Welcome to the Department of Pharmacology
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
Six Outstanding Department Researchers Awarded Prestigious AHA Fellowships
From left to right: Victor Alencar Almeida, Sherif Bahriz, Woori Choi, Sophia Salbato, and Victoria Salemme
We are proud to announce that six exceptional early career researchers in our department have been awarded highly competitive American Heart Association (AHA) Fellowships, recognizing their innovative cardiovascular research and promising scientific careers.
This year's cohort of recipients represent the very high quality of our trainees, selected through AHA's rigorous evaluation process.
Pre-doctoral Fellows:
- Victor Alencar, mentored by Distinguished Professor and Chair Don Bers
- Sherif Bahriz, mentored by Professor Kevin Xiang
- Woori Choi, mentored by Professor Nipavan Chiamvimonvat and Assistant Professor Igor Vorobyov
- Sophia Salbato, mentored by Associate Professor Madeline Nieves-Cintron
- Victoria Salemme, mentored by Professor Kevin Xiang
These students are from the MCIP and Biophysics Graduate Groups.
Post-doctoral Fellow:
- Najme Khorasani, Ph.D., mentored by Professor Ele Grandi
This prestigious recognition from the American Heart Association includes substantial research funding and will support these promising scientists in their pursuit of groundbreaking cardiovascular research. Their selection reflects not only their exceptional abilities but also the department's commitment to fostering the next generation of scientific leaders.
Distinguished Professor and Chair Donald M. Bers receives prestigious honorary fellowship from The Physiological Society
Please join us in celebrating Professor Donald M Bers who has been elected an Honorary Fellow of the Physiological Society. This honor is awarded from Professor Bers’ extensive contribution to the area and advancement and physiology. Further details of this award can be viewed from here.
Bence Hegyi Receives 2025 Geneen Award
We are pleased to announce that Bence Hegyi, M.D., Ph.D. has received the 2025 Geneen Charitable Trust Award for Coronary Heart Disease Research. His grant entitled “Targeting CaMKII O-GlcNAcylation in Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction” has been awarded for a 2-year period starting January 1, 2025.
Bence is a Project Scientist in the Bers group. His research focuses on studying molecular and cellular mechanisms responsible for the development of cardiac arrhythmias in heart failure and diabetes. Congratulations, Bence on this outstanding accomplishment!
For more details on the Geneen Award, including submission dates and guidelines, please visit Health Resources in Action website.
For more News see: Department News
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