The Pharmacist - Summer 2022

the pharmacist SUMMER 2022 | VOLUME 44 | ISSUE 3

THE MAGAZINE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS CHICAGO COLLEGE OF PHARMACY

SIX NEW CONCENTRATIONS · 14

10

20

27

Partnership Highlight: Rush University Medical Center

The UICentre Charges Ahead

Congratulations Graduates

contents 02

Dean’s Letter

03

Events

04

College News

08

Student News

10

Partnership Spotlight

14

Six New PharmD Concentrations

18

UIC Strong Placement Rate

20

UICentre

24

Keeping Northern Illinois Beautiful

28

Commencement

32

Alumni Profiles

34

Ask an Alumnus

36

Alumni News

In September of 1868, our college published the first issue of a trade journal simply named The Pharmacist. The magazine you see before you is named in honor of that historic journal.

10 14

18

EDITORIAL CREDITS PUBLISHER Glen T. Schumock, PharmD, MBA, PhD Professor and Dean EDITOR Robert Hoff UIC Creative and Digital Services PROOFREADERS Lexi Betcher Deb Fox Chris Gummert Laura Hayes CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Jessica Canlas Jacqueline Carey Sonya Collins Michael Dhar Andrew Faught Sharon Parmet Daniel Smith PHOTOGR APHY Barry Donald DESIGN Godfrey Carmona UIC Creative and Digital Services The Pharmacist 833 S. Wood St. (MC 874) Chicago, Illinois 60612 (312) 996-7240 pharmcommunications@uic.edu ©2022. All rights reserved.

PRINTED WITH SOY INKS AND PAPER CONTAING 10% POST CONSUMER MATERIAL

SUMMER 2022

T H E P H A R M A C I ST

1

FROM THE DEAN

Partnerships, Progress, and Performance

BY DEAN GLEN SCHUMOCK The UIC College of Pharmacy has long been one of the top schools of pharmacy in the country—excelling in its mission of education, research, and service. A major factor in our success has been partnerships and collaborations formed with other institutions and organizations with shared values and goals. The importance of these partnerships cannot be overstated.

To acknowledge that, beginning with this issue of The Pharmacist, we will highlight some of these key partnerships.

The first partnership that we are highlighting is with Rush. The Rush University Medical Center, located just a block from our Chicago campus, could not be more convenient for our students who benefit from their top-ranked facilities and pharmacy preceptors. And with sites in Aurora, Oakbrook, and across the Chicago area, Rush Pharmacy has been a major partner in experiential education, residency training, and student internships for students from both of our campuses. You will read how this partnership has benefited both organizations while changing lives of our students.

For our students, experiences at a large health system like Rush often opens doors to employment and careers. But the pharmacy education provided at UIC is the base that enables that success. And we are always seeking progress—to further improve that education and those experiences. You will read also in this issue about new “Areas of Concentration” that we have added to the PharmD program. These concentrations, which will appear on the diploma,

Online pharmacy.uic.edu go.uic.edu/PharmFBChicago go.uic.edu/PharmFBRockford go.uic.edu/PharmTwitter go.uic.edu/PharmLinkedIn go.uic.edu/PharmInstagram go.uic.edu/PharmYouTube

2

T H E P H A R M A C I ST

P H A R M A C Y.U I C . E D U

provide additional focus or specialization that will make our graduates even more competitive as they seek post-PharmD residencies, fellowships, or employment.

You will also read in this issue of The Pharmacist about progress made by UICentre—the campus-wide drug discovery effort that engages the College of Pharmacy along with other colleges and units at UIC. Headed by interim director Dr. Michael Flavin, the drug discovery center has grown its personnel, facilities/equipment, and services and is poised to take advantage of expanded opportunities with the anticipated new building—the Drug Discovery and Cancer Research Pavilion. Of course, drug discovery is an area where UIC has had a great record of performance with the marketed products Shingrix, Prezista, Tice-BCG, and Phexxi all discovered here. But—whether in research, service, or our educational programs—great performance and outcomes is always our goal.

Also in this issue of The Pharmacist, you will read about the great performance of our recent graduates. In May, we had a total of 221 students graduate from our Doctor of Pharmacy, Master of Scizence, and/or Doctor of Philosophy degree programs. Among the PharmD graduates were 12 valedictorians— all with a cumulative GPA of 4.0 (all As!). And this PharmD class had one of the highest residency matching rates ever—81% of those that applied for a PGY1 residency matched. And when you consider both PGY1 and PGY2 matches, UIC was number six in the country for total graduates

Got News?

Change jobs? Get a promotion? Publish a paper?

Publish a book? Get married? Have a baby? We want to hear about it all! Send your news directly to the associate director of development Lexi Betcher at lbetcher@uic.edu.

We’ll do our best to fit it into our publications and/or social media! If you don’t see it in The Pharmacist, please go to go.uic.edu/PharmNews.

EVENTS

placed in residencies. Many of our students also go on to pharmaceutical industry fellowships after graduation.

In fact, we were recently ranked number three in the country for placing students in these programs. In total, about 60% of our 2022 PharmD graduates are pursuing post-PharmD residencies or fellowships. It is an incredible number that speaks to the quality and reputation of our program.

That quality and those great outcomes—they happen because we are continuously progressing, advancing, and improving. They come because of the strong partnerships we have forged. They come because of the strong support of our alumni, donors, and friends. Thank you for your continuous support of the UIC College of Pharmacy.

FIVE-POINT VISION

Continuing Education Opportunities Provide unparalleled pharmacy education and training

Advance the profession through leadership and advocacy

The University of Illinois Chicago College of Pharmacy Office of Continuing Education and Meeting Services (OCEMS) has released the following programs: PHARMACY TECHNICIAN CE PROGRAMS

Lead the nation in pharmaceutical research that impacts health

Foster a culture of excellence, collaboration, and inclusiveness

Twenty-two ACPE-approved pharmacy technician continuing education programs are available. For more information, please visit go.uic.edu/PharmTechCE. PHARMACIST CE PROGRAMS Twenty-nine ACPE-approved pharmacist continuing education

Be the epicenter of innovative pharmacy services

programs are available. For more information, please visit go.uic.edu/PharmacistCE. CHICAGOLAND CRITICAL CARE CONFERENCE (C4) AUGUST 27

Our Digital Edition issuu.com/uicpharmacy

For more information, visit ce.pharmacy.edu.

ILLINOIS TRANSPLANT PHARMACIST ASSOCIATION SYMPOSIUM SEPTEMBER 17 For more information, visit ce.pharmacy.edu.

SUMMER 2022

T H E P H A R M A C I ST

3

COLLEGE NEWS Dr. Erin Carson and husband Zach welcomed their second child; son Calvin Bennett Carson was born on April 12, 2022. He joins big brother August (3).

Dr. Sandra Durley was recognized as one of the Chancellor’s Committee on the Status of Blacks 2022 Black History Makers. This award recognizes individuals who are making history here at UIC.

Dr. Michael Gabay was appointed as senior director of the Drug Information Group. He was also was reappointed as a member to the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Council on Public Policy for 2022–2023.

Dr. Laura Meyer-Junco has been appointed editor-in-chief of the Journal of Pain and Palliative Care Pharmacotherapy. The journal is a Taylor and Francis Group publication affiliated with the Society of Pain and Palliative Care Pharmacists.

Dr. Keri Kim has been appointed chair of the post-acute sequelae of SARSCoV-2 infection (PASC) Intervention Prioritization Drug Subcommittee and a member of the Core Committee by the Research Triangle Institute.

4

T H E P H A R M A C I ST

P H A R M A C Y.U I C . E D U

Dr. MICHAEL GABAY and MARY MOODY’s article “Report on 2020 Safe to Touch Consensus Conference on Hazardous Drug Surface Contamination” was listed among the top 25 most popular articles in the American Journal of HealthSystems Pharmacy for 2021.

Dr. ANNETTE HAYS and a team of UIC experts in Rockford will launch a text message-based intervention for type 2 diabetes thanks to a $30,000 grant award from the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois’s Dr. Louis and Violet Rubin Fund.

Mary Moody and the Office of Continuing Education received full six-year accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE.) The six-year accreditation is a signal from the ACPE of the overall health of the college’s CE programs.

Dr. GAIL MAHADY has been awarded the American Botanical Council Fredi Kronenberg Excellence in Research and Education in Botanicals for Women’s Health Award.

Dr. Guido Pauli was awarded the Norman R. Farnsworth Excellence in Botanical Research Award from the American Botanical Council.

Drs. ALEXANDER MANKIN, NORA VASQUEZ-LASLOP, and YURY POLIKANOV, received an R01 grant from the National Institutes of Health and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The grant is for $3,299,182 over five years for their research titled “Advanced Ribosome-targeting Antibacterial Peptides with a Unique Mechanism of Action.”

Dr. MONAZZAH SARWAR was awarded the Illinois Council of Health-System Pharmacists Encore Poster Award for her presentation titled “COVID-19 Vaccine Allergy Testing Preparations.”

