November 27, 2024
Written by Professor Kim Brouwer, PharmD, PhD, Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education

A UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy delegation, including PhD students, Mattie Hartauer, Nicole Rose Lukesh, and Caden Kussatz, and two faculty members, Kim Brouwer and Yevgeny Brudno, PhD, participated in the Globalization of Pharmaceutics Education Network (GPEN) conference hosted by the University of Copenhagen earlier this year. GPEN 2024 provided an exceptional forum for our PhD students and faculty to connect with other graduate students, faculty, and industry professionals from Europe, Asia, Australia/New Zealand, North America, and South America. Scientific poster and podium presentations were outstanding and sparked engaging discussions throughout the meeting and during networking events, which featured a visit to Flakfortet Island and other cultural experiences in the Danish capital.
The GPEN 2024 short courses covered contemporary topics in pharmaceutics, such as the formulation and delivery of biologics, CNS drug delivery and pharmacokinetics (my personal favorite!), development of oral formulations and IV/IV correlation, individualized medicine—from genetic polymorphism to 3D printing—and sustainable pharmaceutics. We sincerely appreciate the University of Copenhagen organizing committee and the GPEN board of directors for providing this incredible opportunity to experience science and culture on an international scale. We would especially like to thank Ronald T. and Pamela K. Borchardt for their dedication to fostering international scientific exchange and their continued generosity in promoting global collaboration in pharmaceutical education and research through GPEN.
We also extend our heartfelt thanks to Professor Emeritus Dhiren Thakker for his generous support in facilitating the participation of our graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and faculty in GPEN-related travel, enhancing their exposure to science and culture on a global scale.
The delegates shared the following about their experiences:
Mattie Hartauer, PhD Student, Division of Pharmacotherapy and Experimental Therapeutics
“I had the exciting opportunity to present my research in a podium presentation at GPEN, which provided a platform to share my findings with global experts in pharmaceutical sciences. It was a fantastic opportunity to network with researchers and professionals from around the globe, broadening my perspective on pharmaceutics education and research. The conference was a truly enriching experience, and I was honored to receive first place podium prize for my talk on the use of pharmacokinetic modeling to better understand drug interactions.”
Nicole Rose Lukesh, PhD Student, Division of Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics (DPMP)
“Attending the GPEN conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, was an enriching experience for which I am extremely grateful. As a prominent event in the field of pharmaceutical sciences, it provided an excellent platform for me to present my poster on an antigen-specific therapy for multiple sclerosis. I had the opportunity to connect with international students and professionals from countries such as Finland, Australia, and New Zealand, significantly broadening my professional network. The connections I made will last a lifetime and help foster future collaborations. It was particularly enlightening to learn about the diverse approaches to research in different countries, which has expanded my perspective as a scientist. A highlight of the conference was the keynote session by Jens Juul Holst, who discussed his pioneering work in developing novel treatments for diabetes, which was relevant to my work as I am shifting towards applying my research to type 1 diabetes.”
Caden Kussatz, PhD Student, DPMP
“My experience at GPEN was amazing, as it was my first conference, and first time travelling internationally. I presented a poster at GPEN, which was an exciting time to interact with people about my research. The podium presentations that I was able to see were very insightful and had interesting research.”
Yevgeny Brudno, PhD, Associate Professor, DPMP
“It was a great experience to meet pharmacy-minded folks from around the world and hear about the research being done by GPEN-associated institutions. A highlight was definitely the Keynote lecture from Jens Juul Holst who told us about his career developing GLP-1 agonists, which are literally changing the world.”
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