EDUCATING LEADERS IN PHARMACY AND PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES SINCE 1886
December 2024
Welcome to the next edition of the Buffalo Pharmacy Bulletin (BPB) where we will continue to explore and discuss issues in health care and how we as academicians, practitioners and scientists can lead and support these issues. The BPB will also keep you updated on the latest school news, highlighting the outstanding work of our UB SPPS community.
“The best way to ensure we can support and mentor our future pharmacists and research scientists is to make sure we are reviewing and discussing what is currently happening in the dynamic and ever-changing world we live in.”
Fostering an Environment of Discovery
National discussions about evidence-based therapeutic and disease prevention strategies in healthcare policy-making highlight the critical need to foster a deep understanding of scientific principles among current and future health professionals. For pharmacists in particular, the ability to critically evaluate and effectively communicate these strategies is essential to advancing patient care and promoting public health.
This necessity, in turn, highlights one of the primary advantages afforded to students pursuing health professions doctoral degrees in a research-intensive school such as ours: the ability to be educated in what the Association of American Medical Colleges has referred to as an environment of discovery.
Such an environment provides aspiring health professionals with the critical and analytical mindset that is essential to succeeding in an ever-evolving healthcare landscape. With that in mind, I am extraordinarily proud of the education that our faculty provide to students in each of our degree programs, but particularly for those pursuing the Doctor of Pharmacy. They are exceptionally well-prepared to enter the healthcare workforce, flourish as young professionals, and, most importantly, make a positive impact on the patients and communities they serve.
As we approach the end of the year and the fall semester, let us reaffirm our commitment to fostering discovery, advancing evidence-based practice, and preparing the next generation of healthcare professionals to lead and succeed.
Balthasar recognized with World ADC Outstanding Academic Investigator Award
Joseph Balthasar, PhD, is the recipient of the World ADC Outstanding Academic Investigator Award. World ADC Awards honor excellence in antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) research, recognizing individuals who are dedicating their careers and companies to cancer research. Balthasar, David and Jane Chu Endowed Chair in Drug Discovery and Development in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Director of the Center for Protein Therapeutics at SPPS, received the award for his exceptional contributions to ADC research. Special recognition also goes to the researchers in Balthasar's lab, including former PhD students Brandon Bordeau, Toan Duc Nguyen, Ping Chen, Jue Gong, Ryan Polli and Frank Engler. Current PhD students in Balthasar's lab—Daniel Duran, Yu Zhang, Max Goulazian, Joseph Farag, Muhan Jiang and Mina Nakhla—are continuing this important work by developing new strategies to enhance the safety and efficacy of ADCs.
UB CIGBS team visits community health partners in Africa to develop drugs to fight HIV, tuberculosis
Faculty investigators from the UB Center for Integrated Global Biomedical Sciences (CIGBS) recently traveled to Zimbabwe and South Africa to address two public health challenges particularly devastating that part of the continent—the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and tuberculosis (TB). During the 12-day trip, the team including SPPS faculty members Gene Morse, PharmD, SUNY Distinguished Professor of pharmacy practice and director, UB CIGBS, and Raymond Cha, PharmD, clinical associate professor of pharmacy practice, met with researchers at partner universities along with government and community programs and conducted site visits of laboratories working to develop drugs to fight HIV and TB. Their visit comes at a time when millions are dying annually from HIV and TB.
Brigham appointed associate director of communications, marketing and outreach
We're pleased to announce Katelynn (Katie) Brigham has been appointed as our new associate director of communications, marketing and outreach, effective November 11. Brigham brings over a decade of comprehensive experience in higher education communications to SPPS. In this role, Brigham will provide strategic direction and leadership for all school-wide communication and marketing initiatives. Her extensive marketing, digital content management and social media management skills will further enhance the regional, statewide, and national presence of our school.
Introducing our new OSSE Student Success Center
The Office of Student Success and Engagement (OSSE) is excited to introduce a brand-new Student Success Center, located in 270 Pharmacy Building. This vibrant, interactive space designed to support students in achieving their academic, personal and professional goals.
The center provides personalized advising, workshops, development opportunities and comprehensive support services to enhance student learning, engagement and well-being.
Stop by and explore the new space!
PLAID Day creates conversation between PharmD students and legislators
The Student Pharmacists Association of Western New York (SPAWNY) hosted Pharmacy Legislative Advocacy Invitational Day (PLAID) on November 6, providing our PharmD students the opportunity to meet with area legislators and discuss new legislation affecting health care.
UB SPPS IPSF celebrates cultural diversity and community at Cultural Night
Last month our UB SPPS International Pharmaceutical Students Federation (IPSF) hosted Cultural Night, celebrating diversity, community and traditions from around the world!
IPSF's annual Cultural Night honors the rich diversity of cultures within the pharmacy community through home-cooked food, music, games, prizes and activities. Attendees shared a variety of cultural dishes in a potluck-style dinner and tested their knowledge with trivia. This year, cultures represented included Vietnamese, Brazilian, Lebanese, Igbo, Pakistani, Chinese, Polish, German, Ecuadorian and Swedish.
Pharmaceutical Sciences alumni reconnect at ACoP15 conference
Our Pharmaceutical Sciences alumni and friends reconnected last month at the Fifteenth American Conference on Pharmacometrics (ACoP15) held in Phoenix, Ariz.
SPPS alumni, students, faculty and friends gathered for a special alumni reception celebrating SPPS Pharmaceutical Sciences. It was a great opportunity to reconnect with old colleagues, make new connections, and engage with experts who are advancing and promoting pharmacometrics worldwide.
Thank you to everyone who joined us!
JPharmSci recognizes SPPS alumni as Outstanding Early Career Scientists for 2024
We're thrilled to share the Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences (JPharmSci) has recognized our following SPPS alumni as Outstanding Early Career Scientists for 2024:
- Ting Chen, PhD '21, associate director, Quantitative Pharmacology and Pharmacometrics-Immuno/Oncology, Merck
- Jun Wang, PhD '16, principal scientist, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
- Shufang Liu, PhD '24, Daiichi Sankyo (USA)
This prestigious recognition celebrates outstanding pharmaceutical scientists in the early stages of their careers for their exceptional research contributions to JPharmSci. Over the past year, these individuals have published research articles in JPharmSci, with their work recognized by the journal editors for its originality and scientific achievement.
Want to take your career to the next level?
See our new online/part-time degrees and micro-credential program offerings!
Online MS Degree Programs
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SPPS Continuing Pharmacy Education Events
Featuring our new program, Pharmacist Dispensing of Self-Administered Hormonal Contraceptives Pursuant to the New York State Standing Order, which satisfies the NYS education requirement for pharmacists, along with home study options.
SPPS Event Calendar
View our upcoming SPPS events!
UB Event Calendar
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UB Alumni Webinars
Join UB alumni experts from across the globe as they share professional insights and advice during Webinar Wednesdays. Engage in upcoming webinars along with past sessions.
Share Your UB Pride
Show your #UBTrueBlue spirit by sharing UB Pride photos, videos and stories!
Thank you for reading our December 2024 edition of the Buffalo Pharmacy Bulletin. Please stay in touch! Send us updates on your own personal and professional accomplishments by filling out our alumni update form.
Regards,
Gary Pollack, PhD '84
Dean and Professor