UCSF Fresno’s success and growth are a direct result of the dedication and inspiration of our faculty, staff, residents, fellows, students, alumni, partners, donors and friends. In each issue of Focus, we introduce you to the people who contribute to the greatness of UCSF Fresno through informal interviews.
In this issue, we feature Jose M. Barral Sanchez, MD, PhD, Vice Dean for the UCSF School of Medicine Regional Campus in Fresno.
Dr. Barral Sanchez joined UCSF on May 1, 2025, from the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine (KPSOM), where he served as the inaugural Chair of Biomedical Science and founding Co-Director of the MD-PhD Program with Caltech since 2018. He previously held leadership roles at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, including Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Vice Chair of Neuroscience, Cell Biology & Anatomy.
What is your hometown? Where did you go to medical school? Do you have additional training or education?
I was born and raised in San Luis Potosi, San Luis Potosi, Mexico. It is a beautiful city located in the heart of the Mexican high plateau, where I went to high school. Then, I went to Monterrey, Mexico, for medical school at the “Tec de Monterrey”. After that, I obtained a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, and then pursued post-doctoral training at the Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry in Martinsried, Germany.
Why did you choose UCSF Fresno and why did the Vice Dean position appeal to you?
I chose UCSF Fresno because of the people and the opportunity to have a broader impact on the community. The fact that UCSF School of Medicine Dean Talmadge E. King, Jr., MD, elevated this leadership position to Vice Dean reflects UCSF’s commitment to the Central Valley and allows our educational program here in Fresno to have representation at the Dean’s Cabinet. As a Vice Dean, I can consistently advocate for Fresno and the Central Valley at the highest levels of leadership in the UCSF School of Medicine. We have a lot to offer in terms of education, patient care, and research opportunities to the wider academic community, including UCSF.
What has your experience been like at UCSF Fresno so far?
I have been consistently impressed by the degree of talent and commitment I have observed in trainees, faculty, staff, and leadership here in Fresno. People take time to learn about each other, and they genuinely care about each other. I feel extremely welcomed by the community.
You have been involved in teaching learners in your previous roles. What plans do you have for getting involved in teaching at UCSF Fresno?
I’ll teach anything our clerkship and program directors want me to teach! In all seriousness, I feel that teaching really energizes me, and I have taught a wide variety of subjects. I particularly enjoy teaching anatomy, neuroscience, and biochemistry. So, if anyone needs me to teach anything related to the autonomic nervous system, I am your guy.
You've only been on the job since May 1. What are the most challenging and rewarding aspects of your job so far?
Understanding the subtilities and the details of the affiliations that sustain our educational programs here in Fresno represents a learning curve for me. The most rewarding aspect so far has been the realization that all these players work together collaboratively for the benefit of our trainees and are aligned on the same goal: increasing the number and quality of health care providers in the Central Valley.
What is at the top of your professional to-do list right now? What is at the top of your personal to-do list?
Professionally, I need to keep listening to the needs and aspirations of our community. And we need to appoint a Chief Administrative Officer who will help us increase and strengthen collaborations to solidify our projects. These include increasing our research footprint, growing our graduate medical education capacity, and moving forward efforts to open a UC medical school in the San Joaquin Valley.
Personally, my main project is to move out of temporary housing and find a permanent home here in Fresno!
If they were to make a movie about your life, what actor would you cast to play your role? And why?
It could be Gael Garcia Bernal, because he has a very thick Mexican accent!
