Family legacies – both in the choice of a career and acceptance of leadership roles – have become something of a tradition in the UH College of Pharmacy. In a highly unusual – if not historic – twist on the tradition, alumna Carrie Sacky and daughter Stacie Dacus will serve in leadership positions in the Texas Pharmacy Association during the same term.

Sacky, a 1980 alumna and pharmacist-in-charge for a CVS/pharmacy location near Dallas, and Dacus, who is entering her third year in the Pharm.D. program, was installed as Vice President, and Dacus was elected to represent the Academy of Student Pharmacists on the TPA board in July.

“My goal is to get more pharmacists involved in our profession, more than just the daily work routine.,” said Sacky, who participated in the Katrina relief effort at Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio.

Dacus said she hopes to provide a collective and individual voice for pharmacy students across the state during her term.

“I hope to promote relations between the six schools of pharmacy in Texas, in order to increase student involvement,” Dacus said. “If we don’t stay involved as students, then staying involved as pharmacists will prove to be even more difficult.”

While most parents say they only want their children to be happy and successful no matter what line of work they choose, there’s no denying the extra boost of pride parents naturally feel when a child decides to follow in their footsteps – both professionally and academically.

“Being elected to the TPA board in the same year is a bonus for me,” Sacky said. “I will get to marvel at this young, educated mind share her opinions with a board of future peers and know that I have inspired a voice for the future of pharmacy.”

Dacus said her mother has served as an inspiration in her career pursuit and in life.

“Mom says she has always known, but I pursued

Leadership Runs in Family as Alumna, Student Elected to TPA Board

pharmacy because I knew it was right for me,” Dacus said. “I have always enjoyed medicine, and growing up I was able to see firsthand what a difference a pharmacist can make.”

Sacky said she immediately felt at home at the UH campus, thanks to her fellow students and the college’s staff and faculty.

“It had a feel that they wanted me to succeed, much like I received at my local junior college,” Sacky said.

The junior college where Sacky completed her pre-pharmacy courses called her back in 2004 to appear in radio, TV and print ads as one of the college’s success stories. Sacky’s presentation of a positive image of the profession in the campaign earned her TPA’s 2007 Pharmacy Enhancement Award.

Sacky said her own call to the profession came while working at a neighborhood pharmacy as a teenager.

“I loved watching the two pharmacists actually make a difference in our community,” she said. “Patients would come to the pharmacist there for their opinion before going to the doctor. I knew I also could, and wanted to, make a difference in patients’ lives.”

Although she’s not sure if she will pursue community or clinical pharmacy after graduation, Dacus said the idea of owning her own pharmacy appeals to her on many levels.

“This will allow me to utilize my clinical skills in a community setting,” Dacus said. “I could even hire my mom; I would love to be her boss!”

Vol. 5 | No. 2 | Summer 2008

INTERACTIONSUniversity of Houston College of Pharmacy

UH alumna Carrie Sacky, R.Ph. (’80), and daughter Stacie Dacus, a third-year Pharm.D. student, pictured with Dean Sunny E. Ohia, have the rare -- if not historic -- distinction of serving on the Texas Pharmacy Association Board of Directors in the same term.

On-hand for the approval of the BSPS program in April were UH College of Pharmacy’s Associate Dean for Administration Shara Zatopek, Dean Sunny E. Ohia, BSPS Program Assistant Director Catherine Hatfield and BSPS Program Director Louis Williams.

Continued on page 3

Higher Ed Board Approves 2 New Degree ProgramsUH Appoints Lokhandwala as Interim Dean of College UH College of Pharmacy Executive Vice Dean for Research and Professor Mustafa F. Lokhandwala, Ph.D. (’75), has been appointed Interim Dean while the university administration conducts a national search for a permanent successor to departing Dean and Professor Sunny E. Ohia, Ph.D.

Ohia resigned from UH effective Sept. 12 to accept the position Vice President of Academic Affairs & Provost at Texas Southern University. A National Institutes of Health-funded researcher, Lokhandwala currently heads the Office of Research and the Heart & Kidney Institute and served as college dean from 1991 to 2002.

