Letters to the editor, questions, comments, address changes, requests to be added/ removed from the mailing list and all other inquiries should be addressed to:
Michele Keller
Chief Communications Officer
USC Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
1985 Zonal Avenue – PSC 700 Los Angeles CA 90033
kellermi@usc.edu
323-442-3497
MANN.USC.EDU
DEAN
Vassilios Papadopoulos, DPharm, PhD, DSc (hon) BOARD OF COUNCILORS
Robert Popovian, Chair
Edward Abrahamian
Anil “Neil” Badlani
Melvin F. Baron
Gale Bensussen
Penny Cai
Danielle C. Colayco
Daniel Gil
Dong Koo (D. K.) Kim
Dianne Kwock
Ann Young Lee
Vinson Lee
Sohail Masood
David Meek
Kimberly Moore
Shushma Patel
Chao Peng
William Pih
Raymond Risman
Jacque J. Sokolov
SCIENCES
Khanh-Long (Ken) Thai
David Neu, Chair Emeritus
William A. Heeres , Chair Emeritus
One of the top pharmacy schools nationwide and the highest-ranked private school, the USC Mann School continues its century-long reputation for innovative programming, practice and collaboration. Founded in 1905 as the USC College of Pharmacy, the school was known as the USC School of Pharmacy from the mid-20th century until 2022, when it received a $50 million endowment and was renamed on behalf of inventor and entrepreneur Alfred E. Mann.
The school created the nation’s first Doctor of Pharmacy program, the first clinical pharmacy program, the first clinical clerkships, the first doctorates in pharmaceutical economics and regulatory science, and the first PharmD/MBA dual-degree program, among other innovations in education, research and practice. The USC Mann School is the only private pharmacy school on a major health sciences campus, which facilitates partnerships with other health professionals as well as new breakthroughs in care. Uniquely, it owns and operates several community pharmacies.
The school is home to the D. K. Kim International Center for Regulatory Science at USC, the Titus Center for Medication Safety and Population Health, and the Center for Quantitative Drug and Disease Modeling, and is a partner in the USC Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics, the USC Institute for Addiction Science, the USC Ginsburg Institute for Biomedical Therapeutics, the Southern California Clinical and Translational Science Institute, the USC Center for Neuronal Longevity, and the USC Center for Drug Discovery, Delivery and Development. The Mann School pioneered a national model of clinical pharmacy care through work in safety-net clinics throughout Southern California and is a leader in comprehensive medication management.
Results magazine, published semi-annually, highlights some of the school’s latest advances and achievements, as well as the faculty, students, alumni and donors who make this work possible.
ABOUT THE USC MANN SCHOOL OF PHARMACY AND PHARMACEUTICAL
Creating a Healthier Future for All
Our cover story for this edition of Results focuses on five key—and deeply intertwined—healthcare issues affecting society, and how the Mann School is developing thoughtful solutions to these pressing challenges.
Sixty percent of American adults have at least one chronic health disease—the leading cause of illness, disability and death in this country—and 90% of them take medications to ameliorate their condition. But poor adherence is a recurring concern—one being addressed by the California Right Meds Collaborative, housed here at the Mann School and launched by Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs Steven Chen, the William A. Heeres and Josephine A. Heeres Chair in Community Pharmacy.
Meanwhile, a new class of medications holds transformative potential for those with obesity, which fuels numerous chronic diseases. These drugs, if more widely available, could accrue nearly $1 trillion in cumulative social benefits over the first decade, in addition to improving and lengthening countless lives.
The cover story also explores initiatives to reduce the damage caused by opioid and other substance use, offer much-needed reform in pharmaceutical pricing negotiations and develop strategies to address the growing crisis of pharmacy deserts. In these pages, you’ll read about the efforts of our extraordinary faculty, who bring their expert leadership and innovative practices to tackling these major healthcare challenges.
This issue also features Daryl Davies, associate dean for undergraduate education and the Timothy M. Chan Professor of Complementary Therapeutics. The bachelor’s programs Dr. Davies launched now account for one-third of our student body and provide an important pipeline of new health professionals. He is a prolific scientist as well, developing novel therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases and alcoholism. In addition, you’ll learn about our new sports pharmacy executive certificate program and a variety of ways our undergraduate students are participating in research and community service programs across campus and around our city.
Finally, I’m also humbled and gratified to have been named the American Pharmacists Association Academy of Student Pharmacists’ 2025 Outstanding Dean, a national distinction awarded by pharmacy students. Our remarkable student body and their commitment to building a healthier world continue to inspire me and everyone here at the USC Mann School.
Thank you for your own dedication and partnership in helping us create a healthier future for all.
Vassilios Papadopoulos, DPharm, PhD, DSc (hon) Dean, USC Mann School
John
Stauffer Decanal Chair in Pharmaceutical Sciences
Diffusion tensor imaging scan of how white matter—the highways of our brain—connect distant brain regions. The story on page 10 explores USC Mann student-led research on cortisol—a stress hormone that can harm the brain— while the feature on page 29 highlights a student volunteer helping older adults prevent cognitive decline through USC’s Brain Exercise Initiative.
Michelle Chu, assistant professor of clinical pharmacy and a member of the school’s Titus Center for Medication Safety and Population Health, counseling a patient
04 / Tracking the School’s Growth
05 / Papadopoulos Named APhA-ASP Outstanding Dean
05 / Measurably Improving Value in Health
06 / Charting the Course(s): Q&A With Daryl Davies
08 / School Launches Sports Pharmacy Executive Certificate Program
09 / New Course Explores Ramifications of Emerging Healthcare Technologies
10 / Unlocking the Secrets of Stress
11 / Drug Pricing’s Impact on Innovation
11 / Seidman to Serve as 2025 Commencement Speaker
12 / Five Key Healthcare Challenges—and How the Mann School Is Tackling Them
22 / A Living Tribute to Frances Richmond
23 / Popovian Named Board of Councilors Chair
23 / Trojan League of Los Angeles
ALUMNI
24 / USC Mann Alumni Awards Gala Honors Outstanding Leaders
25 / Alumni Reunite on Campus
25 / In Memoriam
/
STUDENTS
28 / Connecting With Global Healthcare Leaders
28 / New Minor Combines Law and Biopharmaceutical Sciences
29 / Bridging Generations
30 / PhD Student Wins 2024–25 Krown Fellowship
30 / USC Mann Launches Interdisciplinary Pharmacoepidemiology Course
31 / Industrial Strength: Mann School Fellowships
32 / Post Script: USC co-founder and pharmacist John Gately Downey
TRACKING THE SCHOOL’S GROWTH
The Mann School has grown dramatically over the past decade. Below are just a few highlights that illustrate the school’s recent evolution in terms of enrollment, academic offerings, support and experiential learning opportunities.
TOTAL GRADUATE ENROLLMENT
1,004 1,097
TOTAL UNDERGRADUATE ENROLLMENT
0
OF FACULTY
5,831
TOTAL SCHOOL-WIDE ENROLLMENT
1,004
1,680
12
22
NO. OF AFFILIATION AGREEMENTS
206 447
NO. OF PRACTICE SITES
AMOUNT OF SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS DISTRIBUTED $756,210 $8,152,908
NO. OF INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS 1 6 ENDOWMENT $25M $
472 1,195
NO. OF ACTIVE PRECEPTORS
1,586 2,051
NO. OF COUNTRIES OFFERING INTERNATIONAL ADVANCED PLACEMENT PRACTICE EXPERIENCES
3 13
Papadopoulos Named APhA-ASP Outstanding Dean
The American Pharmacists Association Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP) has selected Vassilios Papadopoulos for its 2025 Outstanding Dean Award. Papadopoulos received the award at the 2025 APhA Annual Meeting & Exposition in Nashville in March.
Presented annually since 2004, the national award recognizes a school or college of pharmacy dean who has made significant contributions to the APhA-ASP and has promoted with distinction the welfare of student pharmacists through various community service, leadership and professional activities.
During Papadopoulos’ tenure as dean, total enrollment at the Mann School has increased by more than 30% with the introduction of innovative new program offerings. Student leaders noted that the school unveiled the Margaret and John Biles Leadership Center—a student space dedicated to collaboration— hired the school’s first full-time wellness counselor and has made significant investments in scholarships for PharmD students.
