USC Pharmacy Magazine Summer/Fall 2012

PUBLISHED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SCHOOL OF PHARMACY

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 2012USC

MDPharmD

Improve Patient Health

By Working Closely

As A Team

USC School of Pharmacy Receives $12 Million CMS Grant

for Safety-Net Project

By Keeping Track Of

Costs & Outcomes

By Optimizing MedicationUse & Safety

Save

Health Care Dollars

Finish

Better Health

For Patients

$

Start $12 Million!

September 28, Friday2012 Career Day ShowcaseInformation: 323-442-1738 or [email protected]

September 29, SaturdayClass of 2013 Interview Day USC Health Science CampusInformation: 323-442-1738 or [email protected]

November 10, SaturdayHomecoming and Class ReunionsUniversity Park CampusInformation: 323-442-1381 or [email protected]

January 25 – 27(2013), Friday – Sunday18th Annual Winter RetreatFour Seasons Resort, The Biltmore, Santa Barbara Information: 323-442-1360 or [email protected]

February 9 (2013), SaturdayCPhA Outlook USC School of Pharmacy Alumni BreakfastInformation: 323-442-1381 or [email protected]

INFLUENCE & IMPACT

Comparing Effectiveness of Therapies Treating CV Disease.

Do Out-of-Pocket Drug Costs Impacts Kids’ Health?

Education that Promotes Pharmaceutical Innovation and Safety.

Advocating for Provider Status for Pharmacists.

Potential New Treatment for Blocking Pathological Aggression.

When it Comes to Health Care, Think Like an Investor.

Translating Basic Science to the Patient Bedside.

SUCCESS ON ALL FRONTSGraduates and current students gather awards and honors.

HATS OFFFaculty and alumni recognized for outstanding work.

YES ON INNOVATION GRANTLargest grant ever awarded to School, using pharmacists to improve health and save money.

SIR CADENASProfessor Cadenas knighted by France.

UPwARD MOBILITYSchool move up 5 spots in US News & World Report rankings.

KUDOS

SENIOR EDITOR

Kukla Vera DIREcTOR Of PublIc RElaTIONS

[email protected]

cONTRIbuTORS

Mary Wackerman DIREcTOR Of MajOR GIfTS

[email protected]

Jennifer Watson ExEcuTIvE DIREcTOR Of

DEvElOPMENT

[email protected]

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: [email protected]

www.usc.edu/schools/pharmacy

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AwARDS BANqUETHonoring the Classes of 1962 and 2012.

SCHOLARSHIP LUNCHStudents say “thank you” to benefactors.

SALUTING THE VISION…of Dean Emeritus John Biles and Allergan Chairman Emeritus Gavin S. Herbert.

TRANSFORMATIVE GIVINGThe Titus Family continues to support and inspire.

AROUND THE GLOBEIdeas and projects with international impact.

TITUS FAMILY DEPARTMENT…of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Economics & Policy.

DEPARTMENT OF PHARMACOLOGY…and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

COMMUNITY OUTREACHStudents and faculty give back.

STUDENTSUpdates from the best and brightest.

KUDOS

IN PICTURES

LOOKING FORWARD

KEEPING UPR. 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

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2 summer-fall 2012 | USC PHARMACY MAGAZINE

Dean Vanderveen welcomes some 1,700 Guests

to the School’s 105th CommenCement

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.

school confers 232 degrees on the Class of 2012…31 residents and 6 fellows also mark the completion of their programs.

graduation & recognition

3summer-fall 2012 | USC PHARMACY MAGAZINE

usC sCHOOl Of PHarmaCY sTuDeNT aWarDs 2011-12

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.