“Although Dr. Lokhandwala’s stewardship of the college will be a transitional one, he will be responsible for the day-to-day operations...and assume the dean’s role in all college affairs,” said Jerald W. Strickland, Ph.D., Interim Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Interim Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs & Provost.

UH College of Pharmacy recently won approval to offer a new doctoral program in pharmacy administration and a new undergraduate degree program in pharmaceutical sciences – the first of its kind in Texas – from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

“Approval of both programs will further distinguish our college as a leader in the fields of the basic sciences as well as health services and outcomes research,” said Dean Sunny E. Ohia. “I will seize the opportunity to recognize the hard work by our faculty and staff, and the support of the UH administration and UH System Board of Regents in helping the college achieving this milestone.”

The B.S. in Pharmaceutical Sciences program will incorporate hands-on laboratory training and classroom instruction to prepare students to enter such career fields as drug discovery, regulatory affairs, drug safety and information, pharmaceutical or medical device sales, and clinical manufacturing.

The first class of UH junior- and senior-level undergraduates will enter the program this fall through a “change-of-major” process.

Although the BSPS curriculum is not a professional program and graduates are not eligible for licensure as pharmacists, it’s expected that some BSPS graduates will apply to admission to the college’s existing professional or graduate programs.

Aaron Nelson photo

College NeWS

Publisher Sunny E. Ohia, Ph.D.Editor David “Chip” LambertCopy Editor Shara ZatopekDesigner David “Chip” LambertPhotography Thomas Campbell Mark Lacy David “Chip” Lambert Steve Lee Aaron Nelson Pathik Shah

Send correspondence to: Interactions Editor UH College of Pharmacy 141 Science & Research Bldg. 2 Houston, TX 77204-5000 or email interactions@uh.edu

Articles and photos may be reprinted with permission.The University of Houston is an EEO/AA institution.

DEAN’S MESSAGEIt is with mixed feelings that I present to you the Summer issue – and my last issue as Dean – of UH College of Pharmacy’s Interactions newsletter. I’m very excited about the challenges ahead of me at Texas Southern University, as well as grateful for the opportunity to have led the college through a

period of tremendous growth.

I will truly miss the day-to-day interaction with the alumni, colleagues, staff members, students and friends who welcomed me to the college nearly six years ago, and have been so instrumental in elevating the college’s standing in the professional, scientific and academic communities.

One need only to read through this issue to see how our faculty members, students and alumni are continually setting a new standard of excellence – from earning prestigious leadership positions and recognition awards to receiving highly competitive grant funding.

Although recently appointed Interim Dean Dr. Mustafa F. Lokhandwala will not be a candidate for the position on a permanent basis, his experience leading the Office of Research and serving as my predecessor for more than 10 years will ensure that our successful, high-quality programs, initiatives and relationships will have a smooth transition between administrations.

It has been an honor and a privilege to have served as the fifth dean of such a highly regarded institution as UH College of Pharmacy. Through the scholarship endowment established at UH by my wife and I in honor and memory of our parents, as well as through the friendships we have made at UH, I always will have Cougar Pride.

Best wishes,

Sunny E. Ohia, Ph.D. Dean

� University of Houston College of Pharmacy

INTERACTIONSUniversity of Houston College of Pharmacy

UH College of Pharmacy continues to explore international collaboration opportunities for its researchers, faculty members and students. Dean Sunny E. Ohia recently held discussions with Jordan University of Science and Technology’s Dr. Khouloud Alkhamis, right, and a delegation from the Republic of Nigeria’s Ministry of Health, below.

UH College of Pharmacy is seeking input from pharmaceutical industry insiders on the direction of current research projects, new avenues for collaborations or funding, and potential revisions to the undergraduate, graduate and professional program curricula.

The new Corporate Advisory Board will function similar to the Dean’s Advisory Council (DAC), but members will focus almost exclusively on enhancing the college’s research endeavors.

