Pha℞macyConnect

eISSN: 2716-6023

PHA℞MACYCONNECT NEWSLETTER

March 2020 Volume 1, Issue 1

DEAN’S MESSAGE

Associate Professor Dr Mogana Sundari Rajagopal, Dean Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Dear Colleagues, What a remarkable year 2019 has been! I want to extend my deep gratitude to the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences (FPS) team for their commitment and hard work that have made the last year a memorable one.

Together, we are realising what is possible when excellence is driven by the core values of the faculty.

Inside this issue: The faculty ensures quality in all that • Student Achievement: Best Poster we do, conducting our self and • Community Activity: UCSIPharmcare processes with ethics and Project professionalism through which the • Student Research Attachment: Japan team finds strength in teamwork. and India Keeping abreast with latest developments and working towards • Staff Achievement: Invited Speaker praxis experience for our students • Staff Achievement: FRGS 2019 enable us to become one of the most trusted faculties and the top • Staff Spotlight: Khaled Al-Akhali private university in the country.

• UCSI Pharmacy Globally Connected Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences has undertaken an ambitious goal, which is to produce pharmacists of highest calibre who positively impact local and global healthcare. The exceptional work of the team as patient care providers, educators, researchers, and behind-the-scenes support staff proves that we strive to make profound difference.

• Sharing Sessions 2019 • Research@FPS 2019 • A Sneak Peek into FPS • Upcoming Events

I look forward to seeing what more we can achieve this year. It is my great privilege to work alongside such an ambitious, driven and compassionate team.

Editorial Team: • Assistant Professor Dr Anand Gaurav • Assistant Professor Dr BVS Lokesh • Mr Osama Helweh

PHA℞MACYCONNECT newsletter is a bi-monthly publication of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UCSI University (Kuala Lumpur campus).

Contributors: • Dr Manogaran Elumalai • Assistant Professor Prof Dr Ashok • Mr Muhammad Ahsan Kumar Janakiraman • Mr Por Choo Shiuan • Assistant Professor Dr Chew Yik Ling • Assistant Professor Dr Habibur Rehman • Assistant Professor Dr Khaled Al-Akhali

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STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT: BEST POSTER We are proud to congratulate Theresa Lee Wei Ting, final year student of BPharm (Hons) 20152019 batch, for winning the best research poster award at the International Conference on Innovation in Pharmaceutical Technologies (MET-I-CON 2019), held on 15 to 16 February 2019 in Nashik, India.

Her presentation topic was ‘In vitro superoxide dismutase (SOD) evaluation of leaves and stems of Artabotrys suaveolens’.

She was grateful for the opportunity provided by FPS to present her research work at the international stage and meet eminent scientists from several countries.

Final year BPharm (Hons) students visited Nihon Pharmaceutical University in Japan and Manipal University in India in 2019 as part of their research attachment.

They relished the opportunity to work in state-of-the-art laboratories and experienced the cultures of India and Japan. Here are some glimpses of their visits.

Pharmacists are the Most Accessible Healthcare Professionals.

COMMUNITY ACTIVITY: UCSIPHARMCARE PROJECT

Recently, FPS students extended their community outreach programmes through the UCSIPharmcare project. It was initiated by a group of final year BPharm (Hons) students in January 2019. The aim of the social service project was to reach out to the underprivileged and educate them, while same time promoting the pharmacy profession.

The outreach programme in 2019 was organised at the orphanage, Rumah Bakti Nur Syaheera in Taman Jaya Baru, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur. The orphans were provided with basic health screenings, medication reviews, and were taught about importance of healthy lifestyle.

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STAFF ACHIEVEMENT: FRGS 2019

Dr Manogaran Elumalai, Head of Department of Pharmaceutical Biology at the FPS, UCSI University was invited as the guest of honour and speaker at the international conference on “Dynamic Approaches and Robust Sources Into the Evolving Role of Natural Products as New Drug Leads”, in Erode, Tamil Nadu, India sponsored by All India Council For Technical Education (AICTE) New Delhi. His speech on utilisation of natural sources as lead molecules for drug discovery and growing trend of global application of natural sources has received appreciation from the delegates, officials and media.

Kudos to Associate Professor Dr Mogana Sundari Rajagopal and her research team comprising of Associate Professor Dr Gabriel Akyirem Akowuah and Assistant Professor Dr Sasikala Chinnappan, for winning the prestigious Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS) grant and making FPS proud once again!

She was awarded with RM135,177 worth of grant money by the Malaysian Ministry of Education, which allowed her team to further their research on herbal remedy for the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea.

This research will likely lead to a safer and evidence based herbal medicine made from renewable local resources for women. This will also bring economic prosperity to the masses cultivating the raw materials.

STAFF SPOTLIGHT: KHALED AL-AKHALI Previously, he was a lecturer and the Head of Pharmacy Department at Dahmer University, Medical College, Yemen and Lecturer and Head of the Training Office at King Khalid University Saudi Arabia.

His research interests include Clinical Pharmacy (pharmaceutical care and drug policy) and Clinical Pharmacokinetic and Bioequivalence Studies.

Did you know …

The new coronavirus (COVID-19) is a virus.

Therefore, antibiotics should not be used as means of prevention or treatment.

Dr Khaled Mohammed Ahmed Alakhali is an Assistant Professor in the Clinical Pharmacy Department of FPS from Yemen who has vast experience in academics and research.