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCESGRADUATE STUDENT SYMPOSIUM AWARDRobert MoYan (Helen) Wang

AMERICAN PHARMACISTS ASSOCIATION-ACADEMY OF STUDENT PHARMACISTSREGION 8 OPERATION DIABETESREGION 8 OPERATION HEART

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF HEALTH-SYSTEM PHARMACISTSSTUDENT LEADERSHIP AWARDEunice Rhee

ASSOCIATION OF PACIFIC RIM UNIVERSITIESBEST DOCTORAL STUDENT PAPERSiti Mohd Janib

BIOMEDICAL NANOSCIENCE TRAVEL AWARDMartha Pastuska

CALIFORNIA KOREAN AMERICAN PHARMACISTS ASSOCIATIONSTUDENT SCHOLARSHIPEunice Rhee

CALIFORNIA SOCIETY OF HEALTH-SYSTEM PHARMACISTSSTUDENT LEADERSHIP AWARDEunice Rhee

STUDENT LEADERSHIP IN HEALTH-SYSTEM PRACTICEEunice Rhee

JOSEPH H. BECKERMAN MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP AWARDEunice Rhee

STUDENT CHAPTER COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARDEmily Choi and Joy Wang

KROWN FELLOWSHIPNi Zeng

MEDCO FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIPTim Bensman

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CHAIN DRUG STORESPHARMACY STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPBonny ChenParth ParikhBrent Tambourine

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATIONFUNDING AWARDLetisha Wyatt

PHARMACY TIMES/WAL-MARTRESPy AWARDParth Parikh

PHI BETA KAPPAALUMNI AWARDDivya Pathania

RHO-CHIREGION 8 FINALIST FOR CHAPTER ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

SCHWEITZER FELLOWSHIPJoy Yue WangAmanda Wong

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SOCIETY OF HEALTH-SYSTEM PHARMACISTSSTUDENT LEADERSHIP AWARDEunice Rhee

UNITED STATES PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICEEXCELLENCE IN PUBLIC HEALTH PHARMACY AWARDTina Patel

USC STUDENT RECOGNITION AWARDEunice Rhee

WALMART SCHOLARSHIPTerrance Yu

appointments & awards


appointments & awards

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 out-standing contributions to health-system pharmacy. It is considered to be the highest honor in the profes-sion. 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 veteri-nary medicine. Johnson has been an advocate for inter-professional education of students and inter-professional clinical care.

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.

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 re-lease 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 lead-ing, innovative and patient-driven facilities. At this transformative time for the Keck Medical Center of USC, Scott will play an inte-gral role in propelling our academic medical center to the forefront of care from Southern California to around the world.”

leading the profession


eVALuAtInG tHeRAPIes DesIGneD to ReDuCe CARDIo-VAsCuLAR DIseAse RIsK AmonG PAtIents WItH DIABetesJoel 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 Propensity-Score 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.

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.

&InfLuenCe ImPACt

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

JasON DOCTOr, PhDAssociate Professor

influence and impact

leading the profession



unDeRstAnDInG HoW out-of-PoCKet Costs AffeCt HeALtH CARe foR CHILDRenHealth 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 hospitaliza-tions, 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 medica-tion 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.

CReAtInG A WoRKfoRCe to meet 21st CentuRY neeDsIn 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.

ADVoCAtInG foR PRoVIDeR stAtus foR PHARmACIstsDean 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.

top: DaNa GOlDmaN, PhD Director, Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economicsbottom: GeOffreY JOYCe, PhD Director of Health Policy, Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics

fraNCes riCHmOND, PhD Director, International Center for Regulatory Science

r. PeTe VaNDerVeeN, PhD, rPh Dean John Stauffer Decanal Chair in Pharmaceutical Sciences



WHen It Comes to HeALtH CARe, tHInK LIKe An InVestoRProfessor 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 soci-ety,” 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 mICePathological 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.

tRAnsLAtInG BAsIC sCIenCe DIsCoVeRY to tHe PAtIent BeDsIDeToday’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.

marCO BOrTOlaTO, mD,PhDResearch Assistant Professor

JeaN sHiH, PhD University Professor Boyd P. and Elsie D. Welin Professor in Pharmaceutical Sciences


school news

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 medi-cation 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 provid-ers 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

of uncontrolled diabetes, hypertension, asthma and heart disease. With pharmacists working collaboratively with physician col-leagues, 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-inves-tigators 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-to-achieve chronic disease control who will receive individualized services from pharmacists. Outcomes of these patients will be meas-ured 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.

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.

A unique legacy between two pioneering institutions — Allergan and the USC School of Pharmacy — and two of their vision-ary 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 lunch-eon in Irvine on February 8.