Several board members have deep connections to the college, including 2006 Distinguished Ph.D. Alumnus Madhu Chintala, Ph.D. (’90), of Schering-Plough Research Institute; and fellow

alumni Sharath Hegde, Ph.D. (’90) of Theravance; Linzay Kelly, R.Ph. (’90), of Johnson & Johnson Co.; and Jaymin Shah, Ph.D. (’88), of Pfizer Pharmaceutical.

The other members are: Debasis Bagchi, Ph.D., of InterHealth Neutraceuticals; David Brooks, Ph.D., of GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals; Heather Giles, Ph.D., of Encysive Pharmaceuticals; Paul Likhari of BA Research International; Miller Ogidigben, Ph.D., of Merck & Co.; Naj Sharif, Ph.D., of Alcon Research; Sidney Stohs, Ph.D., Advocare International; and Yetunde O. Taiwo, Ph.D., of Lilly Corp.

Bagchi, Kelly and Likhari have served on DAC.

Corporate Board Offers Industry Insiders’ View

UH College of Pharmacy recently marked a changing of the guard as alumna Julie Spier, R.Ph. (’86), was named as the new Chair of the Dean’s Advisory Council.

Spier, regional manager for Randalls Pharmacy, succeeds fellow alumna Lourdes M. Cuellar, R.Ph. (’73), M.S. (’79), FASHP, Memorial Hermann/TIRR senior executive director, Medical Support Services director of pharmacy and patient safety officer.

At the spring meeting, Cuellar, Spier and several other DAC members were recognized for five years of service. Also honored for their input on and support for college programs were: Ken Breda, R.Ph. (’82); W. Benjamin Fry, R.Ph. (’72); Joe Ickes, R.Ph. (’73); Keith Moseley, R.Ph. (’82); and Tam Ngo, Pharm.D. (’99).

The council has welcomed several new members during the past year, including Lance Campbell, Pharm.D. (’01), of Campbell’s Compounding; Todd Canada, Pharm.D., of The University of Texas-M.D. Anderson Cancer Center; Celso Cuellar Jr., R.Ph. (’65), of Target Pharmacy in San Antonio; Denise Martinez, Pharm.D. (’05), of Kelsey-Seybold Clinic; Ryan Roux, Pharm.D. (’99),

College Marks 5 Years of Service by DAC Members

Members of the Corporate Advisory Board include Sidney Stohs, Debasis Bagchi, Yetunde Taiwo, Miller Ogidigben, Dean Sunny E. Ohia, Paul Likhari, Madhu Chintala, Naj Sharif and Heather Giles.

Dean Sunny E. Ohia thanks Lourdes Cuellar, left, for her five years of service and leadership on the Dean’s Advisory Council. Julie Spier, right, who also was recognized for five years of service, succeeds Cuellar as DAC Chair.

of the Harris County Hospital District in Houston; Michael J. Smith, of Transetco Inc. in Longview; and John Stephenson, R.Ph. (’68), of Stephenson Pharmacy in Tyler.

Ohia Names Spier as Chair, Welcomes New Members

New Hires & Transfers

Kirk Lindsey, Web Developer

LaShanta Gill, Exec. Administrative Asst. to the Dean

Melissa Ieans, Financial Assistant I

Wynne Ndule, Director of Alumni Relations

Christine Poliquit, Academic Advisor I

Karen Williams, Secretary II

Staff NeWSNorvia Armstrong Remo, 48, passed away on July 23, 2008, in Houston. A 23-year employee of UH, Remo served as a Financial Assistant II in the Department of Clinical Sciences & Administration since January

2006. She is survived by her husband of 20 years, Johnnie Remo; son Ashton; daughter Alexis; stepson Johnnie Remo Jr.; and numerous other family members, friends and co-workers.

NgoFry Ickes MoseleyBreda

StephensonCuellar SmithCanada Martinez

faCulty NeWS

Mustafa F. Lokhandwala, Ph.D. (’75), professor, has been appointed to the Journal of Epithelial Biology & Pharmacology editorial board.

Isaac Montoya, Ph.D., CMC, CLS, clinical professor, has been appointed to the R34 HIV/AIDS Review Committee for the National Institute of Mental Health and a National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism study section.