Dr. Matt Rim was named a 2022 fellow of the American Society of HealthSystem Pharmacists (ASHP.) Fellow status in ASHP reflects a high standard of excellence and sustained commitment to health-system practice. He was also appointed contributing editor, specialty pharmacy, for the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy. Congratulations, Dr. Rim.

Dr. JoAnn Stubbings earned the Award of Excellence from the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Board of Directors.

CINDI SCHAEFER completed the 2022 Rockford Chamber of Commerce Leadership Rockford program.

Dr. Doel Soejarto was the recipient of the Varro E. Tyler Prize from the American Society of Pharmacognosy.

SUMMER 2022

T H E P H A R M A C I ST

5

COLLEGE NEWS

class of 2022 awards Dr. MAT THAMBI received the Internal Preceptor of the Year Award.

Dr. BRAD BARTELS was named the Golden Apple Winner.

award-winning STEM program THE URBAN PATHWAY PROGRAM was awarded the 2021 Inspiring Program in STEM Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. The UIC College of Pharmacy Urban Pathway Program (UPP) is an eightweek comprehensive academic, experiential, and mentoring summer enrichment program.

6

T H E P H A R M A C I ST

P H A R M A C Y.U I C . E D U

ROB WITTENBERG, PharmD ’07, was named External Preceptor of the Year.

The college CELEBRATED THE 70TH ANNUAL HONORS CONVOCATION in an online ceremony on April 14 with receptions held at each campus.

We awarded almost $200,000 to 179 students from 92 scholarships.

Congratulations to all of the scholarship recipients, and thank you to the donors that make it all possible.

SUMMER 2022

T H E P H A R M A C I ST

7

STUDENT NEWS

Nicole Szydlowski

Cat Hayes

NICOLE SZYDLOWSKI received the UIC Polish American Pharmacists Association (PAPA) Award from the PAPAs Regional Organization.

P3 student pharmacist CAT HAYES was awarded the top prize in an essay writing competition sponsored by the Independent Pharmacy Cooperative.

UIC Pharmacy P&T Team Goes to the Semifinals P3 student pharmacists KEVIN CHANG, DANIEL DO, JENNIFER TAKAMURA, and DUSTIN WOO were selected by the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) as a 2022 semifinalist team for the Annual National Student Pharmacist P&T Competition! The team was advised by Dr. Margaret Byun. A special acknowledgment also goes to Dr. Mitra Habibi who

8

T H E P H A R M A C I ST

P H A R M A C Y.U I C . E D U

Amanda Maldonado

Karol Soklowski

was this year’s content expert on multiple sclerosis and who provided lectures to both the students and the judges and also participated as a judge.

Two PhD Students Named CBC Fellows Researchers AMANDA MALDONADO and KAROL SOKLOWSKI were named Chicago Biomedical Consortium Entrepreneurial fellows. The program identifies and supports the professional development of junior life-sciences researchers who are keen to develop the skills and experiences needed to move translational projects from a university lab toward commercialization and potentially into a Chicago-based biotech start-up.

The program exposes fellows to a breadth of real-world experiences across the CBC institutions and connects trainees to a network composed of the Chicago biomedical community. Congratulations!

Celeste Guzman

Sean Martin

pharmacy leadership society announces new members, award winners The Phi Lambda Sigma fraternity, also known as the national Pharmacy Leadership Society, announced this year’s winners of the Student Leader of the Year Award and the P1 Leader of the Year Award. They also announced the inductees for each year and faculty inductees.

THE STUDENT LEADER OF THE YEAR

CLASS OF 2024

CLASS OF 2023

Alexa Abrenilla

Jessica Benitez-Burke

P2, Celeste Guzman

Katerina Antonishina

Hamn Khan

P1, Sean Martin

Ashley Choi

Jeffin Koshy

Alyse Dutcher

David Sowemimo

Samuel Fordjour Celeste Guzman Gunjan Patel Karina Sowa Saniya Zafar

F A C U LT Y INDUCTEES

Dr. Amanda Eades Dr. Annette Hays

Partnership Spotlight: Rush University

B Y

J E S S I C A

a

C A N L A S

s one of the oldest pharmacy schools

in the United States, the UIC College of Pharmacy has a history of establishing successful relationships with healthcare institutions throughout the nation and around the world in the interest of advancing not only pharmacy education, but the profession itself.

Thriving in the heart of a big city, UIC has the advantage of proximity to top-notch institutions in its own backyard. One such connection that is essential to both institutions and, arguably, to the health and wellbeing of the metropolitan Chicago patient population, is with

Rush University Medical Center.

SUMMER 2022

T H E P H A R M A C I ST

11

Situated just blocks away from UIC’s own medical center and health-sciences campus, the relationship between the two institutions has existed for some time. However, the intimate connection between UIC Pharmacy and Rush Pharmacy has just come into its own in the past two decades.

Rush’s Nora Flint, former associate director of pharmacy, and Erin Shaugnessy, PharmD ’03, director of pharmacy, have played crucial roles in the link between the two institutions. Together, they have overseen the influx of UIC students who participate in both the IPPE and APPE clerkships that Rush offers, as well as the PharmD graduates who go on to pursue PGY1 and PGY2 residencies at Rush.

I’M A STRONG BELIEVER THAT OUR ON-CALL

“Our intern program recruits from schools all over the city, and we do get a good number from UIC,” says Flint.

“From a geography standpoint, Rush makes sense [for UIC students].”

Besides proximity, Rush offers pharmacy students from UIC a complementary learning opportunity through its contrasting practice model.

“UIC is very academics-focused because the school is embedded within the hospital,” says Flint. “Rush is a freestanding hospital with integrated clinical and operations services, so that just provides a different type of practice for students to be exposed to.” “[UIC students] get valuable experience working in the medical reconciliation and in the main pharmacy seeing how pharmacy operations work,” adds Shaugnessy.

“They get to work on clinical projects with staff and often are given additional opportunities, so it’s not just a technician job.

“They also get an up-close look at our residency program to see if that’s something they’d want to be a part of.”

PROGRAM IS MOST

As it turns out, that’s an opportunity that a number of UIC College of Pharmacy graduates have taken Rush up on.

VALUABLE. IT WAS IN THE LATE EVENING HOURS . . .

THAT I TRULY LEARNED TO

While in school at UIC, Gigi Rechner, PharmD ’11, worked as a pharmacy technician at Rush, where she witnessed an expansion of both pharmacy services and the residency program.

MAKE CLINICAL DECISIONS

“I wanted to be part of that opportunity,” says Rechner.

INDEPENDENTLY.

Subsequently, during her PGY1 in adult medicine, Rush established their 24-hour, on-call program, which she took advantage of for its particular challenges.

“I’m a strong believer that our on-call program is most valuable,” says Melissa Kocek, PharmD ’13. Kopek did her PGY1 at Rush and, like Rechner, ended up accepting a permanent position there after residency.

“It was in the late evening hours, responding to codes and restricted antimicrobial that I truly learned to make clinical decisions independently.”

Rechner also appreciated Rush’s focus on “the operational aspect of pharmacy. Having that experience with the entire process, from order to production to getting it to the patient—it’s made me a stronger clinical pharmacist.”

MELISSA KOCEK

In return for the quality training at Rush, UIC offers its residents a teaching certificate program, conveniently located in its nearby Wood Street facility.

“These days, here is a huge drive for residency programs to provide a teaching certificate,” says Flint. “UIC’s is a well-established program, and it provides a strong education on how to teach and precept students.”

Gary Peksa, PharmD ’10, has gained a wealth of experience mentoring students in the decade he’s been at Rush since completing his residency there in 2011.

Starting off as an emergency medicine pharmacist, Peksa subsequently moved into roles as the PGY2 emergency medicine residency director and then manager of clinical pharmacy services. This past June, he became the manager of education and transitions of care.

“One of the things most valuable to me when I chose to apply to Rush [for residency] was that they had a lot of recognition among pharmacy organizations with regard to preceptors and leadership,” Peksa says. “Nora was very involved in ASHP, and a lot of preceptors were helping to write guidelines in the care of patients. In terms of preceptorship and learning opportunities, Rush had many different types of rotations to offer.”

In his current position at Rush, Peksa’s career comes full circle as he follows Flint’s footsteps in overseeing the residency program, which, he explains, is a role that can often go beyond academics.

“I do enjoy precepting and mentorship, but I love working throughout the year on research projects with residents, teaching them the skills that I’ve refined over the years, and passing on that knowledge,” says Peksa who was voted Rush Preceptor of the Year for 2015–16 by residents.

GARY PEKSA

. . . I LOVE WORKING THROUGHOUT THE YEAR ON RESEARCH PROJECTS WITH RESIDENTS, TEACHING THEM THE SKILLS THAT I’VE REFINED OVER THE YEARS . . .

“As preceptors, we are there to be their mentors through what can be a very stressful year.”

Flint, now semiretired, appreciates the synergy Rush and UIC have shared over the years.

