School of Pharmacy Faculty Receives 2025 Chancellor Principles of Community Awards

Ryan Hernandez, PhD, professor in the Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, has been honored with UCSF’s 2025 Chancellor Award for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Leadership — Faculty.  

The award recognizes individuals who have contributed significantly to efforts that empower UCSF’s excellence, expanding belonging in their respective fields and in the communities they serve. 

A population geneticist, Hernandez studies patterns of human genetic variation across global populations to better understand disease susceptibility and drug response. His research integrates evolutionary theory to move beyond social constructs of race and ethnicity, revealing how humanity’s shared continuum shapes health outcomes. 

“One of my ultimate goals is to be able to remake scientific leadership across the world,” said Hernandez. “Supporting trainees from the very first stages of exposure to research through their graduate career and into their facultyhood...will have benefits for a broader range of people, that will really support all of us and improve health worldwide” 

Beyond his research, Hernandez co-directs UCSF’s PhD Degree Program in Biological and Medical Informatics (BMI), and co-founded the UCSF Post-baccalaureate Research Opportunity to Promote Equity in Learning (PROPEL), which prepares research technicians for academic careers. He also has received funding to establish a National Institutes of Health Post-baccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP) at UCSF, further expanding opportunities for aspiring scientists.

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Watch a UCSF video about Ryan Hernandez's work