Fall 2024 Newsletter

Fall is here, Cincinnati’s temperature is finally cooperating with the season, and the academic year is in full swing. Record numbers of students matriculated into the College’s online master’s degree programs this semester; in fact, enrollment has doubled over the last two years for most of our programs. Triennial external reviews of three JLWCOP M.S. degrees – Cosmetic Science, Drug Development, and Pharmacy Leadership – were completed in the last month, and all three programs received the highest rating. (One reviewer informally graded us at “A++”.) The College is redoubling its efforts in connecting with its alumni, joining forces with UC Foundation to create a more effective tracking and engagement system. More social events will be offered, and will be available to alumni from the day they graduate. There are openings on our Alumni Council, so please contact me (surratck@uc.edu) or our alumni affairs associate dean Mike Doherty (dohertmb@uc.edu) if interested. With the help of the Dean’s Advisory Board, our alumni, our community partners and other JLWCOP stakeholders, the faculty and staff collaborated to create and ratify a very thorough 2024 – 2029 Strategic Plan, soon to be available on our website.  As seen below, our faculty and students are winning awards and bringing glory to JLWCOP and UC. It’s a great time to be a Bearcat! 

The fall semester kicked off with the Class of 2028 White Coat Ceremony. Pharm.D. P-1 student Hilary Woytek enjoyed the event: “I was so excited to receive my white coat and take this next step towards my future. The entire Class of 2028 was sitting together surrounded by our families, friends, various teachers, and administrators. That made for a joyful and congratulatory essence of the ceremony. My classmates and I received our white coats, which were generously sponsored by individuals associated with the pharmacy school. At that moment it felt that all the hard work we had put into our undergrad was paying off! The speakers at the ceremony gave us encouraging and inspiring messages that will stick with us throughout our journey in pharmacy school to when we graduate and become pharmacists. We completed the ceremony by reciting our class creed that we created earlier that week. The creed reflects the bond that we have made with each other for the next four years and beyond. It was truly an unforgettable moment!"

Above: Pharm.D. student Aya Darawsheh receives her white coat from Associate Dean Michael Doherty.

The October 3rd Annual Pharm.D. Student Open House welcomed 60 guests, including area high schools students for the first time. Dr. Kelly Epplen, Associate Dean for Admission and Student Affairs, and Corrine Sams, Director of Admissions, designed and orchestrated the event, enlisting the help of faculty, staff and Pharm.D. student “pharmbassador” volunteers. Several faculty-led tours highlighted the College’s programs and resources. Thanks to all who helped make the Open House such a memorable evening. 

The JLWCOP annual golf outing at Four Bridges Country Club in September was one of the most successful in recent memory, attracting 80 golfers and raising $11,000 for student scholarships. Sponsors included Meijer, TrueRx, Prasco, Kroger Health, Walgreens, Bon Secours Mercy Health, Hart Pharmacy, G.A. Thompson Consulting, and Kris & Emily Soller. The rain mercifully held off until the final foursome was in the clubhouse, although the putting contest took place in a biblical deluge.  More photos are at the link here. We thank the UC Foundation and Dr. Michael Doherty, Associate Dean of Experiential Education, Academic Success, and Alumni Affairs for organizing the event, as well as our sponsors, participating alumni, staff and community partners.  For those who could not join us this year, be sure to reserve September 22, 2025, the date for next year’s golf outing. 

The College mourns the passing of Dr. Adel Sakr, who served on the College’s faculty from 1985-2008 as Professor of Industrial Pharmacy and Pharmaceutics and Director of Industrial Pharmacy. His contributions to UC and his field include 150 publications and several patents.  He finished his career serving as Professor & Board of Trustees Chair Advisor/Assistant at Future University, Egypt. Dr. Sakr was known as an excellent teacher and mentor at UC, and he will be missed.  