“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 profes-sor 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 ex-panding 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 fac-ulty 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 piv-otal part of the pharmacy curriculum. Additionally, the two were forerunners in the establishment of the School’s fellowship pro-gram, 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 develop-ment 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.”

A SALUTE TO THE PAST and its impact on the present

Dean Vanderveen with Dean Emeritus John Biles, Provost Elizabeth Garrett and Gavin Herbert, who is chairman emeritus at Allergan and a USC life trustee.

School of Pharmacy event showcases the School’s fellowship program at Allergan and the two men who launched it.



school news

Enrique Cadenas, PhD, Charles Krown/Alumni Professor in Phar-maceutical 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 pharmaceuti-cal 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

received from USC School of Pharmacy Dean R. Pete Vander-veen, 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

organized several international scientific conferences in France on the biological causes of aging and age-related neurodegenerative

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.

Professor Cadenas Knighted by France

At the knighthood ceremony are Consul General L.A. David Martinon, Professor Cadenas, USC Provost Elizabeth Garrett, and USC President C. L. Max Nikias.

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.”


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 fac-ulty 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 accred-ited 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 phar-macy schools with the closest contender ranked No. 37.

“Our School is the only private pharmacy school on a ma-jor 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 con-tinuing the School’s long-standing tradition of leading innovation in the profession,” said Dean Vanderveen.

sCHOOl Of PHarmaCY mOVes uPWarD iN US NewS & world report raNKiNGs

Schaeffer Center updateDean 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 Interna-tional 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

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 com-

munity 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 Rich-

mond, 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.

Regulatory Science Hosts Raymond Woosley


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.

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.

annual awards

KUDOS TO THE CLASSES OF

1962 2012


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.

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.

1962 2012

giving

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. Pharma-cists 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, demon-strated that type of creative thinking in his time, a trait he passed along to his son.

“When most pharmacies had soda fountains and non-prescription 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 Phar-macy (’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 medica-tions 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.

LOOKING TO THE PAST


for a path to the future“ My father was very cutting edge in his time, extremely

creative in his thinking about the pharmacy profession,”

“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 Gen-eral 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 phar-macist’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.

LOOKING TO THE PAST


for a path to the futureLIFe 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 dis-

counted 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 [email protected].


ALUMRobert 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.

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 achieve-ment 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.

remembrances

alum updates

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 schol-arships 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.

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.

A HOLE IN ONE FOR STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS

updates

In January, the School of Pharmacy hosted three visiting faculty mem-bers 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 em-ployed 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.”

WELCOMING FACULTY

from afar

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 Pharma-ceutical 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.

Global GUESTS


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.

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-

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 phar-

macy 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.

WORLDWIDE PARTNERSHIPS


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.

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 Supporters


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).

aT aNNual sCHOlarsHiP luNCHeON

Bob and Roslyn Blake, PharmD (’92), with scholarship recipient, Victoria Schells, at the luncheon held on March 6 on the Health Sciences Campus Quad.

Folayemi Fashola, PharmD student.

Hats Off to Supporters

titus family department

20

“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 record-breaking 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 sign-ing areas. The stages featured various events, including a presenta-tion of the fotonovela, “Rosa out of Control,” the latest in a series

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.

2012 FESTIVAL OF BOOKS

WiNTer–sPriNG 2012 | USC PHARMACY MAGAZINE

(excerpted from a story by Diane Krieger)

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 Biokinesi-ology 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 conduct-ed 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.

at USC

PharmD student Ronald Sim checks the blood pressure of Niki C. Nikias at the Festival of Books.

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.


the GOAL is TEAMWORK

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 INJURYSchool 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 hospi-

talized due to a pulmonary exacerbation, a notable worsening of lung function. The aminoglyco-

side 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.

PRECEPTOR FAIR gives students INSIGHT ON REAL-WORLD ExPERIENCES

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.

titus family department

22

Paul Beringer, PharmD, leading a project funded by Foundation for

the National Institutes of Health. FNIH has awarded the USC School of

Pharmacy a contract for $352,733 to conduct an observational study to

evaluate biomarkers of aminoglycoside-induced kidney toxicity among

patients with cystic fibrosis.

