UW School of Pharmacy

The UW School of Pharmacy is ranked No. 10 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. The UW was ranked No. 3 in the world in 2012 in clinical medicine and pharmacy by the Center for World-Class Universities.  

The School of Pharmacy is part of a world-renowned and highly collaborative health sciences program that also includes the Schools of Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, Public Health and Social Work.

Recent School Highlights

In 2012, the newly renovated Bracken Pharmacy Learning Center opened. This PharmD student learning lab now features many new additions to improve student learning and provide state-of-the-art technologies.

In 2013, Professor of Pharmaceutics Jashvant Unadkat secured a $4.7 million National Institute on Drug Abuse grant to study drug disposition during pregnancy, in an effort to improve the health of pregnant women and their babies. Other faculty members on the project are Gail Anderson, Rodney Ho, Nina Isoherranen, Ed Kelly, Qingcheng Mao and Joanne Wang.

Professor of Pharmacy Dave Veenstra recently received a $1.9 million grant from the NIH Common Fund to study the economics of personalized medicine in order to help increase knowledge about which medicines have the greatest benefit to individual patients. Faculty members Josh Carlson and Anirban Basu are project co-investigators.

The School of Pharmacy participates in an interprofessional education training program in which pharmacy students join other UW health sciences students for simulated trainings that focus on clinical practice and team skills.

Upper photo: May 2012 training event Lower photo: October 2013 training event

Student Highlights

William Canastero, graduate student in the Pharmaceutical Outcomes Research & Policy Program (PORPP), was named a 2013 UW Magnuson Scholar for his academic performance and potential contributions to research in the health sciences.

Nick Au, PharmD/PhD student in medicinal chemistry, was part of a team of UW graduate students who took the Best Innovation Idea prize in the 2013 UW Business Plan Competition. Their idea? To develop a “smart” polymer contact lens to provide a needle-free insulin delivery platform for diabetics.

PharmD student Laura Hart, ’14, was named a 2013 Scholar in the Paul Ambrose Program, a program that prepares health professions students to address population health challenges at the national and community level.

Student pharmacists Sheila Shapouri, ’16, and Kyle Sullivan, ’16, won the 2013 Washington State Pharmacy Association “Know Pain, Know Gain” Pharmacy Patient Pain Counseling Competition -- for their skills identifying pain management medications and describing common barriers to pain management.

In 2013, PharmD student Tope Osiyemi, ’14, was selected as Region V Facilitator of the Student National Pharmaceutical Association. The organization is focused on pharmacy and healthcare-related issues and minority representation in health-related professions.

PORPP graduate student Kai Yeung received a 2013 NIH predoctoral clinical research training grant through the Institute of Translational Health Sciences. His research is evaluating the impact of a value-based formulary on medication use and healthcare costs.

Solomon Lubinga and Marita Mann, PORPP graduate students, received 2013 UW Thomas Francis, Jr., Global Health Fellowships to support health research projects they’re conducting in Uganda and Namibia, respectively.

PharmD student Eva Linh, ’15, was chosen to participate in the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s 2013 Emerging Leaders in Science and Society Program. This national leadership program prepares graduate students to contribute to solutions for society.

Outreach & Professional Development

Students are highly active in numerous award-winning local and national organizations.

Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) ~ American Pharmacists Association-Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP) ~ American Association of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) ~ American Society of Consultant Pharmacists (ASCP) ~ Bridges to Health Patient Advocacy Center ~ International Pharmaceutical Students’ Federation (IPSF) ~ Kappa Psi ~ Lambda Kappa Sigma ~ National Community Pharmacists Association-Student Leadership Council (NCPA-SLC) ~ Pharmacy for Reproductive Education and Sexual Health ~ Phi Lambda Sigma ~ Rho Chi ~ Unified Professional Pharmacy Organizations of Washington (UPPOW) ~ Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA) ~ Student Providers Aspiring to Rural and Underserved eXperience (SPARX) ~ Washington State Pharmacy Association (WSPA)

Each year, UW and Washington State University pharmacy students attend Legislative Day in Olympia to meet with government officials, organize events and advocate for the pharmacy profession and patients.

February 2013

Our student groups regularly lead and provide health outreach, health education and patient advocacy programs and services throughout the community.

A 2012 brown bag medication review at a Seattle retirement home

Students participate in dozens of academic and pharmacy industry conferences around the region, nation and world each year to network, present research, compete in academic competitions and more.

American Pharmacists Association-Academy of Student Pharmacists Midyear Regional Meeting 2012

Significant international opportunities are available at the School of Pharmacy. Our students conduct global health work through partnerships with health organizations, international rotations and more.

PharmD students and faculty member Don Downing on a 2013 trip to India focused on helping India enhance its pharmacy care model.

The School of Pharmacy and Pharmacy Alumni Association offer events throughout the year that allow pharmacy students to meet with alumni and practitioners — in an effort to help them build their professional network and prepare for their career.

Pharmacy Alumni Association Student & Practitioner Meet & Greet, October 2013

Our student pharmacists regularly organize and participate in fundraisers for health-related organizations and causes.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Give Thanks Walk fundraiser in Seattle, November 2013

Faculty Highlights

Associate Professor of Pharmacy Beth Devine was recently elected a member of the Society for Research Synthesis Methodology, an elective society of scholars and practitioners interested in the development of research synthesis methodology.

Professor of Medicinal Chemistry Carlos Catalano received a 2013 UW Medical Center Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Volunteer Recognition Award for exemplifying a commitment to community service that reflects Dr. King’s life of service.

In 2012, Acting Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Cathy Yeung received a Norman S. Coplon Extramural Grant for $200,000 for her research into kidney disease and treatments.

Professor of Pharmaceutics Rodney Ho received the 2013 Research Achievement Award in Biotechnology from the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists. The award recognizes the high quality and impact of his work in neuropharmacology, lipid chemistry and translational medicine.

Associate Professor of Pharmaceutics Nina Isoherranen received the 2013 Drug Metabolism Division Early Career Achievement Award from the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics for her significant accomplishments and contributions to drug safety research.

In 2013, Associate Professor of Pharmacy Lingtak-Neander Chan received the Distinguished Nutrition Support Pharmacist Service Award from the American Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition for his contributions to clinical nutrition and metabolism.

Associate Dean Nanci Murphy was installed as chair of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Leadership Development Special Interest Group. This group supports the development of leaders throughout the pharmacy profession.

Professor of Medicinal Chemistry Bill Atkins was named the inaugural Sid Nelson Endowed Professor in Drug Metabolism. Atkins received this professorship, named after our late dean emeritus, for his distinguished career as a researcher and teacher.

Adjunct Professor of Pharmacy Andy Stergachis was named the editor in chief of the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association, the publication for an association that represents more than 62,000 pharmacists, pharmaceutical scientists and student pharmacists.

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