PUBLISHED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SCHOOL OF PHARMACY
USC
School Scores Health Innovation Grant From Federal Government Professor Cadenas is Knighted by France US News & World Report Ranks School in Top Ten Volume 2, Issue 3, Summer-Fall 2012
USC School of Pharmacy Receives $12 Million CMS Grant for Safety-Net Project
Start $12 Million! Improve Patient Health
Save Health Care Dollars
$ MD
PharmD
By Working Closely As A Team
By Keeping Track Of Costs & Outcomes
By Optimizing Medication Use & Safety
Better Health For Patients
Finish
KUDOS SENIOR EDITOR
Kukla Vera
Director of Public Relations
kvera@pharmacy.usc.edu CONTRIBUTORS
Mary Wackerman
Director of Major Gifts
mwacker@usc.edu
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Success on All Fronts
4
Hats Off
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Jennifer Watson
Executive Director of Development
freeh@usc.edu
INFLUENCE & IMPACT
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Comparing Effectiveness of Therapies Treating CV Disease.
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Do Out-of-Pocket Drug Costs Impacts Kids’ Health?
WRITERs
Gabrielle Olya design
Etch Creative Key DESIGNer
Alexis Mercurio PHOTOGRAPHY
Ryan Ball Chris Jones Isaac Mora Mike Powers Robert Roberts Lee Salem Glen Tao Sean Tom ILLUSTRATION
Frank Harris Please address your comments, opinions and questions to:
Kukla Vera
Director of Public Relations
USC School of Pharmacy 1985 Zonal Avenue— PSC 700 Los Angeles, CA 90089-9121
phone: 323.442.3497 email: kvera@pharmacy.usc.edu www.usc.edu/schools/pharmacy
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Education that Promotes Pharmaceutical Innovation and Safety. Advocating for Provider Status for Pharmacists. Potential New Treatment for Blocking Pathological Aggression.
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When it Comes to Health Care, Think Like an Investor.
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Translating Basic Science to the Patient Bedside.
Graduates and current students gather awards and honors. Faculty and alumni recognized for outstanding work.
YES on Innovation Grant
Largest grant ever awarded to School, using pharmacists to improve health and save money.
Sir Cadenas
Professor Cadenas knighted by France.
Upward Mobility
School move up 5 spots in US News & World Report rankings.
KEEPING UP
17 20 24 IN PICTURES
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Awards Banquet
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Scholarship Lunch
Honoring the Classes of 1962 and 2012. Students say “thank you” to benefactors.
LOOKING FORWARD
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SALUTING THE VISION
…of Dean Emeritus John Biles and Allergan Chairman Emeritus Gavin S. Herbert.
TRANSFORMATIVE GIVING The Titus Family continues to support and inspire.
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Around the Globe
Ideas and projects with international impact.
Titus Family Department
…of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Economics & Policy.
Department of Pharmacology
…and Pharmaceutical Sciences.
Community Outreach
Students and faculty give back.
Students
Updates from the best and brightest.
R. Pete Vanderveen dean
Board of Councilors
Ronald Belville Chairman
William A. Heeres Chairman Elect
Theresa Agboh-Taylor Melvin F. Baron Gale Bensussen Roslyn Ellison Blake David Breslow Rosemarie Christopher Kermit R. Crawford Scott Evans Judy Flesh Rosenberg Eileen Goodis K. Robert Hahn William A. Heeres Ron Jung Keith LaFond Kiran Majmudar Oscar Pallares Raymond T. Poon Denis Portaro Wanda L. Sawyers Wayne T. Seltzer Richard Shinar Tim K. Siu Martin Solberg Holly A. Strom DeWight Titus Brad Trom Associate Members
Gavin S. Herbert Gerhard Renner Arthur M. Ulene Ex-Officio Members
Dolly Harris C.L. Max Nikias Jim Roache
graduation & recognition
Dean Vanderveen welcomes some
1,700 Guests
to the School’s
105 Commencement th
School confers 232 degrees on the Class of 2012…31 residents and 6 fellows also mark the completion of their programs.
upper, left: Joseph Hamai, PharmD (’80), (far left) and Peter Grande, BS (’46), (far right) were on hand to watch their daughter, Erin Hamai, and grandson, Michael Harvey, respectively, become Doctors of Pharmacy. upper, right: PharmD graduate Lusine Dishigrikyan celebrates with her Trojan-clad son, Daniel. lower, left: Flanked by her mentors, Daryl Davies, associate professor, (left) and Ronald Alkana, associate dean of graduate affairs and interdisciplinary graduate programs, is Letisha Wyatt, who received her PhD in molecular pharmacology and toxicology. lower, right: Newly-minted PharmD Emmanuel Akinwole with mentor Walter Cathey, PharmD (’62), special assistant to the dean for diversity, and Dean Vanderveen.
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left: Han Han, receiving her PhD in molecular pharmacology and toxicology, offered one of the two student addresses during the commencement ceremony. center: Associate Professor Tien Ng announced awards and honors at the ceremony. right: Megan Besinque celebrated the completion of her residency with her mother, Associate Professor Kathy Besinque.
USC SCHOOL OF PHARMACY STUDENT AWARDS 2011-12 AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES GRADUATE STUDENT SYMPOSIUM AWARD Robert Mo Yan (Helen) Wang AMERICAN PHARMACISTS ASSOCIATIONACADEMY OF STUDENT PHARMACISTS REGION 8 OPERATION DIABETES REGION 8 OPERATION HEART AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF HEALTH-SYSTEM PHARMACISTS STUDENT LEADERSHIP AWARD Eunice Rhee ASSOCiATION OF PACIFIC RIM UNIVERSITIES BEST DOCTORAL STUDENT PAPER Siti Mohd Janib BIOMEDICAL NANOSCIENCE TRAVEL AWARD Martha Pastuska CALIFORNIA KOREAN AMERICAN PHARMACISTS ASSOCIATION STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP Eunice Rhee CALIFORNIA SOCIETY OF HEALTH-SYSTEM PHARMACISTS STUDENT LEADERSHIP AWARD Eunice Rhee STUDENT LEADERSHIP IN HEALTH-SYSTEM PRACTICE Eunice Rhee JOSEPH H. BECKERMAN MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP AWARD Eunice Rhee STUDENT CHAPTER COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD Emily Choi and Joy Wang KROWN FELLOWSHIP Ni Zeng
MEDCO FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP Tim Bensman NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CHAIN DRUG STORES PHARMACY STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP Bonny Chen Parth Parikh Brent Tambourine NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION FUNDING AWARD Letisha Wyatt PHARMACY TIMES/WAL-MART RESPy AWARD Parth Parikh PHI BETA KAPPA ALUMNI AWARD Divya Pathania RHO-CHI REGION 8 FINALIST FOR CHAPTER ACHIEVEMENT AWARD SCHWEITZER FELLOWSHIP Joy Yue Wang Amanda Wong SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SOCIETY OF HEALTH-SYSTEM PHARMACISTS STUDENT LEADERSHIP AWARD Eunice Rhee UNITED STATES PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE EXCELLENCE IN PUBLIC HEALTH PHARMACY AWARD Tina Patel USC STUDENT RECOGNITION AWARD Eunice Rhee WALMART SCHOLARSHIP Terrance Yu
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appointments & awards
leading the profession American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Rita Shane, PharmD (’78), FASHP, FCSHP,
director of pharmacy services at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, is the recipient of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists’ 2012 Harvey A. K. Whitney Lecture Award. According to ASHP, the award recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to health-system pharmacy. It is considered to be the highest honor in the profession. Shane’s career has been dedicated to improving patient safety and expanding clinical pharmacy services. According to the ASHP release announcing the award, “At Cedars-Sinai, she has led the creation of a progressive pharmacy practice model that includes patient-centered pharmacists, pharmacist contributions to home care and continuum of care, primary care roles, clinical care pathways, chronic disease management, and specialty pharmacy.” Shane is a USC School of Pharmacy preceptor and assistant dean of clinical pharmacy and clinical professor at the University of California-San Francisco College of Pharmacy.
National Academies of Practice Kathleen Johnson, PharmD, MPH, PhD, William A. and Josephine A. Heeres Chair in Community Pharmacy, vice dean for clinical affairs and outcomes sciences and chair of the Titus Family Department, has been elected to the National Academies of Practice (NAP) in recognition of achievements and contributions to the health-care profession. Johnson was one of only 12 professionals nationwide inducted to the Academy. NAP promotes inter-professional collaboration in health care and respresents the disciplines of dentistry, medicine, nursing, optometry, osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, podiatry, psychology, social work and veterinary medicine. Johnson has been an advocate for inter-professional education of students and inter-professional clinical care.
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Keck Hospital of USC & USC Norris Cancer Hospital Scott Evans, PharmD (’98), has been named the new chief executive officer of the two USC hospitals, which are both part of the Keck Medical Center of USC. Evans has served in leadership roles at the hospitals for a decade, most recently serving as chief operating officer and interim CEO. In a release from USC, Tom Jackiewicz, senior vice president and chief executive officer of USC Health, said, “We are confident that Scott’s experience, foresight, commitment and vision will build our hospitals’ reputation as leading, innovative and patient-driven facilities. At this transformative time for the Keck Medical Center of USC, Scott will play an integral role in propelling our academic medical center to the forefront of care from Southern California to around the world.”