Steven E. Pass, Pharm.D., BCPS, FCCM, clinical associate professor, has been appointed to the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Research & Education Foundation’s Residency Excellence Awards Selection Committee.

Samina Salim, Ph.D., research assistant professor, has received a $30,000 grant from the UH Grants to Enhance and Advance Research Program to investigate a potential role for RGS2 in oxidative stress mediated anxiety in rats.”

Maria Victoria (MariVi) Tejada-Simon, Ph.D., M.Ed. (’07), assistant professor, has received a one-year, $60,000 grant from the FRAXA Research Foundation to investigate the role played by small GTPases in the aberrant neuronal morphology associated with Fragile X and other mental retardation syndromes, and a two-year, $66,770 grant from the Jérôme Lejeune Foundation to study the therapeutic potential of Rac inhibitors in cognitive disorders.

Rosa F. Yeh, Pharm.D., BCPS, assistant professor, participated in the National Institutes of Health’s Office of Dietary Supplements course, “Dietary Supplement Research Practicum 2008,” at the NIH campus in Bethesda, Md., in June.

appoiNtmeNtS & promotioNS

Jason Eriksen, Ph.D., has joined the College as an assistant professor of pharmacology. With a doctorate in neuroscience from Loyola University Chicago, Eriksen had served in research and faculty positions at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Jacksonville, Fla., since 2000. His primary research interest is in neurodegenerative disorders, specifically Alzheimer’s disease. Eriksen’s current project, funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, seeks to unravel the mechanisms governing the degradation of tau protein and develop new tools for the treatment of tauopathies and other neurodegenerative diseases. He has authored or contributed to more than 30 peer-reviewed articles and reviews in such journals as Nature and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, as well as three book chapters. He also has filed two patent applications for the diagnosis and treatment of brain disorders.

Bradley McConnell, Ph.D., has joined the College as an assistant professor of pharmacology. Before joining UHCOP, he worked in various faculty positions at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) School of Medicine and the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. After earning his doctorate in Physiology and Biophysics from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, McConnell completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School/Howard Hughes Medical Institute in Boston. With a primary research interest in signaling pathways in cardiovascular disease, McConnell has received research support from the American Heart Association (AHA; BGIA), the State of Maryland, and the National Institutes of Health-National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (R01). He has authored or contributed to nearly 20 articles in such publications as the Journal of Clinical Investigations, Circulation, Circulation Research, and the American Journal of Physiology.

Karim A. Alkadhi, Ph.D., and Richard A. Bond, Ph.D. (’88,) B.S. (’83), have been promoted to full professors of pharmacology. Vincent H. Tam, Pharm.D., BCPS, has been promoted to associate professor with tenure.

University of Houston College of Pharmacy �

UH College of Pharmacy’s Vincent Tam is congratulated on winning the Excellence in Scholarship & Research at the Assistant Professor level by UH System Chancellor & UH President Renu Khator.

UH Honors Tam for Scholarship, Research ExcellenceUH College of Pharmacy’s Vincent H. Tam, Pharm.D., BCPS, has secured one of the rarest honors bestowed upon UH faculty members, with his selection for the 2007 UH Award for Excellence in Scholarship & Research–Assistant Professor.

In recent years, Tam has earned national awards

from such organizations as the American College of Clinical Pharmacy and the Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists; received research funding totaling nearly $1 million from the National Science Foundation and several major pharmaceutical companies; and published nearly 20 peer-reviewed journal articles.

“I am honored to be chosen for the award, but I think it’s really a team effort that was recognized,” Tam said. “I am grateful for the hard work of my lab members over the years, ideas and constructive criticism from collaborators and consultants, as well as my department and college for a conducive environment for my career progress. I would not have been able to be so productive over the years without these essential elements.

“This award will be my motivation to work even harder to extend the knowledge horizon. I hope my translational research will be successful in bridging the benchtop and bedside to further improve patient care.”

Cancer, Diabetes Researchers Secure THECB FundingTwo UH College of Pharmacy faculty researchers have received nearly $300,000 in state funding for their projects to improve the early detection of cancer and study how a receptor contributes to hypertension in diabetes and obesity.