In a letter nominating Papadopoulos for the award, Pooja Singh, BS ’20, PharmD ’24, recalled her first encounter with him at a meeting of the USC Pre-Pharmacy Society
when she was a first-year USC pharmacology and drug development undergraduate student. “What sets Dean Papadopoulos apart is his genuine, personal approach to mentorship and support,” said Singh, who served as president of the PharmD Class of 2024.
“His open-door policy, his willingness to engage with students on a one-on-one basis and his genuine care for our success have made a lasting impact,” she added. “He goes beyond his administrative role to connect with students on a personal level, making us feel heard, valued and inspired.”
In other nominating letters, students and faculty members noted Papadopoulos’ national thought leadership on behalf of the pharmacy profession as well as his support of the Operation Immunization project, enabling USC staff, faculty and alumni to play a key role in the COVID-19 mass vaccination efforts in the city of Los Angeles, including at Dodger Stadium, the country’s largest mega-vaccine distribution site.
Below: Vassilios Papadopoulos, pictured here with members of the USC Mann PharmD class of 2028, has served as dean since 2016.
Measurably Improving Value in Health
The Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics has released its 2023–24 annual report, highlighting the impact of its research over the past year as well as over the course of its 15 years of measurably improving value in health. Center experts testified at half a dozen federal and state hearings and interacted with more than 200 policymakers between January 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024. Since the center’s founding in 2009, more than 1,800 studies have been published by Schaeffer scholars, with over 400 citations in government reports and documents.
The Schaeffer Center is a partnership between the Mann School and the USC Price School of Public Policy. Download the report at healthpolicy. usc.edu/annual-reports.
broad spectrum
CHARTING THE COURSE(S)
A man of many duties, Daryl Davies not only serves as associate dean for undergraduate education—a program he founded—but is also the Timothy M. Chan Endowed Professor of Complementary Therapeutics and a prolific scientist.
His research develops innovative therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases and alcoholism, and he serves on the Executive Leadership Council of the USC Institute for Addiction Science (IAS). Somehow he also finds time to indulge his love of sailing. Here, he discusses the passions for teaching, research and outreach that motivate the long commutes from his San Pedro home.
What makes the USC Mann’s undergraduate programs so unique?
We’re one of only a handful of U.S. universities to offer a dedicated bachelor’s degree in pharmacology. Not only can undergraduates enjoy working with our faculty in research right away, but we’re also one of the few undergraduate programs that supports student travel to scientific conferences.
You’re committed to mentorship—not just for USC Mann students, but also through partnerships with local high schools. What makes that outreach so important?
It opens up futures for young people interested in STEM and healthcare—including what studying at USC Mann can offer them. When the students share their stories—and their parents tell you how grateful they are for making such a difference in their son’s or daughter’s lives—it’s very rewarding.
So broadening students’ experiences is important to you. Is that why you advocate for a liberal arts approach to pharmacy?
Absolutely. This is why we offer so many courses—not just foundational classes in clinical pharmacology and drug discovery but also in everything from science
communication to ethics to safety pharmacology and mysterious deaths and poison. Until they’ve taken some of these courses, how would they know what they’d really be interested in? What adds value to our program is that we show the students so many different opportunities. Then as we help guide them, we help them to focus.
You earned your PhD from the Mann School—did you always know where your focus would be?
No, I had earned a master’s in molecular biology and thought I wanted to continue with that. But then I did a rotation in Dr. Ron Alkana’s lab, where they were trying to understand the targets of alcohol action. And it was so exciting that I just got hooked. So whenever I hear a grad student complaining about having to do rotations, I tell them that story.
Tell us about your research, including your role as director of basic translational science at IAS.
I’m doing natural product development of dihydromyricetin (DHM), which has anti-alcohol properties, including counteracting intoxication and withdrawal symptoms—and even inducing activity associated with liver regeneration. At IAS, we’re working together from the basic all the way through translational to clinical applications.
You commute a long distance every day. What keeps you going?
We live in San Pedro, where I can sail regularly. I love the ocean. I just like being out on the water and the freedom of it. It’s a merger of passions, sailing and growing this program are my two passions in life.
How do you manage to wear so many hats at USC Mann?
Our dean allows me to perform these multiple tasks, and I do it because I love it. So as long as it continues to be fun, I can continue to burn the candle at both ends.
School Launches Sports Pharmacy Executive Certificate Program
The USC Mann School has introduced a new executive certificate program in sports pharmacy. The four-course program is open to pharmacists as well as students actively enrolled in a pharmacy program.
The initial cohort of 30 participants began training in mid-January and finished the certificate program on March 24. The executive sports pharmacy certificate is designed to train and equip pharmacists to advise and support athletes in making optimal choices regarding effective clinical drug and nutritional supplement options while ensuring compliance with the rules of the World AntiDoping Code, sports federations and national anti-doping agencies.
A retired national table tennis player who loved competing but also incurred many injuries, Akeicia
Nedd, PharmD Class of ’26, was eager to enroll in the certificate program. “As an athlete, I know what it feels like to be in pain but still want to compete,” she says. “I wanted to have a deeper knowledge and understanding of supplements and various performance enhancements used by athletes so that I can educate them and keep them healthy and safe while maintaining high performance.”
The curriculum, to be offered again in the fall, includes two fully online courses (Sports and Dietary Supplements, and Sports Pharmacy) and one hybrid course (Focused Sports Physical Assessments and Drug Management) that includes a weekend of in-person assessment training.
“I love the real-world applications,” Nedd adds. “I even had the opportunity to attend an educational
and practical session at Mind Kind Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine, where I was able to learn more about anatomy, injuries that are common with athletes, the equipment they use and, most of all, how to manage and put together a care plan for athletes.”
The program requires a thesis course that may be substituted by experiential education in one of the following:
• Interprofessional Sports Pharmacy Ambulatory Care
• Athlete-Focused Community Pharmacy Practice
• Sports Pharmacy Advanced Pharmacy Practice Elective
For more information, contact Kailyn Goodwin at kailyngo@usc.edu.
Far left: Akeicia Nedd, PharmD Class of ’26, tries out a pneumatic compression system at Mind Kind Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine during the program’s in-person training weekend.
Left: Participants at the in-person training learned about screenings and physical assessment related to sports-related injuries and situations.
New Course Explores Ramifications of Emerging Healthcare Technologies
How is artificial intelligence shaping the future of healthcare? And what can pharmacy students do to maximize its potential? A new graduate-level course at the Mann School offers a deep dive into the transformative technologies shaping the future of pharmacy practices, drug development and regulatory affairs. The elective class, PHRD 599: Special Topics: Digital Health and Artificial Intelligence in Pharmacy, launched in spring 2025. Co-taught by PhD student Yasi Mojab, PharmD ’23, and Steven Chen—associate dean for clinical affairs and the William
A. Heeres and Josephine A. Heeres Chair in Community Pharmacy—the course examines a wide range of emerging healthcare technologies, including:
• Digital health technologies, such as telehealth, wearables, digital devices and electronic health records
• AI’s use in personalized medicine, drug discovery, clinical decision support, research and data analysis
• Medical virtual reality and digital therapeutics
Students will also address the regulatory challenges and ethical implications of such pioneering technologies.
“Digital health and AI have tremendous potential to address these needs, as demonstrated by heavy investments made by healthcare stakeholders—health systems, payers, IT and more,” Chen notes. “The pharmacy profession needs to be prepared to take on major roles in the development and implementation of digital health and AI technology, and this exciting new elective will provide a great foundation for any learner.”
Unlocking the Secrets of Stress
USC students, faculty and staff members can get weekly results of their stress levels by participating in an undergraduate-led research study on campus.
Launched in 2022 by USC Mann Assistant Professor Amanda Burkhardt, the Trojan Cortisol Assessment and Laboratory Measurement (CALM) project examines the interplay between perceived and physiological stress by analyzing cortisol levels from saliva samples and responses to validated surveys.
The ultimate goal? To inform tailored interventions that can help reduce stress across campus.
“Everyone was already used to spitting in tubes for COVID tests,” says Burkhardt, the study’s principal investigator, “so asking people for saliva samples to measure cortisol didn’t feel like a huge leap.”
The data has yielded some unexpected insights. These include the finding that community involvement, such as participating in clubs or sports, has a significant impact on decreasing physiological stress levels.
