Category: Faculty
Cancer Expert Joins UNC’s Personalized Medicine Team
March 3, 2011Federico Innocenti, MD, PhD, has been appointed associate professor of pharmacy in the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. He will serve as associate director of the School’s Center for Pharmacogenomics and Individualized Therapy and as a member of UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. “Federico Innocenti is an internationally regarded expert in cancer pharmacogenomics and known for his formidable ability to translate novel laboratory findings into clinical use,” said Robert Blouin, PharmD, dean of the School. “His blend of clinical training and pharmacology expertise will complement and advance our individualized therapy program.” Innocenti elucidated the role of the enzyme UGT1A1 in … Read more
Kohn Honored for His Efforts in Mentoring Junior Faculty
February 25, 2011Harold Kohn, PhD, a William R. Kenan Jr. Distinguished Professor at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, has received one of two Faculty Mentoring Awards from the Carolina Women’s Leadership Council. The awards, which carry a $5,000 stipend, recognize outstanding faculty members who make extra efforts to guide, mentor, and lead students or junior faculty members as they make career decisions, embark on research challenges, and enrich their lives through public service, teaching and educational opportunities. Kohn received this year’s award for faculty-to-faculty mentoring, while the award for faculty-to-student mentoring went to Sandra Martin, PhD, associate dean for research in … Read more
Brouwer, Kohn Receive Grants from NC TraCS Institute
February 15, 2011School faculty members Kim Brouwer, PharmD, PhD, and Harold Kohn, PhD, have received $10,000 grants from the North Carolina Translational and Clinical Sciences Institute. Brouwer, a William R. Kenan Jr. Distinguished Professor and chair of the Division of Pharmacotherapy and Experimental Therapeutics, will use her grant for a project titled “Drug-Drug Interactions in the Liver: Effect of Ritonavir, a Transport Protein Modulator, on the Hepatic Exposure of 99m Technetium-Mebrofenin in Healthy Human Volunteers.” Kohn is the William R. Kenan Jr. Distinguished Professor in the Division of Medicinal Chemistry and Natural Products. His project is titled “A Tale of Two Antiepileptics: … Read more
Daniels Promoted to Associate Dean, Pharmacy Clinical Practice
February 14, 2011Rowell Daniels, PharmD, MS, has been named associate dean, pharmacy clinical practice at Chapel Hill for the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Daniels is also director of pharmacy at UNC Hospitals and Clinics, a position he has held since 2007. “This appointment recognizes the fact that Rowell Daniels serves at the interface between the School and UNC Hospitals in a role that is inclusive of all of our collaborative practice, educational, and research initiatives,” says Bob Blouin, dean of the pharmacy school. “As we continue to strengthen our collaborative ties with … Read more
Blalock Named DPOP Vice Chair
January 31, 2011Susan J. Blalock, MPH, PhD, has been named vice chair of the Division of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Blalock is an associate professor and a behavioral scientist in the area of patient and public health education. She is particularly interested in risk communication and the impact of pharmaceutical care, including patient education and counseling, on patient health outcomes. Her research focuses primarily on the prevention and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and osteoporosis. Her current work includes studies evaluating the impact of community-pharmacy based … Read more
Lai Receives AACP New Faculty Award, NIAID Grant
January 24, 2011Sam Lai, PhD, has been honored with an AACP New Faculty Award and has received a $400,000 grant from NIAID to explore trapping HIV in mucus as a way of preventing infection. American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy New Faculty Award program provides start-up funding for new pharmacy faculty’s research programs. As many as fifteen grants of up to $10,000 each will be awarded in the 2010–2011 academic year to individual faculty starting their academic careers at AACP-member colleges and schools of pharmacy in the United States. Lai also receives $1,000 from AACP for required travel to the AACP Annual … Read more
Study: More Patients Fill Prescriptions When Copays Are Lower
November 15, 2010The results of a new study by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, Duke University, and the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy show that patients who paid little or nothing for prescriptions filled their prescriptions more regularly. BCBSNC customers with four chronic diseases—diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and congestive heart failure—filled their prescriptions a statistically significant 1.5 percent to 3.8 percent more when there were no or reduced copayments. Such programs hold promise as an incentive for patients to take the medicines that keep them healthy and reduce their medical costs. “The results from this study provide … Read more
Lai’s Gates Grant Will Put Viruses in Sticky Situation
November 9, 2010The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded a $100,000 Grand Challenges Explorations grant to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to fund a pharmacy researcher’s efforts to halt pathogens invading the body by stopping them in the mucous membranes. Samuel Lai, PhD, an assistant professor in the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, had his project selected as one of sixty-five grants announced by the Gates Foundation in the fifth funding round of Grand Challenges Explorations, an initiative to help scientists around the world explore bold and largely unproven ways to improve health in developing countries. The grants … Read more
Brouwer Named Oregon State Alumni Fellow
November 3, 2010Kim L. R. Brouwer, PharmD, PhD, was named an Alumni Fellow by Oregon State University at a dinner and awards ceremony on October 29 in Corvallis, Oregon. “Dr. Brouwer remains a Beaver at heart, even with the time spent at other universities during her career,” says Wayne A. Kradjan, dean of the College of Pharmacy. “Selection of Dr. Brouwer showcases the scientific achievements of alumni from the College of Pharmacy.” Brouwer is the William R. Kenan Distinguished Professor and chair of the Division of Pharmacotherapy and Experimental Therapeutics and a professor in the curriculum in toxicology. She received a bachelor’s … Read more
Sleath Named Chair of DPOP
November 1, 2010Betsy Sleath, PhD, has been appointed chair of the Division of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. She has also been named the George H. Cocolas Distinguished Professor. Sleath has served as interim director of the division since the former chair Michael D. Murray stepped down in March. “In her role as interim division chair, Betsy Sleath has clearly demonstrated her leadership ability and vision for DPOP by mentoring junior faculty and developing a high-impact strategic plan for the division,” says Bob Blouin, dean of the School. “She has also worked to build valuable partnerships … Read more