Each year the College’s Alumni Council collaborates with UC Foundation, with input from our faculty, to select recipients for the three Distinguished Alumni Awards. Greg Fox (on right in photo) was honored with the Robert J. DeSalvo Award for his impactful work in community pharmacy and advocacy for pharmacist services, including successful legislative efforts in Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. The award recognizes alumni of the College of Pharmacy who have contributed to the profession of pharmacy or pharmaceutical sciences at the national or international level. Trent Stewart (not pictured), attending remotely, received the Arthur C. Glasser Award for his exceptional contributions in pharmacy and diversity at the VA Portland Health Care System. This award recognizes alumni of the College who have contributed time and expertise to the College and its degree programs in pharmacy or pharmaceutical sciences to enhance student learning, training or research. Rebecca Lahrman (on left in photo) was recognized with the GOLD (Graduate of the Last Decade) Award for her dedication to rural healthcare education and patient services at OhioHealth O’Bleness Family Medicine Clinic. The GOLD Award recognizes an individual who graduated from the College within the last ten years and who has made significant contributions to the College and/or the profession.   

Dr. Erin Badea will be completing the PGY1 Community-Based Pharmacy Residency with an emphasis on underserved communities with Equitas Health.

Dr. Abbey Bush will be completing the PGY1 Community-Based Pharmacy Residency with an emphasis on underserved communities with St. Vincent de Paul Charitable Pharmacy.

Dr. Hope Hafner will be completing the PGY1 Community-Based Pharmacy Residency with an emphasis on geriatrics with Medication Managers/LifeLine Pharmacy.

Dr. Violet Martin will be completing the PGY1 Community-Based Pharmacy Residency with an emphasis on geriatrics with Medication Managers/LifeLine Pharmacy.

Dr. Faiza Sumra will be completing the PGY2 Community-Based Pharmacy Administration and Leadership Residency with Kroger and UC while working toward a Master of Science in Health Outcomes Research.

JLWCOP boasts two of the four students recognized at the national Society of Cosmetic Chemists meeting in Los Angeles last month regarding a scholarship given by Mary Kay Cosmetics. Taylor Scott (left photo) won one of two Madam C.J. Walker Scholarships; Holly Honoré, recognized as a finalist for the award. Both are graduate students in our M.S. Cosmetic Science program. The scholarship provides $5,000 to underrepresented minority students pursuing a career in cosmetics or personal care. 

Find out more about the award here. 

The College’s M.S. degree program in Healthcare Operational Excellence (HOPEX) addresses scientific approaches for quality and efficiency improvement. This online program caters to students and professionals with busy schedules and little or no prior operational experience. Students gain proficiency in quality and efficiency improvement analytics, including Lean Six Sigma, machine learning, deep learning, AI, big data analysis, and application of advanced technologies. Consequently, graduates are uniquely prepared to drive efficiency, quality, and safety in sectors such as pharmaceuticals, healthcare, and manufacturing. 

The faculty members of the HOPEX MS program feature the College’s Dr. Alex C. Lin, a leading scholar in pharmacy operation and automation, in addition to Dr. Mina Gabriel, a Master Black-Belt in Lean Six Sigma and former executive in major corporations including a long career at Honeywell International, Dr. Andrew Ferguson, an epidemiologist and clinical research manager, Dr. Bill Harrington, Director of Quality Improvement for St. Elizabeth Healthcare, Dr. Kevin Schapcott, a Master Black Belt in Lean Six Sigma and a prominent systems improvement expert, and Dr. David Parsley, a faculty member and director of the Lean Systems Engineering Technology undergraduate program at the University of Kentucky. 

This nationally-unique pharmacy engineering program will be launched for the Spring 2025 semester. The application deadline is December 15, 2024. For more information, click here. 

