Department scientists engineer solutions to a broad range of major biomedical challenges.

The human genome is a sequence of about 3 billion nucleotide base pairs that comprise a person’s DNA, the body’s design and operating instructions.

Department scientists apply computational algorithms and bioinformatics to discover and analyze new targets and new sources for drug therapies, as well as to precisely engineer molecular interventions in biological systems.

Drug development must account for not just how a therapeutic molecule will effect its disease target, but how the body will handle the drug, that is, how it will absorb, distribute, metabolize, and excrete it (i.e., drug disposition).

Chemical biologists work at the interface of chemistry and biology to create and apply chemical tools and approaches to answer key questions about biological functions.

Computational chemists develop and apply computer programs to answer key questions in biochemistry. They model, predict, visualize, and analyze the structures, functions, and interactions of biologically important molecules.

Physical biologists develop, improve, and apply techniques for determining the constantly changing chemical structures, shapes, locations, interactions, and quantities of molecules involved in vital biological processes.

Protein engineers alter, design, and synthesize protein molecules for new and specialized uses, both to explore biology and to exploit new therapeutic opportunities.

A national research project with a goal to create a small, surgically implanted, and free-standing bioartificial kidney to treat kidney failure. Co-directors: Shuvo Roy, PhD, and William Fissell, MD.

Fosters collaborations across the biomedical and the physical sciences, seeking quantitative methods to address pressing problems in biology and biomedicine. Director: Nevan Krogan, PhD.

Working together to improve the development and approval of effective medical products. A collaboration between UCSF, Stanford, and the FDA. Co-directors: Kathy Giacomini, PhD, and Russ Altman, MD, PhD.

Facilitates clinical and translational research to improve patient and community health. We do this by providing infrastructure, services, and training to enable research to be conducted more efficiently and effectively, and in new ways.

California’s fast, free, and confidential telehealth provider for poison information, advice, and treatment rec­ommendations. Executive Director: Thomas Kearney, PharmD.

Through stunning advances in genomic research, it is now possible to tailor healthcare to patients based on their unique genetic make-up. Precision medicine holds extraordinary potential to improve health and healthcare. Director: Kathryn Phillips, PhD.

Aims to meet the needs of patients, caregivers, health care systems, and industry to determine the best use of pharmaceutical care resources in the management of disease in the current health care environment of scarce resources. Director: Leslie Wilson, PhD.

Established in 2007, the MOC is a leader in providing research and services that center around assessing the value of medications and medication-related health care interventions. Director: Rosa Rodriguez-Monguio, PhD, MS.

Our state-of-the-art nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) facilities enable researchers to study molecular structures, interactions with binding partners, and dynamics of small organic molecules and biomacromolecules (proteins, nucleic acids, and carbohydrates), providing groundbreaking insights into the biological processes that underpin health and disease. Director: John Gross, PhD, Associate Director: Mark Kelly, PhD.

Aids in developing devices that are created specifically for the benefit of children, rather than scaled-down versions of adult medical devices. Director: Michael Harrison, MD, Principal Investigator: Shuvo Roy, PhD.

Established in 1970, RBVI and its precursor, the Computer Graphics Laboratory (CGL), develops cutting-edge interactive software tools and advanced web-based computational resources that provide integrated visualizations and analyses of molecular structures and related non-structural biological information. Director: Thomas Ferrin, PhD, Executive Director: John “Scooter” Morris, PhD.

SMDC collaborates with academics, government labs, and pharmaceutical companies to develop unique chemical probes and drug leads that address unmet medical needs. Director: James Wells, PhD, Associate Director, Biology: Michelle Arkin, PhD, Associate Director, Chemistry: Adam Renslo, PhD.