UCI School of Medicine Recognizes Black History Month: Yannick Fotio, PharmD, PhD

One shining example is Yannick Fotio, PharmD, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow working in Dr. Piomelli’s lab in the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology.

Born in rural Cameroon, Dr. Fotio received a presidential fellowship to attend college in his native country and eventually obtained an additional government fellowship to pursue graduate studies in Italy.

Dr. Fotio’s publication in Science Advances in 2021 was the first in the history of medicine to reveal a specific molecular mechanism that controls the transition from acute to chronic pain.

This discovery led to Dr. Fotio’s first patent application, and even recognition from the director of the NIH. Amongst a long list of accolades, his colleagues have also specifically highlighted Dr. Fotio’s work on opioid tolerance — a project directly relevant to endemic public health issues in his home country in West Africa.