During his academic career, he has published more than forty scientific articles in international journals. 2019 has been fabulous for Dr Khaled in terms of research output. He has published four research articles in high impact journals of international, repute, with many more publications under review.

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Keeping up with the demands of time, FPS has done exceptionally well on the internationalisation front in 2019.

The internationalisation committee of FPS, chaired by Assistant Professor Dr Ashok Kumar Balaraman, co-chaired by Mr Muhammad Ahsan Iftikhar Baig and supported by FPS academic staff members, has managed to secure multiple MOUs, MOAs and important professional relationships with both academia and industries across the globe.

Some of the prominent linkages include Virginia Commonwealth University, USA; Manipal Academy of Higher Education, India; Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Iran; Universitas Muhammadiyah Purwokerto, Indonesia; Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia; JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research, India; University of Puthisastra, Cambodia; Uskudar University, Turkey; Universitas 17 Augustus 1945, Indonesia; Nuvanta Sdn Bhd, Malaysia; Natural Wellness Sdn Bhd, Malaysia; YSP Industries

Sdn Bhd, Malaysia; Juzcare Pharmacy Sdn Bhd; Genecare Sdn Bhd and Big Pharmacy Holdings Sdn Bhd. Activities such as student exchange programmes, research attachments, clinical attachments and community pharmacy attachments were conducted as part of the MOUs and MOAs. Here we share some of the images from these activities.

MOU signing with Universitas Muhammadiyah Purwokerto, Indonesia.

Students’ visit to University of British Columbia, Canada.

MOU signing with Nuvanta Sdn Bhd.

Students’ visit to Nihon Pharmaceutical University, Japan.

Students’ visit to Manipal Academy of Higher Education, India.

MOU signing with University of Airlangga, Indonesia.

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In 2019, FPS had the opportunity to host several eminent academicians and professionals from the pharmaceutical industry.

During these visits, there were numerous sharing sessions and public talks, which benefitted the students and academic staff immensely, such as: • Bioactives from Indian Biodiversity, by Professor Dr KRS Sambasiva Rao, Vice Chancellor, Mizoram University, India, on 21 November 2019.

FPS achieved commendable success on the research front in 2019, proven by the quality as well as the quantity of publications.

The major highlight was the research grants granted to the FPS staff with the funds amounting to more than a

• Polymorphism and Metoprolol Metabolism: A Study in Indonesian Population, by Dr Pri Iswati Utami, Vice Dean of Academic and Research Affairs, Universitas Muhammadiyah Purwokerto, Indonesia, on 14 August 2019.

• What’s Next in Community Pharmacy: Valuable Insights from Land Down Under, by Mr Mathiang Garang Bol, Registered Pharmacist, Australia on 18 October 2019.

Here are some of the photos from the sessions.

Some glimpses from the sharing sessions and public talks.

FPS had the opportunity to host several eminent academicians and professionals from industry in 2019. One of the outcomes of million these ringgit. visits was in the form of several sharing sessions and We proudThe to students inform that publicaretalks. and 87.5% of the staff are now academic staff benefited involved of immenselyas frominvestigators these sessions. funded research projects. With a great 2019 in saddle, is • Bioactives from FPSIndian geared to break further barriers Biodiversity, by Professor Dr. this year. Sambasiva Rao, Vice K.R.S Chancellor, Mizoram University, India, on 21 Nov 2019.

• Polymorphism and Metoprolol

87.5 % of Academic Staff members in FPS Metabolism: A Study in

Indonesian Population,

by Dr. are Investigators of Funded Research

Pri Iswati Utami, Vice Dean of Academic and Research Projects.

Affairs Universitas Muhammadiyah Purwokerto, Indonesia, on 14 August 2019.

• What’s Next in Community Pharmacy: valuable insights from Land Down Under, by Mr. Mathiang Garang Bol, Registered Pharmacist, Australia on 18 October 2019.

Sharing here some of the glimpses from these sessions.

Our Recent Student Mobility on the World Map.

Some high impact publication from FPS staff in 2019

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FPS has an established track record since year 2000 in offering courses, degree programmes and many other programmes related to pharmaceutical sciences.

The core values of FPS drive the faculty towards continued excellence in all domains of academics, research and community service.

FPS offers both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes with a strong emphasis on serving the community.

Doctoral Programme • Doctor of Philosophy (Pharmaceutical Sciences) Postgraduate Programmes • MSc in Pharmaceutical Chemistry • MSc in Pharmaceutical Technology • Master of Clinical Pharmacy Practice Undergraduate Programmes • Bachelor of Pharmacy (Hons) • Foundation in Science (Pharmacy)

We are located at: Level 10, Block G, UCSI University Kuala Lumpur Campus No. 1, Jalan Menara Gading, UCSI Heights (Taman Connaught), Cheras 56000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Phone: (+603) 9101 8880 Fax: (+603) 9102 2614

We are located at: Level 10, Block G, UCSI University Kuala Lumpur Campus No. 1, Jalan Menara Gading, UCSI Heights (Taman Connaught), Cheras 56000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Phone: (+603) 9101 8880 Fax: (+603) 9102 2614

• International Research Conference on Pharmaceutical and Allied Sciences (IRCPAS 2020), 6 to 8 March 2020 • UPSA T-shirt and Merchandise Design Competition, 9 March 2020 • Fundraiser for Public Health Campaign: HIIT, 14 March 2020 • Preceptor Training workshop, 14 March 2020 • Oath Taking Ceremony, 21 June 2020

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