DiscoveRx Magazine – Fall 2019 Share this...Facebook0emailLinkedinTwitter

Health Care Pioneers Alumni Shape Growing Specialty Pharmacy Field

Specialty pharmacists play an important and expanding role in helping patients manage chronic and complicated conditions. Alumni Joe Cesarz (PharmD ’10, MS ’12), Sharon Faust (BS ’07, PharmD ’11), Scott Canfield (PharmD ’13), and Bruce Scott (BS ’79) are helping innovate services and programs that empower pharmacists to practice at the top of their license and provide the most effective and efficient care possible.

Over his nearly 40-year career, Brian Jensen (BS \'80), the Pharmacy Alumni Association\'s 2019 Alumnus of the Year, has brought many innovations to Wisconsin pharmacy practice.

Dave Hager (PharmD \'05) has devoted his career to helping pharmacists develop their skills. For his various contributions, the Pharmacy Alumni Association has named Hager the 2019 Young Alumnus of the Year.

The Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin honors Assistant Professor Ed Portillo (PharmD \'14) as the Distinguished Young Pharmacist of the Year. Learn how he\'s empowering pharmacists.

Julie Dagam (BS \'98, PharmD \'99), motivated by mentorship, is inducted as a fellow of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists for her work and national guidance on pharmacy residencies.

As CEO of the Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin, Chris Decker, who passed away in July 2019, left an impact on the face of pharmacy in Wisconsin. Read about the potent career of this 2018 Citation of Merit honoree.

New Antibiotic Use Lags

A new study led by Assistant Professor Warren Rose examines how long it takes hospitals to begin prescribing newly developed antibiotics and the broad implications of slow adoption.

Med-Free Mood Boost

Patients with dementia are often prescribed antidepressents, but a new study by Assistant Professor Jay Ford found that using tablets loaded with music, videos, and photos can garner a similar effect.

Crossing the Blood-Brain Barrier

The blood-brain barrier is notoriously difficult to cross, which hinders development of drugs to treat neurological conditions like Alzheimer\'s disease. Assistant Professor Michael Taylor is taking a closer look at the barrier\'s unique properties.

Unlocking Old Antibiotics for MRSA

In a new NIH-funded research collaboration, Associate Professor Warren Rose is testing a MRSA subset that might not be resistant to beta-lactams — one of the drug classes that are most effective for treatment.

Assistant Dean of Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Lisa Imhoff joins the School to oversee strengthened efforts to educate practitioners and researchers to increase health equity.

Faculty reputations, diverse research, and student fellowships created by alumni and friends of the School enable the largest-ever cohort of PhD students entering the program.

Assistant Professor Marina Maes is joining the School\'s Pharmacy Practice Division, building on the School\'s expertise in women\'s health and family practice.

Patient-Focused Pharma Research

\"Patients and clinicians can have quite different perceptions of disease control,” says Abhijit Gadkari (MS ‘06, PhD ’09). That\'s why he uses patient-reported data to evaluate health outcomes in industry.

Leading a Budding Industry

Using her background in toxicology, alumna Echo Rufer (BS \'04) traded in a career at tech giant Apple to set safety standards for cannabis vaporizers in a burgeoning field.

From the Dean Dean s Corner

With the start of the Fall 2019 semester, the School of Pharmacy welcomes the PharmD Class of 2023.

Dean Steve Swanson highlights the excellence of the incoming student pharmacists and explains the role of alumni in their success.

Read moreImproving Public Health Part 2: Overcoming Opioid Misuse

The opioid epidemic remains one of the largest public health issues nationwide, and faculty at the School of Pharmacy are hard at work, attacking the problem from all angles. In part two of a three-part series about research aiming to curb the crisis, learn about faculty initiatives to increase naloxone dispensing and tap into electronic health records to improve appropriate prescribing.

