UCSF School of Pharmacy

10/26/2026

Nature has had billions of years to evolve proteins that keep our bodies running. Now, UCSF School of Pharmacy researchers are finding ways to design new ones.

William DeGrado, PhD, James Fraser, PhD, and Tanja Kortemme, PhD, are combining AI and experimental techniques to engineer proteins with capabilities that go beyond what nature has produced — from artificial enzymes that catalyze chemical reactions to molecules that switch on and off in response to biological signals.

Their work is advancing our understanding of how proteins move, function, and interact, opening new possibilities for designing medicines that act more precisely and tackle disease in new ways.

🔗 Explore how these researchers are helping shape the future of protein design and medicine: https://pharmacy.ucsf.edu/news/2026/10/our-future-medicines-will-toggle-hinge-and-slide

10/20/2026

Why do the same medications work well for some people but cause serious side effects in others? Genetics can help explain the difference.

At the UCSF School of Pharmacy, Akinyemi Oni-Orisan, PharmD, PhD, a professor in the Department of Clinical Pharmacy, is advancing pharmacogenetics, the study of how genetic differences influence the way people respond to medications. By helping clinicians use genetic information to guide prescribing decisions, his work aims to reduce harmful side effects, avoid ineffective treatments, and get patients the right drug at the right dose.

He’s also working to ensure these advances benefit everyone, tracking who receives genetic testing and how it influences treatment across racial, ethnic, income, and insurance groups.

Read more about how Oni-Orisan is helping make personalized medicine more effective and equitable. https://pharmacy.ucsf.edu/news/2026/10/the-right-drug-the-first-time

10/19/2026

Four years after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids for adults with mild-to-moderate hearing loss, consumers still face a complicated process to find the right device.

In a new JAMA Viewpoint, Kathryn Phillips, PhD, professor in the UCSF School of Pharmacy’s Department of Clinical Pharmacy, and christine cassel, MD, professor of medicine, outline the hurdles: sorting through dozens of products, determining which devices are registered or cleared by the FDA, navigating insurance coverage, and finding professional help to select and set up a device.

Their research proposes practical policy changes to make it easier for consumers to choose and use OTC hearing aids, including better access to hearing test results, professional consultations, and insurance coverage that includes OTC devices.

Read more: https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2026/10/432841/why-its-still-hard-get-right-over-counter-hearing-aid

10/16/2026

What if cancer drugs could get a stronger grip on their targets — and leave more of the rest of the body alone?

In a new study published in Nature, UCSF researchers Kevin Lou and Jack W. Stevenson explore a promising approach to more precise drug design: bitopic inhibitors, molecules designed to bind to two sites on the same protein instead of just one.

Building on earlier research from UCSF’s Kevan Shokat lab, the team extended the two-site approach to cancer targets ABL1 and EGFR, developing design principles that could help researchers create these molecules for additional targets.

The idea is simple: Like a rock climber using two hands instead of one, a molecule that binds at two sites may hold onto its target more tightly and selectively. The hope is that greater potency and selectivity will ultimately translate into more effective and safer therapies for patients.

Read our Q&A with Kevin Lou to learn how this approach works and where it could lead.

🔗 https://qbi.ucsf.edu/qbi-highlights/nature-stevenson-lou-2026

Illustration Explanation: Created by co-first author Jack W. Stevenson, the illustration above depicts ABL1 bound by a bitopic inhibitor and highlights the dynamic linker connecting its two component ligands.

10/15/2026

What if cancer drugs could get a stronger grip on their targets — and leave more of the rest of the body alone?

In a new study published in Nature, UCSF researchers Kevin Lou and Jack W. Stevenson explore a promising approach to more precise drug design: bitopic inhibitors, molecules designed to bind to two sites on the same protein instead of just one.

Building on earlier research from UCSF’s Kevan Shokat lab, the team extended the two-site approach to cancer targets ABL1 and EGFR, developing design principles that could help researchers create these molecules for additional targets.

The idea is simple: Like a rock climber using two hands instead of one, a molecule that binds at two sites may hold onto its target more tightly and selectively. The hope is that greater potency and selectivity will ultimately translate into more effective and safer therapies for patients.

Read our Q&A with Kevin Lou to learn how this approach works and where it could lead.

🔗 https://qbi.ucsf.edu/qbi-highlights/nature-stevenson-lou-2026

10/12/2026

Hot flashes, night sweats, and disrupted sleep can make menopause challenging. But when it comes to dietary supplements and alternative therapies, what actually helps?

Candy Tsourounis, PharmD, professor in the Department of Clinical Pharmacy, discusses what the evidence says about supplements for menopause symptoms, what to know about products marketed as “natural” or “hormone balancing,” and why it’s important to consider your medical and genetic history before trying something new.

Her advice goes beyond supplements: Women deserve to have their menopause concerns taken seriously and to find care that’s right for them.

Read our Q&A: https://pharmacy.ucsf.edu/news/2026/10/qa-dietary-supplements-and-alternative-therapies-for-menopause

10/07/2026

What happens when immune cells steal proteins from other cells — and put them to work?

UCSF School of Pharmacy researcher Balyn Zaro, PhD, is investigating that surprising question, with potential implications for understanding and treating cancer.

Zaro, an associate professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, has discovered that macrophages — immune cells that normally help the body identify and remove threats — can acquire proteins from other cells and use them in meaningful ways. The finding challenges a long-standing assumption that a cell’s proteins are determined by its own gene expression.

Now, Zaro has been named a 2026 National Institutes of Health (NIH) New Innovator, earning more than $2 million over five years through the NIH Common Fund’s High-Risk, High-Reward Research program.

Zaro will use the funding to investigate whether this unusual form of protein acquisition helps macrophages become allies to tumors, and whether that process could ultimately be reversed.

It’s the kind of high-risk, high-reward research that can open new directions in our understanding of disease — and potentially point toward new therapeutic strategies.

Read more about Zaro’s research and the NIH New Innovator award: https://pharmacy.ucsf.edu/news/2026/10/balyn-zaro-named-nih-new-innovator

10/06/2026

Please join us at the inaugural 2026 Advancing Precision Pharmacology for Maternal and Child Health Symposium, taking place November 12–13 at UCSF, with virtual attendance also available.

The symposium will bring together experts across maternal and child health, pharmacology, precision medicine, translational science, and implementation science to address an important challenge: improving the evidence needed to provide safe, effective, and individualized pharmacotherapy for pregnant women, fetuses, and children.

Registration is now open:

https://pharm.ucsf.edu/maternal-child-pharmacology-series/registration

10/05/2026

Last month, the UCSF Biophysics Graduate Program marked its 40th anniversary with a two-day symposium on Sept. 17–18. About 125 students,faculty, emeritus faculty, staff, and alumni gathered for an “early years” panel with founding program members, a poster session, fifth-year talks, a keynote lecture from founding program director Irwin “Tack” K***z, and a career panel with alumni. Here’s to 40 more years of biophysical research!

10/01/2026

Registration is open for the UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Health course, "What Should I Take? Making Informed Choices About Dietary Supplements and Herbal Medicine."

This 4-week course, taught by faculty members Candy Tsourounis and Cathi Dennehey from the UCSF School of Pharmacy's Department of Clinical Pharmacy, will review evidence-based information on the effectiveness and potential risks for supplements and herbals commonly used for longevity, heart health, bone health, and other uses.