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At the UCSF School of Pharmacy’s annual Vaccinate the Dean event, Dean Kathy Giacomini, PhD, BSPharm, rolled up her sleeve to receive her flu vaccine from a student pharmacist — a tradition that puts the profession’s role in protecting community health into practice.
Steven Parella, PharmD ’19, is a clinical pain pharmacist with Kaiser Permanente in Roseville, CA. He manages the Opioid Safety Tapering Program, conducting telephone consultations with patients taking high-dose opioids and gradually tapering their medications while introducing non-opioid treatments for additional pain relief. He also provides coverage for a hospice clinic one day a week.
The new PharmD-Master of Science in Clinical Research (MSCR), PharmD-Master of Public Health (MPH), and integrated PharmD-PhD programs are the latest examples of the school’s commitment to educational innovation — and to preparing pharmacists for the many ways they can contribute to health care.
When Rhea Misra, PharmD ’26, began pharmacy school, she had a plan: choose one path and follow it. Three years later, she’s beginning her career in pharmaceutical marketing.
Surrounded by family, friends, faculty, alumni, and supporters, 129 members of the UCSF School of Pharmacy PharmD Class of 2029 took the stage at San Francisco's Herbst Theatre on July 17, 2026, to receive the white coats that symbolize their entrance into the pharmacy profession.
Brian Komoto has become an innovative and influential pharmacy leader, growing what began as a four-employee community pharmacy into Komoto Healthcare which employs 180 people across five companies dedicated to helping underserved communities across California.
For many aspiring pharmacists, the path to a PharmD begins with a moment of realization: They need more time, more preparation, or more confidence before taking the next step. For Jay Samson, PharmD ’26, Mariah Foley, PharmD ’21, RPh, and Sara Shaikh, PharmD ’21, that turning point was the UCSF School of Pharmacy’s Post-Baccalaureate Program.
On May 19, the UCSF School of Pharmacy celebrated 118 new pharmacists at San Francisco’s Davies Symphony Hall, honoring a class defined by perseverance, leadership, and a commitment to advancing patient care across every corner of the profession.
Scholarships play a vital role in supporting PharmD students, helping to remove financial barriers so students can flourish in their academic journeys and in their professional goals after graduation. See this year's list of scholarship recipients.
Leslie Benet, PhD ’65, professor emeritus in the UCSF School of Pharmacy Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, spent 61 years reshaping how medicines are dosed worldwide and mentoring budding scholars. Yet in a career marked by nearly every major award in pharmaceutical science, he's most excited about what he's doing today.
Dallon Barfield, PharmD candidate in the Class of 2026, was working in his family’s construction business while taking classes when a visiting emergency department pharmacist at Sonoma State University changed his trajectory. What had been a general interest in medicine became a clear career path that many pharmacy students never consider: the Indian Health Service (IHS).
For Liseli Mulala, RPh, PhD, MPH, being a preceptor is more than teaching clinical skills. It’s about shaping how future pharmacists see and serve their patients.
The UCSF School of Pharmacy and its PharmD program have again earned top honors, ranking No. 1 in the West and No. 2 nationwide in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 list of best pharmacy schools.
A team of experts, including Tram Cat, PharmD, BCPS, associate dean of student affairs at the UCSF School of Pharmacy, has developed “The Preceptors’ Toolkit for Working with Struggling Pharmacy Students” — published in the international, peer-reviewed, open-access journal Pharmacy — that offers a structured path forward for supporting underperforming learners while upholding professional standards.
Researchers at UC San Francisco have discovered that the SRC enzyme appears like a flag on the surface of bladder, colorectal, breast, pancreatic, and probably many other tumor cells.
Professors William DeGrado, PhD, and Tanja Kortemme, PhD, have landed three out of five inaugural awards given by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) that aim to strengthen the bioeconomy by translating advances in AI into real-world biotechnologies that support domestic manufacturing, sustainable materials, and resilient supply chains.
From designing smarter tuberculosis treatments to engineering new therapeutic proteins and decoding the genetic basis of disease, research at the UCSF School of Pharmacy is improving patient care and advancing medicine worldwide.
Jennifer Cocohoba, PharmD ’01, MAS, professor in the school’s Department of Clinical Pharmacy, has been selected to deliver the Last Lecture, an annual tradition in which UCSF students elect one faculty member to answer the question: “If you have but one lecture to give, what would you say?”
Sharon Youmans, PharmD ’85, MPH, executive vice dean and professor in the Department of Clinical Pharmacy, has been named to the California Pharmacists Association (CPhA) Hall of Fame, while alum and volunteer faculty member Maria Lopez, PharmD ’01, has been selected as CPhA’s 2026 Pharmacist of the Year.
Having spent nearly 27 years overseeing pharmacy services for John Muir Health before retiring as chief pharmacy officer, Martin Iyoya, PharmD ’83, offers a strategic perspective on how pharmacists have become essential members of health care teams.
Every year, the UCSF School of Pharmacy welcomes a new class of learners whose paths into the profession reflect the changing landscape of pharmacy. Among the Class of 2028 are a handful of "nontraditional" students who returned to school to pursue a PharmD degree after established careers.
As a U.S. Navy veteran, first-generation college student, and third-year PharmD student, Phuong Phan sees a throughline of service driving her desire to combine the discipline she learned in the military with her passion for science and patient care.
Yemeni American second-year PharmD candidate Selma Alamari overcame her parents’ initial hesitation about her decision to pursue a career in health care. Now they’ve become not just supporters, but advocates as she pursues her passions for improving diabetes care and advancing health equity.
Our first-in-the-West free PharmTech to PharmD Pathway Program puts pharmacy technicians on the road to become pharmacists.