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Inside the Winter 2025 issue
Elevating Pharmacy Practice
Pharmacist-Forward Primary Care
“Certainly, pharmacists have the training to do it — it’s just a matter of figuring out the logistics,” says alumna Emma Hickmann (PharmD ’22). Alongside Bianca Bellissimo (PharmD ’19), she’s part of a pharmacist-led primary care clinic created by Thad Schumacher that helps patients access care faster, from annual physicals to removing stitches.
Coding for Safety
“I find it impactful to be able to contribute to the profession and affect how 100,000 pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are able to work every single day," says alum Daryl Fahrner (PharmD '15). Learn how he's coding solutions for safer pharmacy care.
Innovator Award
Sharon Faust (BS ’07, PharmD ’11) is redefining what’s possible in pharmacy benefit management — earning national recognition for innovations that strengthen patient care. Discover how she’s driving new, transparent models in pharmacy benefit management.
Federally Funded WOORC
With federal funding that has been extended for another influential year, the Wisconsin Opioid Overdose Response Center is leveraging community pharmacies to reduce opioid overdoses. Learn what the Center accomplished in its first year and what's next.
Advancing Education
Skills that Save
When patients express suicidal thoughts, pharmacists — the most accessible health care professionals — need to be prepared. The School’s new skills lab equips students with practical suicide-prevention strategies they’ll use throughout their careers.
Shaping What's Next
From innovative clinical practice to cutting-edge health tech, meet alumni Amy Kennedy (PharmD '08) and Joel Jones (PharmD '07), who are bringing their wide-ranging expertise to the School of Pharmacy’s Board of Visitors.
A Note From Advancement
Alumni Column
As the year winds down, Associate Dean for Advancement Ed Portillo (PharmD ’14) reflects on the sparks that shaped 2025 — from mentor moments and scholarship celebrations to standout alumni innovation — and looks ahead to a new year of connection, community, and Badger pride.
Read his message >
Leading Research
Cannabis in Cancer Care
“Sleep is such a major issue for cancer survivors,” says alum Apoorva Reddy (MS '20, PhD '23). To get much-needed rest, many patients with cancer turn to medical cannabis. But can it really improve sleep quality? Reddy's research seeks the answers.
Genetic Engineering for Better Biofuels
Biofuel production has a surprising key ingredient: bacteria. And Associate Professor Jason Peters has patented new genetic tools to give this biofuel-brewing bacteria a boost.
Tumor-Fighting Bile Acids
Assistant Professor Ting Fu has identified a promising potential therapeutic lead for colorectal cancer — the second most-common cause of cancer-related deaths. And it's right in your gut.
Pharmacy Flashback
50th Anniversary: Class of 1975 Revisited
As the School of Pharmacy’s Class of 1975 celebrates their 50-year reunion, classmates share photos, reflections, and the stories that defined their time on campus — including the legendary “paper airplane incident” that interrupted a lecture and became an indelible memory.
Faculty Excellence
National Clinical Pharmacy Leadership
Two School of Pharmacy faculty members — Associate Professors Lisa Holle (BS ’93, PharmD ’95) and Marina Maes — are being recognized nationally by the American College of Clinical Pharmacy for their excellence in practice and education. Learn why.
Tapped to Lead
For 20 years, Professor Arash Bashirullah has been elevating the School of Pharmacy's mission through research, mentorship, and leadership. Now, he's been selected to take the helm as dean of a Texas pharmacy school. See how his time at the School shaped him as a leader.
Shaping Leaders
20 Years of Launching Community Pharmacy Leaders
“This residency has always been more than a steppingstone — it’s a launchpad for leaders,” says Professor Mara Kieser. As the Community-Based Pharmacy Residency Program marks 20 years, revisit its Badger-led beginnings, see how it’s grown, and meet the pharmacists transformed by it.
Improving Prescribing
Better Dosing for Vulnerable Patients
Newborns and older adults are often excluded from clinical trials, leaving clinicians to rely on limited evidence for drug dosing. Assistant Professor Sin Yin Lim is aiming to fill that knowledge gap.
Pediatric Antibiotic Stewardship
Alum Tom Dilworth (PharmD '10) is helping to lead a major health system's project to improve antibiotic prescribing for kids with respiratory infections across 262 sites of care.
Optimizing Infection Therapy
Through a new grant, Assistant Professor Cecilia Volk (PharmD '20) is looking to streamline treatment for serious bloodstream and bone infections. See how she's hoping to ease the burden on patients.
Student Impact
Connection Across Generations
Through the Senior Chats program, the School's student pharmacists build meaningful relationships that ease isolation for older adults.
Award-Winning Outreach
The Wisconsin Society of Pharmacy Students' tradition of excellence continues to ring true: This year, they're bringing home two regional awards for their community outreach for medication safety and substance misuse.
The Donor Difference
Inaugural Anna Apinis Professorship
A Latvian family’s legacy continues through the inaugural Anna Apinis Professorship, supporting Professor Jiaoyang Jiang’s research on proteins that drive cancer and neurodegenerative disease. Learn about the Apinis family's journey to the U.S. in the 1930s and the potent research they're supporting.
Supporting Confidence and Creativity
“It’s giving students the opportunity to do things that they otherwise would not have done — taking chances,” says Mark Rogge (BS '82, MS '84), one of the donors behind the School's scholarships. See how scholarships transform student experiences.
Making Headlines
Mark Your Calendar
Alumni & Friends Pickleball Tournament
Join alumni for a fun-filled day of pickleball, food, and philanthropy organized by the Pharmacy Alumni Association.
February 21, 1:30 pm
7th Annual Alumni & Friends Virtual Trivia
Come test your Badgers, Pharmacy, and general trivia knowledge in a team trivia fundraiser for student scholarships.
March 10, 6 pm
26th Annual PAA & WSPS Golf Outing
Enjoy a round of golf with alumni, students, and friends, all to benefit the Pharmacy Alumni Association’s student scholarship fund.
July 27, 9 am
Class Notes
Winter 2025 Class Notes
From career milestones and awards to newly published books and well-earned appointments, Pharmacy Badgers are making their mark. Stay up to date with peers in the latest news in Class Notes and share your news.
Read what’s new >
Submit your class note >
Professional Development
CMC Project Team Leadership
Thursdays April 16-May 21, 2026 | Webinars
October 5-8, 2026 | Pyle Center, UW–Madison Campus
This course covers effective leadership skills in the context of CMC development. In addition to leadership skills, the course also covers regulatory compliance and quality assurance.
Find more information and register >
CMC Essentials for Team Leaders in Biologics Product Development
Online, asynchronous
This course covers practical CMC aspects for large molecule development programs and associated regulatory filings, including technical activities leading to the initial IND and BLA/CTD.
Find more information and register >
Fundamentals of Solid Dosage Form Development
June 1–4, 2026 | Pyle Center, UW–Madison campus
Find more information and register >
Updates in Biologics
Online, Asynchronous
Find more information and register >
Stay Connected
DISCOVERX Staff
Editor-in-Chief | Katie Gerhards
Contributing Photographers | Paulius Musteikis, Sharon Vanorny, Andy Manis, Sirtaj Grewal, Paul L Newby II, Sally Griffith-Oh
Contributing Writers | Katie Ginder-Vogel, Nicole Etter, Archer Parquette, Jennifer LW Fink, Darcy Lewis, Susan Smith
Editorial Interns | Logan Underwood
Editorial Advisors | Alyson Kim, Ed Portillo
DiscoveRx magazine is a quarterly digital publication by the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Pharmacy.
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