2021 - Impact Report by UIC Retzky College of Pharmacy

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rising above

WELCOME TO THE UIC COLLEGE OF PHARMACY’S IMPACT REPORT FOR 2021.

While 2021 presented many continued challenges associated with the pandemic, our faculty, students, alumni, and staff rose above to advance our mission of providing a top-tier education for tomorrow’s leaders in pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences, advancing science and health through impactful and cutting-edge research, serving our communities by providing innovative and critical patient care, and advocating for and leading the profession. In 2021, we built new spaces for our students, faculty, and staff so they can continue to succeed long into the future. We added new programs, like the bachelor’s in pharmaceutical sciences, and new research labs and faculty, and we played a major role in the COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Chicago and across the state of Illinois. These and the many other accomplishments in 2021 occurred with the help of our alumni, partners, and donors. Help that established new scholarships for students in need and supported needed infrastructure improvements, research funding, and career development for our learners. In 2021, we remained united with the common goal of strengthening our community in innovative ways while continuing to develop and maintain our connection to the global healthcare arena and its ever-changing needs. True to our 162-year-long history, we adapted, undeterred by adversity and rising above challenges, to welcome to the world the next generation of more than 200 pharmacists, pharmaceutical scientists, and industry leaders.

G L E N T. S C H U M O C K PharmD, MBA, PhD Professor and Dean

UIC College of Pharmacy’s Mission, Vision, and Financial Report

TOTA L F Y21 O PE R ATI N G B U D G E T

$130.3M

WHERE THE MONEY COMES FROM

Established in 1859 and consistently ranked in the top 10 nationally, the UIC College of Pharmacy is renowned for the seamless integration of its educational programs with innovative pharmacy services and impactful and cutting-edge research. The college has the lowest student-to-faculty ratio among top-ranked schools, enabling individualized student experiences not available elsewhere. Our and comprehensive pharmacy practice program is embedded within the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System (UI Health), which provides a rich interprofessional

1% A N N UA L G I F T F U N D S

environment that supports our internationally renowned research

3% R OYA LT I E S F R O M D R U G D I S C OV ER Y

programs, clinical pharmacy sciences, and pharmaceutical health

3% OT H ER I N S T I T U T I O N A L S U P P O R T

services and outcomes. The true reflection of any school is their alumni, and our alumni have done so much for the profession of pharmacy, patients, and society. The college has a large and diverse network with graduates in leadership positions across the world, which creates unparalleled opportunities for existing students and new graduates.

11% R E S E A R C H G R A N T S A N D C O N T R AC T F U N D S 14% T U I T I O N A N D S TAT E S U P P O R T 68% P H A R M AC Y O P ER AT I O N S A N D OT H ER EN T R EP R EN U R I A L AC T I V I T I E S HOW THE MONEY IS SPENT

MISSION The mission of the UIC College of Pharmacy is to educate the current and next generation of pharmacists, pharmaceutical scientists, and pharmacy leaders; to conduct impactful and cutting-edge research; and to provide innovative patient care and serve our local, national, and global communities.

VISION Our students, faculty and preceptors, staff, alumni, and other strategic partners working together to be the global leader in innovative pharmacy education, research, and practice to improve human health. 2% FAC I L I T I E S 11% R E S E A R C H 22% ED U C AT I O N 65% P H A R M AC I E S A N D OT H ER S EL F -S U P P O R T I N G P R O G R A M S * FY21 July 1, 2020–June 30, 2021

EDUCATION ONE COLLEGE, TWO CAMPUSES, UNLIMITED OPPORTUNITIES With award-winning faculty and staff on campuses in Chicago and Rockford, our students are improving lives and healthcare through pharmacy education, high-impact research, and clinical innovation at practice sites at UI Health and beyond.

726 PHARMD STUDENTS | 455 FEMALE | 271 MALE | 97% ON-TIME GRADUATION RATE CHICAGO Urban, diverse, dynamic, and fast-paced, the Chicago campus is set in the heart of the Illinois Medical District. In addition to the educational and clinical opportunities offered through the University of Illinois Hospital, the college focuses on its mission to serve society by interacting with Chicago-area communities through patient-orientated service projects, education, and research.

