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Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty

Akers recognized with profession-wide award

Julie AkersThe American Pharmacists Association (APhA) announced that WSU’s Julie Akers will receive one of its profession-wide awards at the annual meeting later this month.

Akers, a clinical assistant professor at the WSU College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (CPPS), was selected for the APhA’s 2019 Good Government Pharmacist-of-the-Year Award. She was nominated by WSU faculty colleague Jennifer Robinson for her contributions to the pharmacy community through her involvement in the political process.

“Julie has helped me see the importance of politics and policy when advocating for our profession and for our patients. Julie has had this … » More …

CPPS announces faculty promotions

SPOKANE, Wash.—The Washington State University (WSU) College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (CPPS) is dedicated to developing outstanding health care professionals and scientists through a transformative student experience. This means the college also takes care to ensure faculty supporting its research and teaching offerings are “second to none,” that is, according to Gary Pollack, dean of the CPPS.

“Our faculty are contributing to university goals and priorities at a rate that has been simply outstanding,” he said. “As a whole our college is lucky to have faculty and staff that rival any pharmacy program in the country.”

Faculty demonstrating excellence in scholarship and teaching give … » More …

McKeirnan to receive national honors for work in pharmacy practice

The American Pharmacists Association announced that WSU’s Kimberly McKeirnan will be honored for her work and research in clinical pharmacy at its annual meeting later this month.

McKeirnan, a clinical assistant professor at the WSU College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (CPPS), was selected for the APhA’s Academy of Pharmacy Practice and Management 2019 Distinguished Achievement Award in Pharmacy Practice.

McKeirnan was selected for the award for her work to increase access to vaccinations, an issue very current in the state of Washington. Part of her … » More …

Meier receives $100,000 for research of fatty acid receptors

The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics announced that Washington State University’s Kathryn Meier is its 2019 David Lehr Research Award recipient.

The award will be presented at Experimental Biology 2019, a conference that brings together five national scientific societies, and $100,000 over two years to be used in support of Meier’s research. The awards ceremony will occur on April 6 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.

A leader in research and academia, Meier has received international acclaim for her work on omega‑3 fatty acids. Meier submitted a proposal to investigate the impact of free fatty acid receptor agonists (which include … » More …

Spokane pharmacist, WSU professor honored by high school Alma mater

SPOKANE, Wash.— Washington State University’s Joshua Neumiller was selected for the 2018 North Central High School Distinguished Alumnus award. His picture will be added to the “Honor Hallway” at the school. Neumiller received the award at a ceremony at North Central High School in Spokane on November 30.

Neumiller was selected because of his extensive service and passion for educating people with diabetes to understand their disease and take better control of their health. His career as a distinguished educator includes research, clinical duties, and service as editor-in-chief of the journal Diabetes Spectrum published by the American … » More …

Two faculty receive recognition from state association

SPOKANE, Wash.—Two Washington State University faculty members received Awards of Distinction from the Washington State Pharmacy Association (WSPA). The WSPA is the professional trade association representing pharmacists, student pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in all practice settings across Washington state.

Kimberly McKeirnan and Linda Garrelts MacLean were recognized during an awards luncheon at the WSPA Annual Meeting on Saturday, November 10, at the Skamania Lodge in Stevenson, Washington.

Kimberly McKeirnan received the Distinguished Young Pharmacist of the Year Award, which recognizes pharmacists who have been licensed in the profession less than 10 years and who have been innovators in pharmacy practice and enthusiastic participants in association … » More …

WSU pharmacy program welcomes back alumna as professor

SPOKANE, Wash.—Clinical Pharmacist Megan Undeberg rejoined the Washington State University College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences this August as a clinical associate professor.

Undeberg’s position is co-located on the WSU Health Sciences campus in Spokane within the Department of Pharmacotherapy and at the Sacred Heart Medical Center and Children’s Hospital also in Spokane, Washington.

At WSU she will teach in the Doctor of Pharmacy program and work to expand rural health research, looking at transitions of care (especially to rural … » More …

Two post-graduate fellows join CPPS faculty ranks

Two of the WSU College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences’ (CPPS) post-graduate pharmacy fellows will join the college as faculty this August.

Taylor Bertsch and Jennifer (Czapinski) Miller move from fellows to clinical assistant professors, and will teach in the college’s Doctor of Pharmacy program. Both completed two-year fellowship programs this summer.

Bertsch is from Auburn, Washington. He chose WSU because he believes it promotes a progressive mindset. Bertsch completed his Doctor of Pharmacy degree in 2016 at WSU before going into the Academic Fellowship Program under faculty advisor Kim McKeirnan.
“I have grown more confident in changing environments and comfortable with promoting … » More …

Part 3: WSU leads in expanding scientific knowledge of natural products

Welcome back to the final segment of our three-part series on the Center of Excellence for Natural Product-Drug Interaction Research (NaPDI Center). Interactions between natural products and conventional drugs are a concern because of their potential impact on drug effectiveness or toxicity.

In case you missed Parts 1 and 2: The NaPDI Center is a multidisciplinary effort involving clinical pharmacologists, natural products chemists, and health informaticists to provide leadership in the study of these complex interactions.

This effort is being led by Mary Paine, who is a pharmaceutical sciences researcher and associate professor at the Washington State University College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Read … » More …

Part 2: WSU leads in expanding scientific knowledge of natural products

In case you missed Part 1: Mary Paine is a pharmaceutical sciences researcher and associate professor at the Washington State University College of Pharmacy. She leads the Center of Excellence for Natural Product-Drug Interaction Research (NaPDI Center) in Spokane.

“Patients often seek herbal and other natural products as a ‘natural,’ and therefore perceived as ‘safe,’ means to alleviate illnesses or supplement prescribed therapeutic regimens,” Paine said. “Co-consuming natural products with conventional medications—either prescription or over-the-counter—can lead to adverse interactions.”

Funded by the National Institutes of Health National Center for Complimentary and Integrative Health, the mission of the NaPDI Center is to contribute to the scientific … » More …