“UIC offers a high caliber of student,” she says, also citing the continuing education opportunities provided to Rush, resources shared with preceptors, and the collaborative nature of UIC faculty.

“Rush is a top-ranked medical center practicing stateof-the-art medicine and pharmacy,” says Dean Glen Schumock. “They have been an essential partner to the UIC College of Pharmacy, and we value the quality experiential education opportunities they provide for our students at their institution.”

SUMMER 2022

T H E P H A R M A C I ST

13

AMBULA

ADMINISTRATION AND LEADERSHIP ACUTE CARE

COLLEGE OF PHARMACY UNVEILS TO BOLSTER

SIX

STUDENT EXPERIEN

HEOR

PRA

PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES 14

T H E P H A R M A C I ST

P H A R M A C Y.U I C . E D U

COLLEGE OF PHARMACY UNVEILS SIX NEW CONCENTRATIONS TO BOLSTER STUDENT EXPERIENCE AND PROPEL OPPORTUNITIES

TORY CARE PHARMACY

B Y

D A N I E L

P .

S M I T H

W

ith the addition of six new concentrations to its

heralded PharmD program, the UIC College of Pharmacy is unlocking new opportunities for its students and strengthening its profile as one of the nation’s premier colleges of pharmacy.

NEW CONCENTRATIONS AND PROPEL

CE

OPPORTUNITIES Providing students an enhanced and focused academic, research, and practical PharmD experience, the concentrations cover each the college’s three academic departments and focus on diverse areas, such as bench science, outcomes research, acute or ambulatory care, and leadership. By doing so, they position students for

competitive postgraduate residencies and fellowships as well as career opportunities to practice at the top of their license.

CTICE-BASED RESEARCH

SUMMER 2022

T H E P H A R M A C I ST

15

THE CONCENTRATIONS ENABLE STUDENTS TO EFFECTIVELY FOCUS THEIR EFFORTS IN A SPECIFIC AREA OF INTEREST AND RECEIVE FORMAL RECOGNITION FOR IT. — DR. JOANN STUBBINGS

“This is a big deal for students,” says Dr. JoAnn Stubbings, clinical associate professor emerita in the Department of Pharmacy Practice and a prominent player in the concentrations’ formation. “The concentrations enable students to effectively focus their efforts in a specific area of interest and receive formal recognition for it.”

PROVIDING STRUCTURE AND RESOURCES Recognizing pharmacists’ ever-expanding role across the healthcare landscape and accelerating marketplace demand for advanced knowledge and specialized skills beyond the traditional PharmD degree, College of Pharmacy leadership has consistently sought ways to elevate training and the student experience.

Given its success with existing concentrations in rural pharmacy (RPHARM) in Rockford and urban pharmacy (UPHARM) in Chicago, college leadership viewed establishing additional concentrations as a way to deliver progressive curriculum offerings that would empower students, leverage faculty talent, and differentiate UIC. Among Big Ten institutions, only three offer concentrations or specializations within their PharmD program.

ENHANCING THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE Each of the six new concentrations features a combination of didactic course work, practical experience, mentorship, and research, the latter being something both students and employers are increasingly prioritizing. Goliak believes the concentration format provides novel opportunities for leadership, scholarship, and learning that will pay dividends in students’ post-UIC lives.

“For students going into residencies or fellowships, the concentrations provide a head start on the focused training they will receive in a given area,” Goliak says. “For those heading straight into the workforce, the concentrations offer a competitive advantage and open the door to different career possibilities.”

UIC will be rolling out the concentrations to first-year PharmD students this fall with a full activation in fall 2023.

“These concentrations provide a breadth of areas of specialized practice or researchfocused education and experiences,” UIC College of Pharmacy dean Dr. Glen Schumock says. “It is a major accomplishment for students and signifies a knowledge base and experience that is unique and valuable.”

“By adding additional concentrations, we are broadening academic opportunities for students and giving them a competitive advantage in postgraduate and career opportunities,” says Dr. Kristen Goliak, PharmD ’98, the college’s associate dean for academic affairs.

College leadership anticipates that 20–30% of PharmD students will graduate with a concentration, which will appear on their diploma and transcripts as an official college certification. Even for students who decide not to pursue a specific concentration, however, Goliak sees benefits.

For years, UIC PharmD students have been informally creating their own focused areas of study by compiling elective courses and research opportunities aligned with their personal interests and career objectives.

The new concentrations eliminate any such scrambling by bringing structure and resources to the most sought-after areas in which students pursue residencies and fellowships, if not immediate employment.

“With these concentrations, we developed several new elective courses, so we’re strengthening our already robust elective pool and giving our students opportunity to explore and learn even more,” Goliak says, adding that the concentrations also serve as a compelling tool to attract prospective students as well.

“For those evaluating UIC for their PharmD education, these concentrations make us that much more appealing.”

THE SIX NEW C O N C E N T R AT I O N S ACUTE CARE PHARMACY One of four concentrations offered by the Department of Pharmacy Practice, the Acute Care Pharmacy concentration focuses on advanced topics in the inpatient settings, including in-demand hospital environments such as intensive care units and emergency departments.

“Acute care pharmacy is both a major need in the profession and an area of strength for the UIC College of Pharmacy,” says Dr. Edith Nutescu, PharmD ’94, head of the Department of Pharmacy Practice. “With this concentration, students will be that much more prepared to walk straight into practice in an acute care setting or earn a spot in competitive residencies or fellowships focused on acute care.”

A D M I N I S T R AT I O N AND LEADERSHIP With a need for leadership training in colleges of pharmacy, something few of UIC’s peer institutions provide, the Administration and Leadership concentration will explore advanced topics in pharmacy practice leadership regardless of the practice area–hospital administration, ambulatory care, managed care, specialty pharmacy, pharmaceutical industry, or government.

“In contemporary pharmacy practice, healthsciences leadership training helps our students stand out, and this concentration will help our students become innovative self-starters who can take the lead on projects, collaborate, and execute,” Nutescu says. It has long been said that there is a “leadership void” in the profession. This concentration will help fill that by giving students interested in administration and leadership needed education and experience to purse that career direction.

A M B U L AT O RY C A R E P H A R M AC Y

PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES

Much like its acute care sister in the Department of Pharmacy Practice, the Ambulatory Care Pharmacy concentration seeks to position students for sought-after postgraduate residencies or positions in outpatient clinics or community pharmacy.

The concentration will pay special attention to the prevention and management of chronic disease states, such as diabetes, hypertension, asthma, and congestive heart failure.

The Pharmaceutical Sciences concentration focuses on the lab sciences, such as chemistry, biology, pharmaceutics, and pharmacognosy, as well as genomics and bioinformatics. It will provide students interested in careers in research, industry, or academia key insights into contemporary drug discovery and development and, critically, an earnest appreciation for the challenges of creating a novel therapeutic from a target or compound.

“Here’s another area where the job market is in need of well-trained practitioners, particularly for those caring for underrepresented populations,” Nutescu says of ambulatory care settings, such as general and specialty clinics, outpatient surgical facilities, and dialysis centers.

“As we’ve seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is absolutely critical to develop new therapeutics quickly and efficiently, and this concentration opens up new opportunities for our students in the pharmaceutical and biotech industry,” says Dr. Nancy Freitag, head of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences.

H E A LT H E C O N O M I C S A N D OUTCOMES RESEARCH (HEOR) Offered by the Department of Pharmacy Systems, Outcomes, and Policy (PSOP), the HEOR concentration will teach key aspects of health economics and outcomes research, such as pharmacoeconomics, patientreported outcomes, and decision analysis.

While a seminar-based course provides an HEOR overview, students will select courses on HEOR topics of particular interest to them and complete the concentration with an applied experience overseen by a PSOP faculty member.

As costs of new medications continue to increase, PSOP department head Dr. Todd Lee says it is important manufacturers “provide evidence on the value of their medications” and managed care providers “understand the cost-effectiveness or value of new treatments.” The “outcomes pharmacist” is also an emerging career option in the community pharmacy setting—especially at chains and in hospitals. This concentration will make students very competitive for such positions and for fellowships in pharmaceutical industry or managed care.

PR ACTICE-BASED RESEARCH Intended to increase the competitive standing of PharmD students interested in pursuing postgraduate residencies, graduate degree programs, or academic or practicebased research careers, this Department of Pharmacy Practice concentration will explore advanced topics in practice-based research, including the implementation, evaluation, and dissemination of novel pharmacy services or interventions, including clinical trials. Nutescu says providing students applied clinical research experience addresses a significant need in the profession and promises to drive improved patient care.

“This concentration will teach students how to use the scientific method to address clinically relevant questions and then bring that knowledge back to the bedside to impact patients in a positive way,” Nutescu says.

SUMMER 2022

T H E P H A R M A C I ST

17

UIC GRADS EARN STRONG PLACEMENT RATE T

E

N

O

ER HL

DR.