Assistant Professor Malavosklish “Liz” Bikram, Ph.D., received a two-year, $149,234 grant for her work on stealth-targeted magnetic resonance (MR) molecular probes for cancer detection.

Bikram’s project aims to use nanoparticles that can avoid the regular elimination process associated with traditional dyes and “activate” upon contact with tumor cells to provide more accurate detection with MRI scans.

Associate Professor Tahir Hussain, Ph.D., was awarded a two-year, $150,000 grant to study the role of the Angiotensin II (AT2) receptor in blood pressure regulation in obesity and diabetes.

Hussain is investigating the mechanisms of renal and vascular AT2 receptor regulation by insulin/hyperglycemia.

The grants were awarded through the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s Norman Hackerman Advanced Research Program.

Of the nearly 2,000 proposals received this year, the THECB funded 147 projects – including 21 requests totaling $2.5 million for UH researchers.

Liz Bikram, UH assistant professor of pharmaceutics, is developing stealth nanoparticle magnetic resonance contrast agents to improve the early detection of breast, ovarian and other types of cancer.

Thomas Campbell photo/UH

The college also expects the program to generate interest from undergraduates seeking professional or advanced degrees in non-pharmacy related fields, such as law or other health fields.

A total of 25 new required and elective courses, such as Pharmaceutical Systems Management and Healthcare & Pharmaceutical Promotion, are included in the BSPS curriculum.

The Ph.D. in pharmacy administration, approved by the board July 24, is one of only about a dozen in the nation and only the second in Texas. The thesis-based program will prepare students for health services and pharmaceutical industry leadership positions, as well as careers in government and academia.

The college intends to capitalize on its membership in the Texas Medical Center – as well as within the UH System – to provide students with unique opportunities for research collaboration and experiences while enhancing their clinical and administrative skills.

The program, which builds upon the college’s existing M.S. in pharmacy administration and Pharm.D. degrees, will begin enrolling students for the Fall 2009 semester. Although students with adequate experience in health-related fields will be considered for admission, preference will be given to applicants with a Pharm.D. or graduate-level degree in the health sciences.

The college has developed 25 new required and elective courses within the Ph.D. curriculum, including Risk Adjustment of Health Care Outcomes, Scientific Writing and Grantsmanship, and advanced courses in the statistical and analytical methods commonly employed in pharmacy administration research.

Graduation requirements include completion of a minimum of 70 credit hours, passing comprehensive written and oral examinations, and successful defense of a dissertation project.

Both programs were approved by the UH System Board of Regents in 2007.

DegreesContinued from page 1

Brookshire Brothers Pharmacy

Lufkin-based Brookshire Brothers Pharmacy officials recently established a scholarship endowment with a gift of $20,000. Founded by Tom and Austin Brookshire in 1921, the company remained family-owned for more than 75 years. The company is now a 100 percent employee-owned business, which includes more than 60 locations in East Texas and western Louisiana. UH Pharm.D. students from East Texas or a county in which a Brookshire Brothers store is located will be given preference in receiving the new scholarship.

Dean’s Advisory Council

Undergraduate, graduate and professional program students will be eligible for educational assistance from the recently established UH College of Pharmacy Dean’s Advisory Council Endowed Scholarship. The endowment was created with gifts from DAC members: Ken Breda, R.Ph. (’82); Celso Cuellar Jr., R.Ph. (’65); Pat Downing Jr., R.Ph. (’70) & Jan Downing (Med Shop Total Care); W. Benjamin Fry, R.Ph. (’72); and Michael J. Smith.

W. Benjamin Fry Rio Grande Valley

UH College of Pharmacy 2005 Distinguished Alumnus W. Benjamin “Ben” Fry, R.Ph. (’72), FIACP, FACA, recently established the W. Benjamin Fry Rio Grande Valley Scholarship Endowment. President of the Texas State Board of Pharmacy, Fry is owner of Fry’s Prescription Pharmacy in San Benito, Texas, and Small Fry’s, a pediatric pharmacy in Harlingen, Texas. A member of the Dean’s Advisory Council, Fry was among the “50 Outstanding Alumni” recognized during the college’s 50th anniversary celebrations in 1997 as well as the recipient of the 2008 Dean’s Special Recognition Award. He is a charter member of the college’s Mading Society and a life member of the Houston Alumni Organization. The scholarship was set up to assist UH Pharm.D. students from the Texas Rio Grande Valley.

