09 SEPTEMBER 2013
E-NEWSLETTER OF THE NATIONALLY RANKED UNIVERSITY OF TOLEDO COLLEGE OF PHARMACY AND PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES
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Dr. Hinko honored with alumni award
Dr. Alexander’s Service Award P.2 Fellowship for ’13 graduate P.2 Interprofessional Education P.3 Health Discoveries at UT P.4 Upcoming Events P.5
UT partners with university in China to improve the By Haraz N. Ghanbari study of medicine Dr. Christine Hinko, executive associate dean and associate dean for Student Affairs, is the recipient of the 2013 Jack L. Beal Postbaccalaureate Alumni Award from The Ohio State University. Presented to those who have “contributed significantly to research and scholarship in the pharmaceutical sciences and/or contributed outstanding service to the professional practice of pharmacy,” this award aptly represents the continued work of Dr. Hinko. Upon receiving the award, Dr. Hinko (pictured above with husband, Al) remarked, “My career has given me the opportunity to work with so many talented pharmacy students who continue to inspire me.” The feeling is certainly mutual for pharmacy students at UT.
Far from their homes in China, visiting scholars are practicing their English while learning new teaching methods they hope to incorporate into their own classrooms. The five scholars whose disciplines involve pharmacology, microbiology and immunology, biochemistry, pathology and physiology are paired with mentors from UT’s College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences as well as the College of Medicine and Life Sciences. UT’s relationship with North Sichuan Medical College began in 2002, and Dr. Johnnie L. Early II, dean of the UT College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, notes the two institutions are revisiting their memorandums of understanding with a new agreement he expects to be signed in June. The North Sichuan Medical College is a government-run college of medicine in Sichuan Province. Established in 1951, North Sichuan has nearly 15,000 students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs. “I have been on their campus at least twice and have seen their facilities both for student living and for learning,” Early said. “Their teaching labs on campus are quite comparable to ours, and they’ve added a
pharmacy school, so we are a really good match.” The underlying emphasis for the partnership is faculty exchange programs providing avenues for research collaboration and the sharing of knowledge across borders. There are 12 undergraduate and graduate specialties at North Sichuan: clinical medicine, imaging medicine, laboratory medicine, stomatology, anesthesiology, nursing, integrated medicine of traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine, forensics, ophthalmology, biomedical engineering, health service management, and medical English. “I find there are many differences between our colleges,” said Dr. Lin Mo, a lecturer of pathology at North Sichuan. “For example, a pathology teacher at UT talks more about how the disease happens and the relationship between the disease and the clinical symptoms. Teachers give more cases to discuss … this is a good because the students can understand the disease very well.” Mo said in a similar class taught at North Sichuan, professors lecture more about the structural and functional changes in cells, tissues and organs while not providing an continued on page 3
Prestigious Fellowship for 2013 Grad Karissa Cottier, BSPS ’13, is embarking on her graduate studies in the University of Arizona Medical Pharmacology Graduate Program. She conducted undergraduate research in the lab of Dr. Salah Ahmed and was nominated by the Department of Medical Pharmacology to receive the prestigious Science Foundation of Arizona Graduate Research Fellowship, which includes a one-year stipend and the full cost of tuition. In Dr. Ahmed’s lab, Karissa studied mechanisms of apoptosis in human Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) synovial fibroblasts and coauthored a poster presented in August 2012 in San Diego and a review article and other studies that will yield another publication. At the University of Arizona, she plans to study the molecular mechanism of disease pathogenesis in order to facilitate efforts toward the development of highly targeted therapies. According to Karissa, “this fellowship opportunity was a direct result of the help and guidance I received from my professors and especially Dr. Ahmed for giving me lots of great opportunities in my undergraduate research.“
Dr. Ken Alexander Receives Pharmacy Award for Community Outreach and Volunteerism make his community a better place to live and work. The Ohio Pharmacists Association (OPA) announced today that Ken Alexander, R.Ph., Ph.D., professor of Pharmacy Practice, is the 2013 recipient of the Bowl of Hygeia Award for outstanding service to his community. This award, presented at the OPA 135th Annual Conference held April 1214 in Columbus, is presented annually to honor a pharmacist who has contributed to the progress of his/her community within the state of Ohio. The Bowl of Hygeia award is sponsored by the American Pharmacists Association Foundation and the National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations with support from Boehringer Ingelheim. Ken Alexander is an outstanding citizen in his community and represents the profession of pharmacy well. His humble example of service has touched many aspects of the Toledo and Southeast Michigan communities for nearly 40 years. His selfless efforts