KI

R

S

This year, the UIC College of Pharmacy again demonstrated the strength of its graduates in an impressive array of residency placements. With graduates heading to Duke, Johns Hopkins, and elsewhere, 2022’s resident class proves that UIC PharmDs are in high demand, leaders said.

For the Class of 2022, 81% of PGY1 applicants earned matches, a 15% increase from 2021, while 91% of PGY2 applicants secured matches. Overall, UIC placed sixth nationally for total students placed in PGY1 and PGY2 residencies, including students who committed early.

“It’s safe to say that our students are well sought after from [residency] programs, and I think that’s why our numbers reflect what they do,” said Dr. Kevin Rynn, vice dean for UIC’s Rockford campus.

One of the top programs accepting residents, of course, is UIC itself, and nine UIC students earned PGY1 or PGY2 spots here this year. Hometown applicants get no special consideration for the college’s residencies—the school takes the best matches. But those best matches often include competitive UIC applicants, said Dr. Kirsten Ohler, PGY1 program director. “We were very

18

pleased to get several UIC students that applied to us,” she said. Other matches to UIC’s residency program came from the University of Kentucky; University of California, San Francisco; and more.

The college’s placement rate may actually understate the strength of the school’s graduates, said Dr. Glen Schumock, dean of the UIC College of Pharmacy, because more UIC grads seek residencies compared with other schools. “More than half [110 of 175] of our students are interested in residencies . . . That’s a huge number,” Schumock said. “Other schools might have a higher match rate, but it might represent a much smaller percentage of their students.”

91% OF PGY2 APPLICANTS SECURED MATCHES

T H E P H A R M A C I ST

P H A R M A C Y.U I C . E D U

81% OF PGY1 APPLICANTS EARNED MATCHES

O

LL

A

UIC PLACED

sixth

ANT

HO

N

Y

R

SE

Hai Pham (UIC Chicago, 2022) secured a unique PGY1/ PGY2 residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital, specializing in informatics in year two. UIC mentors helped him develop his interest in pharmacy informatics and readied him for applications through mock interviews, he said. “Those really help you prepare and give you confidence.”

UIC has emphasized that sort of preparation recently, establishing a faculty committee to aid applicants. In addition to conducting mock interviews, the group helps applicants fine-tune CVs and letters of intent and provides other help.

As the pharmacy profession has placed increasing importance on postgraduate career training, UIC has encouraged and supported student applications.

Accomplished careers among previous residents speak to the wisdom of that approach. “Many of our alumni who went into residencies or fellowships, at UIC or elsewhere, are now leaders of the profession,” Schumock said, “and today’s students will do the same.”

A

Students said that UIC prepared them well for the applications. Anthony Rosella (UIC Rockford, 2022), who will be doing his PGY1 in Rockford, said UIC faculty provided great advice. Many “of them knew I wanted to do a residency and were checking in with me . . . to make sure I was making good strides on my application,” he said.

In addition to residencies, some UIC students seek fellowships for postgraduate training, typically in the pharmaceutical industry. UIC ranked third nationally last year placing students in these programs. The great education, ample clerkship rotations, and leadership opportunities that UIC pharmacy students gain make them competitive for fellowships or residencies, Schumock said.

I

P

HA

M

H

More importantly, that level of interest in residencies demonstrates commitment to advance-practice careers, Schumock said. “Our graduates seek residency training because they understand that doing so will further expand their opportunities.”

NATIONALLY FOR TOTAL STUDENTS PLACED IN PGY1 AND PGY2 RESIDENCIES

“They’re already great students. It’s just a matter of showing them what residency programs look for in an applicant and helping them present themselves in the best light,” Schumock said.

SUMMER 2022

T H E P H A R M A C I ST

19

THE

UICent CHARGES B Y

D A N I E L

P .

S M I T H

The UICentre Charges Ahe

AHEAD

P OW E R E D BY A N E W F I V E -Y E A R F U N D I N G CYC LE , I N I T I AT I V E C O N T I N U E S T O S E RV E I T S V I TA L E A R LY - S TA G E D R U G

20

T H E P H A R M A C I ST

P H A R M A C Y.U I C . E D U

Understandably, Dr. Michael Flavin, PhD ’84, felt a pinch overwhelmed last year. After being appointed interim head of UICentre, the university’s academic drug discovery initiative, in September 2020, Flavin faced some

tre

e ead

mighty tasks following the departure of Dr. Greg Thatcher.

Thatcher launched the enterprising UICentre in 2013 and led its remarkable early rise, which included ushering four new drugs into clinical trials. Amid the swirling uncertainty of a pandemic, no less, Flavin was charged to continue operations and ensure stability amid the transition.

Most immediately and certainly most pressing, though, Flavin needed to renew UICentre’s funding. He spent his first six months as UICentre’s interim

UIC’S DRUG DISCOVERY ROLE IN DRIVING DISCOVERY

chief meeting with contributing units at UIC, including the Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences as well as the Colleges of Pharmacy, Medicine, and Liberal Arts and Sciences.

SUMMER 2022

T H E P H A R M A C I ST

21

UICentre is an initiative with a noble mission to address unmet medical needs and the potential to pay big dividends for UIC by moving drugs through the development process and into the market.

UICentre is an initiative with a noble mission medical needs and the potential moving drugs through “UICentre has proven to be an exciting and effective group at UIC, and I hoped that would be enough,” says Flavin, who was involved with UICentre’s founding as a member of its external advisory group.

Still, Flavin, a seasoned biotech entrepreneur accustomed to raising money, knew nothing was guaranteed.

Dr. Michael Flavin

In meeting after meeting, Flavin touted the center’s early results and teased its most promising projects. He detailed the wideranging importance of its work, championing the center’s potential to improve human health, attract bright scientists to UIC, and bring revenue to the university to fund additional research and innovation. He lobbied for continued support, sharing projections and detailing an inspired future.

“UICentre is an initiative with a noble mission to address unmet medical needs and the potential to pay big dividends for UIC by moving drugs through the development process and into the market,” he assured.

Flavin’s efforts resulted in a full renewal of the center’s five-year funding cycle and even generated additional support from the University of Illinois Cancer Center to facilitate deeper collaboration on oncology projects.

“Greg did a tremendous job while here, but I saw it as my responsibility to continue to advance UICentre and help it become the best possible drug discovery center it could be,” Flavin says.

A SH ORT, A LB E IT ROB U ST H I STORY For nearly a decade, UICentre, which stands for University of Illinois Collaborative Engagement in Novel Therapeutic Research and Enterprise, has served as the university’s critical first bridge on the long, winding, and bumpy road to a therapeutic’s marketplace arrival– an intricate, multistep journey that can last up to a dozen years.

22

T H E P H A R M A C I ST

P H A R M A C Y.U I C . E D U

When UIC researchers identify a compelling target to cure or modulate a disease, UICentre supplies modest seed funding alongside human and technical resources to hustle the project ahead. Lending particular expertise in bioassay development, high-throughput screening, medicinal chemistry, and pharmacokinetics, the center’s team uses tools like liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry to develop a deeper understanding of the drug’s metabolic properties and later arranges for toxicology experiments.

It is, Flavin vows, an efficient and cost-effective process for an endeavor that can be anything but efficient and cost-effective.

“We’re banking on the idea that interdisciplinary collaboration and calculated action will create favorable results,” Flavin says.

UICentre’s process has already spurred some notable success stories, including pushing four different therapeutics into clinical trials: three breast cancer drugs and a drug addressing advanced refractory brain cancer. In addition, UICentre projects have collected nearly $25 million in sponsored research over the last nine years.

TJ Augustine, UIC’s vice chancellor for innovation, credits UICentre for creating a valuable hub for the university’s most compelling drug discovery work by combining on-campus strengths in areas like pharmacy, medicine, chemistry, and engineering to accelerate the development of promising therapeutics.

“Because of UICentre, we can let 1,000 flowers bloom,” says Augustine, alluding to UIC’s rich history in drug discovery as one of the globe’s few universities with four drugs currently on the market in Shingrix, Prezista, Tice-BCG, and Phexxi.

FU LL SP E E D A H E A D Over the last year-plus, Flavin has worked to ensure UICentre continues progressing.

To that end, Flavin has added two medicinal chemists in Drs. Malaika Argade and Ang Zuo, heightened the

to address unmet to pay big dividends for UIC by the development process and into the market. center’s drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics capabilities with the additions of Drs. Krishna Gone and Dejan Nikolic, and strengthened the center’s bioassay development team with the hirings of Drs. Sweta Misra and Ruchi Roy. Flavin has also prioritized increasing UICentre’s visibility. A modernized website features tabs for news and publications as well as the UICentre’s Twitter feed. These efforts, Flavin says, spotlight notable developments and better position the center for external partnerships and investment, both of which remain key priorities for center leadership.

While UICentre is funded by UIC and collaborating units, Flavin sees the possibility to secure philanthropic investment and strategic support like recent grants from the Chicago Biomedical Consortium that enabled UICentre to initiate projects in cardiovascular disease and respiratory diseases, such as asthma. Flavin has added a “Make a Gift” tab to the UICentre website and continues working with UIC Advancement officials to target and solicit support.