“Even if students in the marching band perceive themselves as stressed, their cortisol levels show otherwise,” notes undergraduate researcher Mikey Null, a senior USC Mann pharmacology and drug development major who plays trombone in The Spirit of Troy marching band. “The supportive social aspect outweighs the stress from the time commitment.”
Although exercise is known as a stress reliever, participants who exercised excessively—six to seven days a week—showed higher cortisol levels compared to those who exercised moderately.
“Three to four times a week seems to hit the sweet spot,” explains fourthyear undergraduate student researcher Michelle Bitus, a USC Mann pharmacology and drug development major.
The study’s data shows clear spikes in stress during predictable times, such as midterms, finals and move-out week. “We even saw a noticeable drop during spring break, followed by a sharp spike afterward,” Burkhardt notes.
“This study isn’t just about collecting data—it’s about creating resources to help people navigate their stress more effectively,” says research team member Jennifer Nguyen, who is completing her master’s degree in biopharmaceutical marketing at USC Mann this spring.
Above: CALM student researchers Madison Don—human development and aging major, USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology Class of 2026—and Jason Hoang, a pharmacology and drug development major at USC Mann, Class of 2026
Burkhardt has two main suggestions for anyone looking to improve their stress levels: increase sleep and engage in community activities.
“Stress is part of life, but understanding it better might help us find healthier ways to manage it,” Burkhardt says. “And maybe, just maybe, we can make life on campus a little less stressful for everyone.”
Learn more about Trojan CALM at sites.usc.edu/calm or on Instagram @TrojanCALM.
Amanda Burkhardt
Drug Pricing’s Impact on Innovation
While controversy continues surrounding high drug prices, concerns remain that regulations to lower them put pharmaceutical innovation at risk. This is because economic theory suggests that reduced revenues eventually translate into lower rates of the research and development essential for medical progress. But how large is this effect?
Darius Lakdawalla, Quintiles Chair in Pharmaceutical Development and Regulatory Innovation at USC Mann, joined with colleagues to determine the range of impact. For a white paper published by the USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics, Lakdawalla and his co-authors examined the “elasticity” of innovation, which measures how actual or anticipated changes in revenue affect medical advances.
They found that for every 10% reduction in revenues, pharmaceutical innovation—such as clinical trial starts or new drug approvals—is expected to ultimately fall by amounts from 2.5% to 15%.
“The effects of reduced revenue on pharmaceutical innovation could be quite significant, even at the lower end,” notes Lakdawalla, who also
serves as the Schaeffer Center’s chief scientific officer. “The question becomes: Do the short-run benefits of lowering drug prices outweigh the long-term risks of foregoing innovation and the longer, better lives that come from it?”
The Schaeffer Center estimate arose from a critical review of past studies measuring the impact of revenue declines on pharmaceutical innovation. Their team’s review incorporated the model used by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office to forecast the innovation impacts of Medicare’s drug price negotiation program.
The researchers note, however, that the magnitude of elasticity can vary depending on factors such as the period studied, the size of price changes, the cost of drug development and barriers to value-based pricing, among other marketplace dynamics. So they urge caution in applying these findings to future policy initiatives.
The Schaeffer Center is a partnership of the Mann School and the USC Price School of Public Policy.
Below: Darius Lakdawalla
Seidman to Serve as 2025 Commencement Speaker
Pharmaceutical industry executive Robert Seidman, PharmD ’82, MPH, will deliver the keynote address at the Mann School’s 118th commencement ceremony.
Seidman is a nationally recognized consultant whose expertise is sought by the healthcare and finance industries, media and government. With more than 43 years of experience in ambulatory, hospital and managed care pharmacy, he has played a pivotal role in shaping pharmaceutical policies. As a dedicated alumnus of USC Mann, he endowed the annual Robert Seidman Distinguished Speaker Series, further contributing to the school’s mission of advancing pharmacy education.
He began his career at Blue Cross of California in 1990 as a clinical pharmacy administrator and was later promoted to vice president of pharmacy for the company, a subsidiary of WellPoint Health Networks. He went on to serve as vice president and chief pharmacy officer at WellPoint, which is now Elevance Health.
Seidman is perhaps best known for leading WellPoint in becoming the first nonpharmaceutical company to petition the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to change a drug’s status. In 1998, WellPoint urged the FDA to reclassify the top-selling allergy medication Claritin, along with competitors Allegra and Zyrtec, from prescription to over-the-counter status. The FDA approved Claritin as a nonprescription drug in 2002, leading to significant savings for both payers and consumers.
The commencement ceremony will honor hundreds of graduates who have earned bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in pharmacy, pharmacology and drug development, regulatory science and related fields, along with residents and fellows.
The 2025 USC Mann Commencement ceremony will take place at 9 a.m. on Friday, May 16, at McCarthy Quad at the University Park Campus.
5key healthcare
AND HOW THE MANN SCHOOL IS TACKLING THEM challenges /
By Susan L. Wampler
Imagine a world where preventable diseases no longer plague individuals or drain household or societal resources. Where transformative and lifesaving treatments are made accessible and affordable, without compromising the incentives that drive innovation. A world free of the harms of addiction and where ethical pharmaceutical price negotiations are the norm. Where the availability of essential medications and preventive care never depend on your zip code or income level.
This is the vision that the Mann School’s dedicated faculty, staff, students and alumni are striving to make a reality.
Overcoming healthcare’s most pressing challenges requires rethinking current practices, relying on evidence-based findings and reimagining what’s possible. It demands bold leadership. As a tireless pioneer in converging scientific discovery, clinical care, and regulatory and health policy—as well as in preparing new leaders in pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences— the Mann School continuously advances innovation to improve lives worldwide.
In this issue’s cover story, Results examines five of today’s key, intertwined healthcare challenges—and how the Mann School is confronting them.
ADDRESSING CHRONIC DISEASE
Six out of every 10 adults in the U.S. has a chronic disease—the leading cause of illness, disability and death— while 40% have two or more of these conditions. These include hypertension, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, asthma and arthritis.
For some 90% of Americans with chronic disease, medications are the first line of treatment. Yet poor adherence to prescription regimens is common, resulting in adverse health outcomes, avoidable hospitalizations and higher risk of death. Misuse or suboptimal use of medications results in more than $528 billion in unnecessary medical spending each year, says Steven Chen, associate dean for clinical affairs and the William A. and Josephine A. Heeres Chair in Community Pharmacy.
Some patients ration their meds because they can’t afford them or because they lack access to a convenient pharmacy. Others are concerned about side effects or lack knowledge about how and when to take their medications. And the more prescriptions someone takes, the more likely they are to have difficulty adhering. For those with multiple conditions, different physicians may prescribe medications, adding to patient confusion and the risk of drug interactions.
“If you don’t feel like you are half a social worker, you’re not doing the job,” Chen says about the need for pharmacists to help patients navigate their medication usage.
Because of pharmacists’ role as the medication experts on healthcare teams, they play a critical role in optimizing prescription usage and preventing drug interactions, he adds. The Mann School has long been at the forefront, championing and developing new models to improve medication management to transform the healthcare system and improve patient outcomes. To advance this mission, Chen founded the California Right Meds
Collaborative (CRMC). Housed at the Mann School, CRMC is developing a national network of pharmacists to deliver high-impact comprehensive medication management services and demonstrate best practices. CRMC’s partners are L.A. Care Health Plan, Inland Empire Health Plan and Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. CRMC recently attracted its first chain-pharmacy partner, Albertsons, which also includes the Safeway and Pavilions brands.
“Comprehensive medication management involves choosing the right medication and dosage, determining that there are no adverse drug-disease or drug-drug interactions, and ensuring that patients can afford their prescriptions, know how to use them properly and have access to a local pharmacy and trained pharmacist,” notes Chen, who was named co-chair of the CDC Hypertension Control Roundtable for 2025–27.
“We aim to reduce the burden of chronic disease by advancing the role of pharmacists in the healthcare system,” Chen explains. “CRMC offers a scalable solution to dramatically improving patient outcomes through a value-based payment system that enables pharmacists to practice at the top of their license.”
“ We aim to reduce the burden of chronic disease by advancing the role of pharmacists in the healthcare system.”