607 PHARMD ENROLLMENT R O CK FO R D The Rockford health-science campus offers ample opportunities for our students to pursue extracurricular and leadership roles, conduct research, and receive hands-on clinical and service-based learning. In addition to close ties to the UIC Colleges of Medicine and Nursing in Rockford, the college is connected to a variety of major health systems, community pharmacies, and area organizations where students gain valuable experience.

122 PHARMD ENROLLMENT #1 COLLEGE OF PHARMACY IN ILLINOIS U.S. News & World Report ranking

| #7 COLLEGE OF PHARMACY IN THE NATION U.S. News & World Report ranking

#3 UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITY ENROLLMENT 2021, among top 40 ranked schools

| #4 AFFORDABLE COLLEGE OF PHARMACY 2020 national ranking

OUR STUDENTS It’s hard to pin down what makes the UIC College of Pharmacy such a vibrant, exciting place, but it definitely starts with the students. They come from all over the country and every part of the world to be a part of this historic institution.

25% FIRST-GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENTS 25% UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITIES 30 UNIQUE LANGUAGES SPOKEN 5 AVERAGE TERMS SPENT ON THE DEAN’S LIST

(Class of 2021)

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219 PHARMD, PHD, AND MS STUDENTS WHO GRADUATED IN 2021 85 MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 2021 WHO MATCHED FOR EITHER A RESIDENCY OR FELLOWSHIP, PLACING UIC COLLEGE OF PHARMACY IN THE TOP 10 IN THE NATION

26 POSTDOCTORAL TRAINEES 122 GRADUATE STUDENTS 726 PROFESSIONAL STUDENTS The UIC College of Pharmacy’s graduates are highly sought after to fill residencies, fellowships, and professional positions—and there is a good reason why. EXPERIENTIAL SITES

900+

experiential partnerships

states have active IPPE/APPE rotations

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international rotation sites

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OUR CLASS OF 2025

187 TOTAL | 51 CHICAGO | 36 ROCKFORD 66% FEMALE | 34% MALE 20 STATES (PLUS PUERTO RICO) 3.4 AVERAGE GPA 25% UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITY ENROLLMENT 6

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS CHICAGO

COLLEGE OF PHARMACY

Our students are the best and brightest in the field of pharmacy, studying with world-class faculty to create a dynamic future! STUDENT EXPERIENCE The student experience at the UIC College of Pharmacy is truly unique. We have: A LARGE VARIETY OF STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS HELPING TO BUILD COMMUNICATIONS AND LEADERSHIP ABILITIES. A DIVERSE AND INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT AS ONE OF THE ONLY PHARMACY SCHOOLS IN THE NATION TO WIN THE HEALTH PROFESSIONS HIGHER EDUCATION EXCELLENCE IN DIVERSITY (HEED) AWARD.

The diversity of backgrounds, people, and ideas at UIC prepares students to participate and lead in an increasingly multicultural work environment.

College Introduces New Bachelor of Science in Phamaceutical Science UIC Pharmacy leadership recently announced the launch of a Bachelor of Science in pharmaceutical sciences (BSPS) degree program, blending a desire to further enhance the appeal of UIC to potential undergraduates and PharmD students alongside a devout aim to arm students with highly soughtafter knowledge and skills. UIC’s BSPS program will be the first of its kind in Illinois and only the 25th such program in the United States. “The four-year BSPS prepares students for careers in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, government regulatory agencies, graduate research programs, or professional health

programs while also offering them a fast track to UIC’s PharmD program,” says College of Pharmacy associate dean for academic affairs Dr. Kristen Goliak, who designed the BSPS program proposal alongside Dr. Thomas TenHoeve, the college’s associate dean for student affairs. “This program will serve as a valuable feeder program for professional schools such as medicine and dentistry and other graduate programs, such as a PhD in pharmaceutical sciences,” TenHoeve says. Dr. Charles McPherson, assistant dean for pharmacy

undergraduate education, who is now tasked with overseeing the BSPS program in the college’s Office of Student Affairs, notes, “With the new BSPS program, we will be able to expound on our important work preparing the next generation of professionals for a rewarding career in pharmacy, industry, and research.”