Mel Baron, PharmD, MPA, spoke at the USC Alumni Association 4th

Annual Half Century Trojans “Going Back to College Day” at the USC

Davidson Conference Center in February.

Steven Chen, PharmD, CDM, FCSHP, chaired a task force that put

together the California Society of Health-Systems Pharamacists’ Medica-

tion Therapy Management resource guide.

Daryl Davies, PhD, interviewed by ABC Radio (Australia) about his

research group’s recent discovery that the drug Ivermectin has the

potential for a novel pharmaceutical treatment for alcoholism in May.

Jason Doctor, PhD, presented “Measuring Patient Preferences to

Empower Them in Their Health Decisions,” at the NSF Sponsored Patient

Empowerment Workshop in Park City, UT, in December 2011; keynote

speaker at the 46th annual Southland Pre-Health Conference at the USC

Ronald Tudor Campus Center in January; authored one of the top 10

most downloaded articles published in the Journal of Mathematical

Psychology; interviewed by My Health News Daily about financial

incentive programs to promote healthy behaviors in May.

Julie Dopheide, PharmD, named president-elect of the College of

Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists.

Melissa Durham, PharmD, presented “The Profession of Pharmacy:

Past, Present, and YOU,” as the keynote speaker at the Southern Califor-

nia Pre-Pharmacy Association 2012 Symposium at USC in January.

Jeffery Goad, PharmD, MPH, vice chair for continuing professional

development, credentialing and distance education, appointed to serve

on the inaugural APhA Community Pharmacy Practice Standards Devel-

opment Working Committee.

Dana Goldman, PhD, had his research that showed that higher insur-

ance co-pays may lead to parents not filling prescriptions for their

children featured on KPCC-FM and ABC News in March; interviewed by

the New York Times about the cost of not investing in preventive health

care in May.

Joel Hay, PhD, quoted by the Los Angeles Times about the patents on

brand-name drugs running out, allowing generic versions to enter the

market in December 2011; interviewed by American Public Media’s

Marketplace and the Associated Press about Novartis’ decision to

voluntarily recall certain drugs in January.

Kathleen Hill-Besinque, PharmD, MSEd, assistant dean for curriculm

and assesment, quoted in The New York Times and the Daily Maverick

(South Africa) about the effectiveness of Plan B contraception in

December 2011.

Kathleen Johnson, PharmD, MPH, PhD, William A. and Josephine

A. Heeres Professor in Community Pharmacy, chair, named a Distin-

guished Scholar in the National Academy of Practice and a Fellow in the

Pharmacy Academy; awarded Best Poster award for her poster entitled,

“Burden of Illness: Direct and Indirect Costs Among Persons with Hemo-

philia A,” at the National Conference on Blood Disorders in Public Health,

in Atlanta, GA, in March; presented “Impact of Clinical Pharmacists on

Patient Outcomes,” as an invited speaker at the Chinese University of

Hong Kong, in Hong Kong, China, in May; will present “Quality of Life and

Costs of Care in Hemophilia in the United States,” at the World Hemo-

philia Meeting, in Paris, France, in July; received a two-year $149,896

grant from UniHealth Foundation for the project, “Integration of a Suc-

cessful Pharmacy Business Model into a Safety-Net Clinic and Spread of

Best Practices Through Shared Learning;” invited to serve as chair of the

Public Health Panel for The Annals of Pharmacotherapy.

Geoffrey Joyce, PhD, quoted by Politico about Pfizer’s efforts to make

Lipitor competitive with generics in January; had his research showing

that higher insurance co-pays may lead to parents not filling prescrip-

tions for their children featured on KPCC-FM and ABC News in March;

principal investigator on a $12 million CMS Innovation grant.

Jeffrey McCombs, PhD, director of graduate studies, quoted in La

Opinion about a bill to put limits on overcharges in hospitals in February;

interviewed by KNX News Radio about Medicare’s experimental com-

petitive bidding process in April; to present “Comparison of Estimated

Effects from Ordinary Least Squares and General Linear Models in Cost-

of-Illness Studies: Examples for Alzheimer’s Disease and Hepatitis C,”

FACULTY UPDATES

summer-fall 2012 | USC PHARMACY MAGAZINE

23

at the European Conference on Health Economics 2012, in Zurich,

Switzerland, in July; 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.