STEVEN W. CHEN
Steven
60% of U.S. adults have at least one chronic disease, with 40% having two or more such conditions
W. Chen
In addition to creating CRMC, the Mann School’s commitment to comprehensive medication management is exemplified by the USC Titus Center for Medication Safety and Population Health, also directed by Chen. Established by the estate of USC alumna Susie Titus, the center connects community pharmacists to patients with chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and asthma. By providing guidance on proper medication use, the Titus Center helps prevent dangerous drug interactions and lowers avoidable healthcare costs.
TRIMMING OBESITY
Nearly 75% of Americans are overweight or have obesity, fueling chronic diseases like heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Mann School researchers are at the forefront of efforts to understand the causes, costs and solutions to this public health crisis. Their findings emphasize the importance of prevention-focused policies and improved access to effective weightloss treatments.
A novel class of medications—semaglutides, GLP-1 receptor agonists such as Ozempic and Wegovy—recently emerged as a promising alternative to
90% of the nation’s $4.5 trillion in annual healthcare expenditures are for people with chronic and mental health conditions $42T anticipated cumulative chronic disease costs by 2030
5 of the top 10 leading causes of death in the U.S. are, or are strongly associated with, preventable chronic diseases
50% of prescription medications taken in the U.S. each year are used improperly
traditional approaches. Approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), these drugs have demonstrated transformative success in obesity management, yet only a fraction of eligible patients receive them due to insurance barriers. Medicare Part D, for instance, does not cover weight-loss medications, despite their potential to reduce obesityrelated health issues and costs.
Research led by Darius Lakdawalla— the Quintiles Chair in Pharmaceutical Development and Regulatory Innovation at USC Mann and chief scientific officer at the USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics— suggests that expanding Medicare coverage for these drugs could save taxpayers $175 billion in the first decade alone, with more than 60% of these savings benefiting Medicare Part A, helping prevent that program’s looming insolvency. The researchers found that cumulative social benefits of nearly $1 trillion would accrue during the first 10 years of Medicare coverage if private insurers followed suit.
Reduced obesity-related illnesses would improve quality of life and lower long-term healthcare costs. Yet current policies disproportionately restrict access for those who need these medications most.
A study co-authored by Dima Qato—the Hygeia Centennial Chair and director of the Program on Medicines and Public Health at USC Mann and a Schaeffer Center senior fellow—highlights a troubling disparity. Publicly insured individuals—particularly Black and Latino populations on Medicaid and Medicare Part D—are less likely to receive GLP-1 medications than those with private insurance. In 2023, nearly 90% of Wegovy prescriptions were covered by commercial plans. Given these drugs’ proven cardiovascular benefits, their underutilization in marginalized communities could worsen existing health inequities.
“There’s a lot of controversy around the costs,” Lakdawalla acknowledges, “which is why it’s so important for us to study the pricing and value of these new medications.”
Exacerbating the problem of access was a rush by celebrities and other image-conscious people to use GLP-1s for weight loss, even though they are not obese. This fueled a spike in demand and a shortage of supply. During that shortage, which has since eased, the Drug Quality and Security Act allowed compounding pharmacies to produce the drugs for individual patients, which in turn spawned a surge in direct-to-consumer marketing.
The challenge now is ensuring broader access without compromising safety or consumer confidence. Robert Popovian, PharmD ’93, MS ’96, chair of the USC Mann Board of Councilors, submitted a letter to the FDA raising concerns over telehealth companies exploiting compounding laws to market GLP-1s in ways that mislead the public.
“Many advertisements from such companies not only undermine the essential role of compounded medicines in addressing patient needs but also fail to disclose potential risks and side effects,” Popovian wrote. “This oversight raises significant concerns regarding patient safety.”
Eunjoo Pacifici, chair of the USC Mann Department of Regulatory and Quality Sciences, notes that compounded products are not FDA-approved. “It’s easy for consumers to quickly access
$1T
value to society of Medicare coverage of weight-loss drugs over 10 years
“ There’s a lot of controversy around the costs, which is why it’s so important for us to study the pricing and value of these new medications.”
these medications directly from the internet, answer a few questions and get the product delivered to their home, without physician supervision,” she says. “We don’t know where the facilities are actually located, or if they are licensed with state board of pharmacies or registered with the FDA.”
For the first time in a decade, obesity rates in the U.S. have dropped—albeit slightly—highlighting the advantages of these obesity medications. However, while these drugs represent a breakthrough in addressing an urgent public health issue, their potential will only be realized if insurance policies evolve and safety concerns are addressed.
TARGETING ADDICTION
From the opioid crisis to alcoholism, USC Mann researchers continue to explore new treatments as well as bet-
ter governmental and health system policies to save and improve lives.
“Buprenorphine and naloxone are first-line medications for people who use opioids,” David Dadiomov notes.
“Buprenorphine can reduce opioid use and cravings, help withdrawal symptoms and reduce risk of opioid overdose. Naloxone is a lifesaving medication that can be administered to reverse an opioid overdose.” Yet his research identified a large gap in the availability of such care in urban zip codes with high rates of overdose.
Qato’s research revealed that only 60% of pharmacies stocked either of these essential medications.
“Pharmacies aren’t required to carry these drugs,” she says, “and many worry that filling such prescriptions could trigger a suspicious-order alert from suppliers or drug-monitoring programs.” The resulting lack of access disproportionately affects communities of color.
75% of adults nationwide have obesity or are overweight
53% decline in prevalence of obesity in Medicare population if all Americans eligible for treatment gained access
1/8
of American adults— nearly 33 million— have taken or are on a GLP-1 medication
442% increase in prescription fills for semaglutide products
January 2021–December 2023
Darius Lakdawalla Eunjoo Pacifici Robert Popovian
DARIUS LAKDAWALLA
10% of Americans over age 12 have alcohol use disorder
82K
die every year from opioid overdose
4x likelihood of cigarette use among youth who have used e-cigarettes
Policy recommendations include exempting buprenorphine from the Controlled Substances Act, protecting suppliers and pharmacists from liability, and reforming red-flag guidelines that limit availability.
“Pharmacies should be incentivized to stock buprenorphine and naloxone and encourage training of pharmacists in harm reduction practices for people who use opioids,” Dadiomov adds.
Melissa Durham, associate dean of organizational success and well-being, is a clinical pharmacist at the USC Pain Center. There she established and runs a pharmacist-led pain medication management service that trains pharmacists to wean people off of opioids and to help improve the lives of people with chronic pain.
While opioid use often dominates the headlines, alcoholism remains an urgent issue. Daryl L. Davies—the Timothy M. Chan Endowed Professor of Complementary Therapeutics at USC Mann and associate director of the USC Institute for Addiction Science
500%
increase in the average out-ofpocket price for a single dose of naloxone between 2014 and 2018
(IAS)—leads a research team focused on discovering and developing novel treatments for alcohol use disorder. One such approach involves targeting purinergic P2X4 receptors to regulate alcohol intake. His team is also investigating the potential of dihydromyricetin (DHM), a nutritional supplement, to prevent alcohol-induced liver damage.
“The amount of alcohol being sold in the U.S. isn’t increasing,” Davies notes. “But it’s becoming more concentrated among people suffering from alcohol use disorder.”
Another promising frontier in addiction treatment is the potential use of GLP-1 weight-loss medications. “These drugs could be game changers for treating alcohol and substance use disorders,” Davies says. “But it will take time before they receive FDA approval for these indications.”
Meanwhile, cannabis is now legal for recreational use in 24 states, with an additional 14 permitting medical applications. While cannabis has proven therapeutic benefits, the FDA
“
The amount of alcohol being sold in the U.S. isn’t increasing. But it’s becoming more concentrated among people suffering from alcohol use disorder.”
DARYL DAVIES
Daryl Davies
Terry David Church
Kari Franson
David Dadiomov
Melissa Durham
KAmericans die from the effects of alcohol in an average year
24 states have legalized cannabis for either recreational use with an additional 14 allowing medical use
has recommended reclassifying it as a Schedule III substance—indicating only moderate to low potential for dependence—yet safety and regulatory concerns remain.
One issue is the increasing potency of cannabis products, often enhanced by the industry. Additionally, cannabis edibles are being marketed in forms that appeal to children, and many dispensaries lack adequate screening procedures to prevent underage access.