Flavin, after all, understands UICentre’s ambitious work requires deeper collaboration and an ongoing evolution.

“That’s the nature of contemporary drug discovery,” he says.

Dr. Joanna Burdette, a professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, is currently developing two ovarian cancer projects with UICentre. She credits the center for helping her address common pain points along the drug development continuum, providing invaluable scientific expertise beyond her domain, and stimulating a more intense interrogation of her work.

“A scientist can’t be good at everything, and when you’re tackling a complex problem like cancer, you need the support and assistance of different minds and skill sets,” says Burdette, who also serves as the College of Pharmacy’s associate dean for research.

“The enthusiasm and conviction of the investigators is so motivating that you want to do whatever you can to help move these exciting projects forward,” says Bloem, UICentre’s associate director.

A P ROM I SI N G FUTU R E In the coming years, UICentre is slated to move into a new state-of-the-art home at the proposed Drug Discovery and Cancer Research Pavilion (DDCRP).

This will provide the center–currently housed on the College of Pharmacy building’s fourth floor–a more defined space as well as added visibility within UIC, with prospective faculty, and with the drug discovery community at large.

More space and staff should also enable UICentre to expand its offerings and expertise in areas like structural biology, artificial intelligence, and machine learning while energizing UIC’s involvement in emerging areas of drug discovery and development, such as biologics, cell therapy, and gene therapy.

“We see even more opportunity for collaborations and to broaden the lens of what we hope to achieve,” Flavin says of UICentre’s move into the DDCRP. Most immediately, though, UICentre needs a permanent head. The search for a new full-time director should be complete this summer.

“This will ensure UICentre continues its important work and creates even more collaborations,” Augustine says.

Until then, Flavin ensures the center remains committed to making a major impact at UIC and in human health by developing new drugs to prevent or remedy diseases that impact millions.

“We’re poised to build on everything that’s already been accomplished and become an even more powerful engine for discovery,” Flavin says.

It’s assistance that UICentre staff like Dr. Laura Bloem, who specializes in bioassay development and highthroughput screening to support medicinal chemists, is happy to provide.

SUMMER 2022

T H E P H A R M A C I ST

23

B Y

M I C H A E L

D H A R

Pharmacy Volunteers’ Lend Their Expertise to Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful

r a h P

V y c a m

Every year, a huge quantity of medications go unused or expire, posing dangers for both the environment and individuals

24

T H E P H A R M A C I ST

r e e t olun

e h T d n e L ’ s

o t e s i t r e p x E r i

UIC-Roc k for d

at risk of drug abuse. In response, UIC College of Pharmacy volunteers have dedicated their expertise and time to ensuring that thousands of pounds of medications are properly disposed.

Since 2018, student and faculty volunteers from UIC Pharmacy in Rockford have partnered with Keeping Northern Illinois Beautiful (KNIB) for the organization’s annual medication-collection event. Volunteers have aided the effort at several takeback sites in the Rockford area, including on the UIC health-sciences campus. Last year, UIC faculty and students logged more than 40 hours of volunteer time, with UIC Pharmacy student volunteer commitments reaching more than 55 hours in 2018. This year’s event took place Saturday, June 11, from 9:00 a.m. to noon.

P H A R M A C Y.U I C . E D U

UIC’s partner in the event, KNIB, is an environmental nonprofit that collects recyclables and hosts other events, like clothing drives and the Great American Cleanup, where volunteers beautify the outdoors. KNIB and UIC’s collection event makes a difference for clean water and public safety, while giving UIC Pharmacy students a chance to put their medication knowledge to real-world use, participants said.

“It prevents medications from going into the environment, for example, our water system,” said

Dr. Kevin Rynn, vice dean for UIC Pharmacy’s Rockford campus. “And it’s a service that UIC provides to our community . . . getting medications out of the hands of potential abuse or misuse and accidental ingestion.”

Drugs with potential for abuse or harm left in medicine cabinets or drawers around people’s homes can fall into the hands of individuals with addictions, people looking to experiment, and even children and others innocently ingesting something dangerous, Rynn said.

“Children, pets, and others could accidently get into them, or teens and older individuals could purposely abuse them.”

& Dr. Ke vi n Ry n n

At the collection events, UIC faculty and students, along with KNIB volunteers, gather at sites across northern Illinois.

(These locations have included Loves Park City Hall, Belvidere Township Building, Machesney Park Mall, South Beloit Fire Station, and MercyHealth Winebago Clinic. UIC health-sciences campus donates a large retrieval area.) Residents drive up with their old or unneeded medications and pass these items out through their windows. Pharmacists (each site must have a licensed pharmacist to supervise) and pharmacy students lend their expertise to properly categorize medications as controlled or noncontrolled substances. Controlled substances like opioids are secured and handled separately, with everything eventually being incinerated.

Yu-Jea n Par k

SUMMER 2022

T H E P H A R M A C I ST

25

KNIB volunteer efforts have helped clean old meds out of a swath of homes across northern Illinois, with nearly 830 households served in 2018.

KNIB volunteer efforts have helped clean across northern Illinois, Volunteers at the event come from the College of Pharmacy, with a student group usually sponsoring volunteer recruitment, said Cindi Schaefer, UIC Rockford director of student affairs, who coordinates with those groups.

The last few years, the College of Pharmacy fraternity, Kappa Psi, has taken on that role.

For seasoned experts like Rynn and new student volunteers alike, the sheer quantity of drugs that comes in can be eye-opening. “One of the surprises was especially how many meds we collected that first year, before COVID,” said Patrick Ndungu, PharmD ’21, who has volunteered since 2019. “We had 10 or 12 different tubs just full of different medications.

For me, it brought into perspective, they say don’t flush your medications down the toilet, but many people do. . . . I’m first of all shocked at the amount of meds that we do get.”

KNIB tallies medication hauls by barrels collected, pounds of aerosols, and pounds of medications. “Some of the bigger years, it was close to 5,000 lbs. of meds,” Rynn noted. Indeed, in 2018, the takeback effort brought in more than 4,600 lbs. of drugs across five sites, including more than 2,000 lbs. at UIC, usually one of the bigger sites. Last year, with the event picking up steam again after a pandemic off-year, volunteers sorted through more than 2,000 lbs. at four sites. The event filled 30 barrels with old meds in 2018, including five barrels at UIC.

26

T H E P H A R M A C I ST

P H A R M A C Y.U I C . E D U

The quantity of drugs with abuse potential stands out for Rynn, he said. “I’m always surprised at how many controlled substances, opioids and benzodiazepines, that come in,” he said.

Ndungu agreed. “I was shocked . . . especially when you think about the opioid epidemic or how people would keep those meds and just use them,” he said. “It’s really helpful to get those medications out of the house and dispose of them properly.”

KNIB volunteer efforts have helped clean old meds out of a swath of homes across northern Illinois, with nearly 830 households served in 2018, including almost 200 at UIC. About 500 households were served last year, nearly 130 of which were served at the UIC campus.

UIC volunteer student pharmacists have gotten a lot out of the experience, too, participants said. Current P2 student pharmacist Elizabeth Okyne joined her husband, Ndungu, to volunteer at the event for the first time in 2020, before she’d officially started at

old meds out of a swath of homes , with nearly 830 households served in 2018. the college. The event can bolster a beginning or seasoned pharmacy student’s drug knowledge with real-world experience, Okyne said. “It got me exposed to learning about a lot of drugs even before I started pharmacy school,” she said. “It was really cool to see that firsthand, especially when it came to narcotics . . . [controlled substances] versus the noncontrolled. . . . It’s a good exposure even if you haven’t thought of pharmacy school.”

Volunteering also gets a budding pharmacist out there and interacting with the public, Okyne added. “It’s just nice to meet people. We did it in Belvidere, where we were able to meet the senior citizens. It was cool to interact with people like that.”

And if individuals can’t make it to an event or the pharmacy with their old, noncontrolled substances, these meds can be thrown out. However, the FDA recommends first mixing them with something unpalatable, like cat litter or coffee grounds, “so someone doesn’t accidentally get into them in the garbage,” Rynn said.

While educating the public on such details of drug disposal, pharmacy volunteers at the KNIB collection event can also gain a new perspective on their field, Ndungu said. “From a pharmacy standpoint, we’re always thinking of prescribing, prescribing, prescribing,” he said. “We never really think of how much of their medications people take or what happens to the meds, for example, unfortunately, if someone passes away. . . .

So it’s definitely something I would encourage not just student pharmacists but anyone else [with an interest] to take part in.”

Ndungu agreed that the event provides an educational and experiential benefit to pharmacy volunteers. “I actually like that it helps with my drug knowledge,” he said. “It’s not only been helpful for me to learn about medication disposal, but also educating the patients year round on where they would dispose of these medications.”