JLWCOP’s Cosmetic Science Program, now in its 52nd year, is a comprehensive, science-driven program covering the diverse fields of chemistry, materials science, microbiology, and fragrance science. The College collaborates with the Society of Cosmetic Chemists and organizations including the Personal Care Product Council (PCPC) to stay updated on industry needs. The PCPC approached Cos Sci’s program director, Dr. Kavssery Ananthanpadmanabhan, about creating a program to educate those in the field about hygienic manufacturing concerns. JLWCOP responded by introducing in Fall 2023 a new online graduate certificate in Hygienic Manufacturing of Cosmetic Products, created in collaboration with the PCPC to address rising contamination issues in natural ingredient cosmetics. The first cohort of certificate recipients recently praised the course’s experience-based approach and expert instructors and its career applicability.

Among several JLWCOP grants received this year, three are highlighted here. Dr. Matthew Robson has been awarded an NIH/NINDS R01 grant for his project titled, "No REST for 5-HT Neurons Following Traumatic Brain Injury." Neuropsychiatric disorders are linked to serotonin (5-HT) neurotransmission and are also a leading comorbidity of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Dr. Robson’s laboratory previously discovered that TBI results in the expression of a novel gene transcription factor, dubbed REST, specifically within 5-HT neuron populations of the brain. The grant focuses on understanding the specific effects of mild TBI on the transcriptional regulation and identities of 5-HT neurons within the brain and to understand the role of injury-derived increases in REST protein expression within 5-HT neurons in adulthood. This work may provide novel targets for the discovery and/or development of pharmacotherapies for the treatment of TBI-associated neuropsychiatric disorders.

Dr. Nalinikanth Kotagiri received an NIH/NCI R01 grant for his research project titled, "Genetically-Encoded Molecular Imaging of Genome-Edited Immune Cells." CAR-T cell therapy has shown remarkable success in treating certain cancers, leading to high remission rates where conventional treatments failed. However, a major limitation is the inability to non-invasively monitor the distribution, viability, and efficacy of CAR-T cells in real time, which can hinder timely adjustments to therapy and limit our understanding of the cells' therapeutic impact. This project addresses this gap by proposing a chemogenetic PET (nuclear) imaging approach using bacterial-derived gene expression reporter systems, enabling highly specific and sensitive tracking of CAR-T cells in vivo. This approach aims to provide better insights into CAR-T cell dynamics and persistence, ultimately improving therapy outcomes and safety by allowing more precise adjustments to treatment based on observed cell behavior. 

Dr. Ana Hincapie received a McKesson Corporation grant for her research project titled, “Pharmacy Desert Gaps Role.” Until this year, the Avondale community not far from the UC campus was considered a “pharmacy desert”, meaning that there was no bricks-and-mortar pharmacy within a one-mile radius of the neighborhood. To ameliorate this issue, a local pharmacist took ownership of a pharmacy designed to serve this community.  The overall goal of this project is to evaluate the impact of eliminating the pharmacy desert in Avondale on the community's health, particularly for those who also seek care at UC Medical Center.

Dr. Kevin Li has been appointed as a standing member of the Drug and Biologic Therapeutic Delivery study section for review of grant applications submitted to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dr. Li is especially well-published in mechanisms of drug transport and diffusion across the biological membranes of the eyes and skin. This prestigious appointment recognizes Dr. Li’s record of sustained NIH funding for research in the drug delivery field, and is a testament to his outstanding contributions to this area.

Dr. Dan Healy is retiring at the end of the calendar year after 34 years at UC. Dr. Healy was one of the first 10 clinical pharmacists to earn Fellow status in the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), a largely physician and microbiologist group. Formerly a staff scientist with UC’s Shriner’s Hospital for Children while on our faculty, he is the only non-Ph.D. pharmacy degree holder at Shriner’s to ever be awarded a competitive external grant as the primary investigator. Dan has generated over $7M in research funding and 80 publications during his career. 

Effective January 1, 2025, he will be honored with the title of Professor Emeritus, reflecting his impactful career and lasting influence on the profession. As emeritus, he will continue to help the College by developing a much-needed “Bugs & Drugs” elective course to prepare Pharm.D. students for their APPE rotations. He also plans to assist in mentoring new faculty members on development of research programs.

