Patrycja Hopkins Ph.D.

Bio

Patrycja holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry from UC San Diego and has been a Lecturer at UC San Diego since 2021, teaching organic and general chemistry. She is deeply committed to supporting students as they navigate the challenges of organic chemistry, and she strives to make the subject approachable, engaging, and meaningful rather than intimidating.

With a strong foundation in organic and medicinal chemistry, Patrycja emphasizes clear thinking, problem-solving, and building confidence alongside technical skills. She cares deeply about her students’ individual learning journeys and believes that mastering organic chemistry is not just about reactions and mechanisms, but about developing resilience, curiosity, and scientific intuition.
Alongside her teaching, Patrycja has extensive industry experience in the biotech and pharmaceutical sector, where she has held leadership roles in medicinal chemistry and drug discovery. She has led teams from early discovery through lead optimization, worked closely with biologists and computational scientists, and managed both in-house and CRO-based research. Her experience spans small-molecule therapeutics and RNA-targeted programs, giving her a practical, real-world perspective on how organic chemistry underpins modern drug development. She brings these insights into the classroom to help students understand how the concepts they are learning translate directly to impactful scientific work.

Patrycja is passionate about mentorship and education, and she takes pride in helping students grow into capable, confident scientists—one mechanism at a time.