My work considers the activities of industries implicated in the spread of non-communicable diseases, including tobacco, pharmaceuticals, cannabis, alcohol, and food. Some recent work has identified tobacco cessation strategies for vulnerable populations, sought to understand the scope of tobacco and cannabis co-use, assessed the spread of laws addressing new tobacco and cannabis delivery systems, and identified the extent of pharmacist prescribing. My work has been published in journals in multiple disciplines, including law, medicine, pharmacy, political science, public health, and public policy. I’ve been an instructor and research mentor in the UCSF School of Pharmacy since 2004.
My research focuses on the development of drug-like molecules that alter important biological processes. These molecules will help us understand human biology and may lead to the design of new drugs. I also chair the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry. Details: Administration.
I am a clinical scientist and professor. My primary areas of interest include the pharmacology of drugs for HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis. I direct a laboratory, Drug Research Unit, that supports this research and the research of other UCSF investigators and researchers at other national and international institutions. I am also involved in the doctor of pharmacy degree program; I serve as codirector of the Inquiry component for our School’s newest curriculum and cochair the pharmaceutical sciences pathway. I also mentor students interested in pharmacology or international research.
My clinical work is focused on HIV adherence, ambulatory care services, and health-care delivery systems, particularly within community health centers. As the North Bay experiential program director and AIDS Education and Training Center faculty member, I am also interested in developing effective education and teaching strategies for developing clinical practice skills. These include motivational interviewing, adult learning theory, and interactive skill building workshops.
I seek to understand, at the systems level, how biological networks within cancer cells are fundamentally different from those in normal cells. Using a variety of experimental techniques, I design new platforms for the rational application of personalized medicine and the design of combination cancer therapies.
In my role as administrative assistant, I provide administrative support to Michelle Arkin, PhD, Adam Renslo, PhD, the Small Molecule Discovery Center (SMDC), and the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry finance unit.
I manage the Biological and Medical Informatics (BMI) Graduate Program as well as the Designated Emphasis in Complex Biological Systems (CBS) which supports multiple programs. I manage all aspects of the BMI program including admissions and recruitment, funding, grants, events, curriculum, and student advising.
My research interests focus on the development of state of the art methodologies in mass spectrometry for use in advancing our global knowledge of human biology, specifically the dynamic, epigenetic modulation and regulation of the proteome.
As finance and budget analyst in the Finance Team in the Office of Administration, I provide financial, budget, and business analysis support to the Dean’s Office, which includes the Office of Student Affairs and the Integrated Core Team. I assist in fiscal oversight of funding for the Dean’s Office, including preparation and analysis of monthly budget status reports, ledger verification of transactions, and analysis and projections of revenue and expenditures.