Ryan Hernandez, PhD

Co-Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity, and In­clu­sion
Professor
hernandez
Phone: +1 415 514-9813
Fax: +1 415 514-4231
600 16th Street, Rm N472F
UCSF Box 2530
San Francisco, CA 94158
United States

What I do

Along with Stephanie Hsia, PharmD, MEd, and Sharon L. Youmans, PharmD, MPH, I lead the School’s various initiatives for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), with an emphasis on unifying the DEI efforts of community members and smaller units within the School.

I am a professor studying patterns of human genetic variation from global populations using large-scale whole genome sequencing data in order to understand genetic susceptibility to disease and drug response.

My research expertise

population genetics, computational biology

Professional background

Biography

Dr. Ryan Hernandez co-leads the Torgerson-Hernandez Lab (THeLab) along with Dr. Dara Torgerson at UCSF. THeLab is a highly collaborative group that uses machine learning and artificial intelligence to unravel the complex interplay of how genes and the environment contribute to complex traits across the continuum of human populations. Our work is centered on the importance of involving diverse populations, empowering us to pave the way toward innovative, equitable advancements in human health.

Dr. Hernandez also serves as:
(1) Co-Lead of UCSF's Advancing the Research Careers of Historically Excluded Scholars (ARCHES) Program, an initiative focused on supporting and advancing the career development of historically excluded research faculty, where he focuses on the development of community and scientific networks.
(2) Co-Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the School of Pharmacy
(3) Co-Director of the Biological and Medical Informatics (BMI) graduate program
(4) Co-Director of the Post-baccalaureate Research Opportunities to Promote Equity in Learning (PROPEL) and NIH-funded Post-baccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP).
(5) Director of the Genentech-UCSF School of Pharmacy PhD Student Diversity Fellowship Program.

Research keywords

  • Population genetics
  • human evolution
  • statistical genetics/genomics
  • population structure and admixture
  • computational biology and bioinformatics
  • evolutionary genomics
  • Human Genome
  • Multifactorial Inheritance
  • Ankle
  • Isometric Contraction
  • Demography
  • Genetics, Population
  • Molecular Evolution
  • Mexican Americans
  • Models, Genetic
  • Selection, Genetic
  • Genetic Variation
  • Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
  • Homozygote
  • Pan troglodytes
  • Genome-Wide Association Study