Alexander has served on the Board of Directors of his synagogue, B’nai Israel, and the school boards of St. Mary’s Parish in Monroe, Michigan and the Toledo Board of Jewish Education. In 2010, he became master of his local Masonic Lodge (Samaria) where he has raised significant amounts of money for various causes. Alexander is an Eagle Scout and has been active with Boy Scouts of America for over 20 years. He has served as a science fair judge for several junior high and high schools as well as the Southeast Michigan Science Fair. He and his wife have coached softball on different levels. He has also volunteered at the Lucas County Hypertension Clinic and a local methadone clinic. Alexander received his pharmacy degrees from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy & Science, the University of Rhode Island, and the University of Toledo College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences where he is currently a professor of pharmaceutics. He developed the MS Industrial Pharmacy program in 1984, the BSPS
Pharmaceutics Option in 2002 and the BSPS Cosmetic Science Option in 2011. He is currently the coordinator for all three programs. He has mentored over 100 MS graduate students over the past 30 years and has well over 200 publications to his credit. He has been a past chair of the Section of Teachers of Pharmaceutics in the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, a past president of the Toledo Area Society of Hospital Pharmacists, The Toledo Academy of Pharmacy as well as district representative to the Ohio State Pharmaceutical Association and through the chairs to President of the Ohio Pharmacists Association in 1992. “It is not out of the ordinary for pharmacists to be active in their communities, but Ken Alexander has clearly shown an unusually strong passion for service outside of his professional responsibilities. His incredible community devotion to Toledo and Southeast Michigan is an inspiration to all who know and work with him,” said Ernest Boyd, OPA Executive Director.
Pharmacy students match with residency programs By Casey Cheap Fifteen UT graduates from the class of 2013 recently began residencies throughout the country. Dr. Martin Ohlinger, the critical care pharmacy residency program director, said residency programs are looking for students who understand that pharmacy has become more individualized and that pharmacists have to develop relationships where they actively engage their patients and other health-care providers. “We are looking for candidates who have a good understanding of that,” Ohlinger said. “Employers want candidates with good patient care skills and who have had some experience in that setting.” UT students matched with the Beth Israel Medical Center in New York and Harper Hospital in Detroit, as well as the Rutgers University Daiichi Sankyo fellowship program in Parsippany, N.J. Of the total 15 matches, 11 have been placed in Ohio.
Interprofessional Education in UTMC’s Emergency Department by Dr. Michael Peeters Interprofessional practice involves harnessing differences in perspectives and expertise among professions in order to work toward a higher level of patient care; teamwork is central to this process. Teamwork within the University of Toledo Medical Center’s emergency department (ED) has been facilitated by learners from multiple professions. Under the ED’s medical director, Kristopher Brickman, MD, a number of professional students and residents from multiple programs including emergency medicine, internal medicine, pharmacy, nursing, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners, are focused on a team-based model for patient care. Michael Peeters, PharmD, MEd, BCPS, clinical assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice, is involved with precepting and facilitating the education of PharmD students and pharmacy practice residents. Learners are involved in the emergency department’s patient care and classroom based activities. Additionally, students are exposed to simulation lab experiences that provide opportunities for learners from multiple programs to appreciate and learn from each others’ different perspectives and expertise. As a recent example, critical care specialty resident Katherine Johnson, PharmD,
BCPS was involved with reviewing and restructuring UTMC’s intravenous drip medications within the computerized prescriber order entry (CPOE) system and re-organizing the emergency department’s Pyxis medication cabinets. Adding to her role as a pharmacist in the interprofessional practice model, Dr. Johnson actively participated in UT’s simulation lab with interprofessional teams practicing, teaching, and learning within various emergency medicine-related simulation scenarios. She was also involved in classroom based teaching about pneumonia and appropriate antimicrobial selection with emergency medicine residents. These opportunities helped to foster an understanding of her role as a pharmacist in the emergency department among learners from other professions. Pharmacy students have also participated in interprofessional classroom and simulation experiences as well as direct patient care activities, including obtaining best-possible medication histories. Along with other involved educators, Dr. Peeters is continuing to work with Dr. Brickman and the rest of the emergency department staff to integrate pharmacy learners into the UT Medical Center emergency department’s engaging interprofessional environment.