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RESEARCH RESEARCH ENTERPRISE Our researchers and scientists are working on many of the world’s most challenging health issues, ranging from cancer to women’s health. Our highly collaborative research enterprise spans the entire drug development and delivery lifecycle and will soon be bolstered by our Drug Discovery and Cancer Research Pavilion (see ddcrp.pharmacy.uic.edu).

in total research funding

new Invention disclosures

U.S. patent applications

IN FY21

U.S. patents issued IN FY21

research grants awarded totaling $24.4 million

These accomplishments mean that the college is attracting world-class teaching and research faculty. Internationally renown instructors are training the next generation of pharmacy leaders!

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS CHICAGO

COLLEGE OF PHARMACY

“Inventor of the Year” Dr. Donald Waller Expands Women’s Contraceptive Options This year, UIC will honor Dr. Donald Waller, UIC Pharmacy professor emeritus in pharmacology and toxicology, for the fruits of decades of research into contraception options for women. The UIC Inventor of the Year award, granted by the Office of Technology Management, recognizes Waller’s role in creating two topical agents that may provide both contraception and STI prevention options for women. One just became the first-in-class FDA-approved nonhormonal contraceptive gel on the market. For Waller, the award mostly serves to highlight the importance of giving women options to protect themselves. “One doesn’t do this for recognition,” he said. “Our goal is to provide products that women can use. The recognition that we actually had a contribution to women’s health in a positive way is very important to us.”

Waller and his team developed the first product, now sold as Phexxi, in collaboration with Dr. Lourens Zaneveld of Rush University Medical Center. A topical gel, Phexxi works by maintaining the vagina’s acidic environment, killing off sperm before they can fertilize eggs. The gel consists of easily obtainable ingredients that could potentially be assembled “anywhere in the world at a very low cost,” Waller said. Licensed to Evofem Biosciences in 2003, the gel earned FDA approval last year, some 15 years after Waller started working on it. Phexxi may offer a double benefit too. By maintaining acidity within the vagina, the gel may fend off sexually transmitted diseases. “Most of the STDs, such as herpes and gonorrhea, also do not survive well in an acidic environment,” Waller said. Phexxi is currently in clinical trials for such use.

polyphenylene carboxymethylene), the agent works by binding and inactivating the enzymes sperm use to enter egg cells. PPCM may also combat STIs, which rely on similar mechanisms to enter and infect cells. An investigational new drug application for PPCM heads to the FDA soon. Both agents could offer women a major benefit over current contraceptive options, Waller said, as women can apply the topicals as needed—ideally 20–30 minutes before sex. Daily hormonal contraceptive pills, by contrast, present barriers of cost, inconvenience, and side effects, with some women unable to use such drugs. “Hopefully a product like this could fill a gap in women’s needs,” Waller said. Waller will be honored at the 2022 UIC Innovation Celebration.

The second invention, a smallmolecule polymer, similarly works to prevent pregnancy via topical application. Known as PPCM (or

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SERVICE The UIC College of Pharmacy has a 163-year history of advancing the practice of pharmacy. With one of the largest and most comprehensive clinical pharmacy programs in the nation, it provides a level of student experience not available elsewhere. P R AC T I C E ADVA N C E M E N T We are working across the continuum of care to optimize medication use for patients, improving outcomes and transforming the role that pharmacists play in providing patient-centered, team-based care in Illinois and around the world.

OUR 134 CLINICAL FACULTY ARE ADVANCING

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PRACTICE AND TRAINING THE NEXT GENERATION OF PHARMACY LEADERS

CLINICAL FACULTY

THE UIC COLLEGE OF PHARMACY’S PROGRAM FEATURES SEVEN COLLEGE-RUN PHARMACIES, MORE THAN ANY OTHER COLLEGE OF PHARMACY IN THE NATION. HAS OVER 900 EXPERIENTIAL SITES IN CHICAGO, ROCKFORD, AND BEYOND. IS PART OF AN INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM THAT INCLUDES SEVEN HEALTH-SCIENCES COLLEGES AND AN ACADEMIC MEDICAL CENTER.

In FY2021, our faculty continued to support the advancement of clinical pharmacy education and practice globally. Through the development of clinically focused academic (degree) programs; the hosting of clinical education programs for students, pharmacists, and faculty members from institutions from the University of Malta to the University of Hong Kong; and the training of international clinically focused faculty and preceptors, we continue to advance the practice of pharmacy around the world.