On that point, Rynn noted that the public should know they can inquire in their community pharmacy about medication disposal, too. In the unlikely event that people can’t find a takeback event or site, the FDA says individuals can get rid of the most dangerous substances, such as opioids, by flushing them. “There is a short list of drugs that FDA [says] the benefits of getting rid of them immediately in the toilet far outweigh the risks of someone accidentally getting into them or ingesting them,” Rynn said.

SUMMER 2022

T H E P H A R M A C I ST

27

WELCOME NEW ALUMNI!

T

he UIC College of Pharmacy welcomed our newest alumni to the ranks during our annual commencement ceremony on May 6, 2022. The college welcomed 193 new PharmD graduates, 12 masters’ graduates,

and 16 PhD graduates.

Denise Scarpelli, PharmD ’96, gave the commencement address. Dr. Scarpelli is the executive director of ambulatory pharmacy and business development at the University of Chicago where she also is currently serving as interim vice president and chief pharmacy officer. Her address focused on the opportunities that a pharmacy degree presents.

The ceremony was attended by members of the classes of 1970, 1971, and 1972.

These are our Golden Graduates who are celebrating their 50th graduation anniversary. This year’s Golden Graduate attendees were Ron Koch, BS ’70, PhD ’76; John Neumann, BS ’71; Paul Anast, BS ’72; and Ray Traficante, BS ’72.

The PharmD class of 2022 had an amazing 12 valedictorians, each with a perfect 4.0 grade-point average.

VALEDICTORIANS Alexia Bauer William Baugh Taylor Cairns Christine Chang Irene Cho Jason Chung Clarynn Ferris Rachel Goldberg Hannah Jenkins Rachel Kautz Karina Schoenfeldt Richard Shin

CONGR ATUL ATIONS TO ALL OUR GR ADUATES!

ALUMNI PROFILES

Saving Lives and Molding Leaders Motivates Dr. Brian Bautista’s Executive Career

B R I A N B A U T I S TA · P H A R M D ’ 0 0

BY MICHAEL DHAR

Through multiple commercial and management roles in the pharmaceutical and broader healthcare world, Brian Bautista, PharmD ’00, discovered the ideal focus for his mix of abilities and education: healthcare leadership—more specifically, the molding of leadership.

Bautista, who serves as chief operating officer for Versiti, Inc., the Midwest’s largest independent blood center, spent decades in management roles at pharmaceutical and biotech companies.

“A lot of those opportunities and exposure to great leaders in a nontraditional arena provided experiences in leadership and leadership of leaders, including other pharmacists, mentoring folks—that attracted me to it,” he said.

The executive’s first exposure to nontraditional pharmacy careers came while still at UIC. Through the college’s Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy chapter, Bautista linked up with Abbott Laboratories, where he would do a P4 rotation exploring a wide range of company facets “from marketing to sales to clinical roles,” he said. He went on to work at Abbott, which became AbbVie, in commercial roles on Humira, antibiotics, and other “blockbuster drugs.” After earning his MBA, Bautista went on to leadership roles at Baxalta (formerly Baxter), rising to area vice president of immunology. The network he gained through those roles brought Bautista to Versiti.

32

T H E P H A R M A C I ST

P H A R M A C Y.U I C . E D U

“Having had a primarily commercial background . . . I really built up leadership skills, and so that’s why you’ve got a pharmacist running operations for a blood center today,” he said.

The blood industry, in particular, attracted Bautista because of the crucial, irreplaceable role blood donation plays in saving lives. “Even in the rare disease space . . . you still had a handful of options,” he said. “But there’s no substitute for blood. . . . There’s a lot more on the line in what we’re able to do.”

Versiti’s status as a local blood center serving most of Chicagoland’s key health systems makes Bautista’s current role even more meaningful, he said. “We’re not this big national model. When we collect blood in our community, we do our best to make sure it stays in our community.

And that mission really called to me.”

Getting to a place where he could help fulfill that mission started at UIC, Bautista said. Beyond the program’s sterling reputation overall, Bautista said UIC’s access to the Chicagoland pharmaceutical business world made a crucial difference in his career. At other schools, “you don’t get the exposure and experience that’s available in the city of Chicago,” he said.

Finally, an Alzheimer’s Drug?

Dr. Barbara Calamini Seeks Neurodegenerative Breakthroughs When Barbara Calamini, PhD ’07, medicinal chemistry, met patients facing Huntington’s disease, she knew how she wanted to devote her professional life: seeking badly needed treatments for such destructive neurodegenerative diseases.

In her current role, Calamini heads the activities of multiple cross-functional teams in a fast-moving effort to bring drugs to development. Her projects hold the exciting prospect of finally producing treatments for these devastating disorders.

“It’s devastating to see young people [with this diagnosis] because once they have a mutation in the huntingtin gene, they know they’re going to get the disease . . . that in 10, 15 years, they will start to not control their voluntary movements and have psychiatric problems and eventually will die,” Calamini said. “I found it devastating, so I decided then that I wanted to dedicate my career to bring a treatment to people suffering from neurodegenerative diseases.”

“There are no drugs at the moment available for these patients,” making for “a very challenging field, but a field where if you make a contribution, you are really going to positively impact the life of patients who are in desperate need,” Calamini said.

Calamini encountered those young patients as a research scientist at Duke University, working on translational drug discovery projects using in vitro rodent models of Huntington’s and Parkinson’s diseases. That work followed a postdoc at Northwestern University, where she worked on C. elegans models of those same diseases. Today, Calamini leads two high-priority neurodegeneration programs as director at Eli Lilly. The role, which she began in February 2021, followed five years at Sanofi, where she led a team developing complex cellular models to advance drug discovery programs in neurodegeneration.

BARBAR A CALAMINI · PHD ’07

BY MICHAEL DHAR

To meet that challenge, Calamini’s team applies a different approach than the typical small-molecule avenue of drug research. “We believe that in targeting these diseases with novel modalities . . . we can bring an effective treatment to patients,” she said.

Between coming to UIC after her undergraduate work in pharmaceutical chemistry in Italy and her current role leading advanced research at Eli Lilly, Calamini credits lab experience at UIC with helping her find her initial footing as a scientist. “I very much appreciated the confidence that my PhD advisor gave me. He accepted me in his lab knowing that I really did not have experience at the bench, and I really appreciate that he allowed me to be independent, to make mistakes, and to learn.”

SUMMER 2022

T H E P H A R M A C I ST

33

ASK AN ALUMNUS

Rob Wittenberg, PharmD ’07 Director of Regulatory Affairs, Advertising, and Promotion for Medical Specialties, Astellas Pharma US After attending the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Dr. Robert Wittenberg actually started a career in radio production and sales. However, after getting a job as a pharmacy technician at Walgreens, he decided to pursue his Doctor of Pharmacy degree. He started pharmacy school at UIC in 2003 and took a particular interest in regulatory affairs (RA). During one of his P4 rotations at Lundbeck, he worked in RA labeling, advertising, and promotions, focusing on neurological rare diseases. He also completed a P4 rotation at Baxter where he worked in several therapeutic areas, including renal and surgical sealants, drugs, biologics, and devices.

Dr. Wittenberg realized that he truly enjoyed working in RA and continued on that track after graduating from the UIC College of Pharmacy in 2007.

After working in various RA roles at companies like Lundbeck and Baxter, he landed in his current position as the director of regulatory affairs, advertising, and promotion for medical specialties at Astellas, where he utilizes his strong knowledge of FDA guidance and promotion standards to lead new campaigns and launch strategies for therapies. “I help teams produce marketing materials, corporate communications, and sales training that are compliant with FDA rules and regulations and work to improve communication and understanding among our audiences: healthcare providers and patients and their families or caregivers,” says Dr. Wittenberg.

How did you decide to pursue a degree in

What do you enjoy most about your current role?

pharmacy?

I started working at Walgreens in a corporate help center and then realized with one of my mentors

T H E P H A R M A C I ST

working with therapies we are hoping to get

that I would be better serving people face-to-face. I

approved and launched. We are also maintaining

then started “tech-ing” in Walgreens pharmacies all

products that are later in their lifecycle. I have a team

around Chicago (at least 25 different stores). I met so

of people reporting to me, and managing people and

many patients and pharmacists, and after getting that

“managing” upwards always keeps me busy. There

clinical science exposure and being impressed by the

is always something new and always something

people I was working with and the patients I got to help,

interesting going on. I work among so many interesting

I knew it was something that really interested me. It was

and smart people who are both listening to me and

working in retail and really enjoying it, and knowing it

helping guide our next steps.

was something I could be good at and be happy with.

34

I enjoy being in the middle of everything. I am

P H A R M A C Y.U I C . E D U

What are you working on right now, and what have

You are extremely involved with the college

you enjoyed about it?

through AMCP and the P&T competition. How

We have a new person we are training and have many other projects. One of those projects is a product in the world of women’s health that has a

have you seen that grow over the years?

