UCSF School of Pharmacy

In the Quantitative Biosciences Institute(QBI) Coronavirus Research Group (QCRG), Nevan Krogan, PhD, built a transdisciplinary, multi-lab, multi-institutional, multi-national, multi-sector open-science consortium in which over a thousand trainees and senior investigators worked together—overcoming virtually every barrier that fragments science and the science community.

Read more about the challenges academic research faces when it comes to breaking down silos, and about how facilitating collaboration is the solution, in this Q&A with the UCSF School of Medicine Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology faculty member.

Krogan Q&A: Collaboration and the new era of science June 14, 2024 · In the Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI) Coronavirus Research Group (QCRG), Nevan Krogan, PhD, built a transdisciplinary, multi-lab, multi-institutional, multi-national, multi-sector open-science consortium in which over a thousand trainees and senior investigators worked tog...

Nearly a third of the University of California Class of 2024 started their higher education journey at California community colleges, including Warif Kastoun, PharmD, whose plans to run her own local pharmacy in Damascus, Syria, were interrupted by civil war. Now Kastoun is beginning a yearlong postgraduate residency at Stanford University. She’ll be the only PharmD resident in an innovative ambulatory care program where pharmacists collaborate with physicians to manage chronic conditions for hospital patients.

“When I feel self-doubt, I remember everything I’ve gone through and all that I’ve achieved so far,” Kastoun says. “I don’t let it stop me from pursuing my dreams. I just keep going.” 🎓

From community college to PharmD residency via UCSF June 10, 2024 · Nearly a third of the University of California’s Class of 2024 started their higher education journey at California community colleges, including Warif Kastoun, PharmD, whose plans to run her own local pharmacy in Damascus, Syria, were interrupted by civil war.

Department of Clinical Pharmacy faculty member Kathryn Phillips, PhD, founding director of the UCSF Center for Translational and Policy Research on Precision Medicine (TRANSPERS), is tackling the intersection of policy, ethics, and precision medicine in a series of collaborations with global impact.

Read more about her recent publication in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA); her selection to a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine committee examining patterns of alignment or mismatch between innovation and unmet clinical needs in developing novel therapies; and her upcoming work on improving scientific publication and open science as a scholar in residence with the Fondation Brocher in Geneva, Switzerland.

Phillips explores policy, ethics, and precision medicine May 24, 2024 · Department of Clinical Pharmacy faculty member Kathryn A. Phillips, PhD, is tackling the intersection of policy, ethics, and precision medicine in a series of collaborations with global impact.

Celebrating his 87th birthday in a symposium that paid tribute to his pioneering UCSF career bridging lab research on pharmacokinetics with advances in clinical pharmacology, Leslie Benet, PhD, is being honored with an endowed professorship bearing his name.

“Les supported students while they were students, after they graduated, and helped them get jobs,” said Francis (Frank) Szoka, PhD. “We all learned that this is the most important thing we can do as scientists, is contribute to the next generation of scientists.”

Benet honored in symposium with endowed professorship May 21, 2024 · The pioneering career of one of the School’s most influential faculty members was honored on his 87th birthday.

🎓 Congrats to the School of Pharmacy Class of 2024, who overcame a neighborhood power outage to receive their PharmD degrees on May 16 at Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall. UCSF Chancellor Sam Hawgood, MBBS, conferred the new doctoral status of 120 graduates in the commencement ceremony, which also included a reaffirmation of the Oath of the Pharmacist. 🎉 tiny.ucsf.edu/XSEE74

🎊🎓 Let’s celebrate our Distinguished Alum of the Year, Ruth Arnold Smarinsky, PharmD ’83, a strong force for good who, for the past 18 years, has worked for Direct Relief, a Santa Barbara, CA-based nonprofit that has distributed more than $1.6 billion worth of medicine and supplies to 100 nations.

“I like starting new, efficient programs to help people,” Smarinsky said. “I try to imagine each person on the other end who’s in a crisis. I want to make things easier for them.” Smarinsky was also named Pharmacist of the Year in 2022 by the California Pharmacists Association (CPhA).

Meet the School of Pharmacy 2024 Alum of the Year: Ruth Arnold Smarinsky, PharmD ’83 May 13, 2024 · Whether she’s adding pharmacy services to safety-net clinics or giving the field a bigger foothold in disaster relief, Smarinsky has consistently found new ways to put pharmacy skills into practice. “I always like going into programs that haven’t existed before. UCSF gave me th...

Department of Clinical Pharmacy volunteer faculty member Kethen So, PharmD, MBA, challenges students to continuously expand their practice and will be honored on June 11, 2024, as a fellow by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP). “In the past, there might have been very limited types of practices that pharmacists can be in,” So said, “But pharmacy is ever-changing, and the best is yet to come.”

