Dr. Michael Gropper

In 2025, growth continued to define our trajectory as we expanded our impact and advanced our mission. We closed out 2024 on a remarkable note—completing our 100th lung transplant on New Year’s Eve—and entered the new year with strong momentum.  

Across the health system, expansion and integration efforts continued. Following the opening of Bayfront—home to the new Center for Pain Medicine, recently featured in The New York Times Magazine—we have continued to grow its footprint, including the addition of new operating rooms. We also celebrated the opening of the Peninsula Outpatient Center (POPC) in Burlingame, further extending our reach.  

Our systemwide growth also included expanded clinical operations, such as UCSF’s transition to managing the ICU at UCSF Health Stanyan Hospital, with our Anesthesia ICU faculty playing a key role in that effort. At the same time, we worked closely with site leads to refine clinical scheduling, reduce last-minute reassignments, and strengthened a sense of community by enabling faculty to spend more time at fewer sites.

Construction continued on the state-of-the-art Helen Diller Medical Center at Parnassus Heights, reinforcing our commitment to world-class patient care. Our research enterprise remained strong, with continued advancements in clinical discovery, data science, machine learning, and AI-driven healthcare solutions.

We continued to support our outstanding education and research programs by investing in mentorship, protected academic time, and interdisciplinary collaboration. These efforts ensure that our trainees, faculty, and research teams have the resources needed to innovate, teach, and lead in a rapidly evolving healthcare landscape.

Our education and residency programs attracted exceptional candidates, and we are proud to have had another highly competitive match. We received 735 applications, interviewed 162 candidates, and 26 outstanding residents started our program. We look forward to nurturing their continued success.

We also welcomed new faculty and staff, strengthening our foundation for the future. 2025 was an exciting period of growth and progress for the department. I am energized by all we accomplished and the opportunities that lie ahead. 

Michael Gropper, MD, PhD 
Distinguished Professor and Chair