Texas Pharmacy Foundation

The Texas Pharmacy Foundation has established the Texas Pharmacy Foundation Scholarship Endowment with a gift of $12,500 to UH College of Pharmacy. Committed to advancing the profession in cooperation with the Texas Pharmacy Association and pharmacy professionals throughout the state, TPF works on special projects, such as acquiring funding for studies and pilot projects that benefit the profession and the quality of health care. The organization also recognizes Texas pharmacists in leadership positions, presents awards at the state level and fosters TPA relations within the health-care and pharmaceutical industries.

giviNg NeWSUH Marks Gifts from Brookshire Brothers, DAC, Fry and Pharmacy Foundation

Walgreens District Representative and UH alumna Allera Porter, Pharm.D. (’02), recently presented Dean Sunny E. Ohia with a $10,000 gift to support annual scholarships for pharmacy students. Walgreens has provided more than $10,000 per year in annual scholarships since 2001 and more than $275,000 in total support for UHCOP scholarships and programs since 1980.

Scholarship Golf Tournament Proceeds Benefit 29 Students

Left, the team of David Curlee (B.S. ’75), Jeff Hall (Pharm.D. ’02), Dan Metzen and Jimmy Washburn won the Low Net Score title; and, right, the team of Chuck Kneip (B.S. ’92), John Hargroue, John Rutan and Jim Rutan (B.S. ’92) won the Low Gross Score title. Other top winners of the tournament at Augusta Pines Golf Club were Wiley Davis and Kathy Haydel for Longest Drive, and Ken Breda for Closest to the Pin.

� University of Houston College of Pharmacy

The Tarrant County Pharmacy Association recently increased its scholarship endowment at UH College of Pharmacy by $15,000, bringing the group’s total gift to $25,000.

A local component of the Texas Pharmacy Association, TCPA is dedicated to providing services and support to future and current pharmacists. The TCPA endowment was established to assist UH pharmacy students from the association’s member base of Hood, Johnson, Parker and Tarrant counties.

“TCPA has transitioned itself from giving numerous small donations to large donations to secure funds at the endowment level,” said TCPA President Carter High, Pharm.D., R.Ph.

Gift from Tarrant County Pharmacy Association Boosts Fund to $25,000

Nearly 100 players and sponsors chipped in to help the 29th Annual UH Pharmacy Alumni & Friends Scholarship Golf Tournament raise $13,000 in awards for 29 UH Pharm.D. students.

This year’s tournament sponsors were:

• Walgreens – Gold ($2,500);

• Marco Carranza, Pharm.D. (’03), McKesson Pharmaceutical & Healthmart Pharmacies, McClaugherty Consulting Services, Randalls/Safeway Inc., Windsor Village United Methodist Church and CVS Corporation – Silver ($1,000);

• Medicine Chest and Mylan Laboratories – Red & White ($500); and

• Continental Airlines, Julianna Szilagyi, Hyatt Regency, UH Hilton and Hilton Westchase – in-kind donations and other gifts.

In addition to the annual awards, two students will receive $3,500 scholarships from the Endowment this year.

The 30th annual Scholarship Golf Tournament will be Monday, June 1, at Augusta Pines Golf Club in Spring, Texas.

College of Pharmacy Names New Development Director UH College of Pharmacy recently announced the appointment of Sara O. Tovar, M.S., as Director of Development.

Tovar previously served as development officer for UH’s Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture. Before joining UH, Tovar served as assistant director of gift planning at Rice University and as marketing coordinator/advertising account executive for Rice Design Alliance. She also has worked in the areas of international affairs/business development as a private consultant and for the French Ministry of Finance & Economy.