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS CHICAGO

COLLEGE OF PHARMACY

Continued Growth at the DIG Leads to New Ways to Serve Illinois Headed by Dr. Michael Gabay, clinical professor, UIC’s Drug Information Group (DIG) has long held an interagency agreement with the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, more commonly known as Illinois Medicaid. For the last 15 years or so, DIG has collaborated with the state on numerous aspects of the organization’s pharmacy service, starting out by preparing therapeutic class reviews to help determine which drugs to include on their formulary. Several years ago, when the State of Illinois passed new legislation requiring patients taking more than four prescriptions a month to undergo an automatic review, DIG was tasked with examining patient medical records to ensure those multiple medications were necessary. Later, in 2019, DIG went in yet another direction with Illinois

Medicaid, prompted by a new state law requiring the establishment of an evidence-based, noncommercial educational program for Medicaid prescribers consisting of a web-based curriculum and academic educator outreach. This endeavor is known as Illinois ADVANCE, which stands for “Academic Detailing Visits and New Evidence CEnter.” In developing this new role for pharmacists, DIG’s academic detailing program has grown to become the largest in the nation. In its collaboration with Illinois Medicaid, UIC pharmacists travel throughout the state to conduct oneon-one appointments that currently focus on two conditions: opioid overdose and diabetes. “These are two clinical situations that have a huge impact on Medicaid, so we’re working to try to improve prescribing and reduce negative outcomes.” says Mary

Moody, clinical associate professor and associate dean for professional and governmental affairs at the college, who oversees the DIG’s relationship with Illinois Medicaid. In addition to academic detailing, which also provides prescribers with continuing medical education credits, Illinois ADVANCE offers online educational programs for physicians to enhance the material covered in the visits. Today, as a result of the DIG’s efforts, Illinois Medicaid’s relationship with the university has expanded to include other units, like the College of Medicine, which is an integral partner in Illinois DocAssist, which engages child psychiatrists at the university to provide phone consultations to prescribers who care for Medicaid patients.

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Student Experience Spotlight BY JESSICA CANL AS

AT TH E U I C CO LLE GE O F PH A R M ACY, students benefit not only from a history of excellence in the classroom that spans over 160 years, but also from a nearly boundless wealth of real-world experiences made possible by its global alumni reach; longstanding relationships with both private and public institutions in healthcare and industry; and its unique location in a diverse, urban multidisciplinary health system renowned for unparalleled care and research. Here, five graduate and professional students describe how they, through practical experience and resulting relationships, discovered new and better ways to help patients enjoy better, healthier lives while simultaneously shaping and creating their own futures. R ACHEL GOLDBERG P4 Rachel Goldberg had always been interested in biochemistry and the health sciences, but wasn’t sure which area would be a good fit. As an undergraduate at UCLA, she majored in psychobiology—“It gave me the opportunity to take a lot of cool classes”—and particularly enjoyed a class on the psychology of addiction. That, paired with an interest in learning about drugs, led her to pharmacy.

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“[Pharmacists] have so many career opportunities,” says Goldberg, who grew up in Highland Park. “Whether you’re working in retail, hospital, or more of a business-oriented career in the pharmaceutical industry, there’s a lot you can do or even change as your career evolves.” Entering pharmacy with her sights set on a clinical path, Goldberg knew that experience outside the classroom would be key to gaining knowledge and narrowing down her interests, so she sought out hospital work. Through a friend, she was able to find a pharmacy technician position in at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab rehabilitation hospital where she worked over semester breaks and weekends.

eventually published in the Journal of the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care, and the other assessing outcomes associated with COVID-19, which she was able to present in a conference hosted by the American Society of Hematology. With some research experience under her belt, Goldberg went on to apply for a rotation at Bristol Myers Squibb in health-economics research. “This was my first exposure to industry, and I found it was something I was passionate about and wanted to pursue.” In fact, it wasn’t until the beginning of her P4 year that she changed gears from clinical practice to research, and the switch has led to a postgraduate fellowship at BMS she landed through the Rutgers Institute for Pharmaceutical Industry Fellowships, an opportunity she learned about through networking with fellows at BMS during her rotation. “I didn’t even know I wanted to do this before I applied to the rotation at UIC,” she recalls. “I took a chance applying for it. If I hadn’t, I don’t think I’d be in this position now.”

