The Associate Professor in the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy has climbed two of the seven highest summits in the world — Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa and Europe’s Mount Elbrus. His current aspiration is to climb additional peaks, with Mount Katahdin in Maine crossed off his list just this summer, and Mount Rainier in Washington state and Argentina’s Mount Aconcagua on his upcoming radar.

On two occasions, he ran with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain. During his second sprint with the massive bovines, he dropped to one knee at the Plaza de Toros and proposed to his wife. Fortunately, she said yes quickly, allowing Caballero to jump to his feet and seek cover. Just in case you think he is not a romantic—the trek up Mount Kilimanjaro was his honeymoon.

Another of his treacherous feats will bring smiles to the faces of many Georgia Bulldog fans. An avid outdoorsman, he has hunted alligators in the Everglades, which is incredibly intense, physical, and takes hours to accomplish. Perhaps Coach Kirby Smart can call Caballero off the bench when the Dawgs line up against the Gators on Nov. 1.

Dr. Josh Caballero and Uga pose for a picture.

In all his adventures, Caballero’s signature trait of passion allows him to achieve his goals. It is the same passion he instills in his students each day. He has a few tenets for his students’ life journeys that he shares with them often: think outside the box, embrace failure, be patient, remain adaptable, and have either a supportive partner or none at all.

“I want my students to believe in themselves and in what they are doing so they will use their academics and learning experiences to build a fulfilling life,” Caballero said. “If our students are engaged in their studies, trust their instincts, and focus on the goal of serving others, they will be resilient and empowered to be the best pharmacists and individuals they can be. Ultimately, the beneficiaries of this self-empowerment are the patients they will serve.”

Caballero’s passionate demeanor was formed at an early age. Born and raised in Miami by parents who immigrated from Cuba, he worked summers at his father’s paint and body shop. That, along with his education at Belen Jesuit Preparatory School, instilled a strong work ethic and faith. He developed his passion for pharmaceutics during volunteer experiences at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami and later in psychology classes in college. His higher education path led him to earn an undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Florida and a Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis. He also completed a psychiatric residency at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio and a pharmacotherapy fellowship at The Ohio State University in Columbus.

Why name all of Caballero’s training grounds? He notes that while he was at the four universities mentioned above, each school captured a national championship football title. Caballero’s first day at UGA was Jan. 1, 2022; 10 days later, UGA won its second back-to-back national championship. Coincidence? Colleagues and students at the College of Pharmacy think not. He is frequently referred to as the college’s good luck charm.

The true charm is that Caballero has committed his scholarship, teaching, and research to chronic diseases and the impact of medication adherence and cognition across multiple populations. In his role in the Department of Clinical and Administrative Pharmacy, he teaches courses on U.S. health care systems, social administrative sciences, and medication treatments for psychiatric diseases. Among his most recent research, he published a study of psilocybin, commonly referred to as “magic mushrooms,” notably about its acute side effect profile.

Along with instruction and research, Caballero serves as an adviser to two student organizations, including the National Hispanic Pharmacists Association and Phi Delta Chi, a professional leadership pharmacy fraternity. Caballero was the first recipient of Phi Delta Chi’s National Distinguished Alumnus Award several years ago.

His engagement with students has been meaningful. Caballero recently received an email from a fourth-year student who thanked him for life-saving instructions.

“I wanted to thank you for a lecture you taught during my second year that I recently used during my retail rotation,” the student wrote. “I had a patient tell me that he could not afford the medications he was prescribed, and he was going to take his life. Immediately, I remembered the skills you taught us when you posed questions about what we would do in a similar scenario. I thought about those questions for a long time and tucked them away in case I ever needed them. And I did. Thank you, a million times over.”

A passionate teacher, an avid risk taker, and a good luck charm all describe Josh Caballero. At the College of Pharmacy, colleagues and students are proud—and lucky—to also call him one of their own.