Year in Review: Top 5 Milestones of 2024

Bringing with it new discoveries, new opportunities and even a new graduate degree program with AI at the forefront, 2024 was a year of innovation and continued excellence at the UCSF School of Pharmacy. 

Here are just a few of the many highlights that advanced our mission of leadership in research, education, clinical care and entrepreneurship — expanding knowledge and improving the health of people everywhere:

School of Pharmacy Leads in NIH Funding for the 44th Straight Year

In 2023, and for the 44th consecutive year, the UCSF School of Pharmacy received more research funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) than any other pharmacy school in the country. School researchers netted $36,769,061 million to fuel their efforts spanning drug discovery, bioengineering, pharmacokinetics, clinical pharmacy and more. 

UCSF School of Pharmacy Leads $30M Award to Speed Drug Development with AI

James Fraser, PhD, who chairs the Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences (BTS) in the UCSF Schools of Pharmacy and Medicine, is leading a multidisciplinary team that will receive up to $30 million in federal funding to identify what he calls “anti-targets,” the sites on proteins that drugs should avoid, to prevent side effects before drugs go to clinical trials.

New Master of Science Program is Leading Transformational Change in Drug Discovery and Drug Development

The school’s innovative new Master of Science (MS) graduate degree program in the rapidly evolving field of Artificial Intelligence and Computational Drug Discovery and Development (AICD3) — the first of its kind in the United States — welcomed its inaugural cohort in fall 2024. 

New Pathway Programs Funded by the California Health Care Foundation

Two new programs are being developed to expose possibilities and opportunities for applicants to pharmacy school in California’s central San Joaquin Valley, thanks to funding from the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF). 

UCSF Health Opens New Outpatient Pharmacies in San Francisco

Building on UCSF’s legacy of innovation in clinical pharmacy, UCSF Health is opening retail pharmacies at its Mission Bay and Parnassus campuses to complement the health system’s suite of comprehensive and accessible health services.