Daniel has been associated with UCSF since 2006. He has been OUT for 16 years and identifies as an Italian white gay male from New York City. Daniel serves the missions of UCSF as a postdoctoral fellow in the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education at the UCSF, where he researches tobacco marketing to young adults.
A job is more than just a title. What do you do for/at UCSF?
I study the ways in which the tobacco industry markets tobacco products to comport with their own psychographic research into the lives, dreams, and desires of their young adult target market.
Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education
Parnassus
415/476-0684 daniel.cortese@ucsf.edu
Work Address:
530 Parnassus Avenue, Suite 366
San Francisco CA 94143
How Daniel serves the UCSF mission of Research, Patient Care and/or Education
I live by the adage: “To believe is to care. To care is to do.” I try to do more than just serve, but to live the UCSF mission of research and education through both caring and doing for our communities.
What he likes about working at UCSF
My office is comprised of an eclectic group of researchers who share a common goal: follow a rigorous research agenda that is accessible way beyond academia and outreach through advocacy and community-based programs.
How Daniel is OUT, IN the UCSF Community
It takes courage to be OUT, even in San Francisco! Those of us who are OUT know that every day we must dismantle the lavender ceiling still prevalent in medical schools.
I draw my strength to break through the lavender ceiling from my faith. My partner and I serve the Roman Catholic Church openly, and we consider the occasional negative remarks from parishioners as an opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue with them as a way to challenge their prejudices.
Similarly, medical schools are conservative institutions where LGBTQ people must contend with prejudice. By living openly and dignified, I try to transform the institution from the bottom-up, and impart some small bits of wisdom along the way.
What he considers his most OUTstanding, INcredible achievement
Achieving my Ph.D. was my most outstanding and incredible achievement because it was a testament to my family of our resolve. I grew up in a single-parent family that hovered precariously near the poverty line.
Now, in six months, my answer may change to “running the AIDS Marathon.”
Audio: Danny talks to Peggy and Christina about what he sees as a "lab-coat closet" at UCSF, and the ways in which both UCSF geography and our own internalized homophobia work against a cohesive LGBT community (and how we can combat isolation with just a smile and hello).
