A Vision for the Future - James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy
This is how breakthroughs happen.
A MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN
At the James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy, we empower students to excel as pharmacy leaders through research and real-world experiences, allowing them to shape the future of health care as progressive pharmacy professionals and researchers.
As part of the broader university, we are deepening our research expertise to accelerate our cancer drug discovery goals in collaboration with other health care institutions.
CHRISTOPHER SURRATT, PhD
Dean, James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy
THE NEXT BREAKTHROUGH BEGINS WITH YOU
The University of Cincinnati James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy has been a regional fixture for vital study and training for pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists for 175 years.
Building on our rich history and looking ahead, our vision is to become a national leader in pharmaceutical education and research, allowing us to shape the future of health care through investments in our talented students, distinguished faculty and breakthrough research.
We will develop exceptional pharmacy practitioners and pharmaceutical scientists who advance their disciplines through collaboration and innovation.
Our priorities:
• Ensure academic and professional success for students through innovative education and research opportunities while providing a robust student experience.
• Recruit and retain faculty while investing in the research, resources and laboratories that support their work.
• Launch the Cancer Drug Discovery Institute with a core of pharmacy researchers to drive new therapies and treatments in collaboration with the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center.
Together, we can create breakthroughs and lead the way in research and patient care, all for the betterment of our community.
“I am so grateful for my scholarships. I have been able to attend professional conferences and be a more involved member of my organizations like the pharmacy fraternity Kappa Psi, the American Pharmacists Association and the National Community Pharmacists Association. I have been able to build connections and take full advantage of what’s offered.”
ADDISON MAE SCHNEIDER, PharmD ’27
James L. Winkle, Pharm ’58, pledged $10 million to the UC College of Pharmacy in 2005, increasing potential for student, faculty and donor recruitment. Originally an anonymous gift, Winkle agreed to have the college named for him in 2007.
ENSURE STUDENT SUCCESS
Tomorrow’s leading pharmacists and pharmacy researchers start here.
Training the next leaders in pharmacy and pharmaceutical science means more than academics—it involves expanding our recruitment to new populations, removing financial barriers and providing engaging experiential learning and research opportunities.
Funding priorities:
Recruitment and scholarship support
• Establishing new partnerships: We have begun international outreach to undergraduate programs across the globe, with the goal of recruiting students to our world-renowned cosmetic science program, as well as our drug development, pharmacogenetics, health outcomes & pharmacoeconomics and pharmacy leadership degree programs.
• Supporting PharmD students: Pursuing a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) over four years can be a significant financial burden, with great academic demands. Boosting scholarship support will grow our enrollment numbers and encourage more students to pursue a PharmD at UC.
Expanding student experiential opportunities
• Supporting student researchers: Dedicated funding for graduate student researchers and lab operations will allow the college to invest in tomorrow’s pharmaceutical science leaders.
• Funding travel for experiential learning: Travel stipends allow for students and faculty mentors to present original research at national conferences, where they can gain invaluable experience and insight.
“The goal is to have better outcomes for patients, extend their lives and have less toxic treatments. These new treatments are really showing a lot of promise that will extend the lives of patients.”
JOAN GARRETT, PhD
Associate professor and a Cancer Center member, Joan Garrett, PhD, received a two-year National Cancer Institute grant to study a new combination approach to treat colorectal cancers. The approach will focus on cancers with a mutation in the KRAS gene, which makes up 41% of all colorectal cancers.
RECRUIT WORLD-CLASS FACULTY
Investing in our faculty will advance research and education, and foster real-world outcomes.
With strategic faculty growth, the college will attract highperforming students, drive breakthrough research and ensure long-term sustainability.
Funding priorities:
Recruit high-profile pharmacy researchers
Research start-up packages are critical to recruiting high-level researchers. This funding also covers crucial areas to launch research operations, including lab support and dedicated research time. By recruiting promising research-active faculty within core research areas (cancer, neuroscience, skin care and health outcomes) the college can build the critical mass needed to secure national training grants.
Increase endowed chair positions in strategic areas
Named chairs and professorships attract nationally renowned experts to Cincinnati and allow UC to retain high-performing faculty. Establishing new chairs builds permanency and sustainability in our clinical and research leadership.
Invest in infrastructure and equipment
This includes lab equipment, lab space, software and databases to retain students and faculty and to make UC an attractive option for faculty and their research operations.
In 2025, UC recruited Amarnath Natarajan, PhD, following a competitive national search to head a new medicinal chemistry core facility that will promote cancer drug discovery and development. Natarajan specializes in computational and medicinal chemistry.
A medicinal chemistry core facility is a specialized research environment equipped with advanced instruments and staffed by expert scientists who design, synthesize and optimize new chemical compounds for therapeutic drug development.
This 1,600-square-foot lab in the Old Chemistry Building is where, in addition to his National Institutes of Health-supported cancer drug discovery studies, Natarajan will work with UC scientists to study novel small molecule drug candidates with a special focus on cancer drug development.
LAUNCH THE CANCER DRUG DISCOVERY INSTITUTE
With a new Cancer Drug Discovery Institute, the Winkle College of Pharmacy will support the creation of new knowledge in cancer drug development.
By establishing a core of pharmacy researchers to collaborate with the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center—a partnership of UC, UC Health and Cincinnati Children’s—we will ensure that breakthroughs in cancer therapy begin in Cincinnati.
Funding priorities:
Recruit cancer-focused pharmacy researchers
With robust startup packages, the college will expand the Cancer Drug Discovery Institute by recruiting the best and brightest cancer-focused pharmaceutical researchers to UC.
Pharmaceutical research breakthroughs related to cancer can lead to lifesaving and lifeimproving drugs, drive medical innovation and help ensure treatments are safe and effective.
Increase endowed chair positions in drug discovery
Endowed positions allow for high-performing individuals with a cancer research focus to see Cincinnati as an attractive career opportunity. With the support of a professorship or chair, faculty can bring and grow their research operations here, to expand the work of cancer drug development.
Invest in necessary infrastructure and equipment
Advanced facilities with sophisticated equipment and a robust infrastructure are crucial to cancer drug research, allowing for faculty and student researchers to have the latest tools and technology in medicinal chemistry.
THANK YOU
We are grateful for your thoughtful consideration to support the James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy.
Our growth and expansion will position us as a national leader in pharmaceutical education and research, allowing us to shape the future of pharmaceutical health care, both locally and nationally, and deliver lifesaving options to patients undergoing treatment for cancer.
CONTACT
Christopher Surratt, PhD
Dean, James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy
Christopher.Surratt@uc.edu
513-558-3784
Matt Pearce
Assistant Vice President, Academic Health Center Colleges University of Cincinnati Foundation Matt.Pearce@foundation.uc.edu 513-524-8462
Katie Arce
Director of Development, Academic Health Center Colleges University of Cincinnati Foundation Katie.Arce@foundation.uc.edu 419-348-8437
