Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry

From computational chemistry to protein engineering to small-molecule discovery, UCSF School of Pharmacy startups demonstrate how a culture of excellence and entrepreneurship combine with a strong translational infrastructure.

A new dye screening process from the lab of Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry Professor Jason Gestwicki, PhD, could distinguish between different dementias more effectively and earlier in the disease process.

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.

Brian Shoichet, PhD, a nationally recognized biochemist in computational drug discovery, has been named chair of the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry in the UCSF School of Pharmacy. The appointment begins Aug. 1, 2025.

The staff awardees include individuals in many different roles and functions across the school.

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.

The school's second annual PSR Symposium brought together postdocs, specialists, and researchers for a day of scientific presentations, career discussion, and recognition hosted by the Center for Collaborative Innovation.

Recently published findings reveal how the hypoxic, or low-oxygen, environment characteristic of pancreatic cancer reshapes the proteolytic landscape of the tumor, a discovery that could translate into better diagnostic tools or treatments.

The Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences chair was honored for pioneering advances in room-temperature X-ray data collection techniques and ensemble modeling methods, which have enabled deeper understanding and engineering of proteins. He has also been a champion of collaborative,...