“I got to experience pharmacy from inpatient settings, learned how to compound in the IV room, and learned different tasks that go into being a hospital pharmacist.”

Goldberg says that trying different things and seeking out opportunity have been two important lessons she’s learned during pharmacy school.

With an interest in research, Goldberg was also able to work on two retrospective research studies at the college, one studying HIV medications, which was

“What you learn that you don’t like might be more important that learning what you do,” she explains. “Instead of saying no to things I didn’t know how

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS CHICAGO

COLLEGE OF PHARMACY

to do, I learned to say yes, take a chance and learn something that might help solidify my career choices.” C AT H AY E S P3 Cat Hayes’s great grandfather was raised in Farina, a small town in southern Illinois that boasts a population of less than 1,000. Visiting her extended family who still lives there sparked her interest in rural health. “I was always fascinated by it. I wanted to learn more about what it would be like working in a rural area.” Hayes, who holds undergraduate degrees in biochemistry and Spanish from Virginia Tech, also developed an interest in medicines and their interaction with the human body. When looking at pharmacy schools, she was drawn to UIC’s Rural Pharmacy Education Program (RPHARM) based at the college’s Rockford campus. “UIC is the best pharmacy school in the state, and it’s one of only a few [in the nation] with a rural concentration.” The unique, interprofessional program prepares pharmacists for practice in rural areas, emphasizing the particular significance of teamwork among medical professionals in smaller communities. RPHARM students often collaborate with RMED (Rural Medical Education Program) and RNursing. “My favorite activity is working on cases. We usually have two medical [students], a pharmacy student, and a nursing student or dietitian. Each of us gets ten minutes to interview the patient. It’s pretty cool to see the different perspectives of each profession and the unique ways we can contribute to the team.” Even though Hayes admits she wasn’t interested in research when she started at UIC, she couldn’t pass up an opportunity to take advantage of the college’s David J. Riback Predoctoral Fellowship, a 10-week summer program for professional students interested in research careers in the biomedical sciences. “I was really set on being a clinical pharmacist with a set 9-to-5 schedule in a hospital,” she admits. “But the idea of doing the fellowship was so exciting, and it really opened my eyes to see what I really want to do instead of limiting myself to what I think I want to do.” During her fellowship, Hayes worked under associate professor Dr. Les Hanakahi, attempting to find a

potential interaction between two proteins involved in gene editing and DNA repair. She was able to develop and perfect an assay for the experiments, which did uncover an interaction. Since the completion of her fellowship, Hayes has remained in Hanakahi’s lab and continues to investigate more deeply into the nature of their discovery.

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She says she enjoys the independence and problemsolving in the lab. “If an experiment didn’t go the way I thought it would, I’d have to think on my feet to figure out why and how I could test to see what was going on.” “You don’t know what’s going to happen. I enjoyed the surprise of it all.” Her experience in the lab has transformed Hayes’s career plans, which are now leaning toward infectious disease and microbial resistance. “It’s opened a lot of doors for more exploration. I think I’d like to go into research or have a strong research component to my job. Dr. Hanakahi is such an inspiration—a great teacher, mentor, and researcher.” “I’d like to follow in her footsteps.” CARTER MCCORMICK Before college, PhD candidate Carter McCormick spent much of his time volunteering for the March of Dimes. Their mission to prevent premature birth, birth defects, and infant mortality got him thinking more deeply about the bigger picture. “That’s how my interest in public health developed,” he says. “I became interested in larger sociological factors and how they interact to affect people’s health.”

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McCormick, who hails from Gainesville, Florida, followed that interest through to an undergraduate degree in kinesiology and U.S. and global health policy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “I was really interested in learning about health from a macro to a micro level,” he explains. It wasn’t until he was at Emory University for his MPH that his focus shifted to health-outcomes research. “A lot of conversations were about getting patients to providers . . . but with a chronic condition that requires you to regularly fill a prescription, the questions became

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about how to get people the meds they need and what barriers are playing a role in that. That’s where I found my interest in the public health landscape.”

“It has really shaped me into a much stronger candidate for the job market.”