College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists Julie Dopheide, PharmD, BCPP,
associate professor, is the new president-elect of the College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists, with her term commencing in July. The College is dedicated to promoting excellence in pharmacy practice, education and research that optimizes outcomes of patients who are affected by psychiatric and neurologic disorders. In addition to her appointment at the School of Pharmacy, Dopheide is also an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Keck School of Medicine at USC. Dopheide was installed as president-elect at the organization’s annual meeting held in May in Tampa. A board-certified psychiatric pharmacist, she provides clinical services to patients at the LAC-USC Medical Center. In addition to her teaching responsibilities in the School’s PharmD program, Dopheide oversees psychiatric pharmacy residency training at the School.
influence and impact
&
Influence impact The School of Pharmacy’s faculty continues to output research and implement practices that are changing the future of pharmacy and the health care landscape in general. Here is a sampling of their recent work. EVALUATING THERAPIES DESIGNED TO REDUCE CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE RISK AMONG PATIENTS WITH DIABETES
top: Joel Hay, PhD Professor bottom: Kathleen Johnson, PharmD, MPH, PhD William A. and Josephine A. Heeres Chair in Community Pharmacy, Vice Dean for Clincial Affairs and Outcomes Sciences, Chair, Titus Family Department
Joel Hay, Kathleen Johnson and Jason Doctor co-authored a new study published in Pharmacoepidemiology & Drug Safety, with Hae Sun Suh, who received her PhD in pharmaceutical economics and policy from the School of Pharmacy and is currently a professor in South Korea. Their study, “Comparative Effectiveness of Statin Plus Fibrate Combination Therapy and Statin Monotherapy in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: Use of PropensityScore and Instrumental Variable Methods to Adjust for Treatment-Selection Bias,” examined two types of treatments to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, which is often associated with diabetes. The researchers found no difference in effectiveness regarding cardiovascular outcomes between statin plus fibrate combination therapy and statin monotherapy in patients with type 2 diabetes. It also concluded that instrumental variable methods in observational studies may help in reducing selection bias when conducting comparative effectiveness research using a large managed-care claims database.
Jason Doctor, PhD Associate Professor
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influence and impact UNDERSTANDING HOW OUT-OF-POCKET COSTS AFFECT HEALTH CARE FOR CHILDREN Health insurance policies that shift costs to patients through higher co-payments may have serious unintended consequences for children, including less use of effective treatments and an increased number of hospitalizations, according to a study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association by Dana Goldman and Geoffrey Joyce. In a sample of 8,834 patients in the United States, the researchers looked at how out-of-pocket medication costs affect health outcomes for children. Larger co-pays have been associated with reduced medication use in adults, but the study is a rare look at whether price sensitivity for health care applies when families are making decisions for their children. The study looked particularly at treatment for asthma, the leading chronic disease among children. For children under the age of 5, larger out-of-pocket costs did not affect whether parents bought the prescribed medication, but for children older than 5, parents who had to pay more for medication were slightly less likely to fill their child’s prescription. Older children whose parents had the highest co-pays were also about 30 percent more likely to be hospitalized with an asthma-related condition than children whose parents paid the least for asthma medication.
top: Dana Goldman, PhD Director, Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics bottom: Geoffrey Joyce, PhD Director of Health Policy, Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics
CREATING A WORKFORCE TO MEET 21ST CENTURY NEEDS In an op-ed for Pharmaceutical Technology, Frances Richmond explained that new educational programs are key to the regulatory science industry’s future and to ensure that new drugs are safe and available. “Innovation in pharmaceutical technology is crucial to reducing costs, increasing product safety, and minimizing drug shortages,” stated Richmond. “To accomplish such challenging objectives, we must have an environment where techniques and standards are harmonized by individuals whose training and experience prepares them for careers in global pharmaceutical technology.” She explained in the article that a new educational structure must be enacted in order to achieve this.
Frances Richmond, PhD Director, International Center for Regulatory Science
ADVOCATING FOR PROVIDER STATUS FOR PHARMACISTS Dean R. Pete Vanderveen penned an opinion piece featured on Politico that advocates for the expanded role of the pharmacist and its potential to improve health outcomes and save money. “Research shows that if pharmacists played a treatment role in addition to filling prescriptions, they could considerably lower health care costs,” said Vanderveen in the article. He urges the federal government to recognize pharmacists as health care providers in order to ensure that they have a role in helping patients correctly take their medicine — which could lead to billions of dollars in potential savings, as $290 billion is spent annually dealing with the effects of medication misuse. In addition, proper medication use and medication monitoring leads to better health outcomes for patients with chronic diseases.
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R. Pete Vanderveen, PhD, RPh Dean John Stauffer Decanal Chair in Pharmaceutical Sciences
influence and impact WHEN IT COMES TO HEALTH CARE, THINK LIKE AN INVESTOR Professor Dana Goldman, director of the Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics, was featured in the New York Times in a discussion on the impact of preventive care on health care costs. In the article, Goldman discusses the magnitude of health care spending on diseases that could be prevented: “Some of the better estimates are $93 billion for obesity-related spending and $96 billion for smoking-related spending. The CDC estimates that 75 percent of health care spending is for chronic diseases that could be prevented,” he stated. He believes a way to lessen these costs is to reward health care providers with reimbursements for preventive care, and suggests a focus on preventing obesity, smoking and diabetes. While Goldman does say that if there is a focus on disease prevention, which would lead to people staying alive longer, this could be more costly, he believes it is a valuable trade-off. “In the fiscal sense, health improvement can cost us money, but that totally ignores the value to society,” he explained. “We think of health care as an expense, but we really should be thinking of health care as an investment. We want to invest where we have the greatest return. I would put prevention in that bucket.”
Blocking Pathological Aggression in Mice Pathological rage can be blocked in mice, suggesting potential new treatments for severe aggression, a widespread trait characterized by sudden violence, explosive outbursts and hostile overreactions to stress. In a study appearing in The Journal of Neuroscience, Marco Bortolato, lead author on the study and a research assistant professor at the School, and colleagues from the School of Pharmacy and Italy identify a critical neurological factor in aggression: a brain receptor that malfunctions in overly hostile mice. When the researchers shut down the brain receptor, which also exists in humans, the excess aggression disappeared. The findings are a significant breakthrough in developing drug targets for pathological aggression, a component in Alzheimer’s disease, autism, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, among other common psychological disorders. Senior author on the study is University Professor Jean Shih, Boyd P. and Elsie D. Welin Professor in Pharmaceutical Sciences. Sean Godar, a postdoctoral scientist, is co-lead author of the study and Kevin Chen, a research associate professor, is also a co-author.
Marco BORTOLATO, md,phd Research Assistant Professor
TRANSLATING BASIC SCIENCE DISCOVERY TO THE PATIENT BEDSIDE Today’s emphasis on translational research encourages an acceleration of discoveries in the laboratory to therapies at the bedside. Further, newly available genomic information can offer clinicians new approaches for diagnosis and treatment of patients. The work of University Professor Jean C. Shih illustrates both these points, evident in a recently published paper in the European Journal of Medical Genetics that includes Shih among its authors. The study examines the case of an infant born deficient in both monoamine oxidase (MAO) A and B enzymes, which play a key role in the development and function of the brain. The clinical team at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles caring for the child consulted Shih when devising a treatment plan for the child that addressed the multi-faceted approach necessary to protect the child immediately as well as developmentally. Shih, the Boyd P. and Elsie D. Welin Professor in Pharmaceutical Sciences, is internationally recognized for her work on the MAO genes.
Jean Shih, PhD University Professor Boyd P. and Elsie D. Welin Professor in Pharmaceutical Sciences
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school news
School Scores Health Care
Innovation Grant
From Federal Government
Project will integrate clinical pharmacy services into safety-net clinics, aiming to improve health outcomes and save $43 million over a 3-year period.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has awarded the USC School of Pharmacy a $12,007,677 grant, the largest ever received by the School, that will bring pharmacists into safety-net clinics in Southern California as a way to improve medication adherence and safe and appropriate use of prescription drugs, with the intended result of optimizing patient health while reducing avoidable hospitalizations and emergency visits. “The project is designed to address both the widespread misuse of prescribed medications and the shortage of primary care providers in low-income populations,” says Geoffrey Joyce, the principal investigator on the project and an associate professor at the School of Pharmacy. “Further, pharmacists are remarkably underutilized in the US health care system and this demonstration will test and evaluate the impact of using them in primary care settings.” Joyce is the director of health policy at the Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics at USC. Nationally, poor adherence to prescription drugs is reaching epidemic proportions, resulting in suboptimal health outcomes, avoidable hospitalizations, higher risk of death and as much as $290 billion in avoidable medical spending each year. More than half of all Americans have one or more chronic diseases, and for 90 percent of these patients medications are the first-line of treatment. Finding a way to get people to correctly take their medicine is an imperative step in transforming the health care system to improve care and save money, the charge of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, the agency within CMS funding the project. USC will work with AltaMed Health Services, initially launching the project in three treatment clinics in Orange County. The clinics are located in communities with large underserved populations vulnerable to health disparities and often with limited access to care. In many instances, these clinics are the only source of care for this large uninsured population with a high prevalence
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of uncontrolled diabetes, hypertension, asthma and heart disease. With pharmacists working collaboratively with physician colleagues, the project aims to use evidence-based treatment regimens to improve patient care and health outcomes while reducing costs. The clinical aspects of the project will be directed by co-investigators Kathleen Johnson, the William A. and Josephine A. Heeres Chair in Community Pharmacy and vice dean for clinical affairs and outcomes sciences, and Steven Chen, the Hygeia Centennial Chair in Clinical Pharmacy. Another part of the project, focusing on a web-based training/credentialing program for pharmacists to replicate the model, will be led by co-investigator Jeffery Goad, the vice chair for continuing professional development, credentialing and distance education. “This is a tremendous opportunity for us to again demonstrate and evaluate a model of care that uses pharmacists to cost effectively improve health outcomes,” says Dean Vanderveen. “Our faculty has over a decade of experience in the safety net, and we appreciate the government’s support in allowing us to expand our work through this important project that promises to provide desperately needed medication management services to some of the most vulnerable in our community.” The project will target high-risk patients with difficult-toachieve chronic disease control who will receive individualized services from pharmacists. Outcomes of these patients will be measured against similar patients not receiving pharmacist care in other clinics, determining the impact of the program. The project will eventually extend to AltaMed clinics in Los Angeles County and work with the East Los Angeles Occupational Center pharmacy technician training program, to help develop curricula that support expanded roles for pharmacy technicians. The government funded just over 100 projects in this highly competitive program, which fielded more than 8,000 letters of intent and 3,000 full proposals.