When I was a student, the competition was really small, but it has grown a lot, and AMCP

huge spotlight on it right now, and we hope to bring

continues to be a really strong group. We have always

to approval and market it. Providing guidance to

had a history of doing well regionally as well as getting

the marketing team will be my team’s focus to help

national exposure in the competition. There have

promote it to healthcare providers, patients, etc. There

always been a lot of faculty involved in the competition,

are many projects/trainings surrounding the product

and it is fun, almost a reunion of sorts. Margaret Byun

launch that keeps us busy.

is the faculty advisor for AMCP, and she gave me an opportunity to work during pharmacy school, so giving

What opportunities did you have at UIC that

back time and staying involved is the least I can do.

helped you get where you are today?

Being able to interact with students is also fun—you

I had the thought of working in retail after

again. It is a long-game.

never know when you might cross paths with them

graduating but wanted to see what else was out there that fit my skillset. Once I started at UIC, I joined AMCP [Academy of Mananged Care Pharmacy] and was a part of a P&T [Pharmacy and Therapeutics] team my P1 year with a really good group of students who mentored me along the way. I continued to network and expose myself to different opportunities. At UIC, I

You are also a preceptor for us. Congrats on being named the 2021–2022 External Preceptor of the Year. What keeps you involved in this capacity?

It is rewarding in many ways. There is value in keeping in touch with students and helping

worked under Margaret Byun, Sandra Durley, and Joann

them learn all different areas. There are opportunities

Stubbings, which gave me further opportunities to

to challenge themselves and find success. We want to

learn. I felt lucky for the different doors that opened, but

give them different experiences, so they can learn more

it was important to make sure I had knocked on those

about what they might like. In the long run, we know

doors first.

we will always need good people, so we stay in touch and recruit. Come August, I will be working with four

What advice do you have for those interested in a path similar to yours?

previous students of mine across the organization, so the connections created are really worth it.

You don’t have to wake up one day and have your whole life figured out, but you should take the opportunity to meet pharmacists and professionals in other areas. Meet as many people as possible to help you figure out a path that might make sense for you.

You never know what connections might be formed, so having those conversations makes it worth it.

SUMMER 2022

T H E P H A R M A C I ST

35

ALUMNI NEWS

MAGGIE ALLISON, PharmD ’15, started a new position as clinical pharmacy specialist, population health, at Ascension Illinois.

SCOTT V. ANDERSON, PharmD ’10, was named fellow of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists in April 2022.

JENNA BOZNOS, PharmD ’16, started a new position as clinical pharmacist specialist at UChicago Medicine.

LAKESHA BUTLER, PharmD, CDFT, RES ’06, received the Distinguished Achievement Award in Pharmacy Service from the American Pharmacists Association (APhA).

MARTIN CALABRESE, PharmD ’15, earned his PhD from the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy.

CHRISTOPHER CAMPEN, PharmD ’07, was recently promoted to senior medical liaison with Janssen Biotech.

TANYA (UDDIN) CHAUDHRI, PharmD ’18, was promoted to senior manager, regulatory affairs— therapeutics strategy, at Horizon.

CHRISTINA CHEN, PharmD ’18, joined the compounding department at Walgreens C&M Specialty in July 2021.

TOMMY CHIAMPAS, PharmD ’11, was recently promoted to senior medical scientist joining the HIV Prevention Team with Gilead.

AMIT CHIKANI, PharmD ’06, started a new position as director of clinical programs at OptumRx.

36

T H E P H A R M A C I ST

P H A R M A C Y.U I C . E D U

SCOTT CONRY, PharmD ’93, started a new position at GlaxoSmithKline as vice president and head of oncology at Field Medical.

ALINA (MEILE) DIMAS, PharmD ’10, was promoted to director, Medicare Star StrategySoutheast Region, at Aetna, a CVS Health Company.

KELLY ROSE DELEHANTY, PharmD ’16, began a new job as an outpatient pharmacist at Mercy Health Wisconsin and Illinois.

ROGER E. EAGAN, BS ’69, wrote a children’s book titled The Adventures of Angel Pup and Grandpa.

LARA ELLINGER, PharmD ’10, started a new position as medication safety program manager at Northwestern Medicine.

STEPHEN FADOWOLE, PharmD ’18, wrote an editorial in the Chicago Sun-Times calling on Congress to pass H.R. 7213, the Equitable Community Access to Pharmacist Services Act. SYDNEY FISTLER, PharmD ’20, started a new position as staff pharmacist at Meijer Pharmacy.

JAY HIGHLAND, PharmD ’15, started a new position as manager, patient care services–immunizations and travel health services.

SUNNY HIRPARA, PharmD ’13, received the Diplomat of the Year Award from AMCP. ELLIE JHUN, PharmD ’16, PhD ’16, was promoted to principal scientist at OneOme. SOOJIN JUN, PharmD ’13, started a new position as population health pharmacist at Oak Street Health.

KIM KAUZLARICH, PharmD ’11, started a new position as clinical pharmacist practitioner, program manager for Pain Management & Opioid Safety (PMOP coordinator) at VA Portland Health Care System.

NGOC KLINE, PharmD ’15, started a new position as staff pharmacist at UC San Diego Health.

WILLIAM KOLLING, BS ’76, MS ’84, was promoted to full professor at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy and was named associate editor for the American Journal of HealthSystems Pharmacy.

PATRICK FLEMING, PharmD ’11, started a new position as medical science liaison at Servier.

KHYATI (PATEL) KOTAK, PharmD ’11, was promoted to associate professor at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science.

CHRISTINE FOANIO, RES ’13, started a new position as associate director, medical promotional review, at Novo Nordisk.

JUILA (URSAN) LUCACI, PharmD ’13, started a new position as director of health economics and outcomes research at BD.

RICK HARMS, PharmD ’95, was promoted to executive director of medical affairs at Merck.

YIJIA LUO, PharmD ’15, was promoted to director, global regulatory sciences, at Cerevel Therapeutics.

ARTURO MONTEROHERNANDEZ, PharmD ’21, started a new position as clinical pharmacist at UI Health.

JENNY YEONHEE PARK, PharmD ’20, started a new position as senior manager, health economics outcomes research, at Horizon.

ADELA LUPAS, PharmD ’20, is now an emergency medicine pharmacist at Piedmont Fayette Hospital in Fayeteville, Georgia.

SYED MUNAWER, PharmD ’16, was promoted to senior manager, oncology medical science liaison— rare tumors, at Astellas Pharma.

KHYATI PATEL, PharmD ’11, was promoted to associate professor at Rosalind Franklin University.

JUN MA, PharmD ’10, was the recipient of the 2021 National Paragon Award from CVS Health.

DIANA NOWICKI, PharmD ’17, started a new position as adjunct assistant professor of clinical education at UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy.

NANCY MARTIN, PharmD ’97, started a new position as chief medical officer and executive vice president for R&D at TerSera Therapeutics.

MAGDALENA MASTALERZ, PharmD ’20, received her Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Kentucky.

SAMANTHA (KECA) MATHEWS, PharmD ’12, started a new position as manager, retail omnichannel operations, at CVS Health.

John DeHaan

JOHN DEHAAN, long-time donor and friend of the college, passed away on May 7, 2022.

HENRY OKOROIKE, PharmD ’20, started a new position as a cardiology clinical pharmacy specialist at Rush University Medical Center.

CAROLINE PARK, PharmD ’05, started a new position as therapeutic area head, immunologygastroenterology, U.S. Medical Affairs, at AbbVie.

James McDonald

AUGUSTINE DIANA, BS ’61, passed away on February 1, 2022. Pharmacy was his dream from age 15.

EDMUND F. KROPIDLOWSKI, BS ’58, passed away March 22, 2020.

MEGAN PRASSE-BRITTON, PharmD ’09, was promoted to supervisor, oncology specialty, at Rush University Medical Center.

SAMAH QASMIEH, RES ’19, started a new position at Ascension Resurrection Medical Center.

NICHOLAS ORSLINI, PharmD ’21, started a new position as pharmacy manager emerging leader at CVS Pharmacy.

Edmund F. Kropidlowski

KAREN PAWLAK, PharmD ’05, started a new position as staff pharmacists at Ascension.

What has changed in your life?

PLE A SE LE T US K N OW AT

GO.UIC.EDU/ ALUMNIUPDATE .

BOB G. SCHULTZ, MS, began a new position at Takeda Pharmaceuticals as associate director of value evidence generation.

PAUL J. SCHMIDT, BS ’76, was named the lead pharmacist for CCBHC Grant Program.

Charles D. Ness

JAMES MCDONALD, PharmD ’99, passed away March 10, 2022.

William Quinn

WILLIAM QUINN, BS ’61, passed away February 27, 2020.

CHARLES D. NESS, BS ’68, passed away December 30, 2019.

SUMMER 2022

T H E P H A R M A C I ST

37

ALUMNI NEWS

SHIVANI SALVI, PharmD ’17, is part of the Optinose clinical development team that announced top-line results from a Phase 2 ReOpen1 trial for chronic sinusitis.

ROLLA SWEIS, PharmD ’02, was named to the Arab American Business & Professional Association’s (ABPA) emPOWER-10 Women of Illinois list.

