Experiential Education
Research
The UUSOP chapter of AAPS provides a professional and exciting learning environment and exposure to pharmaceutical science research for students in the Pharm.D. program. They seek to advance members' knowledge, to allow students to network and assume leadership positions, and to create awareness of career opportunities. "The blessing and the opportunity to conduct research here at Union not only helps us expand our own horizons, but also enables us to help as many people as we can reach, which is a foundation of the field of pharmacy," said Neil Hunter, Pharm.D. candidate and AAPS chapter member.
In February, the chapter hosted Dr. Jerry T. Thornwaite, director of the Cancer Research Institute of West Tennessee, to discuss the role of antioxidants, antiangiogenesis, and immune enhancement in health and wellness and his involvement in the discovery of natural killer cells.
A unique curricular innovation at Union provides Pharm.D. students with an opportunity to participate in basic science research during advanced pharmacy practice experiences. This allows students like Neil to gain research experience and be more competitive when applying for residencies, fellowships, and pharmaceutical industry positions. Priya Mohan, another student member stated that "The distinguished faculty members at the School are innovative and are actively involved in pursuing in-depth research. This encourages me to develop my own research skills, in addition to obtaining a Pharm.D. degree, and helps to achieve my personal research objectives." Elective courses support student research at Union. Research electives include an introduction to population PK/PD modeling with NONMEMâ„¢ and courses in the areas of drug-design and chemical synthesis.
Even though the pharmacy program at Union University is young, the school already has active research programs in the basic pharmaceutical sciences. Utilizing over 8,000 square feet of state-of-the-art laboratory space, Union professors and student researchers are working tirelessly to develop research programs aimed at developing new anti-infective, anti-cancer, and anti-bioterrorism agents through structure-based drug design and organic synthesis. Other ongoing research activities include studies in pharmacometrics. Collaboration with Makerere University in Uganda is evaluating the pharmacogenomics of an AIDS drug. Basic pharmaceutics research is assessing the stability of extemporaneously compounded preparations, novel dosage-form design, and protein and oral vaccine delivery using micro- and nanoparticles. Collaboration with a compounding pharmacy on the stability of compounded products is ongoing.
With a strong commitment towards student research, the chapter encourages students to present results at local, regional and national conferences. In May of 2011, several chapter members presented at the 8th Annual Union University Scholarship Symposium. Their work encompassed molecular modeling studies, solution-phase parallel synthesis, and total synthesis of an anti-cancer agent.
The core values of Union University are to be excellence-driven, Christ-centered, people-focused, and future-directed. The student chapter also holds these values.
Reprinted by permission, from the "AAPS Student & Postdoc Focus E-mail"