RESEARCH

The University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy has improved on its top 10 ranking in total federal research funding, moving up to number 8 in the country in funding from federal agencies like the National Institutes of Health, securing more than $18 million in fiscal 2019. The number 8 ranking — among 143 pharmacy colleges in the country — is a record for URI for the third year in a row.

After consistently ranking in the 20s in the annual American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy summary of research funding over the last several years, the College soared to number 11 in fiscal 2017, following that up with its first top-10 ranking last year. URI is the only college of pharmacy in the northeast in the top 20.

The funding will fuel research such as efforts to improve the influenza vaccine, find new treatments for cerebral palsy and reduce incidences of HIV. URI Pharmacy faculty members will also work on easing the debilitating effects of Alzheimer’s Naloxone is the fastest and most effective way to save someone’s life and restore breathing, according to Clinical Professor Jeffrey Bratberg. Pharmacies should offer the drug along with prescription opioids to protect patients in the case of an accidental overdose, and they are willing to do so, the study has shown. “The more naloxone we see in any community, the fewer overdoses we see and the more opportunities to connect people to care,” Bratberg said. “We know that the more pharmacies stock naloxone, the more it’s distributed to the public, the more people are saved.”

disease, reducing the incidence of opioid overdose, and developing new approaches to test for COVID-19, among several other groundbreaking projects. A more comprehensive look at planned research projects can be found at uri.edu/

pharmacy/news.

Bratberg’s study also found pharmacists had more positive attitudes toward fighting the opioid crisis if they stocked Naloxone and allowed anyone to freely acquire it without a prescription. The study demonstrates how the familiarity of the drug can lead to the acceptance of it.

The more familiar the public and pharmacists are with the drug, the easier it is to dispel the many myths regarding its safety and efficacy. The ultimate goal is to normalize the use of naloxone and change the stigma around possession of the medication.

Assistant Professor of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Matthew Bertin is teaming up with biotech firm Biosortia Pharmaceuticals Inc. to study the chemicals produced by algal blooms, which may hold the key to reducing neuroinflammation, a primary reason diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s progress.

Bertin’s laboratory has found several promising anti-inflammatory compounds from blooms of the marine cyanobacterium Trichodesmium. Bertin, who believes many of the compounds that are considered toxic can be leveraged for the benefit of human health, seeks to determine which chemicals can reduce neuroinflammation, and purify active compounds to further access their therapeutic potential.

“I believe there are numerous chemicals available in the microbial world that can be useful in treating diseases ranging from diabetes to Alzheimer’s,” Bertin said. “These previously inaccessible compounds may provide the next blockbuster treatment for neurodegenerative disease.”

The Bertin group is screening hundreds of chemical mixtures from Biosortia’s library and assessing the ability of these chemicals to reduce the inflammatory response. Early studies have shown many promising “hits” that do not result in any cytotoxicity to mammals, which is key to development in this area. These chemicals will be purified further to isolate single components for additional testing. Follow-up studies will further investigate these promising anti-inflammatories, hopefully moving into animal testing in the near future. For more details, visit uri.edu/

A University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy researcher has received a research grant to address barriers patients face in accessing needed medications for cancer. The $74,556 grant is funded by the Pharmacy Quality Alliance and the National Pharmaceutical Council.

Assistant Professor Ami Vyas will lead a study to identify significant patient access barriers and facilitators of adherence with oral anticancer medications. The study will examine patient out-of-pocket costs, socioeconomic characteristics, clinical factors and subsequent health outcomes.

Higher out-of-pocket costs for oral anticancer medications can lead to prescription abandonment, delayed initiation and other forms of nonadherence, Vyas said, potentially leading to worsening conditions.

“Our project will determine the association between patient out-of-pocket costs of oral anticancer medications and treatment adherence among adult cancer patients in the U.S., and will also determine how adherence impacts patient health outcomes,” Vyas said. “Our research will provide crucial evidence-based information for several stakeholders to develop and implement approaches aimed at improving patient access to oral anticancer medications.”