Catamaran, a pharmacy benefit management company, sponsored a picnic for the incoming PharmD P1 class at the beginning of the fall semester.
Med Chem Grad Student Wins Award
The event was held on the Health Science Campus, and Catamaran provided many raffle items for students to win. Five P1 students won tablet devices!
Health Discoveries at UT UT Discovers, a print publication by the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs at The University of Toledo, placed two members of the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences faculty in the research spotlight. Drs. Amanda Bryant-Friedrich, associate professor of medicinal chemistry, and Youssef Sari, assistant professor of pharmacology, were included in the 2013 issue, which focused on health research. Dr. Bryant-Friedrich’s work on reactive radicals for cancer treatment and Dr. Sari’s work on addiction are featured. Read UT Discovers 2013
At the 46th annual MidAtlantic Graduate Student Symposium (MAGSS), hosted by The Ohio State University, Jehad Almaliti, a UT medicinal chemistry graduate student, was presented with the award for the best oral presentation. His research, under the mentorship of Dr. Liyanaaratchige Tillekeratne, professor of medicinal and biological chemistry, is about “Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of novel Largazole analogs with modified surface recognition cap groups targeting histone deacetylases.” Almaliti is pictured above (left), receiving his award.
Presidential Scholars Of the three Frank E. Horton President’s Club Scholarships awarded by The University of Toledo this year, two were earned by pharmacy students. Steven Hammersmith and Mitchell Howard received the Horton Scholarship. Both students have remarkable records of academic achievement, leadership and community service.
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“In China, it is just teachers talking and students listening,” Mo said. “I want the students to think more about it instead of just listening to the lecture.” North Sichuan has more than 10 teaching departments, including preclinical and clinical medicine, seven research departments, a rheumatism research center, three preclinical experimental centers, one clinical medicine skill center, two clinical medicine skill centers, two clinical hospitals, nine affiliated hospitals, two clinical medicine schools and 39 teaching hospitals. While traditional Chinese medical practices are rooted in almost 5,000
years of history providing for a more holistic approach compared to the typical Western medicine of capsules, tablets and liquids that target specific symptoms, the visiting scholars note the commonalties. “Chinese traditional medicine has many, many ingredients, but the chemistry is the same as Western medicine,” said Dr. Yongyan Song, a lecturer of biochemistry at North Sichuan. “The role of the pharmacy is to put it all together.” The years of teaching experience for the visiting scholars range from three to eight years, and all are eager to take what they’ve learned at UT and put it to practice with the international students enrolled at North Sichuan Medical College.
“We have spent all of our time in China,” said Dr. Jinxia Chang, a lecturer of microbiology and immunology, who noted the main foreign language studied in China is English. “It has been good to observe the teaching methods and improve our English so we can go back and give our medical students bilingual teaching.” According to Early, the exchange program will continue this summer when for the first time, two doctor of pharmacy students will visit China for about four weeks to practice pharmacy within the North Sichuan Medical College campus facilities.