Assistant Professor Olufunmilola Abraham (MS \'11, PhD \'13), is traveling around Wisconsin to see what teenagers know about cancer and its prevention to change what and how they\'re learning about the disease.

A new study by Assistant Professor Kevin Look and Assistant Scientist Nam Hyo Kim shows that Wisconsin Medicaid’s 2014 coverage expansion significantly lowered antidiabetic drug costs and boosted adherence.

Photo GalleryDick Peterson Symposium

In celebration of the career of Emeritus Professor Dick Peterson and the careers he helped launch, alumni of his lab held a symposium in Rennebohm Hall, inviting speakers and poster presentations by his trainees and others whose research is inspired by Peterson’s legacy.

See photo gallery Giving BackInternational Pharmacy Legacy

Coming to the U.S. as refugees at the end of World War II, Janis (BS 54) and Anna Apinis arrived with two small children and two suitcases, but without knowing a word of English. Their decision to leave Latvia transformed their lives and careers and continues to impact the lives of student pharmacists and faculty at the School of Pharmacy. Read about the Apinis journey.

Community Focus

A new program developed by Assistant Professor Olayinka Shiyanbola is pairing up African Americans with diabetes with peer advocates to help them manage their health and communicate with pharmacists and physicians.

Professor Betty Chewning is partnering with alumna Dimmy Sokhal (PharmD \'13) on a project aimed at improving the health of patients with Alzheimer\'s and their caregivers by increasing vaccine access.

Class Notes Fall 2019 Class Notes

Relocating, getting promotions and accolades, and pursuing hobbies ranging from traveling to writing children s books — your classmates are doing it all. Stay in the loop with your UW–Madison School of Pharmacy alumni peers through class notes.

Read what s new Submit a class note Upcoming Events ALUMNI TAILGATE VIEWING PARTY

Saturday, November 9

Join your classmates and colleagues at the Union South for a tailgate and viewing party for the football game against Iowa. Game tickets are also available at registration.

Register here.PHARMD CAREER FAIR

Friday, October 25

Alumni are invited to participate in the career fair to connect with student pharmacists, share information about opportunities, and conduct interviews.

Register here.PHARMSCI 360 RECEPTION

Monday, November 4

Join fellow alumni and friends at a reception during the American Association of Pharmaceutical Sciences PharmSci 360 Conference in San Antonio.

Register here.CITATIONS OF MERIT DINNER

Friday, November 8

Celebrate the exceptional careers of 2019 honorees Arthur Schuna (BS 73), Thomas Rosanske (BS 79), Sanford Bolton (BS 57), and Emeritus Professor Jeanette Roberts.

Register here.Professional Development PHARMACY CONFERENCES EVENTSHEALTH CHALLENGES OF MEN AND WOMEN 

The Ingleside Hotel, Waukesha, WI | September 26, 2019

CMC PROJECT TEAM LEADERSHIP

Pyle Center, UW–Madison | October 7-10, 2019

2019 PHARMACY INVITATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ANTITHROMBOTIC THERAPY

Las Vegas, NV | December 7, 2019

ONLINE CERTIFICATESBIOLOGIC THERAPEUTIC DRUG DEVELOPMENT CERTIFICATE

This online program is designed for scientists to expand their knowledge about biologics.

CERTIFICATE IN FORMULARY DRUG EVALUATION PROCESSES

This certificate program trains members of Pharmacy Therapeutics Committees to improve communication and make evidence-based decisions.

Stay Connected

Watch videos about our faculty and alumni on our YouTube channel, and get our latest updates on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

                   

DISCOVERx STAFF

Editor-in-Chief  |  Katie GerhardsPhotographer  |  Sally Griffith-OhContributing Writers  |  Katie Ginder-Vogel, Jill SakaiEditorial Intern | Hanzhu TangContributing Photographers  |  Ingrid LaasEditorial Advisor  |  Alyson Kim

DiscoveRx magazine is a quarterly digital publication by the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Pharmacy.

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