EDUCATING LEADERS IN PHARMACY AND PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES SINCE 1886
May 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.”
Celebrations and Growth
The academic year is, once again, winding down. Over the past few weeks we have hosted many events and programs celebrating the unique achievements and accomplishments of our faculty, staff and students. Their innovative scholarship, out-of-the box approaches to reimagining health care and novel approaches to drug discovery and therapeutic development provide a rock-solid foundation for the continued growth of our programs, expansion of our research and our positive impact on the health and wellness of our global community.
Celebrations and Growth
End of the year celebration events culminated this past Saturday with our 2024 SPPS commencement and you can view our photo gallery HERE. I applaud all our students for reaching this significant milestone in their academic journey. Their hard work, dedication, and perseverance have paid off, and I have no doubt that they will go on to do great things in all their future endeavors. A shout out to current students: thank you for all your contributions during the past academic year — your commitment to your academic journey is a testament to your continued personal and professional growth.
Fueling Innovation: Strategic New Hires: DDDE Hub
As we look ahead to the upcoming academic year, I am very pleased to provide you with a full announcement of our new faculty hires, representing the first step in the launch of our Drug Discovery, Development and Evaluation (DDDE) Research Hub. The DDDE Hub will lead and promote high impact transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary research within the school, across campus and throughout the academy through collaborative partnerships, innovative inquiry and robust scholarship.
Yanan (Nancy) Zhao, MD, PhD
Professor, Pharmacy Practice
Division of Clinical and Translational Therapeutics
Liang Chen, MD, PhD
Professor, Pharmacy Practice
Division of Clinical and Translational Therapeutics
Bhaskar Das, PhD
Professor, Pharmaceutical Sciences
Head, Division of Drug and Biotherapeutic Discovery
Sasmita Das, PhD
Research Professor, Pharmaceutical Sciences
Division of Drug and Biotherapeutic Discovery
Zhenjia Wang, PhD
Associate Professor of Empire Innovation, Pharmaceutical Sciences
Division of Drug Delivery and Biopharmaceutical Engineering
Philip Lazarus, PhD
Professor, Pharmaceutical Sciences
Head, Division of Quantitative Molecular Biosciences
Anne Talkington, PhD
Assistant Professor, Pharmaceutical Sciences
Division of Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics, and Systems Pharmacology
You can learn more about each of these exceptional scholars, their innovative research and approaches to professional and graduate education HERE. Stay tuned for more in-depth updates on the Hub and other research news during the upcoming academic year.
For many, the next few weeks bring a variety of personal and professional celebratory events, end of school year activities, the Memorial Day holiday and hopefully time with family and friends. My best wishes for an enjoyable start to the summer season.
Drug Discovery, Development and Evaluation Hub welcomes new faculty to fuel innovation
Our UB SPPS Drug Discovery, Development and Evaluation (DDDE) Hub, a leading research engine in the fields of pharmaceutical research and translational sciences, is proud to announce seven strategic new hires who will launch and lead critical components of the DDDE Hub. These renowned faculty hires signify the university’s and the school’s commitment to drug discovery, development and the evaluative sciences as well as its dedication to fostering a culture of innovation and research excellence.
Qu leads research group using UB's revolutionary new mass spectrometer that aims to accelerate discoveries of new drug targets and biomarkers
Jun Qu, PhD, professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, is serving as the group leader of the Proteomics and Bioanalysis lab in UB's Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences (CBLS). He's leading a group of UB researchers using a revolutionary new state-of-the-art mass spectrometer, called the Orbitrap Astral, to assist with his microscaffold assisted spatial proteomics (MASP) strategy, which enables first-ever whole-tissue mapping at the proteomic level. UB is the first institution within the State University of New York (SUNY) to acquire the Orbitrap Astral which has the ability to accurately quantify more than 8,000 protein groups from a single cell and analyze more than a million protein groups across 180 microscopic samples in a single day. The Orbitrap Astral opens the door for exciting new discoveries and innovations that aim to make a positive impact on human health and elevate the research being conducted at UB.
Daly and Jacobs receive IPRO Quality Award
Christopher Daly, PharmD/MBA, and David Jacobs, PharmD, PhD, along with their team, have received a 2024 IPRO Quality Award for their social determinants of health (SDoH) pharmacy program within New York Community Pharmacy Enhanced Services Network (CPESN) member pharmacies. This award recognizes outstanding performance by health care providers and stakeholders in New York State and acknowledges exemplary healthcare quality improvement projects completed by healthcare organizations or providers in partnership with the IPRO Quality Innovation Network – Quality Improvement Organization (QIN-QIO), a collaboration of three organizations with decades of experience serving as Medicare QIOs.
SPPS Learning and Engagement Communities announce official houses
We're thrilled to announce the official launch of our six newly established Learning and Engagement Community (LEC) houses. The six new houses are guided by house leaders and are distinguished by unique colors and with names derived from a tenet of the Oath of a Pharmacist, the pledge of professionalism that serves as an ethical compass for pharmacists over the course of their careers.
PharmDiverse Speaker Series advances equity, diversity and inclusion within pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences
Our SPPS PharmDiverse Speaker Series brings together experts and leaders to inspire, educate and empower all members of our SPPS community to embrace diversity and champion inclusivity.
SPPS recently welcomed disability advocate and UB SPPS alum Kruti Shah, PharmD '11, for a presentation and roundtable discussion on the importance of inclusive practices for individuals with disabilities.
We held our annual Commencement Ceremony on May 18 at the UB Center for the Arts where we conferred the following degrees:
- 9 BS
- 34 MS
- 2 BS/MS
- 116 PharmD
- 5 PhD
We continue to expand our teaching and research enterprise through a transformational faculty hiring initiative.
We are especially interested in qualified candidates who can contribute to the diversity and excellence of our academic community.
Find out more about our Division Head and DDDE Hub Hires and join our journey of growth and discovery.
Save the date: UB Pharmacy Alumni Reunion, October 17-19
We are excited to welcome SPPS reunion classes ending with 4 or 9 back to campus October 17-19 to celebrate reunions and our SPPS alumni award winners. Special recognition will be given to those from the Classes of 1959, 1974, 1999 and 2014 celebrating a 65th, 50th, 25th or 10th reunion.
SPPS Continuing Pharmacy Education Events
Featuring our new UB Compounding Pharmacy Continuing Education Activity, which meets the new three hour NYS pharmacy CE requirement.
SPPS Event Calendar
View our upcoming SPPS events!
UB Event Calendar
View upcoming events on the UB Events Calendar!
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 May 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