Alums to Watch
Five of the Future
In a new annual feature, meet the rising stars from each of the School of Pharmacy’s degree programs. From improving the lives of Cambodians to expanding pharmacy services, these five are pushing research and patient care into the future in unique ways.
Student Success
Leadership Award
The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists is honoring Samantha Lewiston (PharmD '21) for representing "the very best" among student leaders.
Hilldale Fellowship
PharmTox student Carlene Kranjac earned a competitive campus fellowship to support her research into better treatments for head and neck cancer.
National Champion
Out of 125 student pharmacists from across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, PharmD student Maddie Wiarek rises to the top to win a competition hosted by the American Pharmacists Association.
Addressing COVID Disparities
Reaching Underserved Communities
Through three initiatives, members of the School of Pharmacy are helping Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color access COVID-19 vaccines and information. From the Ho-Chunk Nation to Madison neighborhoods, see how faculty, staff, and students have been helping populations who have been hit hardest by the pandemic.
Healing Communities
PharmTox student Clara Yu won a Wisconsin Idea Fellowship to address food insecurity and healing among Southeast Asian and Black community members in light of the pandemic's outsize impacts.
Boys and Girls Club Partnership
The School of Pharmacy, Fitchburg Family Pharmacy, and the Boys and Girls Club partner on a series of events to increase COVID-19 vaccine access and address hesitancy among BIPOC communities.
From the Dean
DEAN’S CORNER
The pandemic posed a set of challenges no one saw coming. But with the help of alumni and friends, the School and its students have continued to thrive. Dean Steve Swanson shares some examples of this success, plans for finding a “new normal” for the fall semester, and a special announcement about the 2021 Citations of Merit.
READ HIS MESSAGE
Award-Winning Alumni
Precepting Prowess
“Being involved in student growth and development can be a very rewarding realm of pharmacy practice," says Troy Schmeling (PharmD ’09), the School's 2021 Larry Boh Clinical Instructor Excellence Award winner.
PharmTox Alum of the Year
The Pharmacy Alumni Association honors Peter Langenstroer (BS '87) for his career in urologic oncology and his global impact through annual medical missions to Honduras.
Leading Research
CancelRx
In the first study of the health system-wide implementation of health IT tool CancelRx, Professor Michelle Chui finds that it significantly reduces medication over-prescription.
Gel to Wipe Up Cancer Cells
After surgery to remove a cancerous tumor, malignant cells continue to lurk and threaten to grow back. Assistant Professor Quanyin Hu and collaborators have created a cancer-fighting gel to keep these cells in check.
Flu Vaccines
Over a seven-year period, the proportion of older adults receiving their flu shot at a community pharmacy more than doubled, School of Pharmacy researchers found.
Targeting Breast Cancer
With a new grant from the NIH, Professor Glen Kwon is working to improve the delivery of combination therapies for triple-negative breast cancer — enhancing their effectiveness while reducing toxic side effects.
Community Focus
BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER
Alumna Yolanda Tolson (BS ’95) helps make sure Madison-area patients without insurance have access to necessary prescription medication through her work and leadership at Wisconsin’s only standalone charitable pharmacy. See how she has stepped up the pharmacy’s services to help these patients overcome additional COVID-imposed obstacles.
Father-Daughter Duo
"It’s so cool for him to trust me as a colleague," says PharmD student Maddy Gallo. In her free time, she's been helping her dad, Michael (BS '91), deliver COVID-19 vaccines in her hometown.
Healthy Aging Star Award
Professor Eva Vivian is being recognized by a statewide organization for her work to improve health and access to care in communities throughout Wisconsin.
Research Talks
Strategies for Antibiotic Resistance
Associate Professor Warren Rose,
Pharmacy Practice Division
Peer Support for Diabetes
Associate Professor Olayinka Shiyanbola, Social and Administrative Sciences Division
COVID-19 Vaccine Development & Mechanisms
Professor Mary Hayney,
Pharmacy Practice Division
New @ the School
Forensic Toxicology Faculty
In a joint role with the State Lab of Hygiene, Heather Barkholtz is joining the School’s Pharmaceutical Sciences Division, bringing a focus on surveillance for drugs of abuse, such as cannabinoids and psychoactive drugs.
Enhancing Rural Care
“We are really at the forefront of demonstrating what our students can do in rural areas," says Assistant Professor Ed Portillo (PharmD '14). The School has created two new clinical rotations to augment the Rural Health PharmD option.
Time Capsule
History of Cannabis
Humans have been using cannabis for more than two centuries. How did our relationship with it get so complicated? Associate Professor Lucas Richert teases out the answers in an upcoming book.
Rennebohm Rarities
Take a peek inside the School of Pharmacy's historical collections and see these unique, aromatic items that date back to the 18th century, donated to the School by Oscar Rennebohm.
Making Headlines
Class Notes
Summer 2021 Class Notes
Our Pharmacy Badgers are kicking off the summer with professional and personal achievements, awards, new jobs, bigger families, and more. Keep in touch with your School of Pharmacy alumni peers through class notes.
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Mark Your Calendar
22nd Annual PAA/WSPS Golf Outing
Alumni, faculty, and current students unite for a day of golf and catching up with good friends and colleagues. Proceeds from this event benefit student scholarships.
August 13, 2021, 9 am-4:30 pm
Alumni & Friends Tailgate
After a year off, this popular alumni gathering is back on the books! Join alumni and friends of the School to cheer on the Badgers as they face the Michigan Wolverines.
October 2, 2021, details TBD
Professional Development
Continuing Education for Pharmacists
Cannabinoids as Medicine
Through a series of 13 online modules, learn about cannabinoid pharmacology and their use for various medical conditions.
Clinical Conference on Autoimmune Diseases
This March 2021 conference was released as an online CE program, with updates on diagnosis, treatments, and disease management.
Fall Distance Learning Experience
Coming this fall, with a focus on geriatrics. More details coming soon.
Courses for Pharmaceutical Scientists
Principles and Mechanisms of Pharmacokinetic Drug-Drug Interactions for Recently Approved Drugs
This five-session online program will give you the opportunity to expand and strengthen your knowledge of pharmacokinetic drug-drug interactions.
Biologics: Big Molecules, Big Challenges — From Discovery to Therapy is No Small Feat
This 10-part online program is designed for scientists who want to expand their knowledge about Biologics.
DISCOVERx STAFF
Editor-in-Chief | Katie Gerhards
Photographer | Sally Griffith-Oh
Contributing Photographers | Todd Brown, Ingrid Laas, Paul L. Newby II
Contributing Writers | Katie Ginder-Vogel, Mary Magnuson, Jill Sakai
Editorial Intern | Emma Gran
Editorial Advisors | Alyson Kim, David Mott
DiscoveRx magazine is a quarterly digital publication by the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Pharmacy.
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