Despite concerns over misuse, “the best outcome would be for medical cannabis to eventually be sold in pharmacies,” says Kari Franson, senior associate dean for academic and student affairs. She also notes an emerging demographic trend: “The fastest-growing group of cannabis users is older women relying on it to help them sleep and reduce pain.”
Associate Director of Undergraduate Education Terry Church—who teaches
Hidden History: Drugs, Geography and Human Addiction, and whose expertise includes drug addiction and the regulation of controlled substances—emphasizes that Mann students are playing pivotal roles in tackling substance use and its harm. These include the studentrun Team Awareness Combating Overdose and NaloxoneSC, which distributes naloxone kits and provides harm-reduction education to the USC community. Church is also director of the IAS education committee.
Through these and other initiatives, the Mann School is easing the damage of substance use disorders, promoting safer pain management and widening public awareness of the risks of addiction.
SHEDDING LIGHT ON PHARMACY BENEFIT MANAGERS
Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) negotiate the prices insurers pay for pharmaceuticals, but the results seldom save money. As researchers at the Mann School have demonstrated, PBMs manipulate market dynamics in ways that inflate patients’ out-ofpocket expenses. Their findings, presented before Congressional and Senate committees, have helped spur heightened scrutiny from lawmakers and journalists alike.
PBMs employ various tactics that drive up costs. Copay clawbacks allow PBMs to pocket the difference when a patient’s copayment exceeds the insurer’s actual cost for a drug. Spread pricing enables PBMs to charge health plans more than they reimburse pharmacies, creating hidden profit margins. In addition, PBMs often design formularies that prioritize branded drugs over generics due to lucrative manufacturer rebates—rebates that do not necessarily translate into savings for patients.
“PBMs sit at the intersection of three key players—manufacturers, pharmacies and insurers,” explains Erin Trish, an associate professor at the Mann School and co-director of the Schaeffer
Erin Trish
44% of drugs were restricted or excluded by Part D plans in 2020
80% of U.S. retail prescription claims are managed by the top three PBMs
70% of insured people are covered by an insurer that is vertically integrated with a PBM
$0.41 of every dollar spent on drugs goes not to the manufacturer but to other entities in the distribution center
“ There’s no requirement that these negotiations be balanced. That means PBMs can reimburse pharmacies one price for a drug while charging health plans something entirely different.”
ERIN TRISH
Center. “But there’s no requirement that these negotiations be balanced. That means PBMs can reimburse pharmacies one price for a drug while charging health plans something entirely different.”
“Reimbursement for prescription drugs has declined, and that’s really the source of profit for pharmacies,” Qato adds. “So that’s made it worse, and more challenging, for pharmacies to stay operational.”
A central concern is how PBMs structure their incentives. “Right now, PBMs are financially motivated to favor medications with high list prices and large rebates over lower-cost alternatives,” Popovian says.
Greater transparency is critical to addressing these market distortions. “PBM tactics that exploit market opacity—such as spread pricing and clawbacks—should be prohibited,” Trish said in testimony before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation in 2023.
Popovian also urges federal reforms to ensure that savings benefit patients and healthcare payers rather than middlemen. These measures include requiring PBMs to disclose rebates, fees and concessions; eliminating
incentives that favor high-cost drugs; prohibiting spread pricing; and enforcing antitrust laws to promote competition in the PBM industry.
ELIMINATING PHARMACY DESERTS
Expanding the affordability of prescriptions makes no difference if people have nowhere to buy them. Qato, who coined the term “pharmacy desert” and created an interactive map of such shortages, conducts research to reduce healthcare inequities by widening access to medications.
The efforts of Qato and her Schaeffer Center colleagues earned a $1.65 million grant from the National Institute on Aging to investigate the structural racism in Medicare Part D and its impact on pharmacy closures. The project examines the ways in which narrow coverage networks, low reimbursements and PBMs contribute to worsening disparities in medication adherence for older adults.
“Medicare and Medicaid are not paying pharmacists enough for the prescriptions dispensed to patients,” she adds. “And PBMs play a huge role in that inadequate reimbursement.”
“ Medicare and Medicaid are not paying pharmacists enough for the prescriptions dispensed to patients. … And PBMs play a huge role in that inadequate reimbursement.”
DIMA QATO
Nearly a third of retail pharmacies in the United States have closed since 2010. This has widened health disparities as the majority of closures have been in already underserved urban and rural areas. By making it harder for people to access prescriptions and essential services, these closures are causing significant damage to public health.
Researchers at the Mann School have mapped which communities are most at risk and recommended strategies to help their local pharmacies survive. While many states have expanded the scope of pharmacy services—including preventive and emergency care—fewer local pharmacies now exist to provide those expanded services.
At the community level, pharmacy closure rates are higher in predominately Black and Latino neighborhoods— 37.5% and 35.6%, respectively—than predominately white ones (27.7%). And independent pharmacies are more than twice as likely to face closure than chains.
Qato emphasizes public policies should focus on pharmacy access rather than solely on prices. One possibility is expanding the definition of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) to include pharmacies. FQHCs receive federal funding to help medically underserved communities.
Pharmacies provide essential care and serve communities—yet they are not currently eligible.
LOOKING AHEAD
Within the coming year, the school will open a new USC Pharmacy in South Los Angeles, greening what is now a pharmacy desert and “serving as a model to help other communities throughout the U.S. ensure underserved populations gain wider access to vital medications and care for chronic conditions,” Dean Vassilios Papadopoulos notes. “The South L.A. Pharmacy will build on the school’s long traditions while innovating to revolutionize health.”
The new pharmacy will also serve as an important training ground for students and residents in the school’s academic programs.
“One of the Mann School’s greatest assets in addressing key healthcare challenges is our student body,” Papadopoulos says. “In addition to working closely with faculty on many of these topics, these future leaders are developing the skills, knowledge and mindset to develop innovative solutions that will make our world a healthier and better place.”
1/3 retail pharmacies have closed since 2010, widening health disparities 1/2 of U.S. counties have pharmacy deserts 15% decrease in the number of community retail pharmacies between 2021 and 2024
1/4 of all neighborhoods have been classified as pharmacy deserts
Dima Qato
A LIVING TRIBUTE TO FRANCES RICHMOND
Neal Storm, DRSc ’13 and MS ’05, has made a lasting contribution to medical safety and innovation by endowing a legacy tree in honor of Frances Richmond, professor Emerita of Regulatory and Quality Sciences at USC Mann. Beyond being a tribute to an esteemed mentor, the gift represents a commitment to training that shapes generations of global regulatory leaders—from students to established professionals needing to keep up to date in an everevolving field.
Now a director in Global Regulatory Affairs at biotechnology giant Amgen, Storm credits Richmond and the school’s D. K. Kim International Center as pivotal in his professional journey.
“Dr. Richmond has not only opened many minds to the field of regulatory science but also many doors to meaningful careers in drug development,” says Storm, who had a thriving career in biomedical research before shifting to regulatory science.
As founder of USC Mann’s regulatory science program in 1999 and the first professional doctorate in regulatory science in 2008, she has inspired legions of new, in-demand experts. Her establishment of the D. K. Kim International Center for Regulatory Science in 2012 further solidified her legacy, he adds.
Through it all, Richmond has maintained a personal touch in guiding students, Storm notes. “No matter who I speak to from the program, they all share personal stories of how Dr. Richmond helped shape their paths,” he says. By doing so, she created not just a curriculum, but also a global community dedicated to advancing the field.
In addition to the legacy tree, Storm champions support for the Frances J. Richmond Scholarship Fund, expanding opportunity and ensuring that students worldwide have access to USC’s premier regulatory science education.
Dr. Richmond’s vision for a holistic post-graduate professional training program has provided the knowledge and the tools—as well as a social network and support structure—to grow a whole generation of regulatory scientists.”
Neal Storm
Gifts of $1,000 will be recognized with a gold leaf on the legacy tree while gifts of $500 will be acknowledged with a silver leaf. Make a gift at mann.usc.edu/donate/richmond.