A Salute To The Past and its impact on the present
School of Pharmacy event showcases the School’s fellowship program at Allergan and the two men who launched it. A unique legacy between two pioneering institutions — Allergan and the USC School of Pharmacy — and two of their visionary past leaders — Gavin S. Herbert and John A. Biles — was celebrated along with the fellowship program between the two institutions that the two men established decades ago at a luncheon in Irvine on February 8.
Dean Vanderveen with Dean Emeritus John Biles, Provost Elizabeth Garrett and Gavin Herbert, who is chairman emeritus at Allergan and a USC life trustee.
“While universities and corporations often work together and collaborate on projects, few are marked by the longevity and intersections that characterize the connections between Allergan and the School of Pharmacy,” said Dean R. Pete Vanderveen. Back in the early 50s, Allergan was a small company with sales of about $50,000 per year. The inventor of many of the early formulas at the company unexpectedly died of a heart attack, and the formulas went with him. Allergan hired a young USC professor named John Biles to recreate the formulas. And he did. “If John hadn’t recreated those formulas, there would be no Allergan today,” said Gavin S. Herbert, chairman emeritus at Allergan and a USC life trustee. “Today, Allergan sales are close to $6 billion,” said Dean Emeritus John Biles. “Gavin was a disciplined leader who was a futurist. His view widened my perspective.”
Herbert’s commentary on the profession of pharmacy, after a stint as a pharmacy tech in the military, led Biles to focus on expanding the pharmacist’s role in the clinical setting. Herbert asked Biles why it took pharmacy students four years to learn what he learned as a tech in six months. That got Biles thinking as a futurist himself, leading him to launch the nation’s first required clinical pharmacy clerkships in 1970. “The longstanding relationship between the USC School of Pharmacy and Allergan is grounded in a mutual commitment to excellence and the spirit of innovation, which has only grown stronger as both institutions have become more influential,” said Provost Elizabeth Garrett. “The School of Pharmacy, its faculty and students will continue to flourish as they follow in the footsteps of visionary leaders like Dean Emeritus Biles and Life Trustee Herbert.” Today schools nationwide include clinical clerkships as a pivotal part of the pharmacy curriculum. Additionally, the two were forerunners in the establishment of the School’s fellowship program, which continues to provide unique opportunities to newly minted PharmD’s and PhD’s interested in pursuing careers in industry. Allergan, a global multi-specialty healthcare company, will have nine fellows through the USC program in 2012-13, up from the current eight fellows. The program was started in 1977 and among the event attendees was Janet Cheetham, who was among the first fellows in the program and is currently a vice president of clinical development at Allegan. The event provided an opportunity for current fellows to talk with past fellows, representatives from both USC and Allergan, and both Herbert and Biles in an intimate setting. Fellows also had a chance to pose for photos with the chairman emeritus of the company where they are doing their fellowship. And while the event came with no deadlines or assignments, Herbert reminded the fellows of the upcoming Allergan Research & Development Day saying, “Hope you have something good to show at this year’s R & D Day.”
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school news
Professor Cadenas Knighted by France Enrique Cadenas, PhD, Charles Krown/Alumni Professor in Pharmaceutical Sciences, was knighted on May 9 by an Order of the French Republic, among the highest civilian decorations awarded in France. Also knighted at the ceremony was Kelvin J. A. Davies, James E. Birren Professor at the Davis School of Geronotology. “Sir Enrique” was decorated as a Chevalier (Knight) of the l’Ordre national du Mérite (National Order of Merit). The National Order of Merit recognizes both French nationals and citizens of other countries, and serves as a parallel to the Légion d’Honneur (Legion of Honor). Cadenas, professor of pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences at the School of Pharmacy, said: “Today we live in a truly global community where international collaborations foster extraordinary discovery and development of solutions for problems facing our world. This great honor, bestowed on Professor Davies and me, truly signifies the enduring scientific progress that our two nations have together made possible. “I am grateful to many colleagues who have contributed to my work over the years, especially my French colleagues, Josiane and Pierre Cillard, Bertrand Friguet and Luc Montagnier,” Cadenas added. “I am also grateful for the extraordinary support I have
At the knighthood ceremony are Consul General L.A. David Martinon, Professor Cadenas, USC Provost Elizabeth Garrett, and USC President C. L. Max Nikias.
organized several international scientific conferences in France on the biological causes of aging and age-related neurodegenerative
In his announcement letter to Cadenas earlier this year, then President Sarkozy noted that the rank of knight was conferred on Cadenas in recognition of his service to France and to science.” received from USC School of Pharmacy Dean R. Pete Vanderveen, Vice Dean for Research Sarah Hamm-Alvarez and Board of Councilor member Gale Bensussen, all of whom have steadfastly supported my work.” In his announcement letter to Cadenas earlier this year, then President Sarkozy noted that the rank of knight was conferred on Cadenas in recognition of his service to France and to science. Cadenas has long-term ongoing research collaborations with distinguished French colleagues and, with co-honoree Davies, has
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diseases, as well as nutrient-based strategies to treat them. The knighting ceremony took place at the Résidence de France in Beverly Hills. USC President C. L. Max Nikias and USC Provost Elizabeth Garrett both attended the ceremony as did School of Pharmacy Vice Dean Sarah Hamm-Alvarez. Cadenas will travel to Paris later this summer where his honor will be confirmed and bestowed at a ceremony at the Luxembourg Palace, the seat of the French Senate.
School Of Pharmacy moves upward in US News & World Report Rankings The USC School of Pharmacy secured its position among the best pharmacy schools in the nation with a No. 10 rank among all schools, jumping up five spots from the last ranking released in 2008. “Our upward trajectory reflects the dedicated work of our faculty and students, as leaders and innovators of our profession,” says R. Pete Vanderveen, dean of the school. One-hundred and twenty-five pharmacy schools, all accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, were included in the ranking survey. The survey focused on the quality of each school’s PharmD program, a four-year, professional degree. The School maintains its No. 1 rank among all private pharmacy schools with the closest contender ranked No. 37. “Our School is the only private pharmacy school on a major health sciences campus with a research-intensive faculty and I believe that benefits us greatly,” said Vanderveen. “It provides a very rich experience for our students, with opportunities to see a wide
range of disease states and diverse populations in area clinics and hospitals and to engage in basic, translational and applied research with our faculty.” Also of note, the rankings put USC at No. 4 for public policy programs specializing in health policy and management. This ranking includes work done by faculty at the Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics, a collaboration between the School of Pharmacy and the Price School of Public Policy, under which the ranking is listed. “While it is rewarding for the School to be recognized among the elite schools of pharmacy in the US, we have always and will continue to focus on attracting the very best and brightest students, faculty and staff, and conducting cutting-edge research, and continuing the School’s long-standing tradition of leading innovation in the profession,” said Dean Vanderveen.
Schaeffer Center update
Dean Vanderveen had an opportunity to discuss the work of the School with Dennis Gillings, CBE, PhD, founder and chairman of Quintiles, at the Schaeffer Center winter board meeting. Dr. Gillings serves on the Schaeffer Board, and Quintiles made a gift to the School of Pharmacy in support of the Quintiles Chair in Pharmaceutical Development and Regulatory Innovation and the Quintiles International Lecture Series. In June, the Schaeffer Center, along with the Guanghua School of Management at Peking University and Quintiles, sponsored a conference in Beijing, “Global Health Care Regulation and Innovation.” Both Gillings and Vanderveen attended along with faculty members Dana Goldman, Kathleen Johnson, Mike Nichol, Frances Richmond and Julie Zissimopoulos
Regulatory Science Hosts Raymond Woosley In late March, the School’s International Center for Regulatory Science hosted Raymond Woosley, MD, PhD, the founder and CEO of the Critical Path Institute, which aims to create collaborations that accelerate the development of safe, effective medical products. Woosley spoke to the campus community about assessing the comparative safety of drugs, and the role of public-private partnerships and academic centers of excellence. A member of the Institute of Medicine’s Drug Forum, Woosley was previously vice president of the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center and dean of its College of Medicine. Pictured here are Dr. Woosley (far right) with Dean Vanderveen, Professor Frances Richmond, who is also director of the International Center for Regulatory Science, and Dean Vanderveen (far left) and Michael Jamieson, associate director of the International Center for Regulatory Science.
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annual awards The School of Pharmacy honored graduates and alumni at the annual Alumni/ Senior Awards Banquet held at Town and Gown on the University Park Campus. Sponsored by the School’s Alumni Association, President Dolly Harris welcomed the guests for an evening of celebration. Associate Professor Michael Wincor, a member of the Alumni Association board and associate dean for global initiatives and technology, was master of ceremonies for the evening.
