July 14, 2021
UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy Ph.D. students, Daisy Zhu, Pharm.D., and Aaron Devanathan, Pharm.D., as well as incoming Ph.D. student Patricia Maglalang, Pharm.D., are this year’s recipients of an American Foundation of Pharmaceutical Education (AFPE) fellowship.
The pre-doctoral fellowship is designed to positively affect patient and public health by supporting high performing Ph.D. students who possess the skill and aptitude to become outstanding scientists and leaders in the pharmaceutical industry, academia, and government/nonprofit sectors, according to the AFPE.
The fellowship stipend allows students to make progress in their pursuit of a Ph.D. degree. Each of the School’s recognized students work within the School’s Division of Pharmacotherapy and Experimental Therapeutics (DPET).
Meet this year’s recipients:
Daisy Zhu, Pharm.D.
Education: Received her B.S and Pharm.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy in 2015 and 2017, respectively.
Awards/Accomplishments: “Since coming to UNC, I have published 5 manuscripts, presented 3 oral presentations at national conferences, completed an ORISE Fellowship with the F.D.A and was the first PharmD to receive a T32 post-doctoral fellowship in hematology from the School of Medicine. Additionally, I was also elected the UNC Chapter President of the American Society of Pharmaceutical Scientists in 2018, served as part of the leadership advisory board for TIBBS, and volunteered at the SHAC clinic as a pharmacy preceptor. Currently, I am the co-PI of a prospective clinical PK study that supports the last aim of my research.”
Current research: “My research focuses on developing a precision dosing model for tacrolimus, an immunosuppressive drug given to bone marrow transplant patients to prevent graft versus host disease. Ultimately, my research will generate data to support the best practices for starting doses based on individual patient’s genetic profiles and clinical characteristics. This award will help support my research.”
About the fellowship: “It’s a true honor to be the recipient of this fellowship, but most importantly, I am excited to join the wonderful community of AFPE scholars in Pharmaceutical Sciences. This award will support my continuous effort in research and scholarship, and more specifically, in optimizing drug dosing in patients via clinical pharmacology methods. I wish to provide safe and effective doses to my patients as a clinician-scientist.”
Aaron Devanathan, Pharm.D.
Education: Received a Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences in 2014 and Doctor of Pharmacy in 2016, both from the University of Pittsburgh. Then completed postgraduate year 1 residency training at UNC Hospitals from 2016-2017.
Awards/Accomplishments: “Some major accomplishments include the UNC Graduate School Three Minute Thesis People’s Choice Award winner in 2017 and the Royster Society of Fellows Dissertation Completion Fellowship for the academic year 2021-2022.”
Current research: “My research – under the guidance of my advisor, Dean Angela Kashuba – examines factors that influence antiretroviral distribution into the spleen, an important secondary lymphoid organ. The beauty of my research is that it encompasses pharmacology, immunology, and computational principles and methods to holistically answer this important research question. The fellowship provides $10,000 over the course of the academic year to allow me to complete my dissertation work and disseminate the results by offsetting the costs of conference registration and travel, publications, and professional and networking events.”
About the fellowship: “I am sincerely honored to have been selected for the AFPE Pre-Doctoral Fellowship in Pharmaceutical Sciences. This serves as a true testament to the amazing guidance I have received from my dissertation advisor and research collaborators as well as to the continual support from faculty at DPET and ESOP. This AFPE Fellowship will allow me to explore additional influences of tissue pharmacology related to HIV infection via its research funds. These funds – alongside the numerous skills gained with my dissertation work – will allow me to generate preliminary data and serve as a professional springboard towards an enriching academic career!”
Patricia Maglalang, Pharm.D.
Education: Obtained her Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering in 2017, then graduated with her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Minnesota in 2021. She will join DPET this fall.
Awards/Accomplishments: “As a 4th year student pharmacist, I was awarded the Izaak M. Kolthoff Rho Chi Research Award which is awarded to students “who have contributed to and shown promise of excellence in research in pharmaceutical science”. I was an active member of PLS throughout pharmacy school where I held local and national leadership positions as my chapter president then as a regional liaison.”
Current research: “This fellowship is awarded to Phi Lambda Sigma members, the pharmacy leadership society, who are pursuing graduate school after pharmacy school. The scholarship is worth $7,500 and the amount can be used towards student stipend or costs related to the graduate study program. Throughout undergraduate and pharmacy school, I conducted translational and clinical research with the Center for Orphan Drug Research at the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy. The group’s research goal is to develop and optimize therapeutics for patients with rare pediatric neurological disorders. I’m thrilled to join DPET this fall to further develop and hone in on my clinical pharmacology research skills while working in the fields of neurology and special populations. I will use the funds towards achieving this goal.”
About the fellowship: “I am very excited and honored to receive the PLS-AFPE Fellowship! Being a member of Phi Lambda Sigma has been one of my most meaningful experiences throughout pharmacy school, so receiving this award from the organization in conjunction with AFPE is so humbling. The timing of this news was perfect since I heard about it just a few days after graduating from pharmacy school. I hope that by receiving this fellowship, it opens up other opportunities for me to apply for and obtain future fellowships and grants. This is especially important to me since I hope to have an integrated career in academia that would allow me to conduct translational and clinical research in special populations, have patient care interactions, and teach professional students.”
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