Department of Pharmacology | UC Davis Health

Welcome to the Department of Pharmacology in the UC Davis School of Medicine. The Department comprises a dynamic group of faculty, researchers and students from diverse backgrounds undertaking investigations to reveal biological mechanisms that will ultimately lead to discovery of novel understanding of physiological and pathological mechanisms, identification of potential therapeutic targets and development of new strategies for a variety of human diseases.

The Department is led by Chair Donald Bers, Ph.D. and the Executive Advisory Group that includes Johannes W. Hell, Ph.D. (Vice-Chair for Academic Development), Crystal M. Ripplinger, Ph.D., (Vice-Chair for Research and Administration) and Heike Wulff, Ph.D. (Vice-Chair for Education). The Pharmacology Department is part of the basic biomedical sciences in the School of Medicine. The Department and its Faculty have strong connections with multiple UC Davis Graduate Groups, other Departments (in multiple colleges) and Research Centers constituting a powerful interactive high-quality research team. The faculty are also committed to excellence in teaching and service (both at UC Davis and beyond). UC Davis Pharmacology is one of the nation's top ranked pharmacology departments in federal research funding and hosts a diverse group of postdoctoral trainees and graduate students from different Graduate Groups.

Two of the strongest research areas within the department are Cardiovascular and Neuroscience at multiple levels, and in a highly collaborative environment of considerable international reputation. Along with other research areas, our work is unified by a common goal - to understand mechanistically the critical building blocks of biological systems from molecules to cells and organ systems, in health and disease, and to identify components that can be modified through pharmacology or other therapeutic strategies to cure disease. Please visit our Research Overview page and Faculty Research pages for details of ongoing work in the individual departmental laboratories.

Spotlight on Our Pharmacology Team

Department Faculty Recognized for Excellence in Teaching and Research

The Department is proud to announce that two of its faculty members have been recognized with prestigious awards from the UC Davis School of Medicine Faculty Senate, highlighting their exceptional contributions to teaching and research excellence.

Heike Wulff, Ph.D.

Heike Wulff has been honored with the Kaiser Foundation Hospitals Award, which recognizes outstanding faculty who demonstrate excellence in clinical care, teaching, and service. This distinguished award acknowledges Professor Wulff's significant contributions to medical education and patient care, reflecting her commitment to advancing healthcare through innovative teaching methods and clinical expertise. Proceeding her Kaiser Foundation Award, Wulff was presented with the Outstanding Instructor in recognition of Excellence in Teaching of the Sciences Basic to Medicine from the class of 2025 as voted on solely by the students.

Manuel Navedo, Ph.D.

Manuel F. Navedo has received the School of Medicine Research Award, recognizing his exceptional contributions to biomedical research and scientific discovery. This award celebrates Navedo's groundbreaking research achievements and his dedication to advancing knowledge in his field through innovative scientific inquiry. Professor Navedo is the second Pharmacology Faculty to receive this important recognition.

"We are incredibly proud of Professors Wulff and Navedo for receiving these well-deserved recognitions," said Professor Don Bers, Chair of the Department of Pharmacology. "Their achievements exemplify the caliber of excellence that defines our department and demonstrate our faculty's commitment to advancing both education and research in service of improving human health."

For more information please visit the UC Davis School of Medicine Faculty Senate Awards page.

Pharmacology Undergrads Present at the 36th Annual Undergraduate Research Scholarship and Creative Activities Conference

The Department is proud to recognize our Undergraduate Students who recently presented at the 36th Annual Undergraduate Research Scholarship and Creative Activities Conference. The aim of this conference is to provide undergraduate students with the opportunity to present their work in a rigorous yet supportive scientific environment.

More on the annual conference can be found HERE.

The undergraduates presenting at this symposium performed their research in the laboratory of Professor Donals M. Bers, Chair of the Department. The students were:

Leah Scholss, who did work Mapping Differential Distribution of Sodium Channel Subtypes in Cardiomyocytes (postdoc Mentor: Eve (Paeworn) Angsutararux-not pictured)

and

Catherine (Yaoyuan) Fan, who worked on The Effect of GSNO on Left Ventricular Developed Pressure (LVDP) Recovery During Ischemia/ Reperfusion in Mouse Hearts (Postdoc Mentor: Esther Asamudo-not pictured)

Annual Undergraduate Research Scholarship and Creative Activities Conference In the picture are (left to right)

Chris Ko, Ph.D. (Mentor), Leah Scholss (undergrad scholar), Catherine (Yaoyuan) Fan (undergrad scholar), and Bence Hegyi, Ph.D. (Mentor). Chris and Bence represented Professor Bers and the Department in this event.

Annual Undergraduate Research Scholarship and Creative Activities Conference