Dr. Watanabe is a Professor of Clinical Pharmacy and Associate Dean of Pharmacy Assessment and Quality at the UC Irvine School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences. He is a pharmacist, health economist, and outcomes researcher. Dr. Watanabe currently serves as a member of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) Forum and on the steering committee for the Drug Research Development in Older Adults Workshop. Additionally, he serves on the journal editorial board for The Senior Care Pharmacist and is a Board-Certified Geriatric Pharmacist (BCGP) with prior direct-patient care clinical experience at the Medicare-Medicaid Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) program.
 
Dr. Watanabe has contributed to the NASEM report, provided briefings to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, United States Senate Finance, Appropriations, House Ways and Means, Senate HELP, House Energy and Commerce Committee, and briefings to the United States House of Representatives Appropriations Committee Staff on the implications of discarded medications and steps to take to reduce wasted medications. Dr. Watanabe served on the Advisory Group on Pain Assessment and Management in Long-Term Care Settings for the Joint Commissions and has been involved in national quality metrics development on long-term care and care transitions with prior service on the Pharmacy Quality Alliance. Additionally, Dr. Watanabe served on the American Academy of Neurology Neurotherapies Workgroup on Pharmacoeconomics.
 
Dr. Watanabe received his BS from the University of Washington, his PharmD from the University of Southern California, and his MS and Ph.D. from the University of Washington Comparative Health Outcomes, Policy, and Economics (CHOICE) Institute.