KUDOS TO THE CLASSES OF
1962 2012
left: Associate Professor Kathy Besinque with Preceptor of the Year, Scott Takahashi, PharmD (’89), who was recognized for his inspiring dedication to students who do clinical rotations under his supervision at Kaiser Permanente-Sunset. middle: Recognized for their 4.0 GPA’s are Grace Kim and Joseph Pai, recipients of the Merck Award. Also receiving the Merck Award were Shenche Hshieh and Artak Kerimian, who each had a 3.99 GPA. right: Oscar Pallares, PharmD (‘55), presents graduating PharmD Elisabeth Plunkett with a bouquet of cardinal and gold roses. Plunkett has worked at Dr. Pallares’s pharmacy over the past few years.
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Class of 1962 celebrants, all PharmD’s, front row: Ed Hassan, Trindad Bagoyo, Dan Casey, Barbara Fujita (Class of 1961), June Tamura and Albert Wong; back row: Sam Sheldon, Bill Peplow, Walter Cathey, Dean Vanderveen, Kay Murakami, Gaylord Newton, Millie Lim Lin and Harold Crawford.
Winner of the McKesson Drug Company Award, presented by Assistant Professor Susie Park (left), was Parth D. Shah.
Upon receiving the Outstanding Alumni Award, Lunny Ronnie Jung and Dianne Kwock Jung encouraged others to join them in supporting the School. Scott Takahashi was recognized as “Preceptor of the Year” and the Honorary Alumnus of the Year went to Leonard D. Schaeffer.
upper, left: Dean Vanderveen (far right) with Outstanding Alumni of the Year, Lunny Ronnie Jung, PharmD (’72), and Dianne Kwock Jung, PharmD (’74), at the cocktail reception in the Town and Gown Courtyard. lower, left: Recipients of the Allergan Award (front row, left to right) are Judy Mai, Brandan Lombardo, Anna Qinzhe Deng, Jason Libowitz, and Venita Bhuchar; award presenters (back row) are David Truong, PharmD (’07), and Long Doan, PhD. right: Ardent supporters Josephine A. Heeres and William A. Heeres, PharmD (’63), chairman elect of the School’s Board of Councilors, at the reception.
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giving
LOOKING TO THE for a
father was very cutting edge in his time, extremely “ My creative in his thinking about the pharmacy profession,”
says DeWight Titus, PharmD (’58), who together with his sister, Susie Titus, BS in Education (’60), named the Titus Family Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Economics & Policy in 2004. Cutting edge and innovative thinking is certainly what is required of today’s School of Pharmacy graduates who must demonstrate their value on the health care team in the current budget-focused health care environment. Pharmacists must improve patient outcomes while saving health care dollars. It’s a tall order that demands creative thinking to grow the profession. Frank DeWight Titus, Sr., their grandfather, demonstrated that type of creative thinking in his time, a trait he passed along to his son. “When most pharmacies had soda fountains and nonprescription items, my grandfather sold only prescriptions,” says DeWight. “When my father took over the business, he continued to do things differently with an eye on the future.” The future that Frank DeWight Titus, Jr., BS in Pharmacy (’30), saw was the opportunity to expand his business by selling medical/surgical supplies and home health care supplies. He realized many of his customers required these products so why not provide them along with the medications he was already selling to them. This was back in the 40’s, long before big box stores, when this was really a new idea. Frank did it to great success. Eventually, DeWight took over this division of the family business, expanding it into the largest medical/home health supply distributor in the West and among the top in the nation.
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PAST
path to the future “I loved that side of the business, it was a challenge to grow it. And I enjoyed that it was sales-driven,” says DeWight who eventually oversaw the sale of F.D. Titus and Son to General Medical and then to McKesson in the 90’s. “You can always have the knowledge to fill a prescription,” says DeWight. “But my father had the foresight to expand the horizons of the profession. This is very important for today’s students in our changing health care environment.” Both DeWight and Susie are passionate about USC and credit the School of Pharmacy with playing a pivotal role in their family’s success. In addition to the siblings’ gift naming the department, DeWight has also just completed a planned gift of $2 million to support projects that advocate for the profession as identified by Dean Vanderveen. “The role of the pharmacist is totally different from when I was growing up,” says DeWight. “With more functions performed by pharmacy technicians and through robotics, we must re-define the role of the pharmacist not only within the profession but also to other health care colleagues and to the public.” Like the Titus family did, today’s pharmacist must also “grow the business”. And, to a great extent, this new growth area is focused on medication management, making the pharmacist’s responsibility go far beyond dispensing of medications to managing their safe and appropriate use for optimal health outcomes. According to DeWight, “The good news is that today’s students have a very high skill level and are up to the task of managing medications for patients. They also have the prestige and training of USC behind them, and our School of Pharmacy is a national leader.” Now add a little bit of that Titus Family creative, insightful thinking and USC students will have what it takes to advance the profession into the 21st century.
Life Income gifts…
make a gift and receive income for life Charitable Remainder Trust What are the benefits? A Charitable Remainder Trust pays individual beneficiaries an annual amount for their lives or for a fixed term of up to 20 years. Donors who create a Charitable Remainder Trust can claim an immediate income tax deduction that represents the discounted present value of the eventual gift to USC. When the Charitable Remainder Trust ends, the remaining trust assets are distributed to USC.
Did you know? Life income beneficiaries can be the donors, family members, or anyone else designated by the donor. However, gift taxes may be applicable if the beneficiaries are not the donors. The trust principal is normally invested for total return. It can be invested in a variety of diversified portfolios, including the USC endowment. Charitable Remainder Trusts are revalued at the end of each calendar year, and if the principal in the trust appreciates, payments will be correspondingly larger. But there is risk. If the principal depreciates, payments will be smaller.
To learn more, contact Jennifer Watson at 323.442.1382 or freeh@usc.edu.
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alum updates alum
updates
Robert Holbrook, PharmD (’65), is the only elected official to have served on both the Board of Education and the City Council in Santa Monica, the longest serving elected official on the City Council and the longest serving elected official in the history of the city.
Vinson Lee, PharmD (’06), was selected as the 2012 Distinguished New Practitioner of the Year by the California Pharmacists Association. Lisa Gunther Lum, PharmD (’86), received the 2012 Distinguished Service Award from the California Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Nazia Rashid, PharmD (‘08), MS (‘08), has been published in Clinical Therapeutics. Rita Shane, PharmD (‘78), received the 2012 Harvey A.K. Whitney Lecture Award from the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists; received the 2012 Alumni Award from the Rho Chi National Honor Society.
Jinhai Shi, PhD, is now vice president of Tianjin International Joint Academy of Biotechnology and Medicine in China. Frank L. Tornatore, PharmD (’77), PhD, completed all licensing requirements to become a Clinical Psychologist and is currently in private practice with William Gillespie, MD, PhD, and Associates in Glendora. Jennifer Wang, PharmD, MS (’08), has been published in The American Journal of Managed Care. Phil Wiegand, MS (’10), has been published in The American Journal of Managed Care.
remembrances
G. Dwaine Lawrence, PharmD (’67), passed away February 5. Dr. Lawrence was a professor at the School of Pharmacy for over 35 years and the Phi Delta Chi advisor for several years. He is commemorated annually at the Alumni/Senior Awards Banquet with the awarding of the G. Dwaine Lawrence Phi Delta Chi Award which recognizes a student for achievement in scholarship, professionalism and fraternity involvement.
John Wallace McWilliams, BS (’50), passed away November 4, 2010. He formerly worked as pharmacy supervisor for Vons and also owned an independent pharmacy during his career.
A HOLE IN ONE FOR STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS
School of Pharmacy students Susan Shakib and Hovik Mekhjian (left) with Board of Councilors member David Breslow, PharmD (’71), at the annual Good Neighbor Pharmacy-Institute for Community Pharmacy Scholarship Golf Classic which has provided over $1 million in scholarships for pharmacy students over the past decade. Mike Quick, national vice president for AmerisourceBergen, has led this effort and many other projects which support students interested in independent community pharmacy practice.
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Alums presenting at the podium or on posters at this year’s International Society for Pharmaceoeconomics and Outcomes Research include: D. Colayco, N.Y. Gu, R.A. Gerber, N. Rashid, C.T. Cheetham, J. Setyawan, E.Q. Wu, L. Shi, Y. Yuan, G.G. Liu, Y. Yu, J. Wang, J. White, J.J. Wang, T.J. White, S.M. Wang, B.V. Patel, P. Wiegand, S. Ray, J. Ahn, A.A. Kawatakar, A. Turpcu, S. Krishnan, D. Globe, I.Q. Tonnu-Mihara and T. Tencer.
global initiatives
Visiting faculty members Kunhikatta Vijayanarayana, Sreedharan Nair and Radhakrishnan Rajesh (lecturer) present a gift to Michael Wincor, associate dean for global initiatives and technology.
WELCOMING FACULTY
from afar
In January, the School of Pharmacy hosted three visiting faculty members from India’s Manipal University College of Pharmaceutical Sciences as part of the international Pharmabridge program, which attempts to pair faculty and practicing pharmacists from developing countries with counterparts in more developed countries. During their one-month stay, the hosted faculty took part in a training program where they learned about therapeutics, the medical work up for patients and sleep disorders, and also visited hospitals and community pharmacies to learn about the role of pharmacists. Sreedharan Nair, an associate professor at the Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, was impressed by the teaching methods employed at the School of Pharmacy. “The difference I noticed in the way you teach is that you make things easy to understand, and the lectures make learning fun,” he said, in reference to a class he took with Associate Professor Michael Wincor. “I plan to inculcate and impart these skills in my own teaching.”