Edith Mirzaian, PharmD, has passed her board certification exam and

is now a board certified ambulatory care pharmacist.

Tien Ng, PharmD, FCCP, BCPS, presented “Hyponatremia is Associated

with Higher Diuretic Requirements and Poorer Treatment Outcomes in

Acute Heart Failure,” at the American College of Cardiology Annual Scien-

tific 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 Func-

tion: 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-

graduate students from China Pharmaceutical University and one student

from University of Utrecht; appointed faculty fellow for the USC Center for

Excellence in Teaching.

Bradley Williams, PharmD, is an editor and chapter author for the text-

book Koda-Kimble and Young’s Applied Therapeutics: The Clinical Use

of Drugs, 10th Edition.

Annie Wong-Beringer, PharmD, FCCP, FIDSA, vice chair, awarded

$82,875 grant from Forest Laboratories, Inc. for the project titled

“Epidemiology and Outcomes of MRSA in Community-Onset Pneumonia.”

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 eat-ing 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.

laTesT fOTONOVela frOm assOCiaTe PrOfessOr mel BarON:


department of pharmacology & pharmaceutical sciences

24

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 rope-like structure of the fibrils formed by proteins in type 2 diabetes, as well as the mechanism by which the structures form. This is im-

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.”

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).

...with implications for therapeutics for type 2 diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases.


Research Reveals Clues about Structure of Proteins in Type 2 Diabetes

This is important information for researchers developing therapies to attack type 2 diabetes and other dis-eases including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and Huntington’s disease.”

School of Pharmacy Associate Professor Ian Haworth and Keck School of Medicine Professor Ralf Langen.

25

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 cur-rent and budding entrepreneurs.

Attendees at the event represented graduate students, post-docs 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. Rose-marie 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

Panelists Ed Lieskovan, Manuel Martinez and Elizabeth Iorns at the USC event, “Entrepreneurship for Academics.”

sO YOu WaNT TO Be aN


of USC entrepreneurial leaders and was led by George Tolomic-zenko of the Health, Technology and Engineering Program.

The featured panelists represented a broad swath of en-trepreneurial 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 seam-less 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.

entrepreneur...

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 replace-

ment 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 ger-

ontology 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).

BECAUSE MENOPAUSE SYMPTOMS CAN REALLY GET YOU DOWN…

The Brinton compound packaged for the clinical trial.

James Adams, PhD, quoted by Voice of

America about arthritis patients pursuing

painkillers and prescription drugs for their pain

in January.

Ronald Alkana, PharmD, PhD, associate dean

of graduate studies and curricular develop-

ment, 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 Pharmaceuti-

cal 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 Vander-

veen 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.

Julio Camarero, PhD, presented “Recombi-

nant Protein Therapeutics: Targeting Protein/

Protein Interactions,” at PepTalk 2012 in San

Diego in January.

Roger Clemens, DrPh, was cited in Postmedia

News about the salt content in bread in March.

Ian Haworth, PhD, was awarded a C3 grant

from the Center for Scholarly Technology as

a co-investigator.

Rebecca Romero, PhD, was awarded a C3

grant from the Center for Scholarly Technology.

Jean Shih, PhD, University Professor, Boyd &

Elsie Welin Professor, discussed the integrated,

interdisciplinary nature of pharmacology in the

21st century at the Academy for Polymathic

Study event, at the USC Doheny Memorial

Library last semester.

Walter Wolf, PhD, Distinguished Professor,

attended and organized the ethics session,

“Ethical Issues in Genomic Research,” at the

American Association for Cancer Research an-

nual 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

from the Ming Hsieh Institute for Engineering

Medicine for Cancer for the project entitled,

“Targeting the Mildly Acidic Tumor Microen-

vironment Using pH-Sensitive Recombinant

Peptide Nanoconstructs.”

