Houston Daily

Arash Bashirullah has been named the next dean of the University of Houston (UH) College of Pharmacy, pending approval by the University of Houston System Board of Regents. He is expected to begin his role on January 1, 2026.

Bashirullah currently holds several positions at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy, including professor, associate dean for research and graduate education, and executive director of the Lachman Institute for Pharmaceutical Development. His achievements include being recognized as Teacher of the Year three times and being named a Kavli Fellow by the National Academy of Sciences.

He expressed enthusiasm about joining UH: “During my brief campus visit, I could feel a palpable excitement for the future and a genuine spirit of collaboration. Everyone shares a deep commitment to advancing student success and making a real impact on society. That energy and passion were infectious. It made me want to be part of this incredible community and contribute to the momentum already building at the college.”

Bashirullah’s academic work focuses on hormonal signaling regulation and intracellular lipid trafficking in relation to neurodegenerative diseases. He has published research in international journals, presented at scientific conferences globally, and serves as senior advisory editor for “Genetics,” published by the Genetics Society of America.

His educational background includes postdoctoral fellowships at both the University of Utah and Yale University, a Bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Winnipeg, and a doctorate in biology from California Institute of Technology.

“We are looking forward to Dr. Bashirullah’s arrival at the University of Houston,” said Diane Z. Chase, UH Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost. “He brings energy, expertise and experience to our College of Pharmacy. These very qualities will no doubt continue the college’s growth and strengthen its mission of producing talented, workforce-ready professionals.”

Bashirullah will succeed F. Lamar Pritchard, who has served as dean since 2009. Pritchard will stay with UH as clinical faculty.

The UH College of Pharmacy was established in 1946 as Texas’ second pharmacy school. The college offers students learning opportunities through its relationship with Texas Medical Center and resources available at UH as an urban research university.