Category: Faculty
More work must be done to reduce acetaminophen hepatotoxicity
March 20, 2023Acetaminophen is the most commonly used pain reliever in the world, and in the U.S., more than 52 million people use it on a weekly basis. It has a great safety record when consumed in recommended amounts, but it can cause serious and even fatal liver toxicity when recommended doses are exceeded. Pills that contain both acetaminophen and opiates are a particular concern since pain patients and opioid abusers may be more likely to exceed recommended doses of acetaminophen seeking the opioid effects. To address this risk, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) mandated in 2011 that … Read more
Delegation from Moldova visits UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy
March 6, 2023Earlier this year, a Moldova delegation met with various faculty and staff from the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy to learn more about pharmacy education and research in the United States and to discuss future areas for collaboration. The delegation included seven faculty members from the Nicolae Testemițanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Chișinău, Moldova. They are one of the School’s key partners in the Global Pharmacy Scholars (GPS) program. The School continues to send students to the university in Moldova and hosts students from Moldova through this partnership, which began in 2016. “Moldova has been a longstanding partner … Read more
Duke Endowment Grant to Support Pharmacist-Provided Contraception
February 27, 2023UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy Regional Associate Dean Mollie Scott has been awarded a $705,000 grant from The Duke Endowment to support the implementation of pharmacist-provided hormonal contraception across the state of North Carolina. Unintended pregnancies are a significant public health concern that increase health care costs, medical complications, mental health concerns and negatively impact women and families. This project seeks to decrease unintended pregnancies by increasing access to effective contraceptives. “I am very excited to begin this work and am thrilled that we received funding from The Duke Endowment,” said Scott, an associate professor in the Division of Practice … Read more
Researchers find pharmacists are willing to provide potentially lifesaving fentanyl test strips
February 20, 2023As fentanyl-related overdose deaths are on the rise in North Carolina and across the country, a new survey by UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy-affiliated and community-based researchers found North Carolina pharmacists are willing to sell fentanyl test strips (FTS) to help reduce the risk of overdoses. FTS have been shown to reduce overdose deaths and are a recommended harm reduction tool. The survey, conducted by Grace Marley, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy Pharm.D. candidate, Bayla Ostrach, Ph.D., M.A., C.I.P., a community-based applied researcher and UNC Research Affiliate in the UNC School of Medicine, and Delesha Carpenter, Ph.D., M.S.P.H., associate professor … Read more
Mr. and Mrs. Doctor Rodgers
February 15, 2023A love story that began in pharmacy school and continues here today It was late August, 1993 and classes were just beginning for the year at the UNC School of Pharmacy. Jo Ellen Baldwin was in the last year of her BS in Pharmacy program and trying to get a jump start on her PharmD degree by taking a couple PharmD courses, including stats. Also in the stats class was Phil Rodgers, who had just returned to the School for his PharmD after having attained his BS degree here a year prior. This is how the couple, affectionately known today … Read more
Kristy Ainslie receives $3.2 million from NIH to develop new vaccine
February 6, 2023The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy Professor Kristy Ainslie, Ph.D., chair of the Division of Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics with a five-year grant to develop a new vaccine to treat orthopoxviruses. The NIH is providing over $3.2 million dollars of funding toward Ainslie’s project “Mechanistic evaluation of mast cell agonists combined with TLR, NOD and STING agonists.” Orthopoxvirus is a genus of virus that include smallpox and other animal pox like monkey pox and rabbit pox. The current vaccine is a live virus, which cannot be given to people with a weakened immune … Read more
‘Highly cited researchers’ list names UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy faculty members Leaf Huang and Bryan Roth
February 2, 2023UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy Professor Leaf Huang, Ph.D., and Bryan Roth, M.D., Ph.D., have been named as Clarivate’s Highly Cited Researchers for 2022. The list recognizes researchers across the globe who demonstrated significant influence in their chosen field or fields over the last decade. Huang, a Fred Eshelman Distinguished Professor in the Division of Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics, has focused his research in the area of gene therapy and targeted drug delivery. His current work centers on nanoparticle vectors for gene transfer in tumors and the liver. “I am grateful for the excellent research environment that the School has provided over … Read more
Betsy Sleath awarded funding for research to improve quality of life for youth with ADHD
January 25, 2023The National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH) has awarded Betsy Sleath, Ph.D. regional associate dean of eastern North Carolina and her team, funding for research that hopes to help improve the symptoms and social and school functioning of young people diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The NIMH is providing nearly $450,000 for Sleath’s project “Improving the outcomes of adolescents with ADHD via a pre-visit question prompt list/video intervention: a randomized controlled feasibility trial.” According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders found in childhood. The CDC estimates that from … Read more
Ronny Bell brings lifelong commitment to health equity in UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy role
January 18, 2023New leader has a distinguished career in population science, community-based participatory research and a resolve to identify solutions for health equity issues in North Carolina’s underserved populations Ronny Bell, Ph.D., M.S., brings a unique background to a role that encompasses three areas of responsibility: chair and distinguished faculty in the Division of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy (DPOP) in the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Senior Advisor to the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, and collaborator with the UNC American Indian Center. Bell brings an affinity for hard work, a servant leader mindset, a deep experience in higher education and … Read more
Jo Ellen Rodgers wins University Distinguished Teaching Award for Post-Baccalaureate Instruction
January 10, 2023UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy Professor Jo Ellen Rodgers, Pharm.D., has been named one of 25 UNC-Chapel Hill faculty members to receive a 2023 University Teaching Award. The annual awards, administered by the Center for Faculty Excellence, acknowledge the commitment to outstanding teaching and mentoring of undergraduate, graduate and post-baccalaureate students. This year, the CFE’s University Teaching Awards Committee received 876 nominations. Rodgers is one of four faculty members from across the University to be named as a recipient of the Distinguished Teaching Award for Post-Baccalaureate Instruction. This award was first given by the University in 1995 to recognize the … Read more