), Yaw Bediako (Yemaachi Biotech), and Mehdi Bouhaddou (UCLA), in collaboration with eight institutions across Ghana, Kenya, and the United States.

Researchers found that HIV-infected immune cells release signaling molecules that can reprogram cervical tissue and activate cancer-associated pathways, including PI3K-AKT signaling.

Read more via link in bio.

Please join us in welcoming Andy Kilianski, Ph.D., to QBI as our new Chief Science and Technology Officer.Andy brings mo...
06/04/2026

Please join us in welcoming Andy Kilianski, Ph.D., to QBI as our new Chief Science and Technology Officer.

Andy brings more than a decade of experience spanning virology, national security, and translational research leadership. As QBI continues to expand its technology platforms and translational efforts, he’ll help connect our science with new opportunities in biotechnology, AI-driven discovery, and therapeutic development.

We’re excited for what’s ahead. Welcome, Andy!

Read the full announcement: link in bio.

What happens when viruses evolve to change who they can infect?Join us on June 10 for a seminar with Raphaël Laurenceau ...
06/02/2026

What happens when viruses evolve to change who they can infect?

Join us on June 10 for a seminar with Raphaël Laurenceau (.pasteur) exploring how phages adapt to new hosts through diversity-generating retroelements (DGRs)—natural systems that rapidly diversify key protein binding regions.

He will also share how these mechanisms are being adapted into tools for directed evolution and microbial engineering.

For more details and registration, visit the link in our bio.

Horseshoe bats have coexisted with SARS-like coronaviruses for millions of years without ever getting sick. Humans, as t...
05/14/2026

Horseshoe bats have coexisted with SARS-like coronaviruses for millions of years without ever getting sick. Humans, as the world learned in 2020, are not so fortunate…

A new study authored by Jyoti Batra, Magdalena Rutkowska, and colleagues from QBI UCSF, Gladstone Institutes, and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai shows how tiny viral changes can reshape infection across species.

Researchers mapped hundreds of protein interactions between SARS-CoV-2, a bat coronavirus, and both human and bat cells—and found something striking:
One small change in a viral protein (Orf9b) flips the outcome.
• In humans: it shuts down immune signaling
• In bats: a different protein interaction helps control infection

The team also built a new bat lung cell model to study how these viruses behave in their natural reservoir host.

Same virus family. Different biology. Big implications for how we think about spillover risk.

Learn more: link in bio. 🦇

We’re excited to welcome John Young, Ph.D., as QBI’s new Chief Strategy Officer.With experience across pharma R&D, , pa...
05/12/2026

We’re excited to welcome John Young, Ph.D., as QBI’s new Chief Strategy Officer.

With experience across pharma R&D, , pandemic preparedness and public-private partnerships, John will help connect QBI’s protein-protein interaction science with the partners needed to move discoveries closer to patients.

Welcome, John.

Full story in bio.

We’re excited for a joint symposium we are co-organizing with the University of Alberta, and Gladstone Institutes:“From ...
05/05/2026

We’re excited for a joint symposium we are co-organizing with the University of Alberta, and Gladstone Institutes:

“From Infection to Neuro-Inflammation: Atomic Structure, Modeling & Clinical Impact” on May 29, 2026!

Infectious disease and neuro-inflammation are deeply connected, and molecular + computational approaches are helping reveal how.

Researchers across structural biology, neuroimmunology, infectious disease, and translational science will come together to share new insights and spark collaboration.

An opportunity for poster presentations is available! (Register, then submit an abstract by May 12 to be considered.) Selected presenters will be featured during the symposium.

We’re also launching a trainee collaboration initiative to support cross-institutional team science and early-stage ideas.

There are multiple ways to participate in this event! Whether you are interested in scientific discussions, posters, or collaboration, we hope to see you there!

To learn more and reserve your spot, visit the link in our bio.

🚀 Ready for the QBI Hackathon 2026? Start building your dream team before the main event.Join our Pre-Hackathon Mixer Se...
04/23/2026

🚀 Ready for the QBI Hackathon 2026? Start building your dream team before the main event.

Join our Pre-Hackathon Mixer Series across UC campuses to meet collaborators, pitch ideas, find teammates, and spark your next big project before the June 27–28 Hackathon at UCSF Mission Bay.

đź“Ť 2026 Mixer Dates
April 27 | UC Berkeley | 5–7 PM
May 14 | UC Santa Cruz | 5–7 PM
June 11 | UCSF | 5–7 PM

Whether you’re a first-time hacker, founder, researcher, designer, coder, or just curious—these mixers are where ideas turn into teams.

đź’ˇ Got an idea? Come ready with a quick intro or mini pitch.
🤝 Need a team? This is the place to meet one.
🏆 Want to compete in June? Start here.

The main Hackathon happens June 27–28, 2026 at UCSF Mission Bay, where teams will build, present to judges, and compete for prizes.

Learn more and RSVP now via the link in bio and secure your place!

How do viruses hide from the immune system?Join us April 23 for a seminar with Dr. Christopher Overall, a world leader i...
04/20/2026

How do viruses hide from the immune system?

Join us April 23 for a seminar with Dr. Christopher Overall, a world leader in proteomics and systems biology.

He’ll discuss how SARS-CoV-2 uses specialized enzymes to weaken immune defenses, spread between cells, and avoid detection. These discoveries could help guide new antiviral therapies and deepen our understanding of how viruses operate.

If you’re interested in science, medicine, or the future of infectious disease research, this is one to catch.

Learn more and register: Link in bio!

Yesterday’s Systems Biology for Infectious Diseases Workshop brought together a great group of speakers and participants...
04/15/2026

Yesterday’s Systems Biology for Infectious Diseases Workshop brought together a great group of speakers and participants—diving into everything from proteomics and transcriptomics to multi-omics and network modeling of host–pathogen interactions.

Huge thanks to our speakers: Robyn Kaake, Alicia Richards, Judd Hultquist, Walter Eckalbar, and Mehdi Bouhaddou for leading such thoughtful sessions—and to everyone who showed up ready to engage, collaborate, and connect.

Always energizing to see this community in action. ✨

What if you could see molecules in action? ✨On April 22, we’re hosting Janet Iwasa (The University of Utah), whose 3D an...
04/15/2026

What if you could see molecules in action? ✨

On April 22, we’re hosting Janet Iwasa (The University of Utah), whose 3D animations bring cellular processes to life in ways that are reshaping research, teaching, and scientific storytelling.

In this talk, she’ll share:
🧬 How animation helps decode complex biology
🎥 Projects visualizing everything from molecular machines to dynamic cellular systems
đź›  New tools for building and sharing animated models
đź”® Where molecular visualization is headed next

Whether you’re a researcher, student, or just love science + design, this one’s worth it.

Learn more and register: link in bio!

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1700 4th Street
San Francisco, CA
94158

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

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(415) 476-6109

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