Additional donors to the legacy tree include:
Susan Bain, DRSc ’11, MS ’03
Wendy Fong, MS ’24
Victor J. Gangi, DRSc ’21, MS ’16
Kavita Patel Goss, MS ’19
Jeanne Ellen Greenwald, DRSc ’21
Grant Stuart Griffin, DRSc ’17, MS ’13
Craig Anthony Luis, MS ’20, PharmD ’20
Duane Mauzey, DRSc ’12
Raymond S. Maul, MS ’07
Eunjoo Pacifici, PhD ’92, PharmD ’88
Nancy Pire-Smerkanich, DRSc ’16, MS ’14
Simone Swafford, DRSc ’16, MS ’11
Dohan Weeraratne, MS ’20
Shiufong Yan, PharmD ’97
Neal Storm
Frances Richmond
Popovian Named Board of Councilors Chair Trojan League of Los Angeles
Robert Popovian, PharmD ’93, MS ’96, was appointed the new chair of the USC Mann Board of Councilors this past October. He succeeded healthcare executive David W. Neu, who held the role since December 2021.
An accomplished leader in pharmaceutical science and healthcare, Popovian brings a wealth of expertise as the founder of Conquest Advisors, a strategic consulting firm, and former vice president of U.S. government relations at Pfizer. Renowned for his pioneering work in biopharmaceuticals, he is a top authority in health economics, policy, government relations, medical affairs and strategic planning.
A longtime member of the USC Mann Board of Councilors, Popovian received the Dean’s Medallion Award at the 2024 USC Mann Alumni Awards gala in recognition of his outstanding service and dedication to the school.
“Dr. Popovian has shared his expertise across the biopharmaceutical industry, with federal and state legislators, and with fellow innovators worldwide,” Dean Vassilios Papadopoulos notes. “He is one of our school’s most visible and engaged alumni, and I look forward to continuing to work with him in this new role as chair.”
Each year, the Trojan League of Los Angeles sponsors a benefit showcasing a department, school or program at the university. The Mann School was chosen for the group’s spring 2024 benefit, Trojan Rx for Health.
The Trojan League is a philanthropic alumnae organization and its members serve as ambassadors of the Trojan Family in additional to raising funds to support education, scholarships and campus improvement. Funds from Trojan Rx for Health will support scholarships at the Mann School.
Top: Jane Bensussen and Dean Vassilios Papadopoulos
Above: Wandy Jung, Cheryl Schwartz, D’Arcy McLeod and Marilyn Brown; Jung, Schwartz and Brown are all members of the PharmD Class of 1977.
USC Mann Alumni Awards Gala Honors Outstanding Leaders
The USC Mann School celebrated a group of inspiring alumni and leaders in the field at the annual Alumni Awards Gala on Sunday, February 23, 2025, at The Langham Huntington in Pasadena.
2025 HONOREES
Jessica Abraham, PharmD ’11
Director of Population Health, USC Mann School
YOUNG ALUMNI AWARD
As director of Population Health, Abraham joins with stakeholders from the local to the global to develop value-based pharmacy strategies for enhancing communities’ wellbeing. She directs the USC Virtual Pharmacist Care Center and is part of the California Right Meds Collaborative, which pairs physicians with pharmacists to save time, money and lives.
Ben Cohen, PhD ’20, MPH
Director of HEOR, Stage Analytics
INNOVATION IN PHARMACOECONOMICS
AWARD
Cohen served in various roles at the consulting firm Stage Analytics before
being promoted to director of Health Economics and Outcomes Research (HEOR). He earned a PhD in pharmaceutical and health economics at the USC Mann School. Prior to joining Stage, Cohen interned at Amgen and was an HEOR fellow at Novartis.
Josephine and William Heeres, PharmD ’63 Staff Pharmacist, PharMerica
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
The couple established the William A. and Josephine A. Heeres Chair in Community Pharmacy and led the Heeres Challenge, raising more than $1 million to renovate USC Mann teaching facilities. Bill Heeres chaired the school’s Board of Councilors and its $100 million Boldly First fundraising initiative. A community pharmacist for more than 50 years, he is a secondgeneration Trojan pharmacist. Josephine Heeres shares his passion for community pharmacy, and worked beside him at Riverside Pharmacy.
Below: Dean's Medallion Award recipient David Makhani, PharmD ’87 (center), with sons Shawn, Evan and Jordan, and brother Robert Makhani, PharmD ’87
Alex Kang, PharmD, MBA
Chief Pharmacy Executive, L.A. Care Health Plan
HONORARY ALUMNI AWARD
As chief pharmacist for the nation’s largest publicly operated health plan, Kang oversees a variety of departments charged with ensuring access to quality care for Los Angeles County’s vulnerable and low-income communities. He is a California board-licensed advanced practice pharmacist and is dual boardcertified in pharmacotherapy and ambulatory care.
Lee has more than 18 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, managed care pharmacy, consulting and academia. He has served as a director of the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy and president of the California Pharmacists Association. Lee is an adjunct assistant professor at USC Mann, coordinating the managed care and pharmaceutical commercialization elective.
David Makhani, PharmD ’87
Co-Owner, MDR Pharmacy
DEAN’S MEDALLION AWARD
Makhani co-founded MDR, the largest independent fertility pharmacy in the country. MDR specializes in personalized fertility medication care, working closely with reproductive endocrinologists across the nation. A third-generation pharmacist, he made a leadership gift to create the David and Sheila Makhani Family Legacy Tree, located on the first floor of the Pharmaceutical Sciences Center.
Frances Richmond, PhD Professor Emerita, USC
INNOVATION IN REGULATORY SCIENCE
AWARD
Richmond served as director of the D. K. Kim International Center for Regulatory Science and was founding chair of the Department of Regulatory and Quality Sciences at USC Mann. She began at USC as the first director of Regulatory, Clinical and Quality Affairs at the Alfred Mann Institute for Biomedical Engineering.
David Seto, PharmD ’15
Clinical Pharmacist, Cedars-Sinai
COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD
Seto is a pharmacist and pharmacy program coordinator in ambulatory and primary care at Cedars-Sinai. An active, generous and esteemed preceptor for USC students, he is an advisor for the USC Medical and Pharmacy Student Collaboration, and serves many other USC groups in addition to providing personalized care for his patients.
Jie Shen, PhD ’01
Vice President, Local Delivery and Translational Sciences, AbbVie; Senior Research Fellow, AbbVie Community of Science
RESEARCH ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Shen has more than 20 years of expertise in drug development, from discovery to clinical proof-of-concept studies in numerous therapeutic areas. At AbbVie, she leads a department responsible for bioanalysis, biomarker, immunogenicity/immune-safety, nonclinical pharmacokinetics and clinical pharmacology. She has contributed to global approvals for many products serving unmet needs in patients.
Alumni Reunite on Campus
The Classes of 1974, 1984 and 2004 held reunions as part of the 2024 Alumni Weekend celebrations November 14–16.
IN MEMORIAM
Edna Logan Ivans, BS ’50, passed away in December 2024. As a pharmacy student at USC, she met a classmate who became her future husband of 65 years, Nicholas Ivans, BS ’50, who died in 2015. They married in 1949 and bought Tomer Drug in October 1950 after they graduated from the Mann School.
Kenneth Kenichi Sugino, PharmD ’62 , died in August 2024 at the age of 90. He was the first in his family to attend college. He was a pharmacist in Long Beach and Los Angeles, and became founding pharmacy director of Los Robles Hospital when it opened in 1968.
Members of the Class of 1974 Patty Wong, Bill Gong, Leslie Blinn, Paul Richman, Susan Richman and Peter Chan celebrate Alumni Weekend.
Examining Medicare Advantage’s Advantages
Medicare Advantage lives up to its name, at least for enrollees, according to research co-authored by Erin Trish, a USC Mann associate professor and co-director of the Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics, a partnership between the Mann School and the USC Price School of Public Policy. The study, published in Health Affairs, showed that out-of-pocket costs were typically 18–24% lower for Medicare Advantage beneficiaries compared to those enrolled in traditional Medicare.
The findings explain Medicare Advantage’s surging popularity. More than half of Medicare enrollees now choose these privately administered plans—up from about one-third a decade ago. While this growth has brought increased scrutiny of Medicare Advantage’s higher government spending compared to traditional Medicare, less attention is paid to the difference in costs for beneficiaries.
The comparatively lower out-of-pocket costs in Medicare Advantage represent “a significant financial benefit for seniors, especially if they have fixed incomes,” Trish observes. She adds that a large part of Medicare Advantage enrollment growth in recent years has come from lowermiddle- and middle-income beneficiaries, who may be especially cost-sensitive.
