Founding Dean and Chief Academic Officer, Professor of Pharmacy, PCOM School of Pharmacy
Dr. Okamoto received his BS degree in Biology from the University of California, Los Angeles and his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Southern California. He completed a one-year residency in general medicine at the Los Angeles County / USC Medical Center. He served the next three years in two post-doctoral fellowship programs in pharmacokinetics and pharmacoeconomics of infectious diseases at the same institution. After completion of his second fellowship, he served as a Clinical Pharmaceutical Scientist at Kaiser Permanente conducting clinical, pharmacoeconomic and outcomes research projects. He joined PHI Healthcare Inc. as Corporate Director of Clinical Affairs overseeing a number of clinical pharmacy programs at over 20 medical centers. Dr. Okamoto was a faculty member at Western University of Health Sciences ultimately becoming the Associate Dean for Assessment, Associate Dean for Teaching Effectiveness and Chair of Social and Administrative Sciences.
Most recently Dr. Okamoto has served as a tenured Professor and Founding Chairman of Pharmacy Practice at the University of Hawaii at Hilo College of Pharmacy. He serves on editorial boards of two scientific journals and as a peer-reviewer for a number of others. He has authored numerous publications in the areas of pharmacokinetics, pharmacoeconomics, pharmacoepidemiology and outcomes assessment and has received many research grants in those areas. Dr. Okamoto teaches in a variety of different areas including biostatistics and research methdolology, pharmacoeconomics, pharmacoepidemiology, pharmacokinetics, pharmacology, infectious diseases and physiology of cardiovascular, renal, pulmonary and gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary systems. He has been awarded a number of teaching awards as a tribute to his dedication to education and is a member of Who's Who in America and Who's Who Among American Teachers. Dr. Okamoto has previously helped develop two new schools of pharmacy and his expertise in assessment and evaluation of teaching effectiveness combined with his experience as an Associate Dean and Chair will be instrumental in developing the new PCOM School of Pharmacy at Georgia Campus.