WORLDWIDE PARTNERSHIPS Dean R. Pete Vanderveen and Associate Dean Michael Wincor have made strides to further the School of Pharmacy’s global influence and knowledge of international pharmacy programs by becoming members of the International Phar-
Global GUESTS
As part of the School of Pharmacy’s expanding its worldwide reach, the school hosted three graduate students from the China Medical University Graduate Institute School of Pharmacy, one of the School’s formal partners in Taichung, Taiwan. The students stayed at USC for a one-month, winter visit, learning about teaching methods used in therapeutics modules and observing the pharmacist role in patient care at area safety-net clinics. The School also hosted four undergraduate students from China Pharmaceutical University in May, who worked with several basic science faculty on various research projects. In addition, a student from University of Utrecht will be working with Associate Professor Paul Beringer throughout the summer. Taiwanese pharmacy students Yun-Han (Alice) Gao, Yu-Ning (Eunice) Teng and Mu-Han (Iris) Chiou receive their training program certificates. Pictured here with Associate Dean Michael Wincor.
maceutical Federation (FIP) Academic Pharmacy Section. The FIP promotes pharmacy education worldwide, and contributes to the development of teaching methodology, student and faculty exchange programs, and policy development on education and training of pharmacists and pharmacy support staff. Membership in the FIP allows the School of Pharmacy to share knowledge, best cases, challenges and resources, and connect with other pharmacy school deans, faculty and staff on a global level. Associate Dean Wincor was recently elected member-at-large on the section executive committee of the FIP. summer-fall 2012 | USC PHARMACY MAGAZINE
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scholarship lunch
“
As a first generation college student, I am thankful to have attained any type of higher education. To be here at USC, in a such a stellar PharmD program, truly is a blessing. I am very thankful to all of you for your dedication, and for investing in our futures.” —Folayemi Fashola, PharmD student
Hats Off to left: Student Saleema Kapadia summed up the theme of the day: “Each and every one of you has made an impact with your generous support on the lives of the students here today. And we thank you.” center: Classmates George Hori (seated), Esperanza Ostrea and Mel Baron, all Class of 1957 and scholarship donors. right: Student Nana Numapau with scholarship donor Dolly Harris, PharmD (’77), who is also president of the School’s Alumni Association.
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Folayemi Fashola, PharmD student.
Bob and Roslyn Blake, PharmD (’92), with scholarship recipient, Victoria Schells, at the luncheon held on March 6 on the Health Sciences Campus Quad.
Supporters
at Annual Scholarship Luncheon
left: Richard Fond, PharmD (’65), and Marjorie Marks Fond, who have set up a scholarship through Planned Giving, with new scholarship donor, Cammy Han-Young, PharmD (’93), and Dean Vanderveen. right: Scholarship recipient Andrew Warnock shakes the hand of his benefactor, H. Stephen Sloan, PharmD (’74).
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titus family department
2012 Festival of Books
at USC (excerpted from a story by Diane Krieger)
“All of you here this morning should take great pride in the fact that we are part of the largest public literary festival in America.” With those words, USC President C. L. Max Nikias kicked off the 17th annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books on April 21. In its second year at USC, the festival attracted a recordbreaking 151,000 guests to the University Park campus, an 8 percent increase over last year’s attendance according to the Times. More than 400 authors gave readings and appeared on panels in 14 different auditoriums and signed their books at seven signing areas. The stages featured various events, including a presentation of the fotonovela, “Rosa out of Control,” the latest in a series
USC President C. L. Max Nikias and Mrs. Niki C. Nikias with pharmacy students Arthur Librea, Bonny Chan and Saleema Kapadia at the Festival of Books.
PharmD student Ronald Sim checks the blood pressure of Niki C. Nikias at the Festival of Books.
of bilingual health materials created by a team under the direction of School of Pharmacy Associate Professer Mel Baron. The story deals with obesity among both children and adults.
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A new feature of this year’s festival was the USC Health Pavilion. Organized by practitioners from the USC School of Pharmacy, Keck Medical Center of USC, and USC divisions of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, and Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, the pavilion proved to be a popular attraction. Pharmacy students took blood pressure readings, checked for diabetes and staffed a “brown-bagging event,” reviewing patients’ various medications for possible drug interactions. They conducted hundreds of tests at the Festival and also provided educational information on travel health, women’s health and other topics. For children, the School of Pharmacy provided crafts and information about poison prevention. Bonny Chan and Saleema Kapadia led the student effort for the School of Pharmacy, under the direction of Cynthia Lieu and Jeffery Goad, both associate professors.
preceptor fair gives students insight on real-world experiences the GOAL is TEAMWORK To help pharmacy and medical students better understand their respective roles on the healthcare team, the School of Pharmacy and the Keck School of Medicine teamed up to provide students with a case conference experience. The diabetes case allowed the students to work through the case as a team, and to realize the expertise their disciplines bring toward a collaboration that aims for optimal patient outcomes. Pictured here from one of the sessions are professors Jo Marie Reilly, MD, (Keck) and Glen Stimmel, PharmD, (Pharmacy) with pharmacy student Jason Shan.
Scores of preceptors representing sites throughout Southern California met with PharmD students on the Health Sciences Campus Quad to give them insights on rotations that they may consider for the upcoming year. Among them, Robert Deamer, PharmD, Kaiser Permanente-Woodland Hills, tells student John Ho about the Kaiser experience for students.
USC will conduct CLINICAL TRIAL to improve DIAGNOSIS of KIDNEY INJURY School of Pharmacy Associate Professor Paul Beringer is the principal investigator for a $352,733 contract awarded by the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) Biomarkers Consortium to conduct an observational study to evaluate biomarkers of aminoglycoside-induced kidney toxicity among patients with cystic fibrosis. Co-investigator on the project is Adupa P. Rao, MD, assistant professor of clinical medicine at the Keck School of Medicine. Their study will focus on patients being treated with aminoglycoside antibiotics, typically used when patients are hospitalized due to a pulmonary exacerbation, a notable worsening of lung function. The aminoglycoside antibiotics have the potential to cause significant kidney injury. “The availability of these improved biomarkers will provide a tremendous asset to clinicians providing a more real-time picture of the effects of drugs on the kidney allowing precise dose titration to avoid clinically significant kidney injury,� says Beringer who works with Rao at the USC Cystic Fibrosis Program which manages some 200 adult patients with the disease.
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titus family department
faculty updates Paul Beringer, PharmD, leading a project funded by Foundation for
the New York Times about the cost of not investing in preventive health
the National Institutes of Health. FNIH has awarded the USC School of
care in May.
Pharmacy a contract for $352,733 to conduct an observational study to evaluate biomarkers of aminoglycoside-induced kidney toxicity among
Joel Hay, PhD, quoted by the Los Angeles Times about the patents on
patients with cystic fibrosis.
brand-name drugs running out, allowing generic versions to enter the market in December 2011; interviewed by American Public Media’s
Mel Baron, PharmD, MPA, spoke at the USC Alumni Association 4th
Marketplace and the Associated Press about Novartis’ decision to
Annual Half Century Trojans “Going Back to College Day” at the USC
voluntarily recall certain drugs in January.
Davidson Conference Center in February.
Kathleen Hill-Besinque, PharmD, MSEd, assistant dean for curriculm Steven Chen, PharmD, CDM, FCSHP, chaired a task force that put
and assesment, quoted in The New York Times and the Daily Maverick
together the California Society of Health-Systems Pharamacists’ Medica-
(South Africa) about the effectiveness of Plan B contraception in
tion Therapy Management resource guide.
December 2011.
Daryl Davies, PhD, interviewed by ABC Radio (Australia) about his
Kathleen Johnson, PharmD, MPH, PhD, William A. and Josephine
research group’s recent discovery that the drug Ivermectin has the
A. Heeres Professor in Community Pharmacy, chair, named a Distin-
potential for a novel pharmaceutical treatment for alcoholism in May.
guished Scholar in the National Academy of Practice and a Fellow in the Pharmacy Academy; awarded Best Poster award for her poster entitled,
Jason Doctor, PhD, presented “Measuring Patient Preferences to
“Burden of Illness: Direct and Indirect Costs Among Persons with Hemo-
Empower Them in Their Health Decisions,” at the NSF Sponsored Patient
philia A,” at the National Conference on Blood Disorders in Public Health,
Empowerment Workshop in Park City, UT, in December 2011; keynote
in Atlanta, GA, in March; presented “Impact of Clinical Pharmacists on
speaker at the 46th annual Southland Pre-Health Conference at the USC
Patient Outcomes,” as an invited speaker at the Chinese University of
Ronald Tudor Campus Center in January; authored one of the top 10
Hong Kong, in Hong Kong, China, in May; will present “Quality of Life and
most downloaded articles published in the Journal of Mathematical
Costs of Care in Hemophilia in the United States,” at the World Hemo-
Psychology; interviewed by My Health News Daily about financial
philia Meeting, in Paris, France, in July; received a two-year $149,896
incentive programs to promote healthy behaviors in May.
grant from UniHealth Foundation for the project, “Integration of a Successful Pharmacy Business Model into a Safety-Net Clinic and Spread of
Julie Dopheide, PharmD, named president-elect of the College of
Best Practices Through Shared Learning;” invited to serve as chair of the
Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists.
Public Health Panel for The Annals of Pharmacotherapy.
Melissa Durham, PharmD, presented “The Profession of Pharmacy:
Geoffrey Joyce, PhD, quoted by Politico about Pfizer’s efforts to make
Past, Present, and YOU,” as the keynote speaker at the Southern Califor-
Lipitor competitive with generics in January; had his research showing
nia Pre-Pharmacy Association 2012 Symposium at USC in January.
that higher insurance co-pays may lead to parents not filling prescriptions for their children featured on KPCC-FM and ABC News in March;
Jeffery Goad, PharmD, MPH, vice chair for continuing professional
principal investigator on a $12 million CMS Innovation grant.
development, credentialing and distance education, appointed to serve on the inaugural APhA Community Pharmacy Practice Standards Devel-
Jeffrey McCombs, PhD, director of graduate studies, quoted in La
opment Working Committee.