JLWCOP Assistant Professor Elizabeth Schlosser has been elected to the Board of Directors of the Kentucky Society of Health-System Pharmacists (KSHP), a chapter of the national ASHP organization. "I am honored to be elected by the membership of KSHP to the Board of Directors to support the advancement of pharmacy practice within the state of Kentucky," said Dr. Schlosser. The ASHP is the largest U.S. pharmacy professional association with 60,000 members, and represents pharmacists, student pharmacists, and pharmacy technicians in all patient care settings.

The ASHP bestows its Best Practices Award to only five teams across the nation each year. Drs. Elizabeth Schlosser and Ana Hincapie on the JLWCOP faculty were recently informed that they would receive this prestigious award at the opening session of the 2024 ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting next month in New Orleans. For 25 years, the award had recognized innovative pharmacy practitioners.  Co-authored by T. J. Hoffman and Leandro Llambi at St. Elizabeth’s Physicians Hospital in Erlanger, KY, the awarded project expands the role of certified pharmacy technicians and elaborates how the new roles and services benefit the hospital and the pharmacy profession.

Drs. Schlosser and Hincapie will be formally recognized at the national ASHP meeting and will present a poster on their project at the Best Practices Award Poster Session on Monday, December 9, from 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM. For more information about their project, visit the ASHP website.

JLWCOP is excited to announce Bearcat Bootcamp: Mastering Specialty Pharmacy. This online program is designed for pharmacy professionals to deepen their understanding of specialty pharmacy while working at their own pace. Completion of the program provides a microcredential and six hours of Continuing Education (CE) credit.

Specialty pharmacy is a branch of the profession that deals with pharmacotherapies - typically of high cost - that require special handling, administration, or monitoring. The student receives foundational specialty pharmacy knowledge and skills from instructors highly qualified for the field, towards transitioning into this career path. Register here or reach out to RxCPD@uc.edu for more information.

JLWCOP faculty and staff participated this semester in its annual volunteer event at St. Vincent DePaul (SVDP) Charities. Volunteers typically work in the Choice Food Pantry, stocking shelves, sorting donations, and assisting neighbors as they select food items, or in the Clothing and Home Resource Center, sorting donations, organizing displays, and helping in the garden. JLWCOP volunteers were divided into two groups: one focused on sorting medications, and the other packaged healthy meal options for SVDP clients in the Teaching Kitchen. The College has a longstanding relationship with SVDP, with pre-pharmacy, Pharm.D. students and pharmacy residents regularly working with the charity. Thanks to everyone who contributed their time and effort to make this event successful.

The College is proud to announce that it has received the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award for the 7th consecutive year. JLWCOP was the first pharmacy school in the U.S. to receive this designation, awarded by the Insight into Diversity magazine. The HEED Award serves as an important tool for measuring progress in diversity, equity, and inclusion. Its survey component helps the College evaluate its practices and initiatives to ensure it is effectively meeting the needs of its diverse student body. The HEED Award recognition underscores our commitment to fostering a diverse, inclusive environment for all students, staff and faculty.

The Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) Pharmacy Technician Career Technical Program provides area high school students with hands-on, work-based learning experiences at the College, preparing them for careers as pharmacy technicians. Students from both Shroder and Woodward High Schools participated in this program to gain exposure to this potential career path.

Three field trips to the College are scheduled for Fall 2024. JLWCOP faculty Michael Hegener led a pharmacy skills lab during the September visit, and will conduct a second skills lab in November that includes a tour of the Kroger medication therapy management center within the College. Dr. Anna Kruyer on our faculty led a pharmaceutical science research lab experience during the October visit. The program, a key component in the College’s outreach to area underrepresented minority teenagers, is very popular with the participating high schools.

University of Cincinnati

James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy

3255 Eden Ave.

161 Kowalewski Hall

Cincinnati, Ohio 45229

(513) 558-DRUG (3784)

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