MIRIAM MOBLEY-SMITH, PharmD ’95, was appointed chairman of the Access Community Health Network Board of Directors.

MARIA TANZI-SAMAAN, PharmD ’01, started a new position as director of oncology, medical learning, and development at Bayer.

SAMANTHA SOCCO, PharmD ’20, started a new position as medical science liaison at GeneSight.

ANDREA TENBARGE, PharmD ’12, was promoted to senior director, medical affairs transformation office strategy and transformation, at Eli Lilly and Company.

DHARMI SHAH, PharmD ’19, was promoted to associate director, global regulatory affairs labeling (rare blood/rare diseases), at Sanofi.

NISHANT THAKAR, PharmD ’12, was awarded Roosevelt University’s College of Science, Health, and Pharmacy’s Distinguished Faculty of the Year for the second year in a row.

CAITLYN SOLEM, MS ’07, PhD ’10, was appointed as chief operating officer for OPEN Health Evidence & Access.

DIVYA VASUDEVAN, PhD ’15, started a new position as director, cell therapy competitive intelligence, at Bristol Myers Squibb.

E ODAY ST IN TH T N PL A INVE D N A

FU

The

E R TU

rs it y Un i v e

Ph a r m

ge n e r

o

38

t inu a i s c on

our d s i t y of

ref A s you a

ac y

l e c t on

n s ide l so co

T H E P H A R M A C I ST

of

s C hi Il l i n o i

e dic

l ly s t r

fe

ne d b n gt h e

lumn a te d a

wn g your o

r a de

e

c a go

oal s

lleg

P H A R M A C Y.U I C . E D U

i

y the

at w i l

your e a f te r

l

JACQUELINE WATKINS, BS ’84, was awarded a Master of Healthcare Administration from Missouri State University.

SCOTT WIRTH, PharmD ’07, started a new position as medical director at Arvinas.

VLADIMIR YURUKOV, PharmD ’18, started a new position as cardiovascular medical science liaison at AstraZeneca.

WAYMOND ZHOU, PharmD ’20, started a new position as manager, market research and business intelligence, at the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, supporting their oncology-hematology franchise and CAR-T cell therapy launch.

We can provide you the language to include the University of Illinois Foundation for the benefit of the college in your will or living trust and also custom language for a beneficiary designation via a retirement plan, whole-life insurance policy, or payable on death (POD)/ transferable on death (TOD) account or to further designate your bequest in a way that is meaningful to you.

s.

Please contact director of gift planning Jason

ou’ ll

how to invest in the future at the UIC College

ie nd and f r

op e y , we h

if t th r red g

the c o

e of C ol le g

SHALLY ALENDRY VOIT, PharmD ’14, was promoted to director, safety data sciences, at AbbVie.

t b e nef i

life t i m

e.

James Shuba, JD, for more information on of Pharmacy.

Office of Gift Planning and Trust Services 1305 W. Green St., MC 386 Urbana, IL 61801 312.413.3394 | shuba@uif.uillinois.edu

Lilah Rose

COLLEEN (MURRAY) CAPPELLI, PharmD ’12, and husband Eric welcomed their second child; daughter Lilah Rose was born on March 9, 2022, weighing 7 lbs. 11 oz. and measuring 20” long. She joins big sister Paisley (17 months).

KATIE (CLENNON) CULOS, PharmD ’11, and husband Chris welcomed their second child, Lily June Culos, on January 20, 2022.

She joins big sister London (4).

SEAN CHANTARAPANONT, PharmD ’11, and AMANDA SEDDON, PharmD ’12, welcomed their second child, daughter Sophie May, on November 22, 2021. She joins big brother Oliver (2).

Sophie May

MARINA (KOVAL) GOCKMAN, PharmD ’17, and husband Alex welcomed their first child, daughter Teya Amelia, on July 18, 2021.

TRISHA HARTKE, PharmD ’14, and her husband welcomed son James Alexander on February 21, 2022, weighing 8 lbs. 5oz. and measuring 20” long.

Teya Amelia

NICOLE (JOHNSON) HEUN, PharmD ’19, and husband John welcomed daughter Lydia on September 3, 2021.

James Alexander

MANDAR KANDIL, PharmD ’18, and Faour Alshare welcomed daughter Fadwa Alshare on March 16, 2022. She joins big sister Nawal.

OKSANA KUCHER, PharmD ’16, and husband Alex welcomed their second child; daughter Sofia was born on March 6, 2022, weighing 6 lbs. 11oz. She joins big sister Emma (3).

Sofia

MICHELLE LEE, PharmD ’16, and husband Jonathan Kang welcomed their first child; daughter Hailey Yebin Kang was born on April 19, 2022.

Eloise

ANN (OPALKA) LIVORSI, PharmD ’12, and husband Jeff welcomed their second child; daughter Eloise Ann was born on January 27, 2022, weighing 8 lbs.

7 oz. and measuring 20.5” long.

She joins big sister Josephine (2½).

ZEINA SAMARA, PharmD ’09, and husband Philip Bertulfo welcomed their third son, Elias John, in January 2022. He joins big brothers Nathaniel and Apollo.

Elias John

STEVEN SHOYER, PharmD ’15, and wife Mollie welcomed their first child, William Lloyd Shoyer, on April 15, 2022.

DARIUS TUMMINELLO, PharmD ’20, and wife Dhwani Patel welcomed son Harvey Geralt on January 25, 2022.

William Lloyd

LAUREN (STAMBOLIC) TRAJKOV, PharmD ’19, and husband Dejan welcomed their first child; son Jason Daniel was born December 14, 2021.

Jason Daniel

KAVITA SINGH VAZIRANI, PharmD ’07, and husband Roshan Vazirani welcomed daughter Zahra Devi Vazirani on February 19, 2022.

KELLY (MATTES) WAYMAN, PharmD ’11, and husband Wes welcomed their first child, son Wyatt Anson Wayman, on April 30, 2022.

Lydia

Fadwa

Wyatt Anson

SUMMER 2022

T H E P H A R M A C I ST

39

MANAR KANDIL, PharmD ’18, married Faour Alshare on May 14, 2021.

MELISSA MORIARTY, PharmD ’16, married Patrick Knight on April 23, 2022, in Balboa Park in San Diego, California. The newlyweds honeymooned Belize and Guatemala.

ANNESTI ELMASRI, PharmD ’21, became engaged to Mohamad Abdallah.

SAMANTHA KUSH, PharmD ’16, recently became engaged to Andrew Berry.

SAM OU, PharmD ’18, recently became engaged to Jiawan “Abby” Li. RAVI PATEL, PharmD ’21, and NEHA PATEL, PharmD ’22, are now engaged.

CHRISTINA CHEN, PharmD ’18, married David Law on August 6, 2021. The newlyweds honeymooned at the Maldives then Switzerland.

ERIC ABASOLO, PharmD ’19, married Katlyn Mast on March 12, 2022.

40

T H E P H A R M A C I ST

P H A R M A C Y.U I C . E D U

JESSICA KULAWIAK, PharmD ’21, became engaged to Kaz Boloz.

KELSEY JOHNSON, PharmD ’20, married Nick LeDonne on May 21, 2022. The newlyweds honeymooned in Ireland and France.

ALEC THOMPSON and NICOLE FUCHS, both PharmD ’21, became engaged.

Join Christi and fellow alumni who are getting involved to advance the profession and to support UIC Pharmacy.

“Supporting the UIC College of Pharmacy is one way to give back to the university and the profession for affording me opportunities for an excellent education and training for my future career. I am only paying it forward. Through your financial support, however large or small, you will do the same for others. Please consider a small donation in support of the college.”

It only takes a minute to make the gift that lasts a lifetime.

G I V I N G . P H A R M A C Y. U I C . E D U To discuss a lasting legacy of your own to benefit the next generation of pharmacists and scientists, please get in touch with associate director of

CHRISTI JEN PHARMD ’07, BCPS, FAZPA Pharmacy Clinical Manager and PGY1 Residency Program Director, Department of Pharmacy HonorHealth, Deer Valley Medical Center, Phoenix Clinical Assistant Professor, University of Arizona College of Pharmacy Director at Large, Health Systems, Arizona Pharmacy Association

development Lexi Betcher at LBetcher@uic.edu.

8 3 3 S . W O O D S T. ( M C 8 74 ) · C H I C A G O , I L 6 0 6 12

C A L E N D A R AU GUS T

O F

E V E N T S

CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS The college is looking

18

White Coat Ceremony

for volunteers to help in the White Coat

AU GUS T

Ceremony this August.

27

Chicagoland Critical Care Conference (C4) SE P TE MB E R

17

Illinois Transplant Pharmacist Association Symposium

If you’d like to help by being an alumni coater, please contact Deb Fox at dfox4@uic.edu or

O C TO B E R

8

Alumni Day (formerly Alumni Reunion) SAVE THE DATE O C TOB E R

21

Research Day

312.996.0160.