Opinion about a bill to put limits on overcharges in hospitals in February; interviewed by KNX News Radio about Medicare’s experimental com-
22
Dana Goldman, PhD, had his research that showed that higher insur-
petitive bidding process in April; to present “Comparison of Estimated
ance co-pays may lead to parents not filling prescriptions for their
Effects from Ordinary Least Squares and General Linear Models in Cost-
children featured on KPCC-FM and ABC News in March; interviewed by
of-Illness Studies: Examples for Alzheimer’s Disease and Hepatitis C,”
summer-fall 2012 | USC PHARMACY MAGAZINE
at the European Conference on Health Economics 2012, in Zurich,
graduate students from China Pharmaceutical University and one student
Switzerland, in July; to present “Impact of Second Generation Anti-
from University of Utrecht; appointed faculty fellow for the USC Center for
Psychotics in Bipolar Patients and Schizophrenia Patients in the California
Excellence in Teaching.
Medicaid Program,” at the World Psychiatric Association International Congress, in Prague, Czech Republic, in October.
Bradley Williams, PharmD, is an editor and chapter author for the textbook Koda-Kimble and Young’s Applied Therapeutics: The Clinical Use
Edith Mirzaian, PharmD, has passed her board certification exam and
of Drugs, 10th Edition.
is now a board certified ambulatory care pharmacist.
Annie Wong-Beringer, PharmD, FCCP, FIDSA, vice chair, awarded Tien Ng, PharmD, FCCP, BCPS, presented “Hyponatremia is Associated
$82,875 grant from Forest Laboratories, Inc. for the project titled
with Higher Diuretic Requirements and Poorer Treatment Outcomes in
“Epidemiology and Outcomes of MRSA in Community-Onset Pneumonia.”
Acute Heart Failure,” at the American College of Cardiology Annual Scientific Session, in Chicago, IL, in March.
Frances Richmond, PhD, elected to the Board of Directors of the Drug Information Association, a global association focusing on pharmaceuticals and medical devices; chair of the new HSC conflict of interest committee.
Kathleen Rodgers, PhD, presented “Angiotensin Peptides and Healing in Older Adults,” at the What’s Hot in Aging Research at USC event in Los Angeles in April.
Neeraj Sood, PhD, presented “Identifying the Health Production Function: The Case of Hospitals” at the USC Schaeffer Center in January; had his research that showed how high-deductible health plans can reduce health care costs featured on NPR and the National Journal in May; had his research that showed that spread of consumer-directed health plans can reduce nation’s costs, but with risks, featured in the Washington Post and Politico in May.
Glen Stimmel, PharmD, BCPP, presented “Clinical Pharmacy – Looking Back, Looking Forward,” to the CSHP Student Chapter at the Loma Linda University School of Pharmacy in April.
Michael Wincor, PharmD, associate dean of global initiatives and technology, hosted three faculty members from Manipal University College of Pharmaceutical Sciences from January through February as part of the international Pharmabridge program; hosted three graduate students from China Medical University Graduate Institute, School of Pharmacy from January through February; currently hosting four under-
LATEST FOTONOVELA FROM ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR MEL BARON: It’s no picnic to be overweight. In “Rosa Out of Control,” we join a mother and her children as they change their lives from couch potatoes eating fried chicken and cake to enthusiastic exercisers eating fish and strawberries. A stage production was presented at the Festival of Books, promoting healthy eating and exercise for adults and kids.
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department of pharmacology & pharmaceutical sciences
Research Reveals Clues about Structure of Proteins in Type 2 Diabetes ...with implications for therapeutics for type 2 diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases. USC scientists revealed a new clue about the structure of proteins involved in type 2 diabetes that could eventually lead to the design of a drug to treat neurodegenerative diseases. Using a new approach to view structures generated in disease called fibrils, the researchers were able to explain the overall ropelike structure of the fibrils formed by proteins in type 2 diabetes, as well as the mechanism by which the structures form. This is im-
This is important information for researchers developing therapies to attack type 2 diabetes and other diseases including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and Huntington’s disease.” portant information for researchers developing therapies to attack type 2 diabetes and other diseases including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and Huntington’s disease. “If we can understand what makes these proteins go bad and what they look like, we can develop drugs to treat type 2 diabetes and other related diseases,” said Ralf Langen, PhD, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology in the Keck School and corresponding author on the study. Ian Haworth, PhD, associate professor in the School of Pharmacy and the lead researcher on the computational work, added, “It’s a great example of using basic science methodology to address health-related problems and promote translational research.”
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summer-fall 2012 | USC PHARMACY MAGAZINE
School of Pharmacy Associate Professor Ian Haworth and Keck School of Medicine Professor Ralf Langen.
The research, funded by the National Institutes of Health, “Fibril Structure of Human Islet Amyloid Polypeptide,” was published as a Paper of the Week in the Journal of Biological Chemistry. Lead author of the study is Sahar Bedrood. Contributing researchers include Yiyu Li (USC School of Pharmacy), Jose Mario Isas, Balachandra G. Hegde and Ulrich Baxa (National Institutes of Health).
Panelists Ed Lieskovan, Manuel Martinez and Elizabeth Iorns at the USC event, “Entrepreneurship for Academics.”
SO YOU WANT TO BE AN
entrepreneur...
The School of Pharmacy hosts an interactive workshop highlighting how start-up businesses work and the tools required to make them happen. In March, the School of Pharmacy welcomed over 100 attendees to a USC Center for Excellence-sponsored event, “Entrepreneurship for Academics”, designed to share ideas and inspiration with current and budding entrepreneurs. Attendees at the event represented graduate students, postdocs and faculty from several schools, including USC School of Pharmacy, Keck School of Medicine, Davis School of Gerontology, USC Dornsife College, and Children’s Hospital of LA. Speakers came from a broad range of experiences, each ultimately finding an entrepreneurial niche. The day was structured around three panel discussions, with time for questions and networking built into the program. Rosemarie Christopher, founder and CEO of MEIRxRS family of companies and a member of the School of Pharmacy Board of Councilors, led the first panel. Ahmed Enany, Southern California Biomedical Council, led the second panel. The third panel consisted
of USC entrepreneurial leaders and was led by George Tolomiczenko of the Health, Technology and Engineering Program. The featured panelists represented a broad swath of entrepreneurial experience and inspiration. For example, panelist Elizabeth Iorns co-founded the Science Exchange, an online marketplace for science experiments, out of frustration while a young breast cancer researcher. “It was very difficult to access resources and experimental expertise at other institutions,” says Iorns. “Science Exchange is designed to fill this gap, matching need with resource in a seamless way.” A grant from the USC Center for Excellence in Research, headed by Vice President of Research Randolph Hall, supported the event. Llewellyn Cox, program administrator for research at the School of Pharmacy, directed the event.
BECAUSE MENOPAUSE SYMPTOMS CAN REALLY GET YOU DOWN… With 6,000 women entering menopause each day, Roberta Diaz Brinton, PhD, R. Pete Vanderveen Endowed Chair in Therapeutic Discovery and Development, (second from left) and Liqin Zhao, PhD, (second from right) set out to develop a compound that relieves menopausal symptoms, including memory decline, without the use of hormone replacement therapy. The PhytoSERM compound developed in the Brinton lab has just entered the clinical trial phase, with Lon Schneider, MD, MS, professor of psychiatry, neurology and gerontology at the Keck School of Medicine, leading the trial effort. Instrumental in making all this happen is Gale Bensussen, JD, (center) a member of the School’s Board of Councilors, who has supported the project financially and professionally since its inception. Also pictured are Greg Zebrowski (far left) and Dean Vanderveen (far right). The Brinton compound packaged for the clinical trial.
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department of pharmacology & pharmaceutical sciences
faculty updates James Adams, PhD, quoted by Voice of
Julio Camarero, PhD, presented “Recombi-
America about arthritis patients pursuing
nant Protein Therapeutics: Targeting Protein/
painkillers and prescription drugs for their pain
Protein Interactions,” at PepTalk 2012 in San
in January.
Diego in January.
Ronald Alkana, PharmD, PhD, associate dean
Roger Clemens, DrPh, was cited in Postmedia
of graduate studies and curricular development, was selected by Phi Delta Chi Alumni as the recipient of the 2012 Alumnus of the Year Award.
Marco Bortolato, MD, PhD, and Jean C. Shih, PhD, University Professor and Boyd P. and Elsie D. Welin Professor in Pharmaceutical Sciences, had their research that found that pathological rage can be blocked in mice, which suggests potential new treatments for sever aggression featured in Gizmag, Science Codex, Science Daily, Asian International News, Indo-Asian News Service. Kevin Chen, PhD, research associate professor, is also an author on the paper.
Roberta Diaz Brinton, PhD, R. Pete Vanderveen Endowed Chair in Therapeutic Discovery and Development, spoke with Congressional staff about Alzheimer’s disease at a panel organized by the Society for Women’s Health Research in Washington, DC, in December 2011; primary investigator on five-year, $1.7 million renewal grant from the National Institutes of Health for the project entitled, “Perimenopause in Brain Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease.”
Enrique Cadenas, Charles Krown/Pharmacy Alumni Professor, MD, PhD, among investigators on five-year, $1.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health for the project entitled, “Perimenopause in Brain Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease”; knighted by France recognizing his contributions to science.
PROMOTIONS
News about the salt content in bread in March.