So named ASHP fellow: “Pharmacy is a lifetime-learning career” May 7, 2024 · Department of Clinical Pharmacy volunteer faculty member Kethen So, PharmD, MBA, challenges students to continuously expand their practice and will be honored on June 11, 2024, as a fellow by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP).

Thanks to funding from the California Health Care Foundation, two new programs are being developed to expose possibilities and opportunities for applicants to pharmacy school in California’s central San Joaquin Valley. The UC Merced - UCSF BS to PharmD Program is designed to remove structural barriers with an expedited program for UC Merced students, while the PharmTech-to-PharmD program takes a proactive step toward upskilling pharmacy technicians.

Both programs aim to reduce the health care disparities of pharmacy deserts by cultivating interest in—and opening multiple pathways for—pharmacy careers among underserved communities.

New pathway programs funded by the California Health Care Foundation April 30, 2024 · The programs are aimed at reducing the health care disparities of pharmacy deserts by cultivating interest in pharmacy careers among underserved communities.

Congratulations to Dean Kathy Giacomini, PhD, BSPharm, who is among four scientists and clinicians at UCSF to be honored with election to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences (AAA&S), one of the nation’s oldest and most distinguished societies.

As one of the few pharmacist-scientists to be elected, Giacomini represents excellence in the field as well as dedication to the Academy’s mission of engaging across disciplines and divides.

Dean Giacomini elected to American Academy of Arts & Sciences May 3, 2024 · As one of the few pharmacist-scientists to be elected to the historic society, Giacomini represents excellence in the field as well as dedication to the Academy’s mission of engaging across disciplines and divides.

With major research institutes, funding agencies, and the public eager to see academic research lead to advances in human health, the Small Molecule Discovery Center (SMDC) has tapped Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry adjunct faculty member Charles Hart, PhD, as its new director.

Hart, who is also director of the Catalyst Program, UCSF’s translational accelerator focused on advancing university discoveries with clinical impact and commercial potential, will further the center’s ongoing collaboration with academics, government labs, and pharmaceutical companies to develop drug leads that address unmet medical needs. UCSF School of Medicine UCSF School of Nursing

A new vision for the Small Molecule Discovery Center May 1, 2024 · Charles Hart, PhD, director of the Catalyst Program, joins Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry Chair Michelle Arkin in the center’s ongoing collaboration with academics, government labs, and pharmaceutical companies to develop drug leads that address unmet medical needs.

Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology faculty member Rupa Lalchandani Tuan, PhD, was selected by students to deliver the 22nd annual Sumner and Hermine Marshall Endowed Last Lecture and answer the question: If you had but one lecture to give, what would you say?

Tuan, who also teaches pharmacology at the UCSF School of Medicine and UCSF School of Dentistry, told the story of how an unexpected grade in college propelled her career as a health care educator and researcher. The experience helped her realize that her purpose evolved with help from her family and important lessons learned along the way.

Tuan delivers annual Last Lecture April 24, 2024 · The Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology faculty member was selected by students to answer: If you had but one lecture to give, what would you say?

Congrats to Sydney Williams, a Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmacogenomics (PSPG) PhD student, and Reuben Hogan, a Biophysics (BP) PhD student, on a Grad Slam first––tying for third place in UCSF's Grad Slam 2024. Three students with ties to the School of Pharmacy were finalists in the event, which challenges graduate students to explain their research to an audience of non-experts in just three minutes. Williams also won the People’s Choice Award.

School of Pharmacy shows out in Grad Slam storytelling competition April 16, 2024 · Three students with ties to the School were finalists in the event, which challenges graduate students to explain their research to an audience of non-experts in just three minutes.

Two first-year pharmacy students attended Advocacy Day 2024, hosted by the California Pharmacists Association (CPhA) and the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals (UNAC/UHCP). The grassroots event offered learners insight to legislation affecting the pharmacy profession, including a bill that would rein in anticompetitive practices by pharmacy benefit managers.

First-year students go to state capital for Advocacy Day 2024 April 12, 2024 · The California Pharmacists Association (CPhA) and the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals (UNAC/UHCP) hosted a grassroots event to offer insight to legislation affecting the profession of pharmacy.

🏆 Congrats to the UCSF School of Pharmacy team that achieved the top spot––for the second year in a row!––in the Value of Industry Pharmacists (VIP) Case Competition, presented by the Industry Pharmacists Organization Industry Pharmacists Organization (IPhO) and the National Fellows Council (NFC).

