News

Group shot of PSR Symposium 2026 attendees

Suzan Revah

PSR Symposium Brings UCSF Researchers Together to Collaborate, Innovate, and Advance Science

Postdoctoral scholars, specialists, and researchers (PSRs) from across the UCSF School of Pharmacy gathered at the Wayne and Gladys Valley Center for Vision on the Mission Bay campus on June 24, 2026, for the third annual PSR Symposium, an inspiring day of scientific exchange, career development, and community building hosted by the Center for Collaborative Innovation (CCI).

lung cancer cells before treatment

Levi Gadye

This is How to Beat the Tumor Cells That Survive Cancer Therapy

Researchers in the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry’s Altschuler-Wu Lab have developed a robotic platform capable of tracking and testing thousands of miniature tumors simultaneously, revealing shared weaknesses that could be exploited by future cancer therapies.

Illustration of a woman with pixelated parts of her head floating away

Suzan Revah

Rethinking Dementia: Uncovering New Paths to Diagnosis and Treatment

No single discovery is likely to cure Alzheimer's and related dementias, but Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry Professors Charles Craik and Jason Gestwicki are making progress on multiple fronts, from detecting disease earlier to developing therapies that target the biological processes driving neurodegeneration.

SLAC protein illustration

Fraser, DeGrado Pioneer Method to Rapidly Design Proteins

A UCSF research team led by Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences Chair and Professor James Fraser, PhD and Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry Professor William DeGrado, PhD, has pioneered a breakthrough approach to designing proteins with targeted functions, which could lead to simpler ways to improve enzymes and medications, among other uses, according to a new study published in Nature Chemistry. 

Michelle Arkin, PhD

Suzan Revah

Michelle Arkin Elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Michelle Arkin, PhD, professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the UCSF School of Pharmacy, has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the nation’s oldest and most influential learned societies.

headshot of Michelle Arkin in a black blazer

Katherine Tam

Michelle Arkin Inducted into AIMBE College of Fellows

Michelle Arkin, PhD, professor in the UCSF School of Pharmacy’s Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and a globally recognized scientist in drug discovery, has been inducted into the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE)’s College of Fellows — one of the highest professional honors in the field.

two researchers in a wet lab

UCSF School of Pharmacy Editorial Staff

Aashish Manglik Awarded Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise

Aashish Manglik, MD, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, has been awarded the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in recognition of his transformative work in cellular signaling.

Three side by side headshots of three researchers

Katherine Tam

School of Pharmacy Faculty Among 2025 Highly Cited Researchers

Three faculty members — John Irwin, PhD, Aashish Manglik, MD, PhD, and Brian Shoichet, PhD — are named in Clarivate’s 2025 list of Highly Cited Researchers, recognizing their scholarly impact and influence in their fields.

UCSF and School of Pharmacy communications

Renslo Boosts Search for New Malaria Drugs

Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry Professor Adam Renslo, PhD, is part of a team of UCSF chemists that has remodeled the structures of new malaria drugs to make them more soluble — while maintaining their effectiveness against drug-resistant parasites.

UCSF Magazine

The Quest to Reinvent Anesthesia

Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry Professors Brian Shoichet, PhD ’91, and Jason Sello, PhD, are leading a collaborative research project to scour millions of compounds — with help from tiny zebrafish — to create anesthetics safe enough to use without an anesthesiologist.