Ian Haworth, PhD, was awarded a C3 grant from the Center for Scholarly Technology as
Nouri Neamti, PhD, has been promoted to
a co-investigator.
professor. Neamati’s work uses computational chemistry to match chemical compounds to
Rebecca Romero, PhD, was awarded a C3
biological processes in an effort to design novel
grant from the Center for Scholarly Technology.
therapeutics primarily to combat cancer and HIV. Focusing on small-molecule design,
Jean Shih, PhD, University Professor, Boyd &
Neamati’s research aims to find compounds that
Elsie Welin Professor, discussed the integrated,
will fit into active sites in proteins and enzymes
interdisciplinary nature of pharmacology in the
to inhibit their expression. His lab has com-
21st century at the Academy for Polymathic
pounds at various stages of development from
Study event, at the USC Doheny Memorial
theoretical to in vitro to in vivo. Neamati joined
Library last semester.
the School of Pharmacy in 2000, having previously served at the National Institutes of Health
Walter Wolf, PhD, Distinguished Professor,
as a postdoctoral fellow and a research fellow.
attended and organized the ethics session, “Ethical Issues in Genomic Research,” at the American Association for Cancer Research annual meeting, in Chicago, IL, in March; annual award given in his honor by the Correlative Imaging Council was awarded to Hai Jeon Yoon, MD, in June.
Jennica Zaro, PhD, awarded $79,400 grant
Bangyan Stiles, PhD, has been promoted
from the Ming Hsieh Institute for Engineering
to associate professor. Stiles’s research aims
Medicine for Cancer for the project entitled,
to discover if the regeneration of beta-cells
“Targeting the Mildly Acidic Tumor Microen-
in adults can be induced by manipulating
vironment Using pH-Sensitive Recombinant
the PTEN gene, which is present in almost all
Peptide Nanoconstructs.”
cells in the body. Implications from her work ultimately impact both diabetes and can-
Liqin Zhao, PhD, among the investigators
cer therapeutics. Stiles joined the School of
of five-year, $1.7 million grant from the
Pharmacy faculty in 2005, having completed
National Institutes of Health for the project
postdoctoral research at the Howard Hughes
entitled, “Perimenopause in Brain Aging
Medical Research Institute and the UCLA School
and Alzheimer’s Disease.”
of Medicine. Her current research is supported by the National Institutes of Health.
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Dean Emeritus Timothy Chan
IS MOVING ON
Dean Vanderveen, Vice Dean Sarah Hamm-Alvarez and Dean Emeritus Chan.
on the grant
front
On June 8, Dean Vanderveen and Vice Dean Sarah HammAlvarez hosted a celebration honoring Dean Emeritus Timothy Chan upon his retirement. Dean Chan joined the USC School of Pharmacy in 1981 as an associate professor, rising to a full professor, founding chair of the Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Toxicology, and ultimately assuming the deanship in 1995. Dean Chan served ten years as dean, and has continued as a professor at the School since that time. Faculty spoke at the event, noting his support and mentorship during his dean tenure. Dean Vanderveen mentioned the grace with which Dean Chan pursued his many roles at the School and Vice Dean Hamm-Alvarez, the Gavin S. Herbert Professor in Pharmaceutical Sciences, noted that Dean Chan was instrumental in her development as a professor and as a leader. University Professor Jean Shih, the Boyd P. and Elsie D. Welin Professor in Pharmaceutical Science, summed it all up by saying, “Dean Chan always showed us the path.”
Roberta Diaz Brinton, R. Pete Vanderveen Chair in Therapeutic Discov-
Andrew MacKay, has received a CTSI multidisciplinary grant in the
ery and Development, has received a renewal of the program project grant
amount of $80,000 to conduct a preclinical evaluation of disintegrins for
focusing on perimenopause in brain aging and Alzheimer’s disease, from the
cancer therapy. Using genetic engineering, the project aims to leverage
National Institutes of Health. The renewal amount is $1.7 million for a 5-year
USC-developed expertise to optimize these anti-cancer pharmaceuticals
term. Brinton is the principal investigator on the project with co-investi-
and to lay the groundwork for a larger NIH project. A team from the Keck
gators Liqin Zhao and Enrique Cadenas, Charles Krown Pharmacy Alumni
School of Medicine are co-investigators on the project; the Department of
Professor in Pharmaceutical Sciences.
Defense has awarded MacKay a grant in the amount of $250,000 to explore new approaches to treat corneal injury using targeted biopharmaceuticals.
Jean C. Shih, University Professor and the Boyd P. and Elsie D. Welin
Co-investigator is Sarah Hamm-Alvarez.
Professor in Pharmaceutical Sciences, is the primary investigator on a 3-year, $579,449 grant from the Department of Defense. The project is entitled
Clay Wang has received renewal funding for the program project grant,
“Monoamine Oxidase A: A Novel Target for Progression and Metastasis of
“Identification of Secondary Metabolites and Biosynthesis Pathways
Prostate Cancer.” Co-investigator is Bogdan Olenyuk.
in A. Nidulans,” from the National Institutes of Health. Wang is a coinvestigator with the project’s primary investigator, Berl Oakley, at the University of Kansas.
summer-fall 2012 | USC PHARMACY MAGAZINE
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community outreach
BRIDGING the GAP
The School of Pharmacy is part of an interdisciplinary program to aid elderly patients. (Excerpted from a story by Jonathan Riggs)
Rekindling the romantic
with the Department of Psychology, the Davis School of Gerontology, Keck
spark between a 90-year-
School of Medicine and Ostrow School of Dentistry to provide patients with a
old wife and her 94-year-
convenient and rigorous evaluation performed by a geriatrician (Patricia Har-
old husband was just
ris), geropsychologist (Knight), geriatric social worker (Anne Katz), geriatric
another day at the office
pharmacist (Bradley Williams) and geriatric dentists (Piedad Suarez Durall
for the Geriatric Assess-
and Roseann Mulligan).
ment Program (GAP), a
While GAP is not intended to replace a patient’s primary care physician,
cross-university project
it can offer vital health and diagnostic reinforcement through a specialized
with interdisciplinary roots.
geriatric lens.
“This is especially valuable for older adults with multiple health problems,
“Most providers are not experts in the care of older adults, and they can
and for people who are uncertain that their health problems are being fully
use [the information provided by GAP] as guidance to maximize the benefits
and accurately diagnosed,” said USC Davis School of Gerontology Professor
received by their patients,” School of Pharmacy Professor Williams said.
Bob Knight.
“It is important for older adults who may feel overwhelmed by their health
A free resource, GAP turns the multiple, often-complicated office visits made by aging patients into a single consultation with a medical team that spans USC’s professional scope. Based at the on-campus Tingstad Older Adult Counseling Center and convening on Tuesday afternoons, GAP unites the School of Pharmacy
problems to consider the value of seeing multiple experts in one place at one time, working together, to offer them recommendations.” The multi-disciplinary program also provides students with an opportunity to be part of a collaborative effort aiming to optimize healthcare outcomes. For more information about the GAP Program, call 213.740.3493.
REACHING OUT ALONG THE WAY For Tino Sanchez, receiving his PhD in pharmaceutical sciences from USC was a dream come true. “I grew up in the neighborhood, so I had always wanted to go to USC.” Sanchez was a part of the Med-COR program in high school, which promotes health and medical careers to high school students in Los Angeles Unified schools, and which allowed Sanchez to get a taste of all that USC had to offer at an early age. When the time came for college, though accepted at USC, Tino chose to go to UC-Davis, wanting to broaden his horizons away from home. When he completed college, he was the third in his large extended family to receive an undergraduate degree. After graduating, Sanchez returned to L.A., began working at USC as a lab technician and started taking classes at the School of Pharmacy. Eventually, he was accepted into the doctoral program, where he has distinguished himself in HIV/AIDS research, with
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support from both the California HIV/AIDS Research Program and the NIH. He has already had nearly 30 papers published in the field. While his lab work has kept him very busy these past few years, he still has found time to be active in Tino Sanchez, awarded the School’s Pharmacy Explorers a PhD at this year’s comProgram, going out to area high mencement, mentors schools to encourage students to work high-school students. hard to achieve their dreams. In fact, Sanchez has mentored 15 high school students during his USC years, and proudly reports 14 of them have gone on to science majors in either college or graduate school. “I think it’s our duty to give back,” says Sanchez. “Not just when we’ve accomplished our goals, but even along the way.”
local middle schoolers learn
valuable lessons at
kids’ day
Carleton Cheng and Lisa Yung, both pharmacy students, have all the right moves during the Kids’ Day performance.
In March, the USC School of Pharmacy held its annual Kids’ Day, inviting 110 students from the local El Sereno Middle School to learn about important health and wellbeing topics, as well as to encourage them to consider careers in health care. “Our theme this year was ‘Everyday Stars,’ inspired by Hollywood glam while promoting the idea that everyday professionals, such as pharmacists and other healthcare professionals, are all stars who make a difference in the community,” said the event’s student coordinator Catherine Chen, who is a PharmD candidate. The day covered various topics, including healthy living, substance abuse awareness, safe sex awareness and gang-free
living. In addition, the School of Pharmacy partnered with the USC Keck School of Medicine, the Ostrow School of Dentistry at USC and the USC Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy to educate the kids about the possible careers they could pursue in health care. “I liked learning about how to become a doctor or pharmacist,” said Vincent, a student at El Sereno, who wants to pursue a career as a pediatrician. “It was really interesting to learn about HIV and other stuff I didn’t know,” added fellow student William. In between the workshops, the pharmacy students entertained their visitors with a comedy and dance program during lunch, including skits from Star Wars and Saturday Night Fever and a stand-up comedy routine by student Bjan Sebouri. “This year, we also started something new with Kids’ Day,” said Chen. “Each of the El Sereno students has been assigned a School of Pharmacy mentor, and at the event, they had a chance to visit face-to-face. We hope that this mentorship relationship continues long after the day’s activities are over.” The event was presented by the USC School of Pharmacy’s Skull & Mortar society, a student-run honorary service organization at the school. In addition to the School of Pharmacy, event sponsors include CVS/pharmacy, Rotary Club of Los Angeles, Target and the USC Graduate and Professional Student Senate.