McCormick was drawn to UIC because of its ties to the pharmaceutical industry, the range of professions graduates enter, and its diversity of research, particularly in the Department of Pharmacy Systems, Outcomes, and Policy, which is where he is currently pursuing his PhD.

PhD candidate Nadia Nabulsi, MPH ’17, had a desire to combine her love for art and science that led her to UIC’s master’s program in biomedical visualization. Quickly realizing it wasn’t a good fit, she decided to take some time off from school and worked for a medical nonprofit in patient education, which sparked an interest in public health. Shifting gears, Nabulsi decided to pursue her Master of Public Health with a concentration in epidemiology—again at UIC.

“I wanted a program that wasn’t purely producing people going into academia. I wanted to explore industry and other nontraditional routes.” McCormick began to do just that, starting the summer after his first year. When PSOP alumna Shan Xing, PhD ’17, reached out to the department looking for interns, he welcomed the opportunity to join the global health economics division at Amgen. “It was a really great chance to apply the foundational PSOP knowledge to a topical area in the industry.” The following summer, McCormick joined the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson as a global market access intern. “I took those research skills further, developing protocols and research studies in the global-health space to understand how different health systems evaluate healthcare, prescribe medicines, and determine effectiveness. “I took the classroom knowledge I had on how those processes occur to help me understand that landscape better.” Since then, McCormick stayed on with Janssen as a market access associate, where he provides feedback on study design and protocols for various projects and helps with above-brand policy-shaping work for mood and depression products.

NADIA NABULSI

Nabulsi admits that, at this point, she still wasn’t sure what career path to pursue after earning her MPH, but she discovered a clue while working on a research project in the UIC Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation in collaboration with the Epilepsy Foundation, a nonprofit patient advocacy organization to develop a self-management curriculum for patients with epilepsy. “At the time, I didn’t understand that was what research could be since I’d only ever done lab research before my MPH. I realized that I love patient education and outcomes work, and it was eye-opening to realize that I could do that type of research. Nabulsi then decided to apply for an internship in medical affairs at Takeda during the final summer of her master’s program, where she happened upon another epiphany. “I had a mentor that worked in the health-economics and outcomes research group, so I started talking with him a lot about the future, and he told me about the PhD program in PSOP.” Nabulsi began connecting with PSOP faculty, including professor and associate department head Dr. Lisa Sharp, who now serves as her advisor.

For the long-term, McCormick hopes to continue within a policy-oriented research institute that blends academia and industry.

“It felt like a good fit. It was never really part of my plan to get my PhD, but I wanted to keep following where my interests led me.”

“First and foremost, [these internships] have given me the experience to understand that this is an area that I enjoy, and this is a role I want to be in. I do want to be in industry. Had I not been in a program that encourages these outside [the classroom] experiences, I wouldn’t have known this by the time I graduated. “

At the UIC College of Pharmacy, Nabulsi continued on the patient outcomes path with Sharp on a high-tech Fitbit study designed to encourage ethnic-minority patients with sedentary lifestyles to increase activity levels through a text-messagebased program with the help of a health coach.

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS CHICAGO

COLLEGE OF PHARMACY

“We were trying to understand the barriers to living a healthy lifestyle and help [these patients] overcome them. That’s something that’s been very meaningful to me, being able to help them meet their goals. I hope I can carry that forward.” For her dissertation, Nabulsi is working on what she calls a “mixed-methods group of studies” on pain and opioid prescribing in patients with blood cancers. Last summer, she had the opportunity to interview patients in the hematology/oncology clinic. “I’m trying to understand the pain that patients experience in a cancer that, historically, has not been considered very painful. My goal was to hear from patients about their barriers to optimal pain management. “My passion is really connecting with patients.” Nabulsi has been thrilled with her UIC experience and feels that she’s well-equipped to embark on the right career path. “I love it here. The faculty is amazing, the students are great, and it feels like a family. There are so many opportunities, and my eyes have been opened to so many different types of research within this exciting field. “I’m so grateful that I found this program.” N I A M VO R A P2 Niam Vora’s inspiration to pursue a career in pharmacy came from a source as close to home as anyone could get—working in the pharmacy owned and operated by his father, Adesh Vora, PharmD ’00. When he decided he wanted to follow his father’s path to UIC, Vora applied for the PharmD program through UIC’s Guaranteed Professional Program Admissions, granting him entry, as a first-year student, to the professional program of his choice upon completion of his undergraduate course work. Now a P2, Vora, whose family lives in Toronto, feels that his first pharmacy internship in government and regulatory affairs with the National Association of the Board of Pharmacy has helped confirm his interest in pursuing a law degree after pharmacy school. There, Vora was able to work under the guidance of a pharmacist/lawyer on legal issues pertinent to the practice of pharmacy in the United States. That relationship led to the opportunity to attend the annual American Society for Pharmacy Law Conference, for which Vora received a travel grant from the college.

