Bani Tamraz, PharmD, PhD

Associate Professor
Phone: +1 415 476-8013
521 Parnassus Avenue, Rm 3606
UCSF Box 0622
San Francisco, CA 94117
United States

Affiliations

What I do

My primary interest is identification of genetic determinants of drug response through modern methods aimed at addressing pharmacogenomics research and translating that information into new diagnostics and treatment strategies at point-of-care.

Departmental research area

My research expertise

pharmacogenetics, clinical pharmacogenetics

Professional background

Biography

My primary interest is identification of genetic determinants of drug response and translating that information into practical treatment strategies: Discovery to application. The MACS/WIHS Combined Cohort Study (MWCCS), formerly The Women’s Interagency HIV Study (WIHS) cohort, a multi-center longitudinal observational cohort, currently provides the perfect laboratory for conducting pharmacogenomics (PGx) research. I have nested several PGx studies within WIHS, providing me with the opportunity to examine how PGx factors interact with other pharmacokinetic factors to determine drug exposure and treatment outcome. In particular, my work with WIHS has enabled me to examine PGx variations associated with ethnicity which is an understudied, but high priority area of research. Besides PGx studies in HIV, I have studies in the areas of pediatric bone marrow transplant, ophthalmology and in vitro fertilization.

In addition to discovery work, I am leading projects with an overarching vision of creating the UCSF Health-School of Pharmacy service for translating known PGx findings into clinical practice. At present, I am completing CLIA-certification of a gene panel that can provide PGx guidance for the use of 42 medications in UCSF Health. Following CLIA validation, the clinical application will be launched first with lung transplant service to pre-emptively genotype patients wait listed for transplant and use PGx to guide tacrolimus dosing post- transplant. I am leading several spin off projects related to clinical application of PGx at UCSF: a cost-effectiveness analysis of PGx in transplant and development of clinical decision support (CDS) structure for delivering the PGx-based treatment recommendations to clinicians.

In summary, I have numerous active research projects, various collaborations and a growing clinical project that I am certain will produce meaningful results.

Research keywords

  • pharmacogenetics
  • membrane transporters
  • Metabolomics
  • Epigenomics
  • drug interactions
  • clinical pharmacogenetics
  • Electronic Clinical Decision Support
  • pharmacogenomics
  • Mobile Health
  • Cost Effectiveness Analysis
  • HIV Protease Inhibitors
  • Mortality
  • Pharmacogenomic Variants
  • Pharmacogenomic Testing
  • Rhabdomyolysis
  • Atazanavir Sulfate
  • Long QT Syndrome
  • Receptors, Cell Surface
  • Organic Anion Transporters
  • HIV Infections
  • Drug Monitoring
  • Hair
  • Central Nervous System Depressants
  • Pyridines
  • Methadone