Tovar holds a master of science degree in marketing communications from Roosevelt University and a certificate in fund-raising principles from Rice.

Dean Sunny E. Ohia accepts a gift of $25,000 from Brookshire Brothers Pharmacy’s Ted Zieschang, vice president of Pharmacy; Danny Rich, R.Ph. (’83), administrator of Long Term Care; Ken Breda, R.Ph. (’82), director of Pharmacy; Marilyn Jones, employee relations specialist; and Keith Moseley, R.Ph. (’82). The gift includes $20,000 for a new scholarship endowment and $5,000 in student support this year.

Save the Date!

Meet Your Scholarship Recipients

at the Scholarship 50 Luncheon

Thursday, Nov. 1311:30 a.m.–1 p.m. UH Hilton Hotel

For reservations or information, please contact Sara Tovar at

sotovar@uh.edu or 713-743-0823.

Walgreens Supports UH

StudeNt & alumNi NeWS

Brice Labruzzo, Pharm.D. (’05), clinical assistant professor at the University of Louisiana at Monroe College of Pharmacy, was a co-author on the winning Clinical Category poster presented at the 2008 Louisiana Society of Health-System Pharmacists Annual Meeting. Labruzzo also delivered the keynote address at this year’s UHCOP White Coat Ceremony.

Lisa M. Scholz, Pharm.D. (’01), MBA, has accepted the position of Senior Director of the HRSA Pharmacy Services Support Center, a partnership between the American Pharmacists Association and the Health Resources and Services Administration Office of Pharmacy Affairs. The PSSC provides services to help entities optimize the 340B program, improve medication use and advance patient care.

Shaji Varghese, R.Ph. (’94), clinical pharmacist at the Harris County Hospital District’s Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital, was named Texas Southern University’s 2008 Hospital Preceptor of the Year.

Paige Vincent, R.Ph. (’93), pharmacist-in-charge for Walgreens in Cedar Park, Texas, has received the Texas Pharmacy Association’s 2008 Local Association Leadership Award. She was honored for her service to the Capital Area Pharmacy Association, which covers Bastrop, Blanco, Burnet, Lampasas, Llano, Mason, Travis and Williamson counties.

Several UH alumni were elected to Texas Pharmacy Association offices, including: Tammy Folsom, Pharm.D. (’98), and Jenny Yoakum, Pharm.D. (’97), as chair-elect and director, respectively, on the Academy of Compounding Pharmacists; F. Paul Lott, R.Ph. (’84), as TPA director representing the Academy of Consultant Pharmacists; and Lynn Simpson, Pharm.D. (’96), and David Wallace, Pharm.D. (’98), as directors on the Academy of Government, Research & Academia. In addition, Bruce Biundo, R.Ph. (’61), and Phyllis Graham, R.Ph. (’76), were installed as chairs of the Academy of Compounding Pharmacists and the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacists, respectively.

alumNi mailbox

University of Houston College of Pharmacy �

Student’s TSHP Poster Win Pushes UH Run to 3 Years

Please e-mail interactions@uh.edu to contribute to the alumni mailbox! Photos are also welcome and appreciated!

UH and St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital made for a winning team as SLEH resident Joseph V. Ybarra, Pharm.D., took home the American College of Clinical Pharmacy’s 2008 Best Resident & Fellow Poster Award. Below from left, Miguel Salazar, Pharm.D. (’06), Ph.D., SLEH investigational drugs clinical coordinator, and Kevin W. Garey, Pharm.D., M.S., UH associate professor, were among Ybarra’s co-authors. The winning project was titled “Evaluation of high-dose atorvastatin for prevention of vasospasm in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.”

UH graduate student Prina Donga accepts the ISPOR Best Student Poster Presentation Award from Judith Shinogle, Ph.D., M.S., co-chair of the ISPOR Contributed Research Awards Committee.

photo courtesy of ISPOR

Graduate Program ‘Posts’ APhA, ISPOR Honors UH Pharmacy Administration students, faculty members and an alumna recently picked up international and national awards for their research presentations.