JUST IN... ...USC Student Chapter of the California Society of Health-System Pharmacists swept the community service
awards, recognizing their exemplary contributions to patient care. The winning projects and leaders are: Asthma Education—Michael Lu Tobacco Cessation—Joy Wang and Emily Choi Poison Prevention Awareness—Judy Choi and Jenny Chen summer-fall 2012 | USC PHARMACY MAGAZINE
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students
STUDENT-MENTOR TEAM WINS WALMART SCHOLARSHIP Award will take winners Terrance Yu and Associate Professor Kathy Besinque to the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Annual Meeting in Florida. School of Pharmacy student Terrance Yu has been awarded a scholarship from Walmart to attend the annual American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy meeting and seminars. The grant is given to students who show a dedication to the field of academia, and provides $1,000 in funding for them to attend to the Annual Meeting and the AACP Teachers Seminar in Kissimmee, Florida from July 14-18, along with a faculty mentor. Yu was chosen to receive the scholarship, along with Associate Professor Kathy Besinque, based on his GPA, his statement of career goals and an academic pharmacy essay, as well as Besinque’s description of his qualifications and capacity to succeed in the program. “Through the Walmart scholarship, I want to explore opportunities in the clinician-educator career path,” said Yu. “I hope to create innovative pharmacy practice models and embark on a life-long journey of continued self-learning.”
Student Terrance Yu heads to Florida this summer to participate in the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy meeting.
INTERDISCIPLINARY EVENT BRIDGES PHARMACY AND SOCIAL WORK Last spring, students and faculty from the School of Pharmacy and the School of Social Work held the 1st Annual Conference on Medication Use & Society. The conference aimed to provide students from the two schools an opportunity to better understand the role of each of their professions on the healthcare team, as well as ways and points in care where they may work together to improve the lives of patients. “Our goal was to create interdisciplinary work between the students within USC, and to find common grounds on how our professions work,” explained Tadeh Vartanian, a PharmD candidate who acted as student organizer on behalf of the School of Pharmacy. “The event exposed pharmacy students to other healthcare professionals, and prepared us to eventually work in larger hospital and community settings.” The conference, which was held on the University Park Campus, was attended by 38 pharmacy students, 20 social work students and 10 social work professors. It covered topics such
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summer-fall 2012 | USC PHARMACY MAGAZINE
as medication access in society, the overuse and underuse of some medications, and how social work and pharmacy sometimes have similar Event organizers Tadeh Vartanian and Tenie Khachikian challenges in finding with faculty speakers Kathleen Johnson, the William A. patients the right care and Josephine A. Heeres Chair in Community Pharmacy, and Bruce Jansson, the Driscoll/Clevenger Professor of upon discharge. Social Policy at the School of Social Work. The event began with a welcome from the Social Work Vice Dean R. Paul Maiden, followed by remarks from Tenie Khachikian, the social work student who co-organized the event with Vartanian. “Although social work and pharmacy are different disciplines, there are similarities, as we are both working to improve the lives of our clients,” says Khachikian.
THREE USC STUDENTS AWARDED PRESTIGIOUS SCHWEITZER FELLOWHIPS Joy Yue Wang and Amanda Wong of the School of Pharmacy and Patricia Martinez of the Keck School of Medicine are among the 250 recipients nationwide of the 2012-13 Albert Schweitzer Fellowships. The fellowships are granted to graduate students in the fields of medicine, public health and pharmacy who are committed to serving their local community. Wang will be using her funding toward a 12-week smoking cessation program at a safety-net clinic that helps people quit using physiological and behavioral modification. “The Schweitzer Fellowship encourages fellows to explore avenues to sustain our projects beyond our time as fellows,” says Wang. “I think that it is very exciting to have the opportunity to start something new for our community and see its growth and impact throughout the years.” Wong will be using the funding for the L.A. County Braille Project, which will provide medication reviews and educational sessions for the blind and visually impaired. Schweitzer Fellows Amanda Wong, Patricia Martinez and Joy Yue Wang. “I’m excited to establish a brand new partnership with the Braille Institute, while also providing opportunities for our pharmacists and students to serve in different patient care situations,” says Wong. Wong is grateful for the help she had in designing her project from Maria Kootsikas, PharmD (’80), an adjunct faculty member at the School. Martinez’s project will pair a motivated first- or second-year medical student with a community clinic patient living with a chronic illness, such as diabetes.
AND THE FINALISTS ARE…. The USC School of Pharmacy chapter of the Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA) has been chosen as one of three finalists for the 2012 Chapter of the Year Award in recognition of their commitment to the community and the mission of SNPhA. The winner will be determined at the organization’s national meeting scheduled for July in Las Vegas where each of the finalists will make a presentation that outlines their credentials for the top prize. At right, SNPhA member Renata Ahegbebu consults with a patient at one of the many health fairs in which the group participated over the past year. summer-fall 2012 | USC PHARMACY MAGAZINE
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students Student Updates Shraddha Chaugule, PhD candidate, published in SCO Annual Meeting Proceedings I. Siti Mohd Janib, PhD candidate, recognized by the Association of Pacific Rim Universities with the Best Doctoral Student Paper.
Yawen Jiang, PhD candidate, to present “Impact of Second Generation Anti-Psychotics in Bipolar Patients and Schizophrenia Patients in the California Medicaid Program,” at the World Psychiatric Association International Congress, in Prague, Czech Republic, in October.
Martha Pastuszka, PhD candidate, received a one-year renewal of her AFPE Pre-Doctoral Fellowship. Tina Patel, PharmD candidate, received the Excellence in Public Health Pharmacy Award, United States Public Health Service. Eunice Rhee, PharmD candidate, honored with the Students Leadership Award, American Association of Health-System Pharmacists and the California Society of Health-System Pharmacists.
Elizabeth Schwartz, PhD candidate, published in Clinical Therapeutics. Joy Yue Wang and Amanda Wong, PharmD candidates, each awarded a Schweitzer Fellowship. Andrew Warnock, PharmD candidate, has been awarded the 2012 Student Leadership Award from the California Society of HealthSystem Pharmacists.
Letisha Wyatt, PhD candidate, received a funding award from the National Science Foundation. Megan Yardley, PhD candidate, selected to attend the Spring 2012 Ten-Week Series of the USC Graduate School Academic Professional Development Program; received a one-year renewal of her AFPE Pre-Doctoral Fellowship.
Terrance Yu, PharmD candidate, awarded a Wal-Mart Scholarship.
Student presenters at this year’s International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research include: B. Blaylock,
S. Shaugule, J. Chung, Y. Din, V. Ganapathy, Y. Jiang, H.F. Lee, X. Niu, A. Messali, R. Villacorta, T. Mutsuda, E.L. Schwartz, J. Shin, and J.K. Suh.
Giving to a good cause The USC chapter of Phi Delta Chi fraternity raised $1,500 for research at the St. Jude Children’s Hospital. Leading the effort were PharmD students Joe Jaraba, Sylvia Nguyen, Zain Al-Shamiyeh, Hovik Mekhjian, Susan Hidalgo (St. Jude representative), Diane Morgan, Denise Mullery, and George Kohan.
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‘‘
When it came time to sell our pharmacy, we decided to fund a scholarship to support the next generation of pharmacists. Establishing the scholarship was so easy to do and provided us with tax benefits that would have gone unrealized. And best of all, our scholarship is helping terrific students, like Catherine Chen, who will carry the torch of the pharmacy profession in the future.” — Lyndall and Ronald Otto, PharmD (’64) Owned and operated an independent pharmacy in Manhattan Beach for 36 years Today, proud scholarship donors to the USC School of Pharmacy
To learn how you can change a life, contact Mary Wackerman at 323.442.1360 or mwacker@usc.edu.
www.usc.edu/pharmacy
Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage Paid University of Southern California USC School of Pharmacy | Health Sciences Campus University of Southern California 1985 Zonal Avenue | Los Angeles CA 90089-9121 Address Service Requested
save the date… July 23 – 27, Monday – Friday
55th Annual Postgraduate Refresher Course Ritz-Carlton - Kapalua Maui, Hawaii Up to 25 hours of CE Information: 323-442-2403 or pharmce@usc.edu
August 23, Thursday
White Coat Ceremony HSC Quad Information: 323-342-1383 or horgan@pharmacy.usc.edu
September 21, Friday
8th Annual Alumni and Friends Golf Outing Angeles National Golf Club Information: 323-442-1738 or stanovic@usc.edu
September 23, Sunday (12:30 PM)
Pharmacy Owner: Pharmacy Sale/Transfer/Transition 2 hours CE credit USC School of Pharmacy Information: 323-442-1360 or mwacker@usc.edu
September 28, Friday
2012 Career Day Showcase Information: 323-442-1738 or stanovic@usc.edu
September 29, Saturday
Class of 2013 Interview Day USC Health Science Campus Information: 323-442-1738 or stanovic@usc.edu
November 10, Saturday
Homecoming and Class Reunions University Park Campus Information: 323-442-1381 or stanovic@usc.edu
January 25 – 27(2013), Friday – Sunday 18th Annual Winter Retreat Four Seasons Resort, The Biltmore, Santa Barbara Information: 323-442-1360 or mwacker@usc.edu
February 9 (2013), Saturday
CPhA Outlook USC School of Pharmacy Alumni Breakfast Information: 323-442-1381 or mlsantan@usc.edu