Did your love story begin at UT? Upcoming Events DONOR RECOGNITION AND SCHOLARSHIP CEREMONY September 19, 2013 at 5:00 pm The Hotel at UTMC CPPS Scholarship recipients and donors are recognized at this annual event. HOMECOMING 2013 October 4-5 The Rockets face off against Western Michigan in the Glass Bowl at 3pm. FALL 2013 CE SESSION November 1, 2013 Instead of the traditional Homecoming CE session, the college will host a Fall CE, including Law. Details will follow.
We all know The University of Toledo College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences offers an excellent education, but it’s also the place where many people met and fell in love with their spouses. If cupid’s arrow struck you at UT, we would love to hear from you. Tell us about how you met, or share a special memory of how your relationship blossomed in pharmacy school. You can even send us a photo of your family! Selected stories will be featured in the February 2014 issue of Refill. Submit your story to utpharmacyreply@utoledo.edu.
Student Scholarship and Research P4 student Tyler Tomasek was selected to receive the United States Public Health Service Excellence in Public Health Pharmacy Practice Award. The award was established to recognize pharmacy students’ contributions to public health pharmacy practice. Tyler’s scholarship award will be presented at the college’s annual Scholarship and Awards Convocation in September.
Chandrasekhar Garapati (right), a master’s student in Industrial Pharmacy who is mentored by Dr. Sai Boddu (left), received a $2000 research award from the Graduate Student Association at The University of Toledo for his project entitled, "Preclinical Evaluation of Erythrosine Nanoparticles for the Treatment of Chronic Sinusitis using Photodynamic Therapy (PDT)."
Science faculty members participate in statewide STEM information session Hosted by UT professor of chemical and environmental engineering, Dr. Isobel Escobar, the STEMlab discussion on WGTE introduced K-12 students in Ohio to careers in science, technology, engineering and math. Dr. Amanda Bryant-Friedrich, associate professor of medicinal and biological chemistry, was joined by panelists Amber Hall, a 2013 graduate who majored in bioengineering and exercise science; Dr. Karen Bjorkman, Distinguished Professor of astronomy and dean of UT’s College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics; and Erika Buri, conservation manager of the Olander Park System in Sylvania, Ohio. Click the image above to view the video of their discussion, which was streamed live into K-12 classrooms all over the state of Ohio.
AG2014 PHARMNWSS
Operation Diabetes Through Operation Diabetes, a diabetes education initiative, UT pharmacy students educate the public about blood glucose levels. Students provided free glucose screenings at Kroger locations and handed out literature to help people identify symptoms of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia.
3000 Arlington Ave, MS 1013 Toledo, OH 43614 419.383.1904 ph 419.383.1907 fax www.utoledo.edu/pharmacy
The University of Toledo’s Homecoming Parade is Saturday, Oct. 5 and the Alumni Association needs parade cars & drivers. Who: Owners of Convertibles, Antique or Collectible Cars. What: Parade Fun, Candy, Camaraderie and More. Where: UT Main Campus, Lot 1S (one south) off of Bancroft St. When: Saturday, October 5 — RAIN OR SHINE! The parade runs rain or shine and so must your vehicle. Your time commitment will be from 9 am — 1 pm. We ask that drivers arrive alone if possible. Your car will be used to carry alumni award winners and VIP’s in the parade. Identification signs will be tied to both sides of your vehicle.
PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED—SEE BELOW FOR DETAILS.
Staging: Parade staging is between 9—10 am. Cars will stage in lot 1S at the bottom of the main Bancroft St. entrance to campus (Bancroft and University Hills Blvd.), behind the HHS building. Please arrive early so we can match you with your rider(s) and get you lined-up. You’ll return to lot 1S after the parade. Time: The UT Homecoming parade begins at 11 am and ends around 1 pm. Afterward, you’re invited to the Koester Alumni Pavilion located next to the Glass Bowl to enjoy free hotdogs, pop & chips and a live band. Beer will be available for purchase.
Pre-registration is required so contact Dianne in Alumni Relations at dianne.wisniewski@utoledo.edu or 419-530-4103 or sign-up at the Alumni Events page at www.toledoalumni.org.