November 2025

Welcome to the latest Buffalo Pharmacy Bulletin. We examine key issues in health care and how our academicians, practitioners and scientists drive progress, while also sharing updates from UB’s School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences to highlight the outstanding work of our 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.”

In November, I participated in a two-day workshop hosted by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine titled Rethinking Researcher Assessment and Incentives at U.S. Academic Institutions. This topic has been on my mind since early 2025, when it became clear that federal sources of research funding would face increased threat and uncertainty. The meeting was timely, engaging and extraordinarily informative. It included participants from across the academic research ecosystem — universities, philanthropic organizations, libraries and publishers — with representation from the United States, Canada, South America and the European Union. The international participation underscored both the global significance of U.S. academic research and the opportunity for U.S. institutions to learn from international colleagues.

It is impossible in the context of a newsletter to capture the full breadth and depth of the discussions. However, I can offer a broad summary of the workshop, which is the first step in a process that will culminate in a formal position statement from the Academies. My primary takeaways were:

1. Sustaining academic research: There is widespread concern about the fragility of the academic research enterprise, which has become overly dependent on federal funding over the last 50 years. Many participants emphasized the urgent need to rebalance the research portfolio by increasing philanthropic and corporate support — an approach that will likely require a shift away from incremental basic research toward more translational and application-focused (“results-oriented”) activities.
2. Fostering academic entrepreneurship: University-based research must become more entrepreneurial in the broadest sense, while also becoming less absolutist — and more selective — with respect to intellectual property protection. (And no, the next Gatorade is not just around the corner.)
3. Rebuilding public trust in science: Participants identified an urgent need to rebuild public trust in science generally, and academic science in particular. Proposed strategies ranged from open data sharing (even at the expense of some competitive advantage) and open-access publishing to strengthening community-directed research efforts and ensuring that research activities align with both community and institutional values.
4. Modernizing faculty evaluation: Current approaches to appointment, reappointment, promotion and tenure rely heavily on bibliometric analysis. This model is misaligned with contemporary team-based, interdisciplinary research and can inadvertently disincentivize the collaborative behaviors required to address growing public skepticism about academic research.

While I do not necessarily agree with every recommendation that emerged from the workshop, the central issues — sustaining academic research and doctoral education in an era of constrained federal resources; reestablishing in the public’s mind the preeminence and societal value of U.S. academic research; and ensuring that promotion and tenure policies reflect current realities and appropriately support faculty — are essential to address. I look forward to continuing this discussion at UB with our school’s leadership team and with my fellow deans. I am confident that our university, and especially our school, are well-positioned to continue to thrive in the years ahead.

Best wishes for a peaceful and happy Thanksgiving.

Balthasar honored with UB Entrepreneur Award
UB honored Joseph P. Balthasar, BS ’91, PhD ’96, David and Jane Chu Endowed Chair in Drug Discovery and Development and a professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, with a 2024-25 Entrepreneur Award for his leadership and innovation in drug discovery and development. His lab's platform technologies have led to patents, startup launches, licensing deals and an acquisition by a major pharmaceutical company, exemplifying how UB research drives real-world impact.

UB Pharmacy showcases research and leadership at 2025 ACCP Annual Meeting
UB SPPS shared our leading scholarship and research with the national clinical pharmacy community at the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) Annual Meeting, held Oct. 18-21 in Minneapolis, MN. Faculty, residents, fellows and students presented platform sessions, research abstracts and posters, and celebrated several professional appointments. Awardees included William J. Jusko, PhD, SUNY distinguished professor of pharmaceutical sciences, recognized with the ACCP 2025 Therapeutic Frontiers Lecture Award, and Collin Clark, PharmD, clinical associate professor of pharmacy practice, and his research team, recognized with the Education and Training Practice and Research Network Best Poster runner-up.

Department of Pharmacy Practice celebrates promotions of Albanese and Clark
The Department of Pharmacy Practice announced the promotion of Nicole Albanese, PharmD, to clinical professor and Collin Clark, PharmD, to clinical associate professor. Albanese is a distinguished educator, researcher, clinician and leader whose award-winning teaching, precepting and extensive research in ambulatory care pharmacy, with a focus on diabetes management, has made a lasting impact on pharmacy education and clinical practice. Clark is an accomplished clinician-scientist whose research in geriatrics and transitions of care, development of an innovative transitions of care clinical practice model, and dedication to teaching and precepting have improved patient care and advanced clinical education.

UB SPPS hosts Career Day for first-year PharmD students
On Oct. 28, UB SPPS welcomed first-year PharmD students to our annual Career Day, providing valuable opportunities to network with pharmacy professionals, campus partners and student organization representatives. New this year, the SPPS Wellness Squad and Staff Engagement Committee partnered to introduce a free pop-up professional clothing boutique, featuring gently used professional attire donated by faculty and staff to help students prepare for future career events. 

SPPS alumni are invited to join the Dean's Alumni Ambassadors program and make a lasting impact on the next generation of pharmacists. Mentoring is flexible, rewarding and managed through UB's exclusive Connect-A-Bull platform, allowing you to choose a time commitment that fits your schedule.

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.

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.

Show your #UBTrueBlue spirit by sharing UB Pride photos, videos and stories!

Thank you for reading our November 2025 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