Each team participating in the months-long event works toward creating a cohesive product development plan, along with a presentation showcasing the drug profile, giving pharmacy students deeper knowledge of the skills required to bring a novel molecule to market. https://tiny.ucsf.edu/NoaWmn

🏆 It’s great to have our ever-evolving course of study recognized along with our research and innovation leadership! Congrats to the UCSF School of Pharmacy for ranking 2nd place nationally and 1st place in California in the 2024 U.S. News & World Report survey of best accredited pharmacy schools and programs. https://tiny.ucsf.edu/WqNZy2

Rada Savic, PhD, co-vice dean of Graduate Pharmacy Education Programs at the UCSF School of Pharmacy and a professor in the Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences (BTS), has been awarded a $30.8M grant over five years from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The UM1 cooperative agreement will establish the Preclinical Design and Clinical Translation of Tuberculosis Regimens (PReDicTR) Consortium to research the most effective treatment options for future clinical testing, a collaboration that will be at the forefront of efforts to develop an unprecedented level of data and knowledge integration.

Savic receives NIH funding to establish tuberculosis consortium April 1, 2024 · The Preclinical Design and Clinical Translation of TB Regimens (PReDicTR) Consortium has been awarded a $30.6M grant over five years to research the most effective treatment options for future clinical testing.

As a former Navy helicopter pilot deployed to hot spots around the world, Diana Cowell, PharmD ’14, MBA, was accustomed to challenges. But reporting for duty aboard the USNS Comfort hospital ship in support of COVID-19 relief to New York City was a new level of stress. Today she integrates all those experiences as a clinical pharmacist practitioner specializing in pain management at New York’s Finger Lakes Veterans Affairs Health Care System.

One woman’s perspective: From Navy helicopter pilot to clinical pharmacy care for veterans March 28, 2024 · Diana Cowell, PharmD, MBA, leveraged her military and pharmacy experience from around the world to provide comprehensive medication management and become a specialist in pain management for veterans.

In 2023, and for the 44th consecutive year, the UCSF School of Pharmacy received more research funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) than any other pharmacy school in the country. School researchers netted $36,769,061 million to fuel their efforts spanning drug discovery, bioengineering, pharmacokinetics, clinical pharmacy, and more.

“Our faculty continues to collaborate and innovate in pursuing our mission of expanding research, education, and clinical care,” said Dean Kathy Giacomini, PhD, BSPharm. “These grants make it possible to maintain our global leadership in biomedical advances and improving health care outcomes.”

School of Pharmacy leads in NIH funding for the 44th straight year March 18, 2024 · School researchers netted $36.7M from 65 grants, fueling efforts spanning drug discovery, bioengineering, pharmacokinetics, clinical pharmacy, and more.

On January 7, 2024, leaders from academia, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and industry gathered for the fifth annual Innovations in Regulatory Science Summit, hosted by the UCSF-Stanford Center of Excellence in Regulatory Science and Innovation (CERSI).

The fifth annual summit was the CERSI’s largest in-person gathering to date, showcasing the School’s commitment to the dynamic field of regulatory science. It featured lively discussions with FDA center directors, along with past and present FDA commissioners, about medical misinformation and its impact on public health, variations in regulatory decision-making among different countries, and the manufacturing and supply chain of medical products. https://tiny.ucsf.edu/vzG4ps

Aashish Manglik, MD, PhD, a UCSF faculty member in the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, is the newly awarded 2024 Bowes Biomedical Investigator, a program that provides selected scientists with $1.25 million over five years to further their research.

Manglik is thrilled to receive the award, which allows biomedical investigators to test new ideas—including ones with a high probability of failure—without endangering their lab support. He says it will enable him to “pivot hard,” as he continues exploring the intersection of GPCR research and neuropsychiatric diseases.

Manglik awarded 2024 Bowes Biomedical Investigator March 1, 2024 · The GPCR and neuropsychiatric diseases researcher will receive $1.25 million over five years to explore new territory.

Channeling his passion for chemistry and computers into the ever-evolving landscape of pharmacy, UCSF School of Pharmacy grad Zachary Hearns, PharmD, BCPS, carved out his own lane—from military service to innovative pharmacy leadership.

"Serving underserved communities at UCSF resonated deeply with me. It reinforced my pledge to make a difference," said Hearns, currently a pharmacy manager at UCSF Medical Center At Mount Zion. "And studying in San Francisco provided me with the perfect environment to realize my dreams of merging my interests in chemistry, technology, and patient care." https://tiny.ucsf.edu/FoyJE9

🚀 Coding the Future of Medicine: We're proud to announce the launch of a new MS in Artificial Intelligence and Computational Drug Discovery and Development (AICD3)! This program is designed to train the next generation of scientists, revolutionizing drug discovery and development. Starting in Fall 2024 at UCSF! 🧬 Learn more:

School introduces new Master of Science program in Artificial Intelligence and Computational Drug Discovery and Development February 1, 2024 · The first program of its kind in the United States, the MS in AICD3 will enable its graduates to gain a competitive edge for some of the most desirable jobs in the biopharmaceutical industry and in academia.