“I learned about pharmacy law updates and got to meet several established pharmacy lawyers from companies like CVS, Walgreens, and major health law firms. It expanded my network and really showed me that this is what I want to do and this is where my interests lie.” Vora, who is interested working with mental health and addiction populations, also began conducting research with clinical associate professor Dr. Julianna Chan, who oversees the Illinois Department of Corrections Telemedicine Hepatitis Clinic. Along with hepatitis patients, the clinic treats those with HIV, mental health issues, and addictions. Vora is currently leading a project researching a unique postincarceration health-outreach initiative.

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“The program would provide education on insurance opportunities for hepatitis or HIV patients, social workers, and mental health resources to prevent addiction relapses. Relapses play a major factor in reincarceration. “There is currently no program [in the U.S.] like this.” Vora sees this area as an unfortunately large gap in modern healthcare. “We are seeing a higher prevalence of both [mental illness and addiction]. At the same, we are often not particularly well trained to manage these patients effectively. [This population] presents a whole new set of risk factors—socioeconomics, education, environmental factors. I think it’s something that we need to be more aware of, especially in a diverse city with a range of populations.” In terms of his classroom, experience, Vora believes he’s been well-prepared for his real-world experiences. He’s also appreciative of the encouragement he’s received at UIC to seek out opportunities and of the efforts to make students aware of the variety of career options available to PharmDs. “Whenever I tell people in pharmacy school that I’m interested in going to law school afterward, they think I’m crazy,” Vora admits. “So when I went to the conference and saw all the PharmD/JDs there who have ended up doing just that and paving their own way, I felt a sense of security about my path. “It’s possible. Put in the work, and you’ll get there.”

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UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS CHICAGO

COLLEGE OF PHARMACY

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446

DONORS

$2,720,060 CONTRIBUTED IN FY21

ECOF 2COLLEG 021 I M PA T R PHARMACY EPORT / 17

A Million-Dollar Gift to Support Education at the UIC College of Pharmacy

t the College of Pharmacy, we take pride in reinventing the landscape of pharmacy practice and blazing trails in pharmaceutical research. As such, the college is thrilled to partner with the UI Cancer Center, the State of Illinois, and the Discovery Partners Institute (DPI) on a new initiative by the University of Illinois System to construct the Drug Discovery and Cancer Research Pavilion (DDCRP), a state-of-the-art facility to house emerging areas of translational research. The Drug Discovery and Cancer Research Pavilion will bring together industry partners, UIC researchers, and students/trainees to create the collaborative environment necessary to drive innovative therapeutic discovery. The new building, slated for groundbreaking by the end of 2024, will also feature a state-of-the-art lecture hall to be located on the second-story bridge from the DDCRP to the existing College of Pharmacy, thanks to

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS CHICAGO

COLLEGE OF PHARMACY

the generosity of Adesh Vora, PharmD ’00, president and CEO, SRx Health Solutions. “The Adesh Vora Family Auditorium will provide much-needed additional teaching and conference space for our Chicago campus and additional momentum for this once-in-alifetime project on the Chicago campus,” noted Dean Glen Schumock. When asked what prompted him to make a gift, Dr. Vora noted, “I have immense gratitude to UIC’s College of Pharmacy for its first-class curriculum and encouraging environment that fosters and celebrates diversity, free-thinking, and innovation. I believe I would be remiss not to acknowledge that UIC has played a role in my becoming the passionate clinician and entrepreneur that I am today. May this gift not only serve as a token of my appreciation but as a step towards sustaining UIC’s comprehensive excellence and to support the College of Pharmacy’s mission.”

2021 I M PAC T R E P O R T

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