Liqin Zhao, PhD, among the investigators

of five-year, $1.7 million grant from the

National Institutes of Health for the project

entitled, “Perimenopause in Brain Aging

and Alzheimer’s Disease.”


department of pharmacology & pharmaceutical sciences

faculty UPDATES

PRomotIons

Nouri Neamti, PhD, has been promoted to

professor. Neamati’s work uses computational

chemistry to match chemical compounds to

biological processes in an effort to design novel

therapeutics primarily to combat cancer and

HIV. Focusing on small-molecule design,

Neamati’s research aims to find compounds that

will fit into active sites in proteins and enzymes

to inhibit their expression. His lab has com-

pounds at various stages of development from

theoretical to in vitro to in vivo. Neamati joined

the School of Pharmacy in 2000, having previ-

ously served at the National Institutes of Health

as a postdoctoral fellow and a research fellow.

Bangyan Stiles, PhD, has been promoted

to associate professor. Stiles’s research aims

to discover if the regeneration of beta-cells

in adults can be induced by manipulating

the PTEN gene, which is present in almost all

cells in the body. Implications from her work

ultimately impact both diabetes and can-

cer therapeutics. Stiles joined the School of

Pharmacy faculty in 2005, having completed

postdoctoral research at the Howard Hughes

Medical Research Institute and the UCLA School

of Medicine. Her current research is supported

by the National Institutes of Health.


On June 8, Dean Vanderveen and Vice Dean Sarah Hamm-Alvarez 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 men-torship 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 pro-fessor 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.”

Dean Emeritus Timothy Chan Is moVInG on

ON THE GRANT frontRoberta Diaz Brinton, R. Pete Vanderveen Chair in Therapeutic Discov-

ery and Development, has received a renewal of the program project grant

focusing on perimenopause in brain aging and Alzheimer’s disease, from the

National Institutes of Health. The renewal amount is $1.7 million for a 5-year

term. Brinton is the principal investigator on the project with co-investi-

gators Liqin Zhao and Enrique Cadenas, Charles Krown Pharmacy Alumni

Professor in Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Jean C. Shih, University Professor and the Boyd P. and Elsie D. Welin

Professor in Pharmaceutical Sciences, is the primary investigator on a 3-year,

$579,449 grant from the Department of Defense. The project is entitled

“Monoamine Oxidase A: A Novel Target for Progression and Metastasis of

Prostate Cancer.” Co-investigator is Bogdan Olenyuk.

Andrew MacKay, has received a CTSI multidisciplinary grant in the

amount of $80,000 to conduct a preclinical evaluation of disintegrins for

cancer therapy. Using genetic engineering, the project aims to leverage

USC-developed expertise to optimize these anti-cancer pharmaceuticals

and to lay the groundwork for a larger NIH project. A team from the Keck

School of Medicine are co-investigators on the project; the Department of

Defense has awarded MacKay a grant in the amount of $250,000 to explore

new approaches to treat corneal injury using targeted biopharmaceuticals.

Co-investigator is Sarah Hamm-Alvarez.

Clay Wang has received renewal funding for the program project grant,

“Identification of Secondary Metabolites and Biosynthesis Pathways

in A. Nidulans,” from the National Institutes of Health. Wang is a co-

investigator with the project’s primary investigator, Berl Oakley, at the

University of Kansas.

Dean Vanderveen, Vice Dean Sarah Hamm-Alvarez and Dean Emeritus Chan.

community outreach


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

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 the School’s Pharmacy Explorers Program, going out to area high schools to encourage students to work 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.”

Tino Sanchez, awarded a PhD at this year’s com-mencement, mentors high-school students.

BRIDGING the GAP

REACHING OUT ALONG THE WAY

The School of Pharmacy is part of an interdisciplinary program to aid elderly patients.(Excerpted from a story by Jonathan Riggs)

Rekindling the romantic

spark between a 90-year-

old wife and her 94-year-

old husband was just

another day at the office

for the Geriatric Assess-

ment Program (GAP), a

cross-university project

with interdisciplinary roots.

“This is especially valuable for older adults with multiple health problems,

and for people who are uncertain that their health problems are being fully

and accurately diagnosed,” said USC Davis School of Gerontology Professor

Bob Knight.

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

with the Department of Psychology, the Davis School of Gerontology, Keck

School of Medicine and Ostrow School of Dentistry to provide patients with a

convenient and rigorous evaluation performed by a geriatrician (Patricia Har-

ris), geropsychologist (Knight), geriatric social worker (Anne Katz), geriatric

pharmacist (Bradley Williams) and geriatric dentists (Piedad Suarez Durall

and Roseann Mulligan).