A pair of UCSF PharmD students brought home the win in the 28th annual Clinical Skills Competition of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), with team members Linda Cheng and Siavash Panahi, both Class of 2024, earning first-place honors. This is the third time a team from the School has won the clinical skills title in the national interactive competition, which challenges student pharmacists to analyze complex patient case scenarios and make treatment recommendations.

Cheng and Panahi top 132 other teams to win national clinical skills competition January 18, 2024 · Linda Cheng and Siavash Panahi earn first-place honors in the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) 28th Clinical Skills Competition.

Robert Langridge, PhD, a professor emeritus in the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry who was an icon in the field of molecular computer graphics, has passed away. Honored in 2018 with the UCSF Medal, Langridge pushed the field of pharmaceutical chemistry into the computational era. Today’s UCSF scientists carry his legacy forward, with innovations that allow them to screen millions of potential drugs at once.

“If you want to see with your own eyes the results of Bob’s work, pick out any magazine, video, or movie dealing with science...” said Professor Emeritus of Pharmaceutical Chemistry Irwin “Tack” K***z, PhD.

Remembering Robert Langridge, molecular computer graphics pioneer December 19, 2023 · An emeritus faculty member and UCSF Medal winner who pushed the field of pharmaceutical chemistry into the computational era passed away after his 90th birthday.

Clinical pharmacy pioneer David Adler, PharmD ’70, who began his studies at the School in 1966 and among many accomplishments was named the 2016 Distinguished Alumnus of the Year by the Pharmacy Alumni Association - PAA, passed away at his home on Saturday, November 4. A tribute is planned for January 13, 2024, recognizing Adler as a role model for social justice, education, and service in the field of pharmacy, and the Adler family has requested that remembrances be made as contributions to the David and Penny Adler Endowed Scholarship Fund.

Remembering David Adler December 13, 2023 · A tribute is planned for January 13, 2024, in honor of the clinical pharmacy pioneer who became a role model for social justice, education, and service in the field of pharmacy.

Executive Vice Dean Sharon L. Youmans, PharmD, MPH, a faculty member in the Department of Clinical Pharmacy and the School’s DEI representative for the past 15 years, has received the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP)-Association of Black Health-System Pharmacists (ABHP) Joint Leadership Award for 2023, which recognizes individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership in efforts to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in health care.

Executive Vice Dean Youmans honored with ASHP-ABHP Joint Leadership Award December 11, 2023 · The award from the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists and the Association of Black Health-System Pharmacists recognizes efforts to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in health care.

In his State of the University address on Thursday, Chancellor Sam Hawgood, MBBS, said is well-positioned to transform into a global leader in AI-enabled academic life sciences. Hear him lay out his vision for safely, equitably, and responsibly leveraging the power of AI across UCSF’s mission areas.

Chancellor Sees UCSF Leading AI’s ‘New Era’ in Annual State of the University Address UC San Francisco is well positioned to transform into a global leader in artificial intelligence enabled academic life sciences. That was the message UCSF Chancellor Sam Hawgood, MBBS, delivered as he laid out his vision for safely, equitably and responsibly leveraging the power of AI across UCSF’...

Did you know that UCSF recently launched the first pharmacogenomics testing service in California? Starting early in May, the health care delivered to patients at UCSF Health began to be systematically informed by patient genomic data, ensuring that prescribed therapies are tailored to individuals’ unique biology.

Learn more about how we're leveraging the science of pharmacogenomics to benefit patients receiving care at UCSF:

UCSF launches first pharmacogenomics testing service in California May 2, 2023 · Health care delivered to patients at UCSF Health will be systematically informed by patient genomic data, ensuring that prescribed therapies are tailored to individuals’ unique biology.

Our remarkable faculty earn recognition for their scholarship and pioneering work in the health sciences year-round. Over the summer, School of Pharmacy faculty members Katherine Gruenberg, PharmD, MA, and Stephanie Hsia, PharmD, MA, were both named 2023 Emerging Teaching Scholars by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy - AACP.

The prestigious award, presented by the AACP Council of Faculties (COF), is designed to recognize excellence among academic pharmacy faculty who are engaged in or who are supporting scholarly teaching.

Read more about this outstanding achievement:

Gruenberg and Hsia win Emerging Teaching Scholars Award from AACP July 11, 2023 · School faculty members honored for outstanding contributions.

🏫 Applying to pharmacy school? Each program has its own important deadlines, requirements, and more. The final application deadline for UCSF is this Friday, Dec. 1. Explore the Pharmacy College Application Service (PharmCAS) directory to help you plan your application strategy.

Admissions The admissions cycle and application process for the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree program at the UCSF School of Pharmacy.