News

The staff awardees include individuals in many different roles and functions across the school.

Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences Professor Tanja Kortemme, PhD, offers insight into how federally-funded research has America on the cusp of a new dawn in pharmaceuticals, offering hope for curing the most heartbreaking diseases.

Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences Professor Joanne Chun, PharmD ’93, PhD ’96 leads the MS in AICD3 program — the first of its kind in the nation focused on AI’s transformation of drug discovery and development. Learn more about how AI-based research benefit patients and how the program is developing leaders who can think across disciplines.

Muhammad Baluom, PhD, an executive director of clinical pharmacology at Eli Lilly and Company, reflects on his journey from becoming a pharmacist in Jerusalem to pursuing postdoctoral studies in the lab of the legendary Leslie Benet, PhD, and to leading the clinical pharmacology programs behind several approved drugs.

The school's second annual PSR Symposium brought together postdocs, specialists, and researchers for a day of scientific presentations, career discussion, and recognition hosted by the Center for Collaborative Innovation.

The latest publication from the lab of Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences professor and Vice Dean of Research Tanja Kortemme, PhD, along with a $1.4 million award from the National Science Foundation, recognizes major possibilities and support for her vision of integrating AI and molecular design to advance health and sustainability.

The Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences chair was honored for pioneering advances in room-temperature X-ray data collection techniques and ensemble modeling methods, which have enabled deeper understanding and engineering of proteins. He has also been a champion of collaborative, project-based learning and has advocated for greater accessibility in scientific publishing. 

Powerful drug candidates perform better than Paxlovid against SARS-CoV-2 and could head off future coronavirus pandemics. The research, from a team at UCSF and Gladstone Institutes that includes School of Pharmacy researchers, has stalled since the grant was cut.

The Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences professor will lead a new global research initiative with Freie Universität Berlin, establishing a Berlin-based lab to advancing cross-border collaboration and innovation in structural biology, infectious disease and therapeutic discovery.

Led by Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences Assistant Professor Willow Coyote-Maestas, PhD, MS, and presented by the school’s Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI), the symposium — which is open to all — aims to build a thriving community for Native and Indigenous scientists in academia.

Eleven innovative projects with the potential to further the mission of the UCSF School of Pharmacy in new ways will garner a financial boost from the 2025 Mary Anne Koda-Kimble Seed Award for Innovation.

The school’s vice dean of research received the award at an annual event that fosters scientific exchange among experts in biochemistry and molecular biology, where she delivered a lecture that delved into her work on the creation of novel proteins and their applications in engineering molecular and cellular functions.

The QBI Coronavirus Research Group (QCRG) fast-tracked antiviral drug discovery by partnering with scientists around the globe and around the clock, deepening understanding of how viruses attack cells and shaping the future of pandemic preparedness.

UCSF School of Pharmacy experts share their perspectives on the lessons learned from the pandemic and the evolving role of pharmacy in strengthening public health, advancing scientific discovery and preparing for future global challenges.

Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences professor Nadav Ahituv is part of a team of researchers using the gene editing technology CRISPR to deprive tumors of nutrition.

Here are some of the standout moments from 2024 that drove our commitment to leadership in research, education, patient care, and innovation, all aimed at expanding knowledge and enhancing health worldwide.

The recognition of Krogan, Shoichet, Manglik, and Giacomini underscores the school’s commitment to fostering groundbreaking research that addresses critical issues in health care and pharmaceutical sciences.

The first program of its kind in the United States, the MS in AICD3 is enabling its graduates to gain a competitive edge for some of the most desirable jobs in the biopharmaceutical industry and in academia.