UH Pharmacy Administration graduate students Prina Z. Donga and Geethanjali S. Pandey, under the guidance of Assistant Professor Hua Chen, M.D., Ph.D., recently earned one of only three Student Research Poster Presentation awards at the 13th International Meeting of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and

Outcomes Research. The team’s study involved a statistical comparison of patients’ elevated risks of developing diabetes mellitus while taking one of two atypical antipsychotics (olanzapine and clozapine).

Graduate student Manvi Sharma received an ISPOR Service Award for her leadership of the society’s UH chapter.

Alumna Sharanya Murty, M.S. (’07), under the guidance of Associate Professor Sujit S. Sansgiry, Ph.D., earned one of only two Presentation Merit awards in the Contributed Research Paper category from the American Pharmacists Association’s Academy of Pharmacy Practice and Management.

Their project was titled “New Information Card Labels to Improve Consumer Comprehension for Behind-the-Counter Pseudoephedrine Products.” Murty and Sansgiry compared currently available drug information cards, which are printed in 4-point font size, to cards of their own design that were printed in 10-point font size.

Although the FDA requires drug information on product packages to be printed in at least 6-point font size, it hasn’t released any printing guidelines for the reproduction cards placed on the shelf at pharmacies for the “behind-the-counter” products.

UH Pharmacy Administration alumna Sharanya Murty (’07) and associate professor Sujit Sansgiry display their redesigned consumer drug information cards and the currently available consumer drug information cards for ‘behind-the-counter’ pseudoephedrine products.

Pharm.D. student Ann Marie Prazak recently helped UH College of Pharmacy extend its winning streak in a statewide student research poster competition to three consecutive years.

The poster – titled “Utility of Gram Stain from a Protected Mini-BAL in Guiding Empiric Therapy for Ventilator Associated Pneumonia (VAP)” – won first place in the annual competition sponsored by the Texas Society of Health-System Pharmacists Research & Education Foundation.

UHCOP Clinical Assistant Professor Steven E. Pass, Pharm.D., served as co-author on the winning project.

Although conceding a small sample size used in their retrospective analysis, Prazak and Pass determined that the initial gram stain from mini-bronchial lavage sample (mini-BAL) collection isn’t an accurate predictor of the causative agent of VAP in mechanically ventilated patients. They concluded the collection method should not be used to establish a broad-spectrum empiric antibiotic therapy for patients.

Alumnus, Faculty Contribute to ACCP Best Resident Poster

TSHP, TPA Scholarships Benefit UH Pharmacy StudentsUH students earned a total of eight scholarships from the Texas Society of Health-System Pharmacists Research & Education Foundation and the Texas Pharmacy Foundation for the 2008-09 year.

The TSHP Research & Education Foundation award recipients are: Tri M. Nguyen, Celso & Matiana M. Cuellar Sr. Scholarship; Constance Reyes, Eustacio Galvan Memorial Scholarship; Aimee Hammerstrom, Mark Tamble Memorial

Scholarship and Sandra Evans Webb Scholarship; Stephanie Weightman, Jon Peyton Hudlow Memorial Scholarship; and Allison Palmer, Metroplex Society of Health-System Pharmacists Scholarship.

The Texas Pharmacy Foundation award recipients are Simi Bassett, TPF Scholarship, and Aaron Edwards, TPF Larry “Neal” McClaugherty Scholarship.

Murty is now working toward a Ph.D. from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health.

Pathik Shah photo/UH

Lorence F. Krueger, R.Ph. (’50), a member of UH College of Pharmacy’s first graduating class, passed away on May 24, 2008. During his professional career, he owned and operated two pharmacies – Appling-Krueger Pharmacy and El Campo Pharmacy – in El Campo, Texas.

A U.S. Navy veteran of World War II, Krueger was a member of the American Legion Post 251. He also was a member of the First United Methodist Church and the Elks Lodge No. 1749, including serving in leadership positions with both organizations.

He is survived by his wife, Betty Krueger, R.Ph. (’52); son and daughter-in-law Michael and Edna Krueger; brother and sister-in-law William and Ruth Krueger; and sisters Gladys Walls and Evelyn Bernard.

iN memoriam