Research in the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry focuses on understanding fundamental biochemical mechanisms underlying health and disease, which are key to developing new and more effective diagnostics and medications. See all of our research areas.
Chemical biologists create chemical tools and methods to probe and dissect biological systems. This work provides insights crucial to the medicinal chemists’ rational design of small molecule drugs to alter the activity of these pathways, resulting in potential therapeutic benefit.
Researchers in this area use computer programs to model, predict, visualize, and analyze the structures, functions, and interactions of biologically important molecules. These include proteins and potential small molecule drugs and the cellular networks they engage.
Department physical biologists develop and apply techniques to identify, quantify, and visualize biologically relevant molecules.
Protein engineers alter, design, and synthesize protein molecules to understand and generate new functions, to monitor biological processes, and to provide new therapies. Department cellular engineers generate tissues with specific cell types to study intercellular and tissue-to-cell signaling in health and disease.
200+
Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry researchers published over 200 papers in 2024, spanning topics such as drug discovery and proteomics. Visit our curated list of recently published papers.
46th year
In 2025, and for the 46th consecutive year, the UCSF School of Pharmacy received more research funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) than any other pharmacy school.
150+
Our patents underscore a culture of innovation — turning fundamental discoveries into impactful, first‑in‑class solutions that deliver true novelty and real‑world impact.
Through our research, we facilitate access to shared services and facilities across the campus, playing a vital role in providing resources and support to the broader scientific community. See all of our research services and facilities.
Resource for Biocomputing, Visualization, and Informatics
Education
UCSF School of Pharmacy researchers Michelle Arkin, PhD, and Adam Renslo, PhD, pursued an unconventional strategy to target an unexpected part of KRAS, a protein that drives many cancers and has long challenged drug developers.
The proteins that run our bodies have been shaped by 4 billion years of messy trial and error. Now, using AI, scientists William DeGrado, PhD, James Fraser, PhD, and Tanja Kortemme, PhD, are designing efficient and creative new versions of these molecules to intervene when our natural processes fall short.
Balyn Zaro, PhD, an associate professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, is one of four UCSF faculty members named to the 2026 class of NIH New Innovators, part of the NIH Common Fund’s High-Risk, High-Reward Research program.