Second Annual PSR Symposium Spotlights the Power of Collaboration

Postdocs, specialists, and researchers (PSRs) from across the UCSF School of Pharmacy gathered in the Wayne and Gladys Valley Center for Vision at the Mission Bay campus on June 5, 2025, for the second annual PSR Symposium, an inspiring day of scientific exchange, career insight, and community celebration hosted by the Center for Collaborative Innovation (CCI). 

The event was launched in 2024 to recognize and amplify the contributions of PSRs, who often work behind the scenes to drive UCSF’s world-class research forward, and has become a showcase of cross-disciplinary engagement and excellence. 

“Our PSRs play a foundational role in UCSF’s success as a research institution,” said Dean Kathy Giacomini, PhD, BSPharm. “This symposium highlights their essential contributions while creating a space for collaboration, mentorship, and visibility.”

Mahendra Wagle

Alumni career panel members (L to R) Wei Gordon, PhD; Serena Tamura, PhD; Stefan Gahbauer, Dr. rer. nat; and Mark Grillo, PhD

CCI Director Su Guo, PhD, a professor in the Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences (BTS), gathered participants for scientific sessions, a career panel, and a poster competition.  

Speakers in the translational/clinical session were Sudipta Ashe, PhD, a BTS postdoctoral scholar and Xiaoxiao Sun, a researcher in the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry. Speakers in the basic science session were BTS postdoc Kenneth Huang, PhD, MS; Weicheng Li, PhD; a postdoc in the Quantitative Biosciences Institute, and Ruchika Bajaj, PhD, MSc; a BTS specialist. The third session on drug discovery included Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry postdocs Jiapeng Li and Andrii Kyrylchuk, MSc, PhD; as well as School of Medicine postdocs Rohit Bhadoria, PhD, and Teena Bajaj, PhD.

Twenty posters were presented in well-attended sessions, and four prize winners were selected:  

• Postdoc Pia Campagna, PhD, who presented “Multi-Omic Mediators of Post-Menopausal Neurological Outcomes” 

• BTS researcher Bhushan Kharbikar, PhD, who presented “Bioartificial Pancreas to Treat Type 1 Diabetes” 

• BTS postdoc Priyanka Bajaj, PhD, who presented “Determining the structural bases of fusion protein oncogenesis, and 

• Department of Clinical Pharmacy postdoc Chao Wang, PhD, who presented “Cluster Analysis to Identify Biomarkers of Treatment Response Following Sirolimus Treatment for HIV Cure.” 

An alumni career panel offered PSRs perspectives and guidance on navigating career pathways in academia, industry, and beyond. 

“I’m grateful for the support and enthusiasm that made this event possible,” said Guo. “From our speakers and panelists to the incredible PSRs who shared their work, the energy was contagious. I’m already excited for what’s to come in 2026.”