While GAP is not intended to replace a patient’s primary care physician,

it can offer vital health and diagnostic reinforcement through a specialized

geriatric lens.

“Most providers are not experts in the care of older adults, and they can

use [the information provided by GAP] as guidance to maximize the benefits

received by their patients,” School of Pharmacy Professor Williams said.

“It is important for older adults who may feel overwhelmed by their health

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.


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 well-being 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.

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.

...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

JUST IN...

(Excerpted from a story by Jonathan Riggs)

students


STUDENT-MENTOR TEAM WINS WALMART SCHOLARSHIP

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 clini-cian-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 can-didate 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

as medication access in society, the overuse and underuse of some medi-cations, and how social work and pharmacy sometimes have similar challenges in finding patients the right care upon discharge.

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-organ-ized the event with Vartanian.

“Although social work and pharmacy are different disci-plines, there are similarities, as we are both working to improve the lives of our clients,” says Khachikian.

Event organizers Tadeh Vartanian and Tenie Khachikian with faculty speakers Kathleen Johnson, the William A. and Josephine A. Heeres Chair in Community Pharmacy, and Bruce Jansson, the Driscoll/Clevenger Professor of Social Policy at the School of Social Work.

Award will take winners Terrance Yu and Associate Professor Kathy Besinque to the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Annual Meeting in Florida.


THREE USC STUDENTS AWARDED PRESTIGIOUS SCHWEITZER FELLOWHIPS

STUDENT-MENTOR TEAM WINS WALMART SCHOLARSHIP

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.

“I’m excited to establish a brand new partnership with the Braille Institute, while also providing opportunities for our phar-

macists 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.

The USC School of Pharmacy chapter of the Student National Pharmaceuti-

cal 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.

Schweitzer Fellows Amanda Wong, Patricia Martinez and Joy Yue Wang.

AND THE FINALISTS ARE….

students

32

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 Health-

System 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.

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.

giving TO a

good cause

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 [email protected]. www.usc.edu/pharmacy

USC School of Pharmacy | Health Sciences CampusUniversity of Southern California1985 Zonal Avenue | Los Angeles CA 90089-9121

Nonprofit OrganizationU.S. Postage PaidUniversity of Southern California

Address Service Requested

MDPharmD

Improve Patient Health

By Working Closely

As A Team

USC School of Pharmacy Receives $12 Million CMS Grant

for Safety-Net Project

By Keeping Track Of

Costs & Outcomes

By Optimizing MedicationUse & Safety

Save

Health Care Dollars

Finish

Better Health

For Patients

$

Start $12 Million!

July 23 – 27, Monday – Friday55th Annual Postgraduate Refresher Course Ritz-Carlton - KapaluaMaui, HawaiiUp to 25 hours of CEInformation: 323-442-2403 or [email protected]

August 23, ThursdayWhite Coat CeremonyHSC QuadInformation: 323-342-1383 or [email protected]

September 21, Friday8th Annual Alumni and Friends Golf OutingAngeles National Golf ClubInformation: 323-442-1738 or [email protected]

September 23, Sunday (12:30 PM)Pharmacy Owner: Pharmacy Sale/Transfer/Transition2 hours CE creditUSC School of PharmacyInformation: 323-442-1360 or [email protected]

September 28, Friday2012 Career Day ShowcaseInformation: 323-442-1738 or [email protected]

September 29, SaturdayClass of 2013 Interview Day USC Health Science CampusInformation: 323-442-1738 or [email protected]

November 10, SaturdayHomecoming and Class ReunionsUniversity Park CampusInformation: 323-442-1381 or [email protected]

January 25 – 27(2013), Friday – Sunday18th Annual Winter RetreatFour Seasons Resort, The Biltmore, Santa Barbara Information: 323-442-1360 or [email protected]

February 9 (2013), SaturdayCPhA Outlook USC School of Pharmacy Alumni BreakfastInformation: 323-442-1381 or [email protected]

save the date…

Documents

USC Pharmacy Magazine Summer/Fall 2012