![(Photo by Mike Graff) (Photo by Mike Graff)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0415_ft_hiv_lead_mg.jpg?1577874530)
Unnatural Selection
Scientists at UC Davis may be on the cusp of an HIV cure
The person who finds the cure for HIV will have their name etched in medical history. It’s a hard pill to swallow for one man who has spent 40 years chasing a cure. A cure for HIV, built upon decades of his work, could very well be proven this year. Yet Dr. Gerhard Bauer’s name may be little more than a footnote in the arcane medical journal that publishes the breakthrough.
This is the story of curing HIV.
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Startup of the Month: SynGen Inc.
Company develops cell processing tools to treat cancer patients
With SynGen, co-founder Philip Coelho hopes to play a critical role in this breakthrough by supplying tools that harvest stem cells and immune cells from umbilical cord blood, bone marrow and other sources.
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The Next Wave
10 young professionals on our radar for 2015
Momentum is shifting in the Capital Region, and young professionals are leading the charge. General skepticism is being replaced with emerging optimism and a renewed energy that’s providing the catalyst for growth and innovation across our cities. Here are the top ten young leaders we think you should be watching. They are driving the Capital Region’s evolution, and we anticipate you’ll see them at the forefront in 2015 and decades to come.
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Dress for Success
In 2015, wearable technology is set to take off. Are you ready?
The invasion has begun. Don’t look surprised. This moment has been a long-time coming, with research groups prophesying 2015 as the launching point of the wearable technology takeover.
![(Design by Lily Therens, Elements courtesy of Shutterstock) (Design by Lily Therens, Elements courtesy of Shutterstock)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0215_poll_health_elements-from-ss.jpg?1577874530)
Who’s Your Doctor
Where do you turn when answers are hard to find?
How likely are you to crowdsource a diagnosis for a mysterious medical condition?
![(Shutterstock) (Shutterstock)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0215_polls_health_ss.png?1577874530)
Dr. You
An online crowdsourcing service is helping hundreds solve medical mysteries -- but is it right for you?
Sometimes quantity is better than quality. That’s the thinking behind CrowdMed, a website that allows an online community of medical professionals, patients, and laypeople to solve cases for patients with undiagnosed medical conditions.
![](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0115_dept_infographic_lead_lt.png?1577874530)
Happy National Blood Donor Month!
Here's a breakdown on the business of blood
The American Red Cross recognizes January as National Blood Donor Month. Here’s an infographic on what we have — and what we need.
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Fight of the Navigators
Connecting homeless to health care saves money in the ER
Regina Vasquez ended up homeless after her father passed away. Embarrassed by incontinence caused by Crohn’s disease, she found living out of her car a more dignified alternative to life in a public shelter. She worried constantly about her next visit to Sutter’s emergency department, and whether she would need yet another surgery. She estimates she made six to eight ER visits per year during her time on the streets.
![A new comprehensive program at UC Davis Medical Center will soon provide surgical services for unborn children. A new comprehensive program at UC Davis Medical Center will soon provide surgical services for unborn children.](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/1214_ft_health_lead_ss.jpg?1577874530)
Opportunity of a Lifetime
Fetal surgeons at UC Davis are repairing birth defects in babies — before their patients are even born
Too many pregnant mothers know the feeling of horror: The ultrasound reveals something wrong. Perhaps it’s nothing. But maybe it’s life-threatening, a disease or a disability. Maybe it’s the unthinkable. For hundreds of thousands of years, the unthinkable — babies doomed to die or develop impairments before drawing their first breath — meant only tragedy and heartache. Now there is hope.
![UC Davis Children’s Hospital teacher Nicole Castle warms up Richard, Reese and Jahmarcus with math puzzles before hitting the books. Castles is the sole instructor for all school-aged children in the pediatrics ward, as well as school-age patients in other wings of the hospital. In a given week she’ll schedule bedside sessions with as many as 30 students. UC Davis Children’s Hospital teacher Nicole Castle warms up Richard, Reese and Jahmarcus with math puzzles before hitting the books. Castles is the sole instructor for all school-aged children in the pediatrics ward, as well as school-age patients in other wings of the hospital. In a given week she’ll schedule bedside sessions with as many as 30 students.](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/ucdavis.classroom.jpg?1577874531)
Bedside Manner
Teacher Nicole Castles brings education to patients at UC Davis Children's Hospital
Nicole Castles teaches UC Davis Children’s Hospital in Sacramento. Castles is the sole instructor for all school-aged children in the pediatrics ward, as well as school-age patients in other wings of the hospital. In a given week she’ll schedule bedside sessions with as many as 30 students.