Findings are expected to be presented at a meeting of the Pharmacy Quality Alliance in 2021. For details, visit uri.edu/pharmacy/news

Associate Professor Anita Jacobson leads efforts to stem the opioid crisis in more rural areas around the state.

The “Community First Responders Program” seeks to educate rural communities about substance use disorder and opioid misuse, and provide resources to help address the opioid crisis, according to Associate Professor Anita Jacobson.

The program involves outreach to rural areas, teaching members of the community to recognize signs of overdose and how to respond — including administering naloxone. They will distribute naloxone kits, allowing members of the community to be true first responders. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jacobson has also offered the seminars online.

“This is an opportunity to reach rural communities, where there is not always as much outreach regarding overdose and addiction as in more urban areas,” Jacobson said. “We want to be a referral source and help people find the treatment and recovery they need.”

Representatives distribute and teach residents how to use nasal spray naloxone for victims displaying signs of an overdose. They will also provide testing strips to check for fentanyl, as well as HIV/ hepatitis testing, referrals to recovery programs, and information on methadone, buprenorphine and naltrexone treatments.

“We want to have as many people in the community as possible to be first responders,” Jacobson said. “If people are educated about this and know how to recognize an overdose, we can save lives.”

Students from around the region created tasty treats and demonstrated innovative uses of a local crop that shows promising health benefits as they demonstrated the culinary — and medicinal — versatility of maple.

The Maple internship program at the Food Innovation Nexus (FIX) at Johnson & Wales University is part of a federally funded, $500,000 initiative to promote the maple industry throughout the Northeast, stressing the potential health benefits of the native tree. Pharmacy Professor Navindra Seeram and his team have worked for a decade to unlock the health benefits of maple. They have identified more than 67 bioactive natural plant compounds with potential health benefits, including stabilizing blood glucose levels, fighting inflammation and even helping fight wrinkles.

Seeram’s Bioactive Botanical Research Laboratory partnered with FIX to demonstrate ways to incorporate maple into one’s diet to take advantage of its healthy properties. Students used pure maple ingredients to create such entrees as couscous with maple vinaigrette, and tuna poke with maple drizzle. Others designed a healthy maple ice cream easier for older adults to swallow, edible maple birthday candles, and even edible science kits found in toy store aisles.

For more information on Seeram’s work with maple and the health benefits the local crop contains, visit

The University of Rhode Island Office of Continuing Professional Development for the Health Professions hosted the 35th annual Seminar by the Sea Northeast Regional Conference March 11-13 at Gurney’s Newport Resort and Marina. The conference — “Emerging Healthcare Trends: Treating the Whole Patient” — brought together pharmacists, nurses and clinicians for three days of seminars and discussions on such topics as therapeutic CBD, pharmacogenomics and the epidemiology of the opioid epidemic. The keynote presentation — “Caring for the Whole Patient by Addressing Social Determinants of Health” — was delivered by Amina Abubakar, owner of RX Clinic Pharmacy in Charlotte, NC

Continuing education (CE) credits were available for pharmacists and nurses, including pharmacology, immunization and law credits. Next year’s conference is scheduled for March 17-19, 2021, for both in-person and online attendance.

Clinical Associate Professor Virginia Lemay administers a flu shot to a student in Avedisian Hall. Lemay leads the College’s “Operation Immunization” efforts.

The program aims to increase the rate of vaccinations on campus to protect against influenza and, more recently, Meningitis B, a relatively new strain of meningococcal disease that is not covered in typical meningitis vaccinations required by most college campuses. The project began with an education campaign last fall, followed by a vaccination clinic, with participating students receiving the first shot in October and another in November. A second vaccination clinic was planned for the spring before the coronavirus closed campus.

The project, with initial funding from the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, aims to encourage a ripple affect across the university. The long-term goal is to generate data that will convince the university admissions office to require meningitis B vaccines for all incoming students.