Meet our Distinguished Alumnus of the Year: Robert Mancini, PharmD ’08

Today Mancini has built an exceptional career that has changed the lives of patients across the nation and is shaping the future of oncology pharmacy. 

At St. Luke’s Cancer Institute in Idaho, he led the development of the state’s first and only allogeneic stem cell transplant and CAR-T therapy programs — bringing the life-saving treatments to patients who previously had to travel out of state for the therapies. His pharmacist-managed oral chemotherapy program has received multiple national awards and now serves as a model for cancer centers across the country. Mancini also directs St. Luke’s PGY-2 oncology residency program, teaches pharmacy courses at Idaho State University and mentors students through the Kappa Psi Pharmaceutical Fraternity, a co-ed organization for which he served as Grand Regent from 2017 to 2019.

Nationally, Mancini recently completed his term as president of the Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA), the largest professional organization dedicated to oncology pharmacists. In this role, he helped elevate the visibility of the specialty — establishing the first-ever Oncology Pharmacist Day —championed professional advocacy and highlighted the contributions of oncology pharmacists worldwide—– including with the publication of a new book featuring stories and perspectives from oncology pharmacists around the world titled “Healing, Optimism, Pharmacy, and Advocacy: Stories and Perspectives from Oncology Pharmacists.”

We caught up with Mancini to learn what he finds most rewarding about his roles, how his Skaggs School of Pharmacy training shaped his career and more.

Why pharmacy?

In undergrad I was looking at microbiology, but when I did lab work I realized staring at petri dishes all day wasn’t for me – I needed more social interaction! My friend was looking into pharmacy and suggested I explore it as well, and I am forever grateful he made that recommendation. 

What do you find most rewarding about your career?

Teaching brings me a lot of fulfillment, whether it is residents or students in the classroom. I have had a lot of students say they never thought about oncology until they took my course, which means so much to me. Seeing those you teach go on to become leaders in the profession is also massive. Two of my former residents achieved the prestigious designation of HOPA fellow while I was president of the organization, so I got to present the award to them. It was such a special, full-circle moment.

What is your favorite memory from pharmacy school?

I had so many great experiences in pharmacy school. One that stands out is when we would have “Battle at the Bay” between the classes. We usually went to one of the nearby parks, it may have been Mission Bay, and had friendly competitions. One of the competitions was a jello-eating contest that I actually won. It was so much fun, but I also got very sick from eating too much jello! So many great memories.

I also have wonderful memories of working with all the faculty and staff at the school. Dr. Morello, Dr. Singh, Dr. Best were all the initial junior faculty at the time. All three of them were just amazing people. It was very obvious to all that they cared about us. One moment I take forward with me into my teaching now is reading “Tuesdays with Morrie” in Dr. Marcus’ class. That taught me more about taking care of patients holistically.  

All of my professors were supportive and always told us if this is what you want to do you should do it. I have taken this advice and reiterated it to my students – if you want to pursue something you have to try. Apply, and let the hiring manager make the decision. Don’t put yourself out of the running because you think you aren’t qualified. 

What advice do you have for future pharmacy students?

Pursue your passion. Explore. Don’t be too tunnel vision about your career. When I came into pharmacy school I expected to go into infectious disease. I even said I would never work in oncology. But then my dad got cancer when I was a third-year pharmacy student, and I walked him through that journey. Because of that lived experience and exposure to oncology, that changed the direction I went. Now I couldn’t imagine a different role.

Why do you recommend UC San Diego pharmacy school?

I am where I am today because of the experiences I had at UC San Diego pharmacy school. When I first joined, the school was brand new and wasn’t even ranked yet. Since then its prestige has only risen. I was so proud to see we are now #6 in the nation. Every student should make sure to pay attention to a top 10 school. 

I also attribute my comfort level with presentations entirely to UC San Diego because they pushed us to do that so often. We got that training in almost every class. These are skills I use almost every day in all of my roles.

What do you do for fun?

I have two girls, my oldest is 11 and my youngest is eight, so I love spending as much time as I can with them. I travel a lot to conferences and I try to take them as much as possible they get that experience too. We went to Washington D.C. over spring break, and they were so excited to see the history of the city. We also all love to ski; they both play softball and I coach both their teams which is a lot of fun.

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