However, the study should not be viewed as endorsing higher Medicare Advantage spending levels, according to Trish. Instead, its findings suggest a challenge for policymakers seeking to reduce federal spending. “You now have a lot of beneficiaries enrolled in the program who are used to getting very generous benefits, and it can be hard to take those away,” she notes.
Honors and Awards
Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs
Steven Chen has been named co-chair of the 2025–2027 National Hypertension Control Roundtable. He is also the William A. Heeres and Josephine A. Heeres Chair in Community Pharmacy and director of the USC Titus Center for Medication Safety and Population Health.
Professor of Clinical Pharmacy
Julie Dopheide has been selected as a member of the inaugural class of 2025 American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists fellows.
William V. Padula , assistant professor of pharmaceutical and health economics, has earned the 2024 ISPOR Award for Excellence in Health Economics and Outcomes Research Methodology in recognition of his use of machine learning to develop an algorithm for better predicting the risk of hospitalacquired pressure injuries.
Dean Vassilios Papadopoulos has been named a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in honor of his significant contributions to the field of steroid hormone biosynthesis and regulation.
Dima Qato, the Hygeia Centennial Chair, has received a $50,000 Collaborative Research Planning Award from the USC Office of Research and Innovation to support an initiative combining data-driven approaches with populationbased claims data to help prevent adverse drug interactions.
Team Care’s Benefits for Older Patients
Talin Bchakjian, PharmD ’20, has joined the school as assistant professor of clinical pharmacy, with a joint appointment as clinical assistant professor of family medicine in the Keck School of Medicine of USC. She will support didactic and experiential teaching at USC Mann, while maintaining an ambulatory care practice in the medicine/pediatric clinic at L.A. General Medical Center.
Transitions
Tatyana Gurvich, USC Mann associate professor of clinical pharmacy, joined with colleagues from fellow USC health sciences schools to explore the benefits of the university’s Interprofessional Geriatric Curriculum (IPGC). The IPGC is a community-based program that trains students from diverse healthcare disciplines to collaborate in providing patient-centered care for older adults.
The study, published in the Journal of Interprofessional Care, surveyed healthcare providers across seven fields to assess how IPGC influenced their clinical practice within one to three years of graduation. The findings revealed that IPGC graduates not only integrate interprofessional skills into their work but also extend these collaborative approaches beyond their primary disciplines. This fosters a more holistic approach to patient care.
Such coordination of care also better serves the needs of older patients, Gurvich notes. “You could line up 10 80-year-olds and they are all going to have completely different needs,“ she says. “An older adult is very complex—medically, psychosocially, physically and occupationally. A single provider can’t take care of all those needs. It’s a team sport.”
The study is the first to analyze the long-term impact of interprofessional education on clinical practice, reinforcing the critical role of collaboration in improving geriatric care and clinical outcomes.
Stephanie Hsia , Pharm D, MAEd, has joined the school as associate professor of clinical pharmacy (teaching track) and director of experiential assessment. She previously was associate dean of diversity, equity and inclusion and an associate professor at the University of California, San Francisco School of Pharmacy.
Winter Roth, PharmD, has joined the USC Mann School as assistant professor of clinical pharmacy. She will maintain her clinical practice in adult psychiatry at Los Angeles’ Augustus F. Hawkins Mental Health Center.
J.
has been promoted to professor of pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences.
Curtis Okamoto recently retired after 30 years at the USC Mann School. He was an associate professor and former chair of the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences.
Terry David Church has been promoted to associate professor of regulatory and quality sciences.
Lisa W. Goldstone, associate professor of clinical pharmacy, has been appointed vice chair of education and practice in the Titus Family Department of Clinical Pharmacy.
Andrew Mackay
New Faces
Connecting With Global Healthcare Leaders
Students from the USC Mann PharmD program and Division of Healthcare and Biopharmaceutical Business joined 350 delegates from 52 countries at the first in-person Global Model WHO in Geneva, Switzerland, in October.
Organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and World Federation of United Nations Associations, the event simulated the World Health Assembly.
“We were so proud to represent USC,” says third-year PharmD student Izabella Sahakyan of the gathering, where students addressed issues from pandemic prevention and climate change to mental health and antimicrobial resistance.
“One of the most valuable aspects of the experience was learning how to balance national interests with the collective goal of global disease eradication, a key skill in international health diplomacy,” says Anjali Jha, a senior in the undergraduate pharmaceutical science program who is simultaneously pursuing a master’s in Healthcare Decision Analysis. She adds
that the opportunity to experience the Global Model WHO with her peers and representing USC Mann on a global stage was particularly rewarding. “We all brought different strengths. Some had deep scientific expertise, others had policy or strategy backgrounds. It was amazing to see how our skills complemented each other in debates and negotiations.”
With Switzerland being home to WHO, the International Red Cross and major pharmaceutical companies, the event enabled students to gain access to global health leaders. “They engaged with professionals in informal settings, broadening their career perspectives,” says Terrence Graham, USC Mann’s associate dean for graduate education and chief international officer.
“Experiencing these interactions firsthand provided valuable insights and cultural immersion,” adds Ken Wong, director of the USC Mann Division of Healthcare and Biopharmaceutical Business.
New Minor Combines Law and Biopharmaceutical Sciences
The global pharmaceutical industry— a heavily regulated field with complex legal requirements—has experienced significant job growth during the past two decades. With the industry expected to continue to expand as AI increases the pace of drug development, law graduates with a background in science, and science graduates with an understanding of legal issues, will be well-positioned for a range of future careers.
“We cannot graduate enough lawyers who have a background in science that can participate in the pharmaceutical industry,” says Daryl Davies, associate dean for undergraduate education at USC Mann.
Starting in fall 2025, Law and Biopharmaceutical Sciences—a new 20-unit interdisciplinary minor combining the fields of law and biopharmaceutical sciences—will be offered to USC undergraduate students. Covering a range of topics including patent law, regulatory compliance, ethics and intellectual property, the program will be offered as a collaboration between the USC Mann School and the USC Gould School of Law.
Pawan Sidhu, Erik Temourian, Terrence Graham, Izabella Sahakyan and Ella Aghababyan
BRIDGING GENERATIONS
Undergraduate Benjamin Katz volunteers to help older people sharpen their memories to prevent cognitive decline.
About 45 minutes away from USC University Park Campus, the retirees at Merrill Gardens at Rolling Hills Estates gather to play trivia and puzzle games. Joining them are volunteers from USC’s Brain Exercise Initiative (BEI), a team of students leading math, reading, writing and trivia exercises for older people through virtual and in-person visits.
The residents—ranging in age from their 60s to 102—are clearly enjoying themselves, but the games also have a serious, therapeutic purpose—helping keep participants’ memories sharp to ward off cognitive decline.
Benjamin Katz, BEI president and a senior majoring in pharmacology and drug develop -
ment at the Mann School, recalls a woman in the retirement home’s memory care section who was initially hesitant about her ability to complete the quizzes. “To her surprise, she answered many of the math questions correctly, and a broad smile appeared on her face as her confidence improved, and she warmed up to the exercises,” Katz says.
A native of Encino, Calif., Katz comes from a family of physicians—his great-grandfather, grandfather, great-uncle, uncle and mother are all healthcare providers. “I’m hoping to continue the family tradition as a fourthgeneration physician and help the community around me,” he says.
He was introduced to the study of neurogenerative conditions as a high school student at the Geffen Academy at UCLA, where he took a college-level class in stem cells and their
Benjamin Katz
application in regenerative medicine. He was immediately hooked. “I was fascinated with the brain, cognition, neurodegenerative diseases and, of course, therapeutics,” he says.
Katz first heard about BEI at USC’s Involvement Fair during his freshman year. He soon became a regular volunteer at Merrill Gardens. His commitment impressed his peers so much that they elected him president during his sophomore year.
BEI’s goal, Katz adds, is not only to improve cognition and memory but also build intergenerational relationships. In one session, he found himself discussing ChatGPT with the residents and discovered how well-informed they remain about current events and how much they enjoy sharing their views with college students.
The benefits go both ways, Katz notes. “The residents give us a lot of advice, and that allows the student volunteers to have a valuable experience. We’re used to talking to people around our age on campus, so it’s a really different experience to talk to people who have wisdom in their lives.”
Left: USC student Benjamin Katz, president of Brain Exercise Initiative, with retirees at Merrill Gardens
PhD Candidate Wins 2024–25 Krown Fellowship
Brent Beadell, a fourth-year PhD candidate in pharmaceutical and translational sciences, has won the 2024–25 Charles and Charlotte Krown Fellowship, the top honor awarded to graduate students at USC Mann.
He received the $10,000 prize for work examining the efficacy of antibiotics in treating Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia, a potentially fatal infection that is becoming increasingly resistant to antimicrobial therapies.
“Receiving the Krown Fellowship validates the importance of the research that we’re doing,” says Beadell, who will use the funding to further his investigations. “In this new era of precision medicine, we need to update our methods for determining antibiotic efficacy for specific infectious diseases. We see really high mortality rates despite antibiotic therapy. So our research is addressing the urgent need for reframing antibiotic assessment to make better treatment decisions.”
Beadell conducts these studies as part of a team in the laboratory of Annie Wong-Beringer, associate dean for research affairs. Wong-Beringer is a pioneer in countering microbial resistance to improve the standard of treatment for Staphylococcus aureus and other infections.
Beadell’s other honors include the National Institutes of Health’s Ruth L. Kirschstein Interdisciplinary Research Training Award. He is also pursuing strategies for advancing the use of organ-onchip technology in infectious disease research. He completed a summer internship at Takeda Pharmaceuticals, where he evaluated the potential of liver-on-chip technology to reduce the drug-induced liver injuries that can result from testing new therapies. Innovation runs in Beadell’s family. His late grandfather Charles F. Lombard developed the first crash helmet for use by test pilots and motorcyclists—and was also an alumnus of the Mann School.
USC Mann Launches Interdisciplinary Pharmacoepidemiology Course
With the growing availability of large health databases, pharmacoepidemiology has become crucial to public health and clinical decision making. A new course at USC Mann, launched in spring 2025, is providing hands-on practice in the innovative methods of this important area of interdisciplinary research.
Brent Beadell
“Pharmacoepidemiology lies at the intersection of pharmacology and epidemiology, aiming to ensure that drugs are safe when broadly prescribed and used,” says Dima Qato, director of the Mann School’s Program on Medicines and Public Health and the Hygeia Centennial Chair in Clinical Pharmacy. Qato teaches the new two-unit course, CXPT 650: Advanced Pharmacoepidemiology Methods, sharing the advanced analytical techniques essential for understanding drug safety, efficacy and utilization.
Delivered online through live, interactive sessions, the class is designed for students with a variety of backgrounds and interests, including public health, epidemiology, pharmacology and data analytics. The course equips students with the skills to address urgent healthcare challenges through data-driven insights.
with a photograph of his grandfather Charles F. Lombard, a USC Mann alumnus
INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH
Michael Lim brings 25 years of pharmaceutical industry experience to USC Mann in the newly created role of senior director of Industry Fellowship Programs.
Lim previously served in leadership roles at companies including GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Kite Pharma and Giliad Sciences. In addition to earning his PharmD at the University of California, San Francisco, and completing residencies and fellowships, he received an MBA from the University of Cambridge, England.
What inspired you to join USC Mann in this role?
Fellowships were key to my having a rewarding career as a PharmD in industry. A drug development fellowship with GSK/University of North Carolina catalyzed my career early on and helped me get started in HIV clinical development—which was a great foundation to build upon. After establishing myself in that specialty, I was offered diverse opportunities to stretch and grow in other areas, including oncology medical affairs and commercial strategy. I later broadened my experiences through leadership roles in clinical operations and portfolio and program strategy. I’m grateful for all the support I received, and now I want to help the next generation build their careers.
How did the opportunity to join USC come about?
I first met Executive Director of Fellowship Programs William Gong 25 years ago when interviewing for residencies at USC. More than two decades later, after becoming head of program management and portfolio strategy at Kite Pharma, I approached him to start a USC Mann fellowship with my team. I’ve loved my experience as an industry fellowship
director and, as Kite and Gilead both offer USC Mann fellowships, I was excited to get involved in mentoring. Eventually, through my collaboration with Dr. Gong, an opportunity to join USC Mann as senior director for industry fellowships emerged. It was a dream role that I could not pass up.
What should students and recent graduates know as they prepare for careers in the pharmaceutical industry?
Many paths and opportunities will unfold at different points of your career. So stay curious, never stop learning and keep building foundational skills that will translate across the industry in diverse roles. Focus is important, but also keep an open mind so that you don’t miss any chances to build collaborative links and break down silos. Always see the connection to patients and disease impact, and apply your clinical acumen as a pharmacist.
What are your goals for the USC Mann Industry Fellowship Programs?
With the vision and leadership of Dr. Gong, the Mann School has built a great fellowship program. But we can’t be complacent because healthcare will continue to evolve. Having recently worked in industry, I see that the skills needed to thrive are shifting, which impacts future opportunities.
I am working with Dr. Gong and USC Mann leadership on a five-year strategy for our fellowship program. In the immediate term, I am building closer engagement with fellows and preceptors to support and continuously improve our program. I see my job as building a talent pipeline for industry. When we succeed at USC Mann, then the industry also succeeds!
Learn more about the USC Mann fellowship programs at mann.usc.edu/ program/fellowship-programs or email mannfellowship@usc.edu.
ABOUT THE MANN FELLOWS 2025–26
FELLOWS ACROSS SIX INDUSTRY PARTNERS: ABBVIE, BAUSCH & LOMB, GILEAD, KITE, MANNKIND AND NEUROCRINE
Michael Lim (front left) and William Gong (front right) with USC Mann industry fellows
Michael Lim
DID YOU KNOW?
One of the University of Southern California’s founders was not only a pharmacist but also the governor of California and namesake of the city of Downey.
BIRTHPLACE:
County Roscommon, Ireland Downey immigrated with his family to the U.S. at age 14 in 1842, just prior to the potato famine.
PHARMACY EXPERIENCE:
He apprenticed as an apothecary in Washington, D.C., and later worked as a pharmacist in Cincinnati, Ohio, before heading to California for the Gold Rush. In 1850, he moved to the pueblo of Los Angeles, opening the region’s first pharmacy with partner James P. McFarland.
June 24, 1827–March 1, 1894
POLITICAL VENTURES:
Downey entered the political arena in 1852, when he was elected to the Los Angeles Common Council. He was elected lieutenant governor in 1859. Remarkably, five days after being sworn in as lieutenant governor, he became the state’s seventh governor when newly minted governor Milton Latham resigned to become U.S. senator. Among his acts as governor, Downey vetoed a bill sponsored by his predecessor to split California into two states.
POST-GUBERNATORIAL LIFE:
After completing his term, Downey returned to Los Angeles and became a real estate magnate, helping launch L.A.’s first bank, negotiating fulfillment of the train route between the city and San Francisco, laying out L.A.’s first suburb—Lincoln Heights— and donating land for Southern California’s Methodist college, which became the University of Southern California.
JOHN GATELY DOWNEY
GREENING A PHARMACY DESERT
Conveniently located pharmacies foster healthier communities. But one in three urban neighborhoods is a pharmacy desert, meaning people there have no options for filling prescriptions within a half mile of their home without transportation—or a mile if they have cars.
To help remedy this situation in Los Angeles, the USC Mann School plans to open a new pharmacy in South Los Angeles that will expand our mission of service, provide professional experience to our students and widen the range of our healthcare research.
If you look at the map of Los Angeles, quite a few neighborhoods near USC have no nearby pharmacy. By building a brick-andmortar pharmacy in South Los Angeles, we’re creating access to healthcare and closing a pharmacy desert.”
Raffi Svadjian, PharmD ’03, MBA Executive Director of USC Pharmacies
Your generosity in supporting the USC South L.A. Pharmacy Fund will help us make Los Angeles a healthier place. Make a gift at mann.usc.edu/donate/southlapharmacy
USC Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Health Sciences Campus
University of Southern California 1985 Zonal Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90033 mann.usc.edu
Terry David Church, associate director of undergraduate education, presents awards to students at